New Year 2012 hit 15 stone which at 56 years old, with high blood pressure & marginal cholesterol problems, made me make the archetypal resolution to lose weight & get a little fitter. Well, if it lasted a week I'd be surprised.
Counted calories to start with and it worked! Found couch to 5k and thought i'd give it a go. Took the advice to get decent running shoes. £59.99 from memory but balanced that with joggers for a fiver and a hoodie for £7 from Tesco. Never had sore knees or any other pains. Maybe just lucky but I put it down to not skimping on shoes.
Anyway - started the schedule. Running for one minute seemed achievable even for me. Did it and survived. Kept going but surely I couldn't manage 5 mins? But I did. 8 mins? No way - except I did. The BIG one - 20 mins. Never. But I did. Got scared at 25 but managed it.
Absolutely amazed at this programme. When Laura said to trust the programme, she was right! We CAN go from fattie to running 30 mins in 9 weeks. Except ... I haven't (:-<)
I signed up for the Sport Relief Mile - the 3 mile (5k) version - and I do that on Sunday. That will be the end of my week 7. So, week 7 run 2 (25 mins) kept going for an extra 2 minutes. No problem. This evening, kept at it to the 30 minute mark which is about the 3 miles I'll do on Sunday.
So no, I didn't run 30 minutes after 9 weeks, I did it after seven (:->) WAHOO!
So if you doubt you can do it, take it from a sedentary, unfit, rather fat old git, YOU CAN. Trust the programme, trust Laura, trust yourself. Oh - one last thing. Remember that 15 stone weight? I only need to lose 1 more pound to hit 13 stone. So, from obese to a little overweight AND couch to 5k in under three months. I simply wouldn't have believed it. In fact, can someone pinch me?
Written by
Malcy
Graduate
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Woo Hoo go you! Last year I "celebrated" my 50th Birthday(?) I was 17stone 9lb!!! This year after following weightwatchers, attending zumba twice a week and following the c25k program for the last 10 weeks, ran w1 twice, and doing my last w9 run today, I am now a 51 year old 11stone 12lb! Chuffed? you bet! So well done to us both. I've signed up to do the Great South Run in October, you coming?
Six stone loss? WOW! Having lost only two, I now feel so inadequate (:->) Isn't it amazing what we can do ? I have
tried a few times before but gave up at the first hurdle - sometimes just at the thought of the first hurdle. But this time my brains seemed to say "yea - let's do this" and I think that is what has made the difference. Would that match your experience?
Congratulations to you both. I am spreading the word about c25k nearly every day as a fellow fatty who could never run & can now run 5k! I agree with you on the shoe front. I suffer from plantar fasciitis so had painful feet even before running a step & knew that if my feet got worse then I would quit. They have in fact got better, probably due to a combination of weight loss & the stretching exercises post run
malcy, do you write for a living? If not, you should certainly consider it as I loved reading your piece above. Boring? Most certainly not! Thank you for making me chuckle this morning and a big ol' high five to you!
That's very kind of you. I'm actually a universtiy lecturer so in a way I do write for a living. But it tends to be technical stuff that my students find REALLY boring. Maybe You've pointed me towards a new vocation in life!
Well done - thats absolutely brilliant and enjoy Sunday
WOW well done you!! I think you can change that description now from a "sedentary, unfit, rather fat old git" to "lively, fitter and slimmer" eh? Bet you smile more now too don't you? lol
Well done, that man. It's a great programme and you've done really well. Hope you're going to keep on with it? Best of luck for the Sport Relief [3] Mile.
After this morning's run I'm very very slightly concerned I might still be a but tight tomorrow. But I'll stick in there and do the best I can. Deep down I think it'll be OK
I've only just read your blog - I am so pleased for you!! This programme is fantastic and we are all proof that if you have the determination it can be done. Good Luck for today.
Well done Malcy! And tattyanne that's amazing, have lost 50lb meself with WW and moving more and got about another 20 to go. This programme really is the "dog's doodahs"
Thanks for your encouragement. 50 lbs is a heck of a lot to lose and you must be very proud. I'm off to visit my lad in Australia in 3 weeks time and hoping to get to 12 1/2 stone. Dipped below the 13 yesterday so there's an outside chance. My ideal weight for my height is 10.5, so lots left to do when I get home!
Keep your good work and good luck with the rest of the C25 programme - it's certainly a life changer (maybe even a life saver), isn't it?
Congratulations!!! This is a really inspiring post to read. Thankyou for writing :))
Thanks for your comment. It's now a year since I started. I've kept it up and have lost a total of 30kg or 4.5 stone. Feeling good, & ready for another year of new challenges and opportunities tht would otherwise have whizzed by as I lay on thst couch!
Wow, amazing to read your blog. Well done!! I loved your comment that this programme is a "life changer (maybe even a life saver)" - I so agree. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could convince everyone we knew and loved to do it?
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Over confident - week 7, run 2?
Today, W9R1, I bored the dog
W7R3 3.8K average speed 6.45 - will I get quicker? 
Week 13 and still going. Vblog
