Well, who'd have thought it - 25mins done, in -2 degrees and snow on the ground!

[pinkhat]

A week ago I was questioning the wisdom of W6R1&2 being back to shorter runs with recovery breaks but I listened to you lot and today I did my first 25 min run - unbelievable for many reasons.

The weather description above is misleading - yes, it was that cold and snowy but there was not a puff of a breeze and by the time I started, about 9am, the sun was up and shining. Plus I adjusted my route to take me out of the shade of the woods and into the bright light of the neighbouring grassland and dunes that border the bay and seashore.

And what a buzz when Laura said I could truly call myself a runner now - definitely worth a big "yee ha" at the end.

So, onwards and upwards. I've publicly committed myself to doing my first Parkrun in just under three weeks so, all being well, I should graduate about the same time.

Just one query - I know by the time I graduate I won't be running 5k but for 30 mins, and that it's not really about speed or distance, but (bearing in mind I'll be running in 'public' soon), can anyone advise if I might be getting close by the end? Today's run (5m walk, 25m run, 5m walk) covered only 3.53km - in your experience, am I likely to get any faster as my stamina continues to build? Or am I being over-cautious in pacing myself - I finished feeling as if I could have gone for another few minutes at least.

Thanks in anticipation!

[pinkhat Graduate]

Oh, and I should add, if it helps, my average speed was 6.2kmh, average page was 9.42/km and my max speed (which must have been when Laura said to go for it for the last minute) was 11.1kmh - my don't we 'runners' like our stats!

[gdeann Graduate]

Whoo-hoo! What a great way to celebrate graduation! I ran an organized 5K the week I graduated. Like you, I was very hesitant and had my doubts because I could only run 30 minutes and not near the 5K distance. I just ran and ran and ran some more! It took me just shy of 40 minutes but I confirmed in my mind: I could run a 5K distance, I could run for 40+ minutes if I needed to, and running in public wasn't near as bad as I imagined! You will do great! I personally pace myself slower just to give myself the confidence to know I will finish the longer distance. Speed will eventually come as you build endurance. Gayle

[greenlegs Graduate]

Great blog pinkhat. I love reading about what's coming up for me next week!

[pinkhat Graduate in reply to greenlegs]

Just been reading one of your earlier blogs - about age grading/pace, etc - and it was a welcome reminder not to get too wound up and focused on speed and distance. When you take the context - six weeks ago I struggled to run for a minute, I'm 50 and nearly 20kg overweight - that C25K has gotten me this far is nothing short of astounding. And I'm also confident that I'll finish, something that I really didn't feel even just 10 days ago. So, looking to beyond C25K, in the short-term I'm going to continue running 3 times a week, maybe for about 45 mins; do a Parkrun a couple of times a month for a bit of fun, and I'm also thinking of joining the local branch of JogScotland to see if I'd enjoy running/training with other people - I'm usually very sociable but there's something really nice about running on your own!

[PeaBea Graduate]

Well done pinkhat. Definitely agree with you to focus on getting to the end rather than the speed (which will come with time). I quite envy people who can get to a parkrun as they don't do them in my part of Cornwall: the nearest is a 40 mile round trip across the Tamar Bridge!!

[pinkhat Graduate in reply to PeaBea]

Thanks PeaBea. Yes, I'm really lucky as St Andrews Parkrun only 25mins away - altho I'd never heard of it until a few months ago! Am going to be running it with my 21-year-old son, who will do it in about 20m - says he'll do various other exercises until I finish but I think secretly he'll be a bit chuffed to see his old mum do 5k (unlike his 3 younger siblings who just embarrassed their old mum wearing Lycra in public)!

[skf28 Graduate]

Well done Pinkhat that is fantastic another c25ker to look up to! I am planning a graduation park run too - should graduate in march, look forward to hearing about your progress.

[Stampy Graduate]

Well done Pinkhat!

I found my pace has increased over time. I use an app that updates me with my pace every 5 mins, which is handy to know how I am doing and push a bit harder if I am only a few seconds away from beating my previous pace.

I have heard that taking park in park runs helps u run a little faster as you are spurred on by the other runners.

U are doing fab though and just concentrate on the time rather than distance