Graduation!

[carcassonne]

When I started, I had a simple aim: 5k by the time I was 25. Well, my birthday was yesterday. I hit 5km last week Wednesday and have just completed 5.2km. I feel fantastic, I can't put it any other way. Please forgive me if I have a little ramble to explain why I feel so damn good:

I started this programme because another milestone in my life is coming up: finishing my PhD. I've been a student for 7 years and in those years late nights (academic...and otherwise), an excellent cook as a boyfriend and of course plentiful booze has really made me pile on the pounds. I was never much of a fitness freak when younger but was just...younger. So I started because I hated the idea that I would be up a degree and 10kg. I also wanted to do some regular exercise after reading so much about its apparently miraculous benefits.

I was, I admit dubious. Initially it was a struggle to get up and go out. However once I hit week 6ish suddenly everything changed. I found I enjoyed it. This was actually the one thing I didn't expect to do! I thought I'd lose weight and so want to carry on but never to actually want to do the sweaty running bit. But it made me feel great so I stuck to it.

Then, last week, for the first time, people started commenting that I'd lost weight. I have no scales in the house but I had felt that clothes were a little looser. Then, I went and bought some new bras (including a running bra, thank you for recommending the Panache one, it's great!). I got re-measured... and I'd gone down a back size! This has literally NEVER happened to me, most times I go and I seem to always be increasing my bra size. I was ecstatic.

So I'm definitely going to keep on running. Now that I have started to shift the podge I don't want to stop. Thank you for reading this, and thank you to everyone on the forum for being there along the way. This is one of the nicest, friendliest places on the internet and everyone has helped, whether it's been inspiring tales of long runs or other people also struggling where I was. It has been brilliant. Thank you all.

On to 10k!

[jenniej Graduate]

that is so fantastic - congratulations!

[glendam52 Graduate]

Congratulations all round.

[Anonymous36 Graduate]

Smashing news - hip hip horay

Let me know how that 10K training goes, im battling that demon at the moment and need to know I'm not alone

[maddykins Graduate]

yay congratulations , lovely blog well done!

[gypsydepp Graduate]

Great stuff and good luck with your studies too!

[Tapira Graduate]

What a lovely positive blog and many congratulations

[SaCl Graduate]

Wonderful. I too have a "PhD baby" as I fondly like to refer to my gut and it's been super hard to shift. This is the first thing that has really made a difference. I only wish I discovered it years ago - I particularly think it would have been a great stress buster in the final months of writing my thesis.

[carcassonne Graduate in reply to SaCl]

Yeah that was the plan actually, writing a paper late last year taught me that I will need a reason to leave the house that isn't to buy food. I started this with the aim of being able to run during those upcoming months...

[lucylocket10 Graduate]

Congratulations! And congratulations on nearing the end of your PhD too - I didn't manage to finish mine all those years ago.

[carcassonne Graduate]

Thank you all for the wellwishing :D, much appreciated! xxx

[blueboots Graduate]

Congratulations and best of luck with your studies.