Stick to it and trust the process. After the 5k everything gets easier. I found it was just as much work to get from C25K then it was 5k to half marathon

Finished couch to 5k last night and can't quite believe it. For some context, 12 months ago I weighed in at 31st. In the last 12 months I've lost 9 Stone, part way through that I started to add in exercise and in August I began couch to 5k. Running 60 seconds was really hard work, I trusted the process, followed the plan and made it through. And at 22st I can now run 30 mins 3 times a week. I'm not running 5k yet but that's the next goal.

The improvement in my fitness has been amazing and this will give me a platform to build on which will continue to support my weight loss journey.

For anyone just starting out or using this to support weight loss, trust the process and the results will amaze you!

Photo shows the progress I've made this last 12 months!

I ran my first ever 5km event today! C25K was such a useful tool and I owe a lot to the app and the support it offers.

For me, this was more than a 5k. 2.5 years ago, I was 35+st, drastically unwell due to my weight and couldn't even walk 100m without being in significant pain and out of breath.

Here I am, a few years later after losing 13.5st, I (slowly) completed the Southampton 5k!

Keep going with the plan, it works and it's great!

I am 50, and started the C25K and am on week 2. I repeated week 1. Today I got on my treadmill to just walk. And walked for 7 min, and then started running (slow) my zone 2 for my heart rate and reserve. And thought let's just see how long I can run at this pace. 16min so very slow, but I did it. Never ran the mile back in school. And I cannot tell you how proud of myself I am. At about 12 min I think I felt what the zone is. I just needed to share with someone!

Ok, OMG, I can’t believe I did it!! Spurred on by the kind support on this incredible subreddit, I awoke early thining it would be another Steve Cram C25K run BUT I couldn’t get it out of my head that Wolfman1961 truly thought that I could try a Parkrun. I’d signed up last night after his suggestion and as I put my trainers on I thought “Mary, just go to the parkrun, what’s the worst that could happen?!” So I got in my trusty rusty fiesta, Google maps barking the directions at me and off I drove and parked up. Lots of proper runner-y looking people but also a huge variety of folk and everyone really friendly. Beautiful sunny morning and I started among the 660 + crowd. It was HARD!! A very flat course and the volunteer cheerer-onners at checkpoints were incredible! I was slow but steady, just keeping myself breathing and chugging along. About 3/4 of the way round suddenly felt so fatigued I thought about stopping and heading home, I’d not told anyone I was doing it so no one would know. THEN a bent over, super old sinewy man came slow running up along side me, he said “you’re doing amazing lass, it’s just one foot in front of the other, you keep going” and it filled me with immense pride and I was absolutely in awe of him, I thanked him and got my arse in gear and pushed on. I FINISHED!!! My first ever 5K!!! It was bloody hard but I did it!! I then made sure I waited and found the old guy, his name was Terry, I thanked him for his words telling him he got me to the finish. I cried. I’m happy. Thank you to Wolfman1961 on here too. All of you are incredible support. I’m now sat in my car and am off to my little coffee shop, where I might cry some more and tell the poor barista I’ve just run my first ever 5k parkrun!