WEEK 6 finished, Laura says I'm a runner

[mattaitch]

Just got back from my first 25 minute run! I covered 2.3 miles, so I've got to up my pace a bit to achieve 5K, but I feel both amazing and great (and knackered).

Next week's runs will be along the coastal path in Pembrokeshire which I'm hoping will help me defocus as I think that I am over analysing by constantly trying to work out how far I've gone and how far I've left to go whilst running.

Anyhow I can't believe that I've done it, especially after having such bad knee pain after week 4

[ladybugw Graduate]

Well done i completed this run today to, great isn't it.

[Hidden]

Well done, it's a great feeling isn't it, I understand about the knee pain I was out for three weeks and thought I wouldn't be able to run again (and I cared - odd). Enjoy you new route, sounds like a nice one

[nicktaylor Graduate]

Very well done, I'm just two run behind you (W6R1 tonight). I can't believe how relatively easy I found the dreaded W5R3 20 min run last Friday, I felt that I could comfortably have plodded on for another 10 mins or so and been pretty close that the 5K distance - which is quite amazing since the thought of running just a couple of minutes a month or so would have been a real effort! This programme is quite remarkable since like many of us here, every now and then over the years, I've thought about getting fit again and have gone straight out and tried to do that 15-20 min jog before coming home, collapsing and wheezing on the sofa, then feeling stiff and sore for a least a week saying that I'll never be a fit person and not going out again for another 2 years. What a difference this programme has made, it's proved to us all that by starting off gradually it is possible. And when you think about it, it's actually quite quick to go from being able to run for just one minute to feeling comfortable running 20-25 mins just a few weeks later is pretty incredible!

You say that you covered 2.3 miles in 25 mins. That actually isn't all that bad, just shy of 10-minutes miles which puts you on course to run the 5K in around 34 mins which is quite respectable, so I wouldn't worry too much about your times at the moment.

As for the knee pain, I had a bit of that too in the first few weeks and I started to think that in spite of the real desire to do this programme it would my knees that would let me down! But by observing the rest days, the knees seem to recover quickly and after you've been following the course for a few weeks, they seem to strengthen up and any pain goes away.

Anyway, good luck to everyone here - sounds like it's doing us all the world of good and am feeling especially good vibes doing this at the moment with all the London 2012 euphoria going on!