I'm a graduate and an idiot!

[littlejow]

I've just finished Week 9 R3 and was hoping to finish on a high with a good distance covered in my run, but I ended up doing my slowest run this week. I was feeling rather disappointed in myself whilst plodding along (I run on a treadmill so I knew exactly what my pace was) but I realised I was being an idiot. Luckily when Laura suggested I might want to slow down a bit I did or I might have failed to complete my graduation run at all and then I really would have been an idiot. So what went wrong? I'm on a treadmill so no weather or new route to blame. Well what I wasn't taking in to account was less than 48 hours previously I'd donated blood, not a major issue done it lots of times before without much problem but I've never tried to run for 30 minutes for the 3rd time in a week after giving blood before. My body is new to this running and fitness lark and then I give away some of the red stuff and ask it to work just as hard when it can't get as much oxygen just because I want to graduate couch to 5K today and want to do it quicker than I have before. Well, I think we came to an amicable agreement in the end, I went a bit more easy on my body and it got me to the end of the 30 mins. Although my ankles are a little cross with me for wearing heels to work twice this week and not waiting until I get some nice new running shoes!

Anyway I'd like to direct my rant at the podcast for a moment rather than myself - where did the songs go?! Maybe it's revenge for dumping the podcasts in favour of my own music for most runs over the last couple of weeks (I had to have Laura there for my graduation run though). As I've said, I am at present a treadmill runner which can be rather tedious and monotonous, so what I don't need is music to match that, I want something I can sing along too (in my head anyway, don't have the breath to waste on actual noise). The trumpet in the track near the end was a bit like having a fanfare which was quite nice but then the track changed and started telling me I just had to do it, I'm 60 secs out from finishing the program I'm tired and grumpy with myself - I don't want telling I just have to do it I want telling I am doing it, I have done it, I'm amazing

Rant over. Hope everyone else is enjoying their achievements and not being unnecessarily hard on themselves.

[mattaitch Graduate]

well done, I only skimmed your post, but you appear to have run your graduation in heels?

[littlejow Graduate in reply to mattaitch]

No I try to avoid wearing them at all never mind running anywhere in them but being short sometimes they come in handy! I wear a cheap old pair of trainers for running but my ankles have been niggling during later weeks on couch to 5K hopefully this will improve when I get shoes designed for my gait. Wearing heels seems to further aggravate them, hence the comment.

[Chewy]

"Graduation in heels..." a wonderful image

Well done Littlejow that's an excellent achievement even if it's not in heels (I'm still chuckling).

[Pelephant Graduate]

heels on a treadmill. I dread to think! Well done you for graduating. You deserve it!

[doggymum Graduate]

Well done on graduating, and definately well done for sticking with the podcasts, I ditched them in week 7 for my own playlist!!

I did my C25k runs on a treadmill at home but have recently ventured outside as like you say, they get a bit on the dull side. Tried the treadmill this morning because of the weather and was all over the place, had to get off it made me feel sick! Might have to just brave the rain next time

Good luck post graduation

[caro8642]

Well done! I did treadmil up to week 5, then 2 weeks outside and back on treadmill last night for wk8 r1. The only positive I can say about a treadmill is you can set a constant speed if that is what you want. Well done on graduating. I am hoping to do mine outside and if up to it at a Parkrun....

[gdeann Graduate]

YOU GRADUATED!!!! YIPPEEE!!!!! Silly girl, who cares about speed! You just ran/jogged 30 minutes! Hubby and I (smhall) did our grad run last night. I was slower which could be caused by many things...but I am also very greedy about that shiny grad badge...I earned that sucker for running 30 slow minutes! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

[littlejow Graduate in reply to gdeann]

Thanks gdeann you are totally correct and congratulations to you and smhall, shiny badges all round

[littlejow Graduate]

Thanks all, my new shoes arrived this afternoon but they've sent size 7 men's shoes by mistake, should have been size 5 women's! Would have been really annoyed if I'd hung on for those to arrive and then found that. Guess I'll just have to carry on with the heels for now

[swanscot Graduate]

Congratulations on completing the C25K programme. When I donated blood last time, I think I was in Week 6 and took it really slowly on my next run 36 hours later. On the positive side, if you managed that today with your depleted red blood cells think about how you'll perform when you're chock full of haemoglobin again!

[pingle Graduate]

Congratulations on your graduation. I'm in awe - when I donated blood at around week 7 it completely wiped me out for nearly a fortnight, no way I could have graduated! I'm due to donate again about now so we'll see how it goes! congrats again

[littlejow Graduate in reply to pingle]

Thanks, I'm sure I should have taken an extra day or 2 but the lure of graduation was too much, hope your donation takes less out of you this time