W9 DONE YEPANDOODEEE I DID IT !!!: Well what... - Couch to 5K

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W9 DONE YEPANDOODEEE I DID IT !!!

pinkus profile image
pinkusGraduate
ā€¢37 Replies

Well what can I say.....Its over....yes I completed my final run for W9 this morning, just got back actually, now sipping a lovely coffee while saying hello to all you lovely people....It still wasnt easy this last run, I still feel pooped on the last leg off the podcast, I am beginning to wonder if it will get any easier and if I can move past this feeling ??

I had trouble with my sportstracker app again, very annoying as it upsets my equilibrium, the voice went missing so I could not track my full distance so had to put that out of my mind and just concentrate on Laura and the music, its very off putting Grrrrrr cause I really want to track my distance, I want to hear the voice telling me I have ran 1 kilometer etc (I think this would really motivate me to either speed up or slow down) I really want to hear this !!!

I must say this week has not been as enjoyable as I had hoped it to be....it seems to me that this week has been the hardest of all.....but why I ask ??, it shouldn't have been. Is it that mental thing again....mind over matter, who knows anyway I feel kinda sad that I have completed all the podcasts. I am really going to miss Laura, I dont want it to end like this, I am not ready for it...BUT I am happy that I have come this far and can run for 30 minutes I feel so much better within myself and it is a big achievement I dont think I could have done it without the help & support of everyone here so a BIG THANKYOU XXX

I intend to keep going 3x weekly and will probably try the stepping stones & speed podcasts as they have got me curious with everyone talking about them and perhaps do one long run once a week, what is everyone finding they are doing since graduating ?

I have made up my mind to go in the Parkrun when it comes to my city so that will give me something to work towards if I can get good old sportstracker to run properly....maybe its my phone, but I have to get it sorted as its driving me NUTS....so I wish everyone who is on W9 and their final runs Good Luck and I hope you enjoy it and look forward to hearing all about it.

Gdean & smhall what have you guys been up to....what are you doing in your running life ? I have missed you....Well everyone take care and have a GREAT weekend till next time.

pinkus :-)

OH AND I ALMOST FORGOT......."JULIE"....".YOU & JULIE".....I LOVE YOU & JULIE, TRULY I REALLY DOOOOO, THIS SONG SILLY AS IT SOUNDS IS MY FAVOURITE SONG TO RUN TO.....WISH THEY DID MORE LIKE IT.....HAHAHA :-)

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pinkus profile image
pinkus
Graduate
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37 Replies
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mcc65 profile image
mcc65Graduate

Well done Pinkus, it might have been hard but nothing worth achieving is easy so sit back with your well earned coffee and reflect on your amazing achievement :-)

pinkus profile image
pinkusGraduateā€¢ in reply tomcc65

Thanks mcc65 for your support it really means a lot to me.

BigEd profile image
BigEd

Pinkus, i admire your determination to graduate. I hope to be in your position for the new year, in fact i intend to enter a 5 mile race on new years eve. That will give me something to aim for after graduation. Well done again and don't stop now!!

pinkus profile image
pinkusGraduateā€¢ in reply toBigEd

Thanks BigEd for your support too, you sound like you are gonna be a force to be reckoned with...I will keep an eye out for your blogs so keep em coming and KEEP RUNNING !!!

BigEd profile image
BigEdā€¢ in reply topinkus

Thanks Pinkus, i sure will. I am going to try hills tomorrow :-(

Vivwestie profile image
VivwestieGraduate

Woooohoooo. Well done - onwards and onwards. Good luck with the parkrun. Doing without Laura at first is a bit of a wrench, but running barebrained is actually much more fun. Running for the distance and, hopefully, for the speed eventually. BTW the stepping stones, speed and stamina podcasts are great. Looking forward to seeing your graduate badge?

pinkus profile image
pinkusGraduate

Thanks Babes.....YOU GUYS ROCK !!!! xxxx

gdeann profile image
gdeannGraduate

Well, Pinkus, Pinkus, Pinkus...I'm tickle pink you graduated!!!!! :-) welcome to graduate-land!!!!!! :-) You have earned that pretty little badge! :-) I'm doing a happy dance for you as I type. :-) Week 9 for me was kind of a let down. Not that I expected fireworks, but I thought it would be more of a rush. I think mentally, the third run would of seemed like a grad run by adding a few extra minutes on. After graduation, I felt loss, no structure...so I came up with some long term and short term goals to keep me going. I posted a blog earlier today explaining what we've been up to. Doing the 5K runs helped me mentally more than anything. I found I could complete a 5k plus increase my time running. One month after graduation I have increased my distance by 3/4's of a mile and added up to 10 minutes additional running time. Enough about me, you also asked about Steve, I 'm sure he will be posting soon. Hugs to you Pinkus! I am so proud of you and you need to stick around here and blog. :-) Gayle

smhall profile image
smhallGraduate

You have done marvelously, Pinkus!! You have just completed an amazing accomplishment and have so very much to be proud of!!

I think that we need to set some things straight here before we go on, though!! Let me see...how did you put that...oh yes..."it seems to me that this week has been the hardest of all.....but why I ask ??, it shouldn't have been." Why shouldn't it have seemed to be the hardest week of all...IT IS THE HARDEST WEEK OF ALL!!!!! :-) Granted, we all work for 9 weeks to get to it, but we must remember that we can't compare any of those weeks with the ones that preceded them. EVERY week offers a new and progressively harder challenge!! The program is kind enough to prepare us for every week, but we must realize that we are progressing. To compare how W1 or W2 went compared with how W9 went isn't fair!! 90 seconds compared to 30 minutes...there is no comparison!! YOU DID IT!! YOU CONQUERED 9 DIFFERENT WEEKS WITH MULTIPLE CHALLENGES EVERY WEEK!!!

YOU DID IT!!! Rejoice and celebrate!!!! You deserve it!!!! :-)

Now, onto my lovely wife and my recent goings-on. We have been running 2-3 times a week and have completed two organized 5Ks since graduating and will run another on Saturday! Three organized 5Ks in 4 weeks and several training runs in between!! We haven't blogged much lately, because our runs have been pretty much uneventful. We run, we sweat, we gasp, we wheeze and we wonder why we are doing this!! :-) Then, we recover and do it again!! :-) We have also spent much of our time shopping!! Yes, shopping!! Gayle and I, encouraged by SBG on here have been buying anything running related that we can find an excuse to NEED!! :-) Our most recent purchases were Garmin Forerunner 110s which we just returned from running and using for the first time!!

Much like yourself, we also experienced some issues with our phones and the GPS running apps that we had been using. Well, when Sue mentioned the Garmins, we just had to have them!! As I mentioned above, we just gave them a go and ran the same course that we will be running on Saturday. They were marvelous!! They were much more convenient, easier to use and apparently much more accurate than our phone apps were.

Wow, how I have babbled and I have gotten side-tracked from the most important part of this blog...CONGRATULATIONS!!!! YOU HAVE DONE IT!!!

Now, it is time to request that beloved badge and wear it proudly!!! You have earned it!!!!

Congratulations and Keep Running!! :-)

Steve

SBG356 profile image
SBG356Graduateā€¢ in reply tosmhall

Yes, guilty as charged but some things you just have to share with your friends dont you and it would be cruel not too.....!!! Glad you enjoyed playing with your new toys Steve!

Sue

pinkus profile image
pinkusGraduate

Awwww thanks so much guys.....I needed to hear this from BOTH of you, your are my (favourites) thanks xxx

Now you two have certainly been busy little beavers :-) I hope your parkrun goes very well tommorrow, will be thinking of you both. Yes I wonder why I run, sweat, gasp & wheeze too and then when I get back home after five minutes all that huffing & puffing is soon forgotten and I cant remember what all the fuss was about, hehehe....Your shopping purchases sound very interesting especially the Garmin Forerunners and you say they are easy to use so on your recommendation I will check one out and see if its for me cause I really want to track my distance properly.

Well guys thanks for all your support over these nine weeks and please keep in touch and I will be focusing on doing my first parkrun in Dec, now I must get onto JR and get that Graduation Badge organized.

HAPPY RUNNING !!!

Pinkus xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx :-}

Goldstar profile image
GoldstarGraduate

Well done Pinkus :-)

0 to 30 in 9 weeks is an amazing achievement - and being able to run is only a part of it!

Thanks for all or your blogs so far - very insightful and always inspiring :-)

Congratulations on graduating and good luck with your next run!

thinnerandfitter profile image
thinnerandfitterGraduate

Hi Pinkus!

WELL DONE! so many peeps graduating around now :-) It's a wonderful feeling isn't it! You sound just like me - now have Garmin Forerunner on my Christmas list. That's something I DEFINITELY wouldn't have predicted 3 months ago!

Stay in touch about what you do next !

Crafting_girl profile image
Crafting_girl

Well done, Pinkus! You must be over the moon! I was hoping to graduate this week too, but I have shin splints and had to abandon run 1 after 15 mins. Starting again next week if I'm fit - want to join all of you graduates in graduate land!

Congratulations! x

Spud profile image
SpudGraduate

Well done Pinkus - it is a great feeling ain't - some achievement!!

mo-mentum profile image
mo-mentumGraduate

TOP STUFF Pinkus - well done!

I've followed your posts since I started (as I'm just over a week behind you) - So not only have you got to the point where you are running for 30 minutes, but you also inspire others. For this I thank you.

Keep up the running and let us know how you get on with the stepping stones stuff.

DeliaItaly profile image
DeliaItalyGraduate

Well done Pinkus! I've just graduated too and will blog properly tomorrow, WELL DONE!!!!!

psarapsych profile image
psarapsychGraduateā€¢ in reply toDeliaItaly

Ohhhhh well done Delia :-). Where did you graduate?! You must be feeling fantastic,, bravissimo, Sara :-) xox

DeliaItaly profile image
DeliaItalyGraduateā€¢ in reply topsarapsych

Upper Warlingham in Sussex to be precise... not far off from Croydon! xox

psarapsych profile image
psarapsychGraduateā€¢ in reply toDeliaItaly

Oh gracious... and you've both got your shiny new badges - Excellent, so so pleased for you both, love Sara xox

SBG356 profile image
SBG356Graduate

Absolutely brilliant Julie, congratulations!! I cant believe it is this time already; it seems to have gone by so quickly.....

Well done on the run and keep going on your journey with the freedom to choose how long and how far you will run; thats what I love about graduating!

I think you will need to check out the Garmin Forerunners after your little mishap and I have to hold my hands up as being the one influencing Steve & Gayle to part with their cash - but who can resist shopping, especially for our new found interest......

Enjoy your celebrations and feel very proud!

Sue x

pinkus profile image
pinkusGraduate

Thanks everyone your comments & support mean so much to me. Will keep you posted.

Love Pinkus xxx :-)

Pearsey profile image
Pearsey

Well done Julie!!! So pleased you are now in the club-you are a G.R.A.D.U.A.T.E!!!!!!

Enjoy the stepping stones and speed and stamina-you haven't lost Laura, she is still there to guide you-and I thoroughly recommend you do the pods-you will learn a lot!

Meanwhile-Keep in Running :-)

Colette x

pinkus profile image
pinkusGraduateā€¢ in reply toPearsey

Thanks Colette for your support and yes I am looking forward to these stepping stones and stamina podscasts not sure about the speed one though, I thought one of them was not so good, but will try them all and see what its all about. xx

Pearsey profile image
Pearseyā€¢ in reply topinkus

The speed is fantastic Julie-really enjoyed it. It's the stamina that is grueling. See what you think? xx

psarapsych profile image
psarapsychGraduate

OMG Julie, yippididooohdah and fanbloodytastic :-). Well done you. Sooooo sad Abbott sports tracker :-(. Perhaps a new phone? I feel a bit responsible for your disappointment at such a crucial time.

Anyway, well done Julie, we'll see each other on those stepping stones once I've finished, wherever and whenever that will be., Sara xox

pinkus profile image
pinkusGraduateā€¢ in reply topsarapsych

No Sara I think is my phone as I have tried a couple and keep loosing the gps tracking so going to try one more in the next day or two....Good luck with your W9 and let us know how you went. Will be thinking of you. :-) xxxxxxx

psarapsych profile image
psarapsychGraduateā€¢ in reply topinkus

Thanks Julie :-). Of to uk this a.m.for a fleeting 3 day visit to my old and ailing parents and then back for a gruelling week in Vienna so 9 2&3 will fit in somewhere around it all but.... i hope my Tracker doesn't get too confused with the changes!

In principle the sports tracker had been excellent - only one gremlin so far. I know it's totally accurate as i was running with a friend the other day with a running watch and we both checked and confirmed each other's readings. Don't know about other apps but can confirm accuracy of ST.

Julie, check out my post with the free podcast link to b210k. I intend to just h get comfortable with 5kms & 30 mins for a while before going further too quickly. I want to savour my own experience of how i run without anything else going on for a few weeks so i can better judge where I'm at so to speak.

Good luck with whatever you do next and will keep you posted, Sara xox

SBG356 profile image
SBG356Graduateā€¢ in reply topsarapsych

Hope you have a good journey Sara and your parents are ok; they will be happy to see you I'm sure!

You may be able to manage a run in Deal!

Sxx

pinkus profile image
pinkusGraduateā€¢ in reply topsarapsych

Thanks Sara, (sorry to hear about your parents, hope the visit is a good one xx) Thanks for the info on B210K I will check it out and I think I will have a crack at the 5+ podcasts they sound interesting. Good luck with your visit and also vienna and with your final runs for W9. Hope all goes well with you, will be thinking of you. xx

Anniemurph profile image
AnniemurphGraduate

Congratulations - what an achievement! Well done :)

eshaz14 profile image
eshaz14Graduate

Just here to add my CONGRATULATIONS :) Well done on graduating.... and which was the Garmin I needed to buy?

SBG356 profile image
SBG356Graduateā€¢ in reply toeshaz14

Here is the link Sharyn. I am not getting commission - honest!!! x

sites.garmin.com/forerunner...

eshaz14 profile image
eshaz14Graduateā€¢ in reply toSBG356

Thanks Sue.... why aren't you on commission then?

pinkus profile image
pinkusGraduate

Hi eshaz

the Garmin is the Forerunner 110s that they were talking about....thanks for your support.

Well done my lovely. So well deserved... dedication and determination has been an example to us all. Go girl xx

Chocotwit profile image
ChocotwitGraduate

OK you've convinced me to ask Santa for a Garmin Forerunner 110 for Xmas too! I have also downloaded the AudioFuel Rollercoaster, which is a 40 minute playlist, and interchanging that with Speed and Stamina. I think I'll alternate the three for a few weeks and try out some park runs. I'm still not running 5k, even in 40 minutes, but I'm not far off. Go girl!

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