NEW GRADUATES CHAT DEC 2023 week 1: Well hello... - Couch to 5K

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NEW GRADUATES CHAT DEC 2023 week 1

Mummycav profile image
MummycavAdministratorGraduate
6 Replies

Well hello and happy countdown to Christmas to you all…

If you’re reading this it must mean that you are a new graduate…& I am soooo happy to see you here…thank you to  MissUnderstanding for hosting last months chat and maybe  MissUnderstanding has pointed you in my direction after she has pinned on your shiny new graduate badge…well, I’ve been here waiting for you!!!

How did it go?

How long has it taken you?

Was there anything that worried you during the programme? How did you overcome it?

What are your plans for now?? Apart from the consolidation that you need to do…but looking beyond that, what are you mulling over??

I am currently on my second proper go at c25k..i graduated 6 years ago so I’m a bit like part of the furniture on here…but I’ve started working, running my own business so my time is limited…I literally have to make time in my diary for my runs,if I’m running during the day so it’s usually early morning or early evening…I’m still working on my cruise body for when I go in my first ever cruise in March and things are NOT going to plan so I might need a bit of inspiration from you new runners!!!

When’s your favourite time to run?

Do you have a favourite place?

How did you feel when you graduated?

Seeing as it’s December I think we ought to have a ⭐️share a Christmas photo⭐️ challenge so I’ll be looking out for those lovely Christmassy pictures.

So come and join us, let’s talk about all things running coz it’s my favourite!!

Have a lovely week of running but be careful out there it can be slippy…

MummyCav and the admin team 🏃 🏃‍♀️

—————————————————————

A bit about consolidation and running as a new Graduate…

You’ll almost certainly have heard people talking about taking some time to “consolidate” after graduation. This isn’t compulsory but it’s a really good idea. When you have increased your running distance or duration over a few weeks, it is good to pause and consolidate for a short period, bedding in all that effort and getting ready for whatever comes next. That just means not continuing to build the distance or setting out to get faster for a little while.

It’s a brilliant time to just enjoy your running. Without having to increase duration week on week, you can take the pressure off and have some fun! You can run somewhere beautiful and new. Forget about pace! Mix up your run times. Go up a hill! While you are consolidating you are also helping to establish the habit of running in your life. It is said to take twelve weeks of changed behaviour to create a new habit, so a three-week consolidation will get you there!

Running as a graduate will look different for everyone which is why we really hope people will share what they’ve been doing. We can pinch ideas and take inspiration from each other. The key thing is to keep it steady and remember you’ve got a whole lifetime of running ahead of you. Keeping to 30 minutes max as a rough rule of thumb is a generally good idea and we’d encourage you to be really sensible about running for longer. It’s widely recommended not to increase the length of any of your runs by more than 10% each week because of the risk of injury. Think about how Couch to 5k gradually builds up. The last thing anyone wants is to spend time on the injury couch just after finishing!

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Mummycav profile image
Mummycav
Administrator
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6 Replies
Annieapple profile image
AnnieappleAdministratorGraduate

🍏What a fun photo to welcome & congratulate our new graduates. Loved it! You are so right about making & planning time to get the run done especially now in the crazy season!! Thanks Mummycav for hosting this month. When I was in Canada I spotted the Reindeer taking a break but no sign of the man in red 🎅 .. I did ask them to pass on the message that I would like new running gear…Enjoy consolidation every one!

Reindeer
Mummycav profile image
MummycavAdministratorGraduate in reply to Annieapple

Ohhh I love a reindeer!! They just shout Christmas don’t they?? I hope he got your message, who doesn’t like running gear under the tree??!! x

red_faced_runner profile image
red_faced_runnerGraduate

I've just completed c25k for the 2nd time 🎉 First time was over 2 years ago, but illness disrupted progress a couple of months after that and I stopped running completely.Its been a relatively straightforward 9 weeks this time around. Taken it slowly. Stuck to sensible rest days. Used the post running stretches on the app after every run. Trusted in the programme.

I plan to continue with 3 runs a week. I did run for 37 mins this week to complete 5k distance for my first run post wk9 and would love to continue to increase distance in longer term. I have never run further than 8k in my life, and even that distance was only once. But for now I'm going to use your excellent advice and stick to 30 min runs this week.

90 mins running a week must cancel out at least 2 mince pies right?!!

Annieapple profile image
AnnieappleAdministratorGraduate in reply to red_faced_runner

🍏 Congratulations 🥳 👏🥂 You deserve success after tackling it the right way! Your future plans are sensible too! So well done!! When you are ready pop into Bridge to 10k forum where you will pick up lots of advice about going further in your running journey.

healthunlocked.com/bridgeto10k

red_faced_runner profile image
red_faced_runnerGraduate in reply to Annieapple

Thank you 😊

Mummycav profile image
MummycavAdministratorGraduate in reply to red_faced_runner

Fantastic…I love that once you’ve done c25k it’s in your blood…and something that, even after a break, people always seem to return to…I am desperate to get out in the morning before work…how can it not be addictive??!!

Enjoy those runs…they’re made just for you x

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