Pages

▼

Saturday 12 March 2016

A Personal Best!

Today I ran my very first 5k Park Run!

L-R: Lucy, Bethany, Me, Ruth & Rebekah (Ruth's daughter)
I know lots of folks go running, run marathons, go to the gym, run 10k's, every day of the week perhaps! To some it might not seem like a big thing, to run 5k, it is only 3 miles after all!

But for me, starting the 10 week 'Couch to 5k' programme in January was huge.  Ever since being diagnosed with M.E. at the age of 19 I've had pretty rubbish stamina, embarrassingly so! While I'm thankful I no longer suffer from M.E. it left a definite mark on my energy levels.


First 5k complete! Woohoo!

My biggest fears were not being able to run the allocated slots; being too exhausted and sore the next day!! I needn't have worried, and I couldn't have done this without the support and accountability of my 2 lovely girls, one of my bestie's and of course the inspiring and well run Jog Belfast programme.

Over the 10 weeks we ran through rain, sleet, snow, freezing temperatures and wind (there was the occasional sunny spell too!), I had to dig deep to go out on Tuesday nights after 2 days on my feet, into the cold and rain, Thursday nights with Ruth (in the cold and rain), and Saturday mornings (when I just wanted to stay in a warm cosy bed!). So I'm even more proud of myself for sticking with all 10 weeks.


It was thoroughly enjoyable, and while I don't yet consider myself a 'runner' (my time was 42 minutes!!!!) I hope to continue running Park Runs on Saturdays and with Ruth through the week too. If I can run through the dark nights of January I can run anytime of the year, right!!

If you have ever considered doing a 'Couch to 5k' programme, I would highly recommend it.  Join a group and improve your stamina and well being!  Let's face it, if I can do it, anyone can!

Happy running!

Jude xo




at

12 comments:

  1. Sarah12 March 2016 at 23:55

    Huge congrats jude! X

    ReplyDelete
  2. Leanne13 March 2016 at 04:20

    That's fantastic, you are doing so well!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Gina Loomis13 March 2016 at 05:48

    Congratulations! That's fantastic! I understand what a big deal this is! I've heard about the Couch to 5K and need to check it out.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Kay13 March 2016 at 08:25

    Well done. x

    ReplyDelete
  5. memmens13 March 2016 at 09:26

    Wow that is superb - well done.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Trudi13 March 2016 at 10:48

    That's a fantastic achievement Judith! Congratulations! Xx

    ReplyDelete
  7. Lorraine13 March 2016 at 12:27

    Hi Jude, as Mum to a keen (obsessed!)runner I know how hard it can be for even him to get up and go running on cold dark days, so doubly well done to you.Lx

    ReplyDelete
  8. cheeky monkey13 March 2016 at 13:59

    This is fantastic! U can be so proud! I am in week 7 now but not looking forward as it getting quite hot. Like to run in the cold much more - please without the rain😉

    ReplyDelete
  9. Judy 13 March 2016 at 14:17

    Wow, that's great!! Congrats on running the race and to be able to share it with family and friends makes it even more special :-)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Suegodfrey14 March 2016 at 07:58

    Amazing, keep it up. The thrill of running in a race with lovely people makes running even more special. You are a 'runner' doing so much more than other people do! 😀 xx

    ReplyDelete
  11. Suegodfrey14 March 2016 at 08:00

    Amazing, keep it up. The thrill of running in a race with lovely people makes running even more special. You are a 'runner' doing so much more than other people do! 😀 xx

    ReplyDelete
  12. Marlene14 March 2016 at 17:30

    Huge Congratulations. Love the smiles on everyone's faces.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to leave me a comment. I really appreciate it & I will always reply. (If you don't get a reply from me it is because you are a 'no reply comment' blogger. You might want to change your blog settings to make sure folks can reply to your comments more easily.) Jxo