Tales of a C25K failure
With the popularity of the C25K program I figure I would share my story involving C25K.
Yes that is right guys I openly admit that I didn't have it in me to do the C25K program, for me I found it to difficult. This does not mean that I gave up it simply means I adapted and created a plan that worked for me. I can tell you it took a hell of a lot longer than 9 weeksfor me to run 5K but what a rush when I could.
So Sept of last year I participated in my first 5K 11 weeks after surgery and what an eye opener it was. I felt like ****ting bricks before the race and 46 minutes and 32 seconds later I was proud of myself yet ashamed of myself. I was proud that I had accomplished something I never believed possible just months prior. I was ashamed of myself that I for my whole adult life had become oblivious to the fact that I couldn't run more than .10 miles without becoming winded and hoping I wouldn't cough up a lung. To be totally honest given where my health was at that point in time I probably would have had an easier time getting kicked in the nuts. I am happy to say I didn't come in last or even last for my age group.
So given this what is a guy supposed to do? Easy answer overcome! I admit I enjoyed doing the 5K for the sense of accomplishment and set out to get better at them and yes RUN A WHOLE 5K eventually! well December comes along and I do my second 5K WOOHOO I did better on the second one I beat my first one by 5 minutes! needless to say my son beat me by 1 minute. I felt awesome I had moved faster than I ever had in my life, but there was still a problem. I hadn't run the whole distance.
So once again I found myself in the gym on the treadmill trying not to cough up a lung while building my speed an milage. Day after day I stepped on to that hated machine and simply asked "Please don't kill me today" I had set my mind on that I will oneday run a 5K.
So April of this year comes along and I say "Ok time to try this again I think I am ready I have logged my miles and trained time to sign up for a 10K" not just any 10K but the worlds largest 10K 60,000 people set to run this thing, but first I need to get me a qualifying time so I don't get stuck behind 59,999 other people because I figure I am faster than at least 1 of them. So to get my qualifying time I sign up for a 5K. Yes my third 5K was 5 months after my first and guess what! Yes I ran the whole freaking distance! and I did it in 32 minutes! HOT DAMN! being the total guy though this no longer seemed to be enough. I had accomplished my goal I had run 5K so what do I do now? Easy go bigger!
July 4th was the date of my first 10K which I again dedicated myself to logged miles and hours on the treadmill gave up mornings and lunches to push myself beyond what I believed I could do. I did a few more 5Ks some were faster some were not, but the best ones are the ones I ran with my son.
On July 3rd I am once again ready to crap myself as I realize that the next day I would have to run in front of hundreds of thousands of people and some KENYANS! oh lets not forget the fact that I had just signed up for a Half Marathon. Here I had never ran more than 6.5 miles and I said What the hell here is $65 bucks now let me run 13.1 miles with you for a Tshirt! Well the 10K went awesome and I finished in 61 minutes and had a total blast! Oh yea I got to eat lots of bananas to
.
Well After the 10K I knew what I had to do, yup hit the gym and log some miles! This I did and on Saturdays I would wake up and go to the local jogging trail and do my long runs, first 6 miles then 7, 9 and up! I noticed the more I did it the easier it became physically not mentally because at some point at the butt crack of dawn you will say "WOuldn't it be so much nicer to be home sleeping?"
Then September of this year comes around and it is time to do the 5K that was my very first. A friend at work asked "Are you running the race this week" To which I replied "Yeah it is only a 5K" what did I actually just say that? Something that I had workd months for was now simply a warm up? a way to spend 30 minutes?
Once I hit the 10 mile mark I sign up for a 15K because you got BLING! yup they gave out Medals to everyone that finished and damnit I was going to finish! And I did in a nice 1 hour and 37 minutes.
But the day of my Half Marathon was quickly approaching and I didn't realize how soon it was actually coming up until my friend mentions at a support meeting "In 2 weeks Paul is running his first Half Marathon" I reply "I AM?" They said "Your still doing the race on Oct 2nd" Yup I was but damn I thought I had more time.
As Fate would have it the weekend before my Half Marathon I start to have knee problems I am so denying that I need to see a doctor before the race, but ask my wife to get one for the day after, well she screws up and gets me one for the Friday before.
Doctor walks in and I tell him "I have a half marathon Sunday that I am doing regardless of what you say." He looks at me and examines my knee and says "Well I'm not going to tell you not to run, but just know It Will Hurt" . I get a knee brace and a cortisone shot and schedule an MRI.
So Sunday comes and I am heading to the race telling myself "Fat Boys Quit" not finishing this race is no option. It is strange the things that cross your mind when you are getting ready to do these types of things. My mind isn't focused on the fact that Here I was getting ready to run 13 miles or for 2.5 hours, what is my mind thinking? What do I do if I have to take a crap half way between aid stations! HA good thing I took Immonium D the night before! that stuff stops the party for days, but it is one of those things you think about.
SO I get to the race and line up people start moving and hey I am passing people. My head says DUDE! You are doing this you are running 13.1 miles without stopping. Less that 2.5 hours later I crossed the finish line, My doctor was right my leg was killing me. My Family and friends were right I Could run this race. The only thing that was wrong that day was my self doubt, yes I doubted that I would be able to do this, but armed with the knowledge of where I was simply a year and a half before I pushed through and made it happen.
So there you have what is possible when you can't finish the C25K program. Imagine what you can do if you actually are able to fini****
Get out an enjoy life!
Yes that is right guys I openly admit that I didn't have it in me to do the C25K program, for me I found it to difficult. This does not mean that I gave up it simply means I adapted and created a plan that worked for me. I can tell you it took a hell of a lot longer than 9 weeksfor me to run 5K but what a rush when I could.
So Sept of last year I participated in my first 5K 11 weeks after surgery and what an eye opener it was. I felt like ****ting bricks before the race and 46 minutes and 32 seconds later I was proud of myself yet ashamed of myself. I was proud that I had accomplished something I never believed possible just months prior. I was ashamed of myself that I for my whole adult life had become oblivious to the fact that I couldn't run more than .10 miles without becoming winded and hoping I wouldn't cough up a lung. To be totally honest given where my health was at that point in time I probably would have had an easier time getting kicked in the nuts. I am happy to say I didn't come in last or even last for my age group.
So given this what is a guy supposed to do? Easy answer overcome! I admit I enjoyed doing the 5K for the sense of accomplishment and set out to get better at them and yes RUN A WHOLE 5K eventually! well December comes along and I do my second 5K WOOHOO I did better on the second one I beat my first one by 5 minutes! needless to say my son beat me by 1 minute. I felt awesome I had moved faster than I ever had in my life, but there was still a problem. I hadn't run the whole distance.
So once again I found myself in the gym on the treadmill trying not to cough up a lung while building my speed an milage. Day after day I stepped on to that hated machine and simply asked "Please don't kill me today" I had set my mind on that I will oneday run a 5K.
So April of this year comes along and I say "Ok time to try this again I think I am ready I have logged my miles and trained time to sign up for a 10K" not just any 10K but the worlds largest 10K 60,000 people set to run this thing, but first I need to get me a qualifying time so I don't get stuck behind 59,999 other people because I figure I am faster than at least 1 of them. So to get my qualifying time I sign up for a 5K. Yes my third 5K was 5 months after my first and guess what! Yes I ran the whole freaking distance! and I did it in 32 minutes! HOT DAMN! being the total guy though this no longer seemed to be enough. I had accomplished my goal I had run 5K so what do I do now? Easy go bigger!
July 4th was the date of my first 10K which I again dedicated myself to logged miles and hours on the treadmill gave up mornings and lunches to push myself beyond what I believed I could do. I did a few more 5Ks some were faster some were not, but the best ones are the ones I ran with my son.
On July 3rd I am once again ready to crap myself as I realize that the next day I would have to run in front of hundreds of thousands of people and some KENYANS! oh lets not forget the fact that I had just signed up for a Half Marathon. Here I had never ran more than 6.5 miles and I said What the hell here is $65 bucks now let me run 13.1 miles with you for a Tshirt! Well the 10K went awesome and I finished in 61 minutes and had a total blast! Oh yea I got to eat lots of bananas to
.Well After the 10K I knew what I had to do, yup hit the gym and log some miles! This I did and on Saturdays I would wake up and go to the local jogging trail and do my long runs, first 6 miles then 7, 9 and up! I noticed the more I did it the easier it became physically not mentally because at some point at the butt crack of dawn you will say "WOuldn't it be so much nicer to be home sleeping?"
Then September of this year comes around and it is time to do the 5K that was my very first. A friend at work asked "Are you running the race this week" To which I replied "Yeah it is only a 5K" what did I actually just say that? Something that I had workd months for was now simply a warm up? a way to spend 30 minutes?
Once I hit the 10 mile mark I sign up for a 15K because you got BLING! yup they gave out Medals to everyone that finished and damnit I was going to finish! And I did in a nice 1 hour and 37 minutes.
But the day of my Half Marathon was quickly approaching and I didn't realize how soon it was actually coming up until my friend mentions at a support meeting "In 2 weeks Paul is running his first Half Marathon" I reply "I AM?" They said "Your still doing the race on Oct 2nd" Yup I was but damn I thought I had more time.
As Fate would have it the weekend before my Half Marathon I start to have knee problems I am so denying that I need to see a doctor before the race, but ask my wife to get one for the day after, well she screws up and gets me one for the Friday before.
Doctor walks in and I tell him "I have a half marathon Sunday that I am doing regardless of what you say." He looks at me and examines my knee and says "Well I'm not going to tell you not to run, but just know It Will Hurt" . I get a knee brace and a cortisone shot and schedule an MRI.
So Sunday comes and I am heading to the race telling myself "Fat Boys Quit" not finishing this race is no option. It is strange the things that cross your mind when you are getting ready to do these types of things. My mind isn't focused on the fact that Here I was getting ready to run 13 miles or for 2.5 hours, what is my mind thinking? What do I do if I have to take a crap half way between aid stations! HA good thing I took Immonium D the night before! that stuff stops the party for days, but it is one of those things you think about.
SO I get to the race and line up people start moving and hey I am passing people. My head says DUDE! You are doing this you are running 13.1 miles without stopping. Less that 2.5 hours later I crossed the finish line, My doctor was right my leg was killing me. My Family and friends were right I Could run this race. The only thing that was wrong that day was my self doubt, yes I doubted that I would be able to do this, but armed with the knowledge of where I was simply a year and a half before I pushed through and made it happen.
So there you have what is possible when you can't finish the C25K program. Imagine what you can do if you actually are able to fini****
Get out an enjoy life!
Paul C.
First 5K 9/27/20 46:32 - 11 weeks post op (PR 28:55 8/15/11)
First 10K 7/04/2011 1:03 First 15K 9/18/2011 1:37
First Half Marathon 10/02/2011 2:27:44 (PR 2:24:35)
First Half Ironman 9/30/12 7:32:04
First 5K 9/27/20 46:32 - 11 weeks post op (PR 28:55 8/15/11)
First 10K 7/04/2011 1:03 First 15K 9/18/2011 1:37
First Half Marathon 10/02/2011 2:27:44 (PR 2:24:35)
First Half Ironman 9/30/12 7:32:04
Paul.. not sure if you realize that besides being a runner who accomplished so much.. you're an inspiration. Thank you so much for sharing your story.
I've started the C25K program so many times.. its been life getting in the way, but the perfectionist in my head keeps telling me every time that I have to start it over again, and unless I finish that program then I won't really be trained. But what you've clearly displayed that it really just takes dedication and commitment.
Thank you, Paul.
I've started the C25K program so many times.. its been life getting in the way, but the perfectionist in my head keeps telling me every time that I have to start it over again, and unless I finish that program then I won't really be trained. But what you've clearly displayed that it really just takes dedication and commitment.
Thank you, Paul.
Congrats on your half!! Sorry you have to deal with your bum knee though! Thanks for being so inspirational!! 
What an amazing journey Paul. Thank you so much for sharing your story. It brought tears to my eyes.
My goal at this point is to also run a 5k. Not sure I am interested in anything beyond that, I guess I would like to conquer one goal at a time. Reading your stories lets me know we all can do it!
Thanks again, and congrats on all your successes!!!
~Jamie~
My goal at this point is to also run a 5k. Not sure I am interested in anything beyond that, I guess I would like to conquer one goal at a time. Reading your stories lets me know we all can do it!
Thanks again, and congrats on all your successes!!!
~Jamie~
Definitely inspiring! Running a 5k is definitely on my list, as I USED to be a runner way back in my skinny youth.
I downloaded the C25K app to my iPhone but haven't had the motivation to get it started. I think you just inspired me to sign up for a 5K so I am pushed into training for it!
Thank you for sharing your story!
I downloaded the C25K app to my iPhone but haven't had the motivation to get it started. I think you just inspired me to sign up for a 5K so I am pushed into training for it!
Thank you for sharing your story!
Jenny HW: 268 / SW: 254 / CW: 180 / GW: 140
First 5K: 4.21.2012 - Time: 34:45 - 2nd Place in age group
Second 5K: 6.2.2012 - Time 37:09
First 5K: 4.21.2012 - Time: 34:45 - 2nd Place in age group
Second 5K: 6.2.2012 - Time 37:09
Congratulations and wishing you continued success!
Barbara
ObesityHelp Coach and Support Group Leader
http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/bcumbo_group/
High-264, Current-148, Goal-145
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