Whats happened to me .... I'm 40 and I've star... - Couch to 5K

Couch to 5K

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Whats happened to me .... I'm 40 and I've started running!

tioaboa profile image
tioaboaGraduate
17 Replies

Well, this was a shock after chatting to my girlfriend who was planning on starting C25K back up after a years break, a voice that was mine said I think I'll have a go too!

4 weeks later I'm on WK4R3 tomorrow, and surprised that I'm actually enjoying! I've even bought proper shoes and running getup, although I won't sacrifice my dignity completely and run in tights! I'm 40 for heaven sake its not a good look, for this overweight 6ft 2in bloke.

I googled profusely after I said I'd do it and downloaded the excellent Rundouble app to my phone. I listen to my own playlist and have a very mechanical sounding voice tell me when to run and walk. It uses my phones GPS so I can see how far and where I've been. If your interested you can follow my tweets @tioaboa to see how this fat old bloke is getting on :)

The biggest surprise is how you seem to get better each time. R1 this week was a struggle, but i was elated when i finished it :) and I ran 5mins non stop!! Twice! Even better was last night. I was jogging along thinking about my route and where I felt I could keep going to and I'd already done the 3mins the same happened with the 5mins! so bring on Wk5 :) and even scarier was me thinking I could maybe do with out the 90sec breather in between!

A mate thinks I've been abducted by aliens and I'm a poor clone that the programming went wrong on!

My lovely lady is a week ahead on WK5 and its been a great help to compare progress give each other encouragement, sadly time and work means we can't run together easily.

So to anyone thinking about it have a go, I'm sold on the idea that as long as you get out and have a go, its better than going to sleep on the sofa in front of the telly.

BTW this is an excellent forum, been great to lurk around and follow people at the same general point as me.

Thanks

Ian

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tioaboa profile image
tioaboa
Graduate
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17 Replies
mattaitch profile image
mattaitchGraduate

wear the tights, it is your destiny

Pelephant profile image
PelephantGraduate in reply to mattaitch

Haha!

caro8642 profile image
caro8642

and starting at 40 is quite young!! I started at 49 1/2 with aim to get fit by my 50th!

tioaboa profile image
tioaboaGraduate in reply to caro8642

Ok I feel suitably admonished :) just when apart from dog walking and occasional hill walking I've not done any proper exercise for nearly 25 years.

And no tights ....

Chewy profile image
Chewy

I'm going to get out bid but I'll raise your 49 with my 51 before I started. To me the important thing is not when you start but that you have started. It's good to hear you're enjoying yourself, I never thought I would enjoy and I'm now in week 7 having great fun, how did that happen ?

Pelephant profile image
PelephantGraduate

i'm so glad you are enjoying it. I think that's half the battle. Keep going! Not that you sound like you need my encouragement! you are doing just fine.

gdeann profile image
gdeannGraduate

WELCOME! My husband and I live in the States and rundouble is very popular here. I have grown to despise the voice of the prompter! :-) I also downloaded Laura's podcast. The day of my run, I would listen to Laura and her suggestions then we would go out using rundouble and our own playlist. This works well because we can track our distance and pace and use our own music. It was nice though to have Laura there guiding us in spirit. We are a testimonial to C25K! Both of us are in our 40's, personally I went to struggling with a 1 minute run to doing 30 minutes! We run our graduation run tonight if the weather holds out.

tioaboa profile image
tioaboaGraduate in reply to gdeann

Thank You , and enjoy the graduation run :) rundouble is great, lots of updates lately. It still amazes me how the body adapts to c25k, interval training is brilliant.

CatLoverSue profile image
CatLoverSueGraduate

Fab post and one I can totally relate to. I'm 43 and have just started - going to finish wk1 on Saturday. Running for me was last done in 1985 and cross country purely consisted of trying to outwit the PE teachers and use as many shortcuts as possible! :) Ah happy days...

My dignity went out of the window yesterday whilst having my "gait" analysed in the middle of Inverness DW Fitness. I was being analysed by a young lad who couldn't have been more than 18 who put my on a "light jog" of 6mph whilst he videoed me. Didn't help that hubby was wetting himself behind a rack - not cause I looked a sight but because he knew exactly what I was thinking as I pumped my arms for all their might - "Just don't fly off the ruddy back!" I managed it though - 3 times in total and hubby was very proud of me. After he'd finished laughing that is! This running lark, eh! :)

tioaboa profile image
tioaboaGraduate in reply to CatLoverSue

Yes did that to get some trainers, well worth it my ankles and knees are thanking me for it ;) I went on my own, I think my teenage son would have been too embarrassed to come with me. Although whenhe has time he has run with me which was nice :)

pingle profile image
pingleGraduate

Lovely blog. I'm older than you and had always avoided exercise wherever possible and am now a very proud graduate! My friend is also sure I have been abducted by aliens and replaced with an unconvincing clone! :-)

vixiej profile image
vixiejGraduate

abducted by aliens :-) yes, same here, it's great though, isn't it? My friends all think I'm completely bonkers now, but who cares, I feel so much healthier and I know how much good it is doing me (and there is bugger all on the TV these days anyway!)

It's great that your girlfriend is also running, it will be nice for you both on those occasions when you can run together and good to support each other on the bad days and celebrate the good together

Vivwestie profile image
VivwestieGraduate

Tioaboa, have you checked the back of your neck for the chip? ;-)

And I'll lay money on it that by the end of the year, you'll be running in tights! You're a runner now, you need runnerish stuff!

Seriously though, well done to you and your girlfriend - sounds like you've both got the bug - and that can only be a 'good' thing.

daystogo profile image
daystogoGraduate

Tights are great – since I started running it's like I've been able to get a whole new range of clothing I never knew existed! Dri-fit shirts, capris, running socks, arm bands, hats . . . and now all the winter gear - what fun!

canuckgirl profile image
canuckgirlGraduate

Thanks for your post, it is nice to meet you! Glad to hear that the runs are going well - isn't it amazing how this programme works? Thanks for the info about Rundouble, after graduation I am getting an iphone and I need to figure out what app to use.

Good luck with your runs, and let us know when you break down and buy a pair of tights!!

OldNed profile image
OldNedGraduate

I started at 61 and, yes, I run in tights! Get them on!!

runningwild profile image
runningwildGraduate

Good luck with your running, You could pretend to be a superhero in the tights! Bet you wish you hadn't mentioned them now!!

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