C25k to a half marathon-A success story!

jmm083

I wanted to come back here and share how c25k basically changed my life. I have been pretty sedentary most of my life, with a year or two of exercise here and there when I had money for a gym. A year and a half ago I started c25k. I could barely run the minute multiple times. I remember the first time I ran 3 minutes straight and thought I wasn't going to make it. I remember repeating the week of 3 minutes twice (...okay maybe three times) because I was afraid of going up. Nothing scared me more than week 5 day 3. It was slow but I completed it. I couldn't believe it, 20 whole minutes! After I graduated I continued for a few months at a 5k distance before really falling off the wagon. I restarted last summer and started all over again, jump starting into a bridge to 10k program. I was running races and successfully (although slowly) completed them. I then took the crazy lady plunge and signed up for a half marathon in February and began training. I got up to running 5-6 miles regularly until some devastating health news sidelined me from Oct-Jan. Once I was safe to run again I picked back up and put my all in it until the race. I am proud to report that I completed (running!) 13.1 miles a week ago and it's all thanks to c25k. It's hard, I wanted to give up constantly, I felt self-doubt every day but I pulled through and did it. Now I am proud to call myself a runner and I really enjoy running. Stick with c25k- I truly feel it is an amazing program.

hoyalawya2003

That is so awesome! I was just despairing as I have lost momentum (yet again) due to weather and a cold. I still want to do a half, so it is nice to see someone who has accomplished it. Do you plan to do another? Or a full?

Just_Ceci

Thanks for sharing! I'm training for my first half marathon. I am a firm believer in the program, and proud to now call myself a runner!

PaytraB

Thanks for sharing your story! This is very motivational. I also firmly believe in C25K. It made me, a non-runner, a runner and I really enjoy it.

jmm083

Thanks everyone! I have a number of races, many long distance coming up. I am running the Tinkerbell half in May in Disneyland and the Covered Bridges half in Vermont. This is in addition to some 5/10ks and a 7.4 miler close to home. I don't plan on running more than around 15/16 miles. I don't have the time/will-power to train/eat properly for a full marathon and frankly feel pretty happy stopping at half's or something slightly over that.

SassieFit

Thanks for sharing! That's awesome! I have a half-marathon in December and would love to be able to run it 100% Consistency with the program will be key for me.