I'm done!!

[Lorcan]

Started week 9 this week on the treadmill. It's actually week 10 for me because of couple of disastrous excursions outside in the real world sent me scurrying back to the safety of the treadmill, but tonight I felt good and finished work early so I hit the local parkrun route.

My previous problem with running outside has been that with nothing to pace me I run too fast. The first time outside I managed 5 mins, the second time 11 mins. Both times I was gasping for breath wayyy before my legs cried enough.

So tonight I forced myself to go slowly. S L O W L Y. Snails overtook me. Dogs stopped and cocked their legs on me. Flies landed on me and hitched a ride. Cobwebs formed. You get the idea.

But it worked. 34 minutes and 30 seconds later I'd done the 3 lap course - and 5K!!! And it's all down to this amazing programme. I never, ever imagined I could run 5K. In fact I was so pessimistic I only downloaded the first 6 podcasts initially, convinced that I would quit before running out of podcasts! Yay for C25K, and for all the blogs too, you lot are amazing!!

[groovychick54 Graduate]

Well Done It's a fantastic feeling isn't it. Bet you're grinning from ear to ear

[AliB1 Graduate]

Well done

[Hidden]

Your blog made me laugh out loud. The last run I did I was going so slowly that I actually did four steps on the spot before I realised I had stopped moving forward. It wasn't my best run and I found out why later that night when a vicious stomach bug struck me down. I have not run for 4 days now but I'm going out tonight bouyed up by the thought that I am at least a few pounds lighter - watch out snails!!

Well done for finishing, it still feels a very long way off for me but I have had withdrawal symptoms during my enforced rest so i think I've got the bug (In a different sense).

[blueboots Graduate]

Congratulations Lorcan and well done doing 5K. Your blog was very funny, hope you had a flippin good wash when you got home

[Greg_M Graduate]

as they might have said in the seventies........right back at ya dude! Amazing is the word!

Pacing is a mystery, I can never quite gauge if I am running really slowly without my GPS, sometimes like you today you think you are really slow but actually the time is decent, go figure!

The best moment was running along the road when one of those "Slow Down 30 MPH!" warning signs came on - needless to say it wasn't me it was complaining about

I had to stop because I was laughing so much

[AliB1 Graduate in reply to Greg_M]

ha ha ha...maybe you were going faster than you thought lol

[Minuette Graduate]

Fantastic well done!

Earlier in the programme my husband was jogging alongside me but not listening to the podcast, just following my lead and he came to a halt because I was going so slowly up an incline that he thought I'd hit the walking bit

[Caz9 Graduate]

Well done. Time to bite the bullet and enter next week's parkrun! Looking at the results for your local parkrun, you would certainly not have been last if you'd entered today! Don't forget to register before you go (before 6pm the night before, only need to it once) and take your barcode along with you to get your official time.

[Lorcan in reply to Caz9]

Not last, but nearly last! I think I couple more practice runs are in order before I reveal how slow I am to the general public. The winner did it in less than half my time!

[Caz9 Graduate in reply to Lorcan]

Don't worry about the winner - you're 'racing' against yourself, not him! Anyway, I doubt that you will be last and on the positive side you can only get better and see how many PB's you can get! Keep us informed when you do decide to go and let us know how you get on.

[Deryn61 Graduate]

That is so funny, I feel the same about my pace but you must be faster than me cos I wasnt up to 5k at week 9! Well done.

[AliB1 Graduate]

Well done on the 5k!!! I have one more run before I graduate (tomorrow) and then I'm aiming for that 5k target.. I think I'll do another 30 minute in the week and then on my weekend run plot a 5k route and go for it and see how long it takes.

Its inspiring to hear others achieve this milestone

[Lorcan]

Thanks all. I have a plan that involves running 10 minute laps and timing sections of each lap to keep me on pace. At least until I can afford one of them fancy GPS watches...

[Caz9 Graduate]

Garmin forerunner 110 is £101 on Amazon unless you want it with a heart rate monitor in which case it is more! Could try ebay.

[jane29]

Lorcan, well done. 5k in 34 minutes is something I could only dream about, you are speedy gonzalez by comparison! I'm on week 7, did run 2 today only my second outdoor run. Last time I had to change my route because there was a woman pushing a pushchair in front of me and I wasn't gaining on her! I did overtake some walkers today so I must be improving.

[juicydee Graduate in reply to jane29]

I'm so glad it's not just me......

[Lorcan]

31:30 tonight and I have a new friend, 66-year-old Terry, who joined me for my last lap and practically insisted that I do the park run with him on Saturday. Only problem is I've pulled my left calf muscle again. The "brisk walk" isn't enough of a warm up I think. I've looked on Youtube but most say "start your warm up with some jogging". Grrr...you can't warm up FOR jogging BY jogging! Anyone got a better routine for warming up legs (preferably without looking to much of a plank in public)?