C25K encouragement continued

[Jibberoo]

Hi everyone

I've started this thread as I couldn't add any more posts to the other one. Hopefully you all find this thread!!

Hope everyone had enjoyed their day - so bored at home right now I'm glad I have the run to look forward to. Waited till it got dark and I headed out with my new running buddy - my 11yo ds. Yes he ran ahead of me and stopped a few times so I could catch up, but we ran 4.46km in 33mins and I'm so proud of both of us! (And little dog of course who's my faithful running buddy). It was a bit drizzly tonight which was actually quite nice as it wasn't that cold so the rain cooled me off a bit.

I've been thinking of how I can improve my stride length and I wonder if I can use my rest days to do W1r1 and try to do it with much longer strides? Seeing my son running I realise how inefficient my stride is. If I can only learn to open my stride I could run much further in the same time. If I can walk tomorrow I might try that to see if I can.

Hope everyone is enjoying their runs today!

W9R3 done!! I've graduated!! Woohoo!!!
Wasn't fun today, so gusty it felt like I was running into a headwind regardless of direction. But I did it!

I read back through the old thread and this one, which was a really nice thing to look back on. For those just starting out, this is how I felt at the beginning (from my old posts)...
After W1R1
Looking at the later weeks I really don't believe I'll be able to do any of it but I'll take it run by run!

W2
Really can't imagine how I'll ever do a 20 minute continuous run at this stage...!

W3 timings looking a bit scary....Bit scared about 3 mins!!

And here I am only a few weeks later running for half an hour - if I can do it, really anyone can.

Dobby hope you'll be graduating this weekend too! This was from one of your first posts:
I’m determined to do this. 10 years ago and pre DC I did 10k runs and was fit. Now 60 secs is hard and I taste blood
And you've nearly done it!! 👏👏👏

This thread is so great, I really really wouldn't have done it without you all, thank you so much xxx

Yaaaaaaay Cavagirl!!
Woop woop!

@YouFightLikeADairyFarmer just saw you finished today too! Congratulations!!!! 🥳🥳🥳

Thanks minipie 😊

well done cava
now off you go and find a few nice routes for nice longer weekend runs.

the teens decided to do baking instead of running. so I had a nice slow solo run. 6k in just over 40 minutes. it was lovely, 15 degrees and sunny.

Just don’t do a me and follow up graduation with avoiding running for a week and then doing your knee in 😫

Well done @Cavagirl . I've been following your progress as I'm 4 weeks behind you.

When you were in weeks 4 and 5 I thought I'd never be able to run as far as you...and now I'm there and you've finished!

It's really motivated me following your cohort. Are you going to keep posting?

Cava congratulations!! Whoop, you did it. So pleased for you. It’s been a fun challenge and I know I couldn’t have got to the end without the encouragement and accountability on this thread.

Thanks for posting my earlier comment. It’s true 60 seconds of running was impossible in December! We rock. Well I will when I get r3 done.

I wish I’d gone today. But we’ve had a storm today and flooding. Had a little look this morning, but it wasn’t good at all. Roads like rivers and high winds.

Hoping for tomorrow and I can join you on the graduation podium!

Congratulations cava and dairy - many many congratulations for graduating!

Congratulations Cava and YouFightLikeaDairyFarmer!

Its been absolutely wild here yesterday and today and branches are coming down so I'm postponing my w2r3 run until it's a bit calmer. It's very inspiring to read about graduates in the meantime!

Well done @Cavagirl. It's amazing to look back on your comments from the early days.

Thanks everyone! Congratulations from you lovely internet strangers have made me all warm and fuzzy inside.

Congratulations @Cavagirl !! Feels bloody amazing, doesn't it? And fab that @DobbyTheHouseElk is going to join us tomorrow!

And for everyone still going, I honestly could not be less of a runner. I've always been that girl skiving cross country and dodging any kind of regular exercise. You can do it!! Schedule it in so you know when you're going to run, and go for it!

Congratulations @Cavagirl and @YouFightLikeADairyFarmer

It is so motivating to hear people finishing and enjoying it! I’m about to start W3 so still early days but loving the thread.

Well done to all of you graduating that's great
Hope you all update on where you go next with it I still follow for tips and ideas.

Well done cava and dairy! Really pleased for you, so nice to have achieved something good during this lockdown.
Welcome @Redrosesandsunsets and good luck for week 1
I'm just sat in bed, reading this thread in the hope of some motivation! I've only been once this week so really need to run this morning. Meant to be doing 28 mins but I think I'll just do a 2.5 mile loop from my house. I'm so limited on routes from home, any further than that and it will need to involve crazy big hills or using public footpaths that are very wet and muddy at the min. Anyway, moaning over I'll get my arse into gear!

I’ve graduated!!!!! Joining cava and dairyfarmer on the podium.

Went out very early today. I read the previous C25k thread and my posts when I started. Made me feel really motivated, going from dreading a 3 min run. Now I don’t think about it.

The encouragement on this thread has certainly helped me to graduate. I don’t know if I could have done it without you all behind me.

Thanks to @Cavagirl and @minipie who have been my running pals.

This program definitely works, so anyone starting out have faith, you will graduate and you too will be a runner. It’s so gradual you don’t notice the improvements. How I went from a 60 sec run to a 30 mins run is incredible.

Thank you all for your encouragement and enthusiasm.

Congratulations @DobbyTheHouseElk . That's amazing . I've followed your progress over the last few weeks and you've done brilliantly

Well done @Cavagirl, @YouFightLikeADairyFarmer and @DobbyTheHouseElk. Amazing achievement and so inspiring for the rest of us!

I did Week 6 Run 2 yesterday. First 25 min run tomorrow. I'm a bit worried, but the programme has worked for me so far, so I'm just going to trust in my ability to do it.

Yay!!!! Well done Dobby! Such an achievement, I'm so pleased for you! Have you told anyone other than DH?

This thread is so brilliant, I hope it's alright if some of us graduates lurk for a bit. I'll definitely be looking for "what's next" inspiration!

Hooray Dobby!! Amazing!!!

And well done dairyfarmer too. I’m a lifelong exercise skiver too but now much to my surprise am actually feeling like I want to run (only on nice days mind you )

The Nike Run Club app is worth a try for any graduates - if you don’t mind a lot of very American talking (I quite like the talking for distraction).

cava I’ve told a couple of friends who knew what I was doing. I’d only told a couple of people I was doing it.

I’ve downloaded zombie run. Don’t know if it will be any good. I’m not a zombie fan or anything like that, but it looked interesting. I’m going to aim for 32 mins next.

I might hang around here for a bit. See what everyone is doing.

Woohoo, congrats @DobbyTheHouseElk !

I went on my first post-graduation run this morning, with the Nike Run Club app. Chose the "easy" 25 minute run so I could give myself permission to do shorter runs sometimes and not feel like I constantly have to be improving, but I'm also determined to get to actual 5k soon - might have a go next weekend. I'm so slow though - about 7 minutes per km, so 5k means about 35 minutes at that pace.

I liked the app even though I was initially a bit overwhelmed at the choice! I enjoyed all the chat - might even try podcasts instead of music one of these days.

Well done @DobbyTheHouseElk!

I agree @YouFightLikeADairyFarmer its good to do some shorter runs as that's how you experiment with pace and improve your speed. I was looking for a 5k to 10k plan online but most of them were boring like 3 x 30 mins, next week 3 x 35 mins. I'd prefer a bit more variety and so I'm making my own plan using bits of other peoples. Having said that I've not actually done 5k yet! Did 25 mins this morning, hoping to do 5k later this week at local country park- flatter and no worries about traffic!

Well done to all the recent graduates! I will be interested to see what your goals are now and how you go about achieving them. Since I graduated I’ve become a little lost without the focus of the programme. I started by aiming for 5K and when I managed that I focussed on trying to go a bit faster and a bit further. That was going ok until snow and ice came along and I didn’t get out as much. Now I’m finding it tough again and seem to run out of steam after about 20mins and have to walk for a bit to catch my breath before running the last 10 mins. I’m determined to get back to where I was now the weather isn’t so bad and hope you can all spur me on with your efforts! I don’t use any app - maybe that’s part of the problem? - so am interested to hear which ones you all try and what you think of them. I generally just listen to music.