Couch to 5K ace their 2.5K challenge Dunboyne AC Track, Saturday 30th January 2016
Statistics will tell you that by the end of January most people have given up on their New Year’s Resolutions with many having given up after only a week. Not our Couch to 5k and Beyond participants though! They are now at the halfway point to achieving phase 1 of their goal to get to 5km
Since January over 120 newcomers and lapsed walkers/runners have been training diligently on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. After four weeks of determined effort from the group, Eleanor threw down the annual gauntlet with her “let’s see how far you’ve progressed in a month challenge” otherwise known as six and a quarter laps of the track or 2.5K.
Undeterred by Met Eireann’s “cover all possibilities” weather warnings of cold and blustery with sunny spells, wintry showers and snow flurries, more than half of the C25K participants turned up on the bitterly cold Saturday morning to take up the challenge. As the group gathered at the clubhouse and started limbering up there were tactical discussions to be heard ranging from “I need to take it easy at the start” to “ignore that one that keeps speeding past us, he won’t be able to keep it up”.
For people who were only starting out, some of whom who had never done anything like this in their life before, six and a quarter laps was quite the daunting challenge but we are delighted to report that they all smashed their target and completed it. Congratulations to every one of you for getting from the Couch to 2.5k in less than a month! For the people who could not make it on Saturday there will be another opportunity to take the challenge next Tuesday night at 9pm.
To give everyone an idea of what they have achieved we set up the clock on the track and your times are noted below. Couch to 5k and Beyond however is not about times, or competing against others, it’s about fun, fitness, improving your health and wellbeing and most importantly fulfilling a personal goal. The clock should never faze you or spoil your enjoyment of a great achievement. Never compare yourself unfavourably to anyone else. Every single time recorded today was hugely impressive. Well done to everyone.
On behalf of both the participants and the club, we would like to thank Eleanor and the C25K volunteers (all Fit4Life’ers) for their dedication, coaching and encouragement so far.
The next big day will be 11am on Saturday 27th February for the group’s first 5K. Judging by the 2.5K achievements it will be no bother at all to any of the group. The “beyond” part of the programme will take place at 3pm on Sunday 3rd April at the Eirgrid Dunboyne AC 4-mile race and fun run for those who want to go a little bit further. Save the date, and keep up the good work at training!
Congratulations to everyone who took part in the 2.5K challenge, not just for completing the 2.5K but for taking the first brave step to get off the couch 4 weeks ago!
Link to the photos on Flickr
| Adrian Tiernan | 14:24 |
| Aidan Moran | 18:27 |
| Alan O’Reilly | 14:04 |
| Allan Clarke | 14:22 |
| Andrea Kavanagh | 21:39 |
| Angela Comiskey | 21:42 |
| Angela Gannon | 19:27 |
| Annemarie Robinson | 18:26 |
| Anthony Tobin | 14:56 |
| Audrey Keane | 16:47 |
| Barry Lonergan | 17:45 |
| Bernie McGrenahan | 14:45 |
| Bob Boughton | 14:25 |
| Brían Moore | 14:18 |
| Carmel Walsh | 21:48 |
| Carol Humphreys | 19:18 |
| Catriona Reilly | 18:25 |
| Christine Hennessy | 15:07 |
| Claire Connolly | 15:23 |
| Colette O’Mahony | 19:12 |
| Colm Lawlor | 23:50 |
| David Brown | 13:47 |
| Deborah Mangan | 22:05 |
| Donal O’Neill | 15:55 |
| Edel Hennessy | 20:32 |
| Elaine McGrath | 19:36 |
| Emma Dwyer | 16:49 |
| Eoin Moran | 16:56 |
| Fiona Comerford | 15:40 |
| Fiona Egan | 16:08 |
| Fiona O’Byrne | 17:40 |
| Fionnuala Pitt | 16:00 |
| Gerry Walsh | 13:56 |
| Irene McCarthy | 20:02 |
| James Bardon | 13:55 |
| Jill Patton | 15:52 |
| Joe Ainsworth | 19:16 |
| Joe Hickey | 13:46 |
| Kate Quirke | 16:07 |
| Lucy O’Mahoney | 17:41 |
| Mairead Hanratty | 16:48 |
| Margaret Kelly | 21:49 |
| Marie Duffy | 19:40 |
| Marie McQuaid | 14:46 |
| Mark O’Reilly | 14:06 |
| Martina Kavanagh | 19:31 |
| Mary Kerley | 16:06 |
| Michaela Mulvey | 18:16 |
| Niall Moran | 18:28 |
| Nicola Curran | 17:36 |
| Nicola Harte | 18:15 |
| Nicola McDermott | 14:50 |
| Nigel Dunne | 13:37 |
| Oriel Tiernan | 17:32 |
| Pauline Reilly | 17:35 |
| Ruth Flood | 13:32 |
| Seamus Dalton | 15:02 |
| Seamus Lonergan | 15:04 |
| Sean McElroy | 19:04 |
| Tara Donnelly | 16:52 |
| Theresa McIlroy | 19:14 |
| Tom McCarthy | 16:54 |
