... it's gonna be a bright, bright sunshiny day ... much to the muttered annoyance of Mr Ramblings who started his marathon in hideous conditions yesterday and finished dripping wet and white with cold 4hours 12minutes and (don't miss off) 24seconds later.
I celebrated the day of sunshine and, while Mr Ramblings was at home recovering, headed off in the morning with Poppy on a different route turning right up a gentle slope instead of left along the bottom of the dreaded hills. There must have been a spring in our step because the workmen repairing fences didn't snigger, just a cheery hello (perhaps we look like real runners? They can't have seen me running round in circles with Poppy doing her stuff in the centre earlier). Through the gate (literally for Poppy) at the end of the field and onto a muddy track, there was no getting away from the fact that the puddles in this drought are huge but I actually leapt over one! Wouldn't have done that in week 1. The humid air was encouraging huge flies with dangly legs and big teeth to hover over us (wonder what they were?).
Poppy and I diverted into a drier field away from the flies by which time I began to realise just how far we had come, not just in the last few minutes, but in the last few weeks. I truly thank God who designed our bodies to recover so amazingly after years of neglect. Poppy is clearly a C25k dog, healthier and almost opposite to her moth-eaten (she still doesn't like the word), stiff-hipped and slightly incontinent former rescue kennel self who was unable to get up stairs. I promised her if she got through this she'd get her photo on this blog so now you can all see what she's like (back on the couch with muddy paws!).
We passed by the local schools on the outskirts of town and I realised that we'd probably got there quicker on foot than we could have done by car along the busy road. It was hot in the sunshine so we climbed back into the woods only to be met by a pigeon fight. Feathers flying everywhere stuck to my sweaty face and arms. As we tramped through the wet undergrowth and nettles I was glad of long trousers and stout running shoes - I'm definitely not converting to the barefoot running trend (read about that in Runner's World ... what's happening to me? I never used to be interested before?).
Back through the gate just after the halfway point to head towards home down the slope (I've learned to save the downhill bits for the end!) but didn't anticipate a side effect of running faster downhill. Must get shares in Tena Lady. Laura was telling me that I only had 60 seconds to go (even in short run those seconds are important) but I didn't feel like stopping so ran a couple of minutes more!!
Endomondo let me down again, he told me that I'd been out for 44 minutes but nothing else. I'm not one to give up on relationships but I think it would take more than a bit of work to sort this one. Breaking up is hard to do, but can anyone recommend other apps that might give me more help on my runs?
That's it! I've really done it! After all the ups and downs from being a secret runner when 60 seconds was almost too much through to the big reveal on Easter Sunday, to a blip at week 8 when I was ready to give up and on to now where I'm halfway to 60 minutes. The route planner on GoodRunGuide.co.uk said that I'd covered just over 4km! The furthest I've been before and it makes 5km look achievable? Maybe not in 30 minutes, but, as Laura says, 'it's distance not speed'. I couldn't have done it without the support of this community. Heartfelt thanks to you all.
Can I have my badge now?
Written by
Beckipeg
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Well done! You deserve your badge, good not to finish in the rain. Have you got a maintenance plan? Am doing my last run tonight so will be requesting my badge later too I hope.
Hope the run goes well and the rain holds off. No real maintenance plan yet but I hope to continue running 3 times a week for 30 minutes at least as instructed by Laura. Looking for some more music to add to the mp3 player now but don't want to miss Laura's encouragement. Looking forward to the new podcasts in May.
I'll pass on your congratulations - he's almost as shattered as me after completing c25k!
So glad your graduation run was such a positive experience and Poppy looks so cute. Hope Mr Ramblings is recovered today and savouring the success of his first marathon. He might try to persuade you to do one with him next time
Fantastic well done, what a journey you and poppy have been on Next thing you and Mr Ramblings will be doing marathons together!
I have to agree that Endomondo has can be very temperamental. The GPS has barely worked at all for me the last couple of weeks. I'm not sure if I want to fork out for a garmin but I do like being able to look at my stats online. I'll have to do some research and see if there's any other apps that are better.
Hurrah!!!! You are a star!!! Poppy is so cute by the way...very photogenic Your stories make me laugh so much, I love the flies with dangly legs and big teeth!!! As for Endomondo, don't get me started, He is out of my life after letting me down too many times, Get rid of him, he's a loser! I use an app called Noom, it's more of a diet tracker but has a built in excercise bit just like endomondo but it actually works! I recommend it and it's free
Now, the Tena lady moments...don't they always happen when running down hill?!! I have invested in some lady protection as I always get caught out! Anyway, I am really really pleased for you and Poppy and hopefully this won't be the end of your journey? can't wait to hear more stories
Thanks. You're right about the flies, glad to find out that they're only around for a couple of weeks. Couldn't see any references about their teeth, but I know they don't taste nice ....
Sorry to have got you worried. Your advice has been part of the reason I managed to keep going, so very grateful you took the time to write. This programme and blog are brilliant - more people need to know about it and I for one will be telling them.
Very well done to you and Poppy ! And well done to Mr Ramblings too ! I've loved reading your blogs - I hope we can look forward to post-graduation updates too
I've been using MapMyRun on my android phone - that seems to work well. Sometimes it tells me the GPS signal is weak but it always seems to manage to record my route and I get some geeky satisfaction from looking at the stats
Well done!! Even more deserved after yourself wibble in week 8. Never had any issues with endomondo, but sometimes I have to wait 5 minutes or more for the gps to connect -that's phone based issues though for me. Congratulations again!
Beckiepeg, I can't believe I've missed your graduation. I was thinking about you this morning, wondering if something had happened to you or Poppy to prevent you completing so I decided to look up your blogs just in case I had missed some and it turns out I have. I've so enjoyed following your journey and am so pleased to see that you have graduated. Congratulations on a really well deserved achievement.
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Next thing you and Mr Ramblings will be doing marathons together! 
Little run after work that turned into an adventure! 😄
Week 9 Run 3 done!
Week 8 has gone the way of the Dodo
Off the injury couch and out run by kids!
The elusive 30 minutes.
