Well, it wasn't fast and it wasn't pretty...

[pinkhat]

... and tomorrow I may find it wasn't clever either but today (drum roll) I managed my final C25K run!

With four weeks between R2 & R3 because of a sore knee, I had been really worried about whether I'd have to go back a few weeks (as ever, this forum was a great source of advice and opinions).

But this afternoon I thought I'd just get out there and see how I got on, fully prepared to cut it short if I felt it was too much. Wasn't fully prepared in other ways, however, and discovered I didn't have Laura's W9 on my phone - so instead I kept an eye on the time for the five-minute warm-up walk then put on an upbeat playlist, figuring most songs are about three minutes long so if I kept going for 10 of them, I should be there or there about. Was really chuffed to find my breathing was grand (and heck of a lot better than R2, which was a parkrun, when I felt I was hyperventilating for about the first third of it and never felt in control for the rest of it) but jeez, legs were like lead. However, I remembered Laura's encouraging words about keeping going even when it felt like you'd never make it.

After the 10th song I slowed to a walk, checked my SportsTracker app and was amazed to find I'd actually run for 35 mins - yay, way to go me! Admittedly, nearly all of it was at a pace only slightly faster than a brisk walk, and my loyal wee dog barely broke sweat as he trotted along behind me, but it was running nonetheless.

As I said at the beginning, not fast and definitely not pretty but I've done something that when I started on my 50th birthday last November I never really believed I would achieve. And if I can do it, anyone can do it.

So at the moment, I'm raising a glass to myself in celebration and all that remains is - how do I get that much-coveted graduate badge?

Thanks again to all you wonderful C25Kers out there for your support.

[Miso_14 Graduate]

Yay go you!! Well done

[greenlegs Graduate]

Con-grat-u-la-tions! Well done pinkhat. 35 minutes - just grand.

SEnd a message to NHS_Choices_fitness_editor and you'll have that badge by your name. (go to Directory, Admin in the green band at the top of the page).

[pinkhat Graduate in reply to greenlegs]

Thanks, Greenlegs - am going right to it!

[Beads Graduate]

Congratulations!

[pinkhat Graduate in reply to Beads]

Thank you!

[buffster]

Well done! Even if your body aches all over tomorrow, enjoy the feeling. You've earned the graduation badge!

[RainbowC Graduate]

Well done! Speed does *not* matter - I saw that a couple of my running minutes today were only a handful of seconds quicker than my walking. It's about keeping going for the time, and you did that AND MORE!

[rockchick69 Graduate]

Well done you It's not about what it looks like but the fact that you are out there doing it....What a great birthday present to yourself...what comes next!!!

[pinkhat Graduate in reply to rockchick69]

Well...short-term it's keeping up at least three runs of 30-40 mins a week, hopefully one of which will be a Parkrun. However, I'm also curious about the other podcasts that look to help you up your speed a bit. And then I've got a friend who is trying to rope me into a 10k in May - gulp! The thing is that while controlling my breathing was such a challenge up until about W7/8, I now think that I would have enough puff to do 10k but at the moment don't think my body would be up to it. However, if there's one thing that C25K has taught me that sometimes even the impossible is possible!

[Anniemurph Graduate]

Yay - congratulations on your graduation, and doesn't that green badge suit you

[pinkhat Graduate]

Oh my - I didn't know it had been added already! Very fetching indeed!

[Fatflabtofitfab Graduate]

Awesome