Woohoo so happy!!! Graduated at last!!

[Rachw8778]

Yey! Week 9 run 3 completed tonight, according to MapmyRun I've done 4.73km in 32.26 minutes so almost there....really good run tonight and I think I'm almost through with the calf pain from converting to minimalist running...so pleased!! It's all you guys and your blog posts that's made me carry on and finish this programme, as with most things I start I never finish anything. It's taken me a couple more weeks to do than just the 9 with converting but just soo glad I finally get to ask for my graduation badge...the other half might even treat me to a C25K t-shirt! :oD

Happy Running!! xx

[daystogo Graduate]

WELL DONE! It's such a great feeling isn't it. I graduated yesterday and I'm still on a high today. Still waiting for my graduation badge - hope we get them soon

[Rachw8778 Graduate in reply to daystogo]

Well done to you too! :o) Can't wait to see the badges, they're gonna look so cool lol :o)

[Rachw8778 Graduate in reply to daystogo]

Still waiting for our badges :o( boohoo I'm not sure how much longer I can wait the suspense is killing me! Lol!

[daystogo Graduate in reply to Rachw8778]

Know just how you're feeling. Seems silly in a way but I can't wait for my little green badge either. On the other hand, we did work really hard for them didn't we!

What are you doing now you've graduated? I tried the Speed podcast today – Laura counting 1 2 3 4 and me trying to keep up – very funny.

[Rachw8778 Graduate in reply to daystogo]

Well...I've got my iPod attached to my laptop at this very minute as it need an update but I think it's given up the ghost :o( otherwise I'd be trying the speed podcasts tonight, I like a bit of interval training but if it isn't working I have a C25K app on my HTC so I'll probably start from the beginning doing jog/run using that...bloomin technology. I might message JR21 again...give him a little nudge lol.

[Rachw8778 Graduate in reply to daystogo]

Hi again, I started C25K again, doing running for the jogging bits and jogging for the walking bits, wow...was rather hard, I'm sure it'll get easier. IPod has been attached to laptop all night with no luck...think I'll have to get my bro to look at it as he's quite techy lol, just hope it hasn't completely died :o(

What did you think of the Speed podcast...did you enjoy it? I'm 'barefoot' running (but with minimalist shoes) so not sure if my cadence will match up with Lauras counting, although it's quite a fast cadence (but small steps) so it might just work...

[daystogo Graduate in reply to Rachw8778]

Hi

Great idea to do week one as an interval run – I think I'll give that a try. I've done the Speed podcast twice this week - quite hard but only lasts 16 minutes with two 5 min walks before and at the end. Tomorrow I'm going to try a longer run to see if it has helped my speed / distance ratio – here's hoping! Oh, and providing my running gear is dry before the morning . . . just remembered that I needed to take it out of the washing machine lol!

[Rachw8778 Graduate in reply to daystogo]

We have our badges!!!!! They look soooo cool! Aaarrgghhh! So excited lol! x

[swanscot Graduate]

Well done. And great that you're feeling the benefit of the minimalist running. I hope to join you in the graduated camp soon.

[sonicsplodge Graduate]

Fabulous feeling isn't it? WELL DONE YOU!! Btw, you message JR21 and he will give you your badge.

[suki_007 Graduate]

Well done! So glad to read your blog - enjoy the moment!

[Rachw8778 Graduate]

Thanks guys, it certainly does feel very good sonicsplodge, I sent JR21 a message almost as soon as I got back last night lol...just can't quite decide what programme to do next, I like interval training or do I go straight in to B210K? :o)

[Soozz Graduate]

Congratulations, what a feeling, eh? Well done and enjoy your future as a runner!

[Pelephant Graduate]

Well done you. You are a star!

[Anniemurph Graduate]

Hey, congratulations! Enjoy that badge!

[Hazydaisy Graduate]

Congratulations! Can you tell me how you get a graduation badge? I completed the plan over a year and a half ago but then fell down the stairs breaking a part of my back and couldn't run for a long time. I'm now on Week 7 again and this time I would like a graduation badge.

[Rachw8778 Graduate in reply to Hazydaisy]

Thank you :o) Oh wow...well done you for getting back into it, you just send JR21 a message to let him know you've completed the programme, I'm still waiting for mine and I emailed him on Thursday so he must be a very busy man

[Hazydaisy Graduate]

Thanks

[Rachw8778 Graduate in reply to Hazydaisy]

Hi, I keep thinking about your message earlier about breaking your back and now you've started running again. I have to say you're very brave and I think it's wonderful that you've started running again...I admire you for doing this programme all over again :o)

[Hazydaisy Graduate]

Aw, thanks for that.

When I did it my husband tried to lift me up and I told him to not to. I was in immense pain and felt sick. I also broke my toes. However, I did not go to the hospital as I thought although I was in pain I hadn't broken anything. I went the next day and they x-rayed my foot and told me it was broken but for some reason they would not x-ray my back, they said there was nothing they could do. I was on crutches but my problem was I couldn't sit or lay down for long because my back was too painful and the only relief I got was standing but I couldn't do that for long because of my broken toes. My doctor put me on extremely strong painkillers and sent me back to the hospital and demanded that I have an x-ray. Unfortunately the hospital took it of the wrong place so I had to go back again. Eventually I was told that I had broken my sacrum. There are 5 horizontal sections to the Sacrum and I split my Sacrum along one of those sections making it into two parts. By the time the hospital had realised what I had done it was well on it's' way to healing. The one good thing is that when it heals (if you have good bones to start off with) the bone becomes stronger. The bad thing is sometimes sitting for too long such as long car journeys can be uncomfortable even over a year later.

The other bad things were that I had broken my back when I was going to run my second Race for Life a few days later (the first one I half walked, I had intended to run all of the second one). I also work as a Higher Level Teaching Assistant specialising in Mathematics and had been working with a boy who had visual problems and was very low in confidence. He had grown into a young man whose confidence had also grown and he was just about to take his GCSEs and I couldn't help him through them.

Completing C25K again will mean I'm back to where I was when I had the accident. The reason for starting C25K was because I had given up smoking and wanted to be even more healthier. I think I'm more healthier now than I've ever been in my life and I'm loving it.

Sorry for such a long long message