The program I followed was the NHS Couch to 5K version. You can download podcasts where the lovely Laura talks you through each run, gives useful tips, encourages you when it gets difficult and congratulates you at each stage of the journey. There's some pretty dodgy music on the podcasts but it somehow felt like part of the appeal ! I read and re-read the information on the website several times and even had a couple of false starts before I finally got stuck into the program, choosing to follow the podcasts while using the treadmill at the gym as I lacked the confidence to be seen attempting to run outdoors ! My sole ambition was that I would be able to regularly run a 5k distance, I didn't ever imagine wanting to do more than that.
A huge benefit with the NHS version of the program was (and still is) the Health Unlocked Couch to 5K forum where there is plenty of support and many of the members have met up and stayed in touch long after graduating from the C25K program. I opened a C25Kers on Facebook page which was initially an easier way for Health Unlocked members to stay in touch but which has since grown to over 1200 members and led to a sister page Beyond C25K being set up by longstanding members of the C25Kers group. Their support and encouragement has helped me keep going on several occasions and I have been lucky enough to meet with some of them and hope to meet more in the future,
Anyone who had followed the program has special memories of their own C25K journey - a particular favourite seems to be the week 5 run 3, which everyone dreads as the program jumps from a longest run interval of 8 minutes to running for a full 20 minutes. The moment when you realise you really can run for a whole 20 minutes is amazing, I paced myself cautiously and was able to celebrate with a faster 2 minutes at the end, smiled throughout the cool-down walk and couldn't stop myself from dancing in the shower afterwards. I always feel the same sense of anticipation when someone posts on the facebook group that they are dreading their W5R3 tomorrow and I love to read the excited, celebratory post afterwards.
Another favourite moment came in week 7 when we were on holiday in Northumberland - I'd ventured outside for a run for the first time the previous week as I knew I would have no choice while on holiday. My first outdoor run was around the ex-council estate where I live, not very inspiring and quite hard work as I inevitably had to finish running uphill. My first outdoor run on holiday wasn't very adventurous, I just ran around the caravan site a few times very early in the morning so no-one would see me, apart from the startled rabbits who quickly fled. The second run was more adventurous as I'd spotted an intriguing footpath leading into nearby woodland - running across a field in the early morning mist to get to the path was more challenging than I'd anticipated but the footpath was a joy, narrowing precariously in places and with lots of tree roots to avoid. I think this was the first time I loved running rather than just loving the fact I was managing to run ! The route took me alongside a river where I saw a heron swoop and land and I startled a few more rabbits - the treadmill was getting less appealing !
Later in the week, the weather was miserable and wet so we went for a long drive and ended up at Kielder Water , we stopped briefly for a look around and drove around part of the perimeter of the reservoir and as we left I remarked that I would like to run around it one day. It wasn't until several weeks or months later that I discovered there was actually such a thing as Kielder Marathon. So that was farewell to any idea that I only ever wanted to be able to run 5k !
The recent Telford Harriers Beginners Group was based on a version of the C25K program and yesterday was graduation day at Telford parkrun. Everyone had done brilliantly throughout the program and the parkrun was the perfect way to complete the C25K journey. There were lots of beginners from this year, supported by an impressive turnout of Harriers, including several who were beginners themselves only last year, Everyone at parkrun was supportive and enthusiastic, as always, and all the beginners had reason to be proud of themselves. It will be interesting to see where their running journey takes them beyond C25K.
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