There are various versions of the C25K plan but the version I chose was on the NHS website, with free podcasts to download for each stage of the program. It's a brilliant program for anyone who wants to start running, starting off with easy intervals (60 seconds running alternated with 90 seconds of walking for twenty minutes) and building up over 9 weeks to running for half an hour. Although it is described as taking you from couch to 5km, the reality is that for many new runners that half hour of running isn't long enough to cover 5km but it is still a huge achievement and the distance and pace can come later.
You can read about the program and download the podcasts here: http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/couch-to-5k-plan.aspx
Because of my complete lack of confidence, I hid away in the gym for most of the first six weeks, plodding away on the treadmill. Every time I completed one of the podcasts, I felt a huge sense of achievement. Sometimes I'd even go back and do a bit extra just to see if I could. I also made a point of always running the last interval (or two) at a faster rate than the others. I didn't get bored on the treadmill while the sessions were short intervals of running and walking but as the time spent running got longer it became less interesting.
I completed the Week 5 Run 3 podcast on the treadmill - the first time I had run for a whole twenty minutes and I sped up for the last couple of minutes. I was buzzing and afterwards I just wanted to sing and dance in the showers at the gym. I don't think I stopped grinning all day, I think this was the run that gave me the greatest sense of achievement, even more so than actually graduating at the end of the nine weeks. Soon afterwards though, I started wondering if I dared to venture into the great outdoors. Would people just point and laugh at the unfit, chubby lady huffing and puffing along at little more than walking pace ?
We had a holiday booked in Northumberland, a week on a caravan park so I knew I would have no choice but to run outside. I tried a very early morning run from home beforehand, early so as few people as possible would see me. It was strange how much more there was to think about, kerbs seemed like an extra challenge and the hills, which are fairly unavoidable around here, they were killers, especially as I live on a hill which means all runs end with an uphill stretch. On the other hand, it was certainly more interesting and, difficult as it was to crawl out of bed so early in the morning, I loved it once I was outside.
On holiday, my first of the week seven runs, a whole 25 minutes of running, was fairly cautious as I had no idea where to head for or how far I would get. I got up bright and early and ran around the caravan park a couple of times. It felt like hard work but I suspected that was largely because it wasn't very interesting. For the next run, I was more adventurous and decided to explore an intriguing looking footpath through some nearby woodland. As soon as I set off, I found myself dodging tree-roots and stones, weaving around nettles and trotting through mud; I saw rabbits, squirrels and even a heron swooping down over the nearby river. Now, this was more like it. I think this was when I decided I loved running.
Another particularly memorable run was after a mini school reunion in Taunton. After a very enjoyable evening and late night and lots of wine, I was up incredibly early so I could fit in my scheduled run in a once-familiar area. The road layout had changed a bit and I wasn't completely confident about where I was going but places soon began to fall into place. I found a new nature reserve area behind my old secondary school. There was a particular joy in running here, in sight of the playing field where I had so used to hate sport. I laughed to myself as I wondered if the games teachers would believe that I was now running because I actually enjoyed it.
After completing the program, mainly running in the great outdoors early in the morning, I felt a bit lost. I didn't have a target to aim for any more and I needed something to motivate me. I didn't know anyone else in Telford who ran. Inspired by a couple of people on the Health Unlocked C25K forum, I started to wonder if I was brave enough to join a running club..............
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