it’s taken me a lot longer than 9 weeks - I got all the way to week 7, got a new job and gave up, started again from scratch, struggled to get back on it after Christmas, repeated lots of the runs…
But yesterday I did it - finally a graduate
Now eyeing up those stepping stone runs…. 👀
Congratulations and well done for persevering, fantastic 😁
Thank you! How did you continue your journey after graduating?
I spent a few weeks consolidating, working up to 5k (30 minutes will cover about 3k for me). Around about this time I discovered the Nike Running Club (NRC) app. Lots of guided runs, lots of useful coaching and food for thought plus you can listen to music (BBC Sounds for me as I don't have subscriptions to Spotify etc).
The app is free and you don't need to buy Nike things to use it. You can choose runs by distance and duration, or try out intervals, speed runs, tempo runs, fartleks etc. After a while I internalised a lot of the coaching so sort of repeat it back to myself when necessary, the coaches are now inside my head 
I'm currently doing the NRC 10k plan which I am hugely enjoying. I've run 10k once, a year or so back, and want to do it again. There's another forum, Bridge to 10k, which is similar to this one if you want to increase your distance or do longer runs. Don't worry, you don't need to have run 10k to join it, they are a lovely bunch.
Also I joined Parkrun but beware! It's very easy to get carried away and run too fast and injure yourself, guess how I found out.
Good luck with your graduated running
Loads of great ideas here thank you!
I’m tempted by the idea of a park run or a running club but feel like I want to get that magical 30min 5k first - l think I need a consolidation like you did next
Don't get too hung up on the idea that there is any 'need' to do a 30 minute 5k. You don't need it for Parkrun. If you look up your local Parkrun webpage you can see the time it takes Parkrunners to complete that course. For example, last week at my local Parkrun there were 83 runners, of whom only 48 completed it in 30 minutes or less and only 11 of them were women.
Your gender, age, weight, height and build plus the sort of terrain that you run all have a profound effect on your speed. If you're a tall, fit 25 year old man you can probably run a sub 30 minute 5k without any real training. If you're a short, fat, fit, 50+ woman it will take an awful lot more.
We are all different. To run a 30 minute 5k you'd need a pace of 6 minutes/km. I can maintain that pace for about 30 seconds on a very good day. To manage it for 30 minutes....I just can't imagine that the dedication it would take would be worth the reward of achieving it.
So just go for it, especially the Parkrun. I've never joined a running club but I understand that there are plenty where beginners and slower runners are made very welcome. Of all the things I've learned since starting running, the most important thing is that your speed only tells you how fast you're going, not how good a runner you are.
Here's a table to give you some facts and figures so you can reassure yourself that actually, you are doing very well
Go YOU !!! Huge well done! x
Congratulations on completing C25K!
Well done, that’s fabulous 🥳
Well done. Enjoy your endorphin rush. Such an achievement- just got to keep on going now
Congratulations 🎉
last run! graduation
Graduation ...... at long last!!!
Finally! Graduated at last!
5k at last !!
5k at last!!!
