When the stars align...

[sarah469]

I’m just back from my longest run (addendum: since November) - 6.5km! This feels like a huge achievement for me as I feel like I am back where I was in terms of form after my physio issues and my running lull over winter. I can’t tell you how pleased I am the sun is out and I get to watch beautiful sunsets again on my evening runs. I haven’t enjoyed a run this much since back in January.

Run report, this one’s going in the ‘good run memory bank’, probably for my benefit more than anyone else!

Commitments this week made me unsure when I was going to fit my midweek run in this week - curry after work tomorrow with colleagues, NOT working from home on Thursday (like I normally do)… rest day on Friday before parkrun… all meant I really felt I should run today. But I got home at 6:45pm after a really mentally taxing day at work and by 7pm I’d only just finished eating. I was more worried about getting a stitch than anything else and resigned myself not to run today. I watched an episode of Masterchef but I had this niggling feeling in the back of my mind that I should go.

SO on the kit went! Saying goodbye to my partner and telling him I was going to regret this later (…do I never learn? You NEVER regret a run!) a la stitch I set off.

And suddenly everything got really good. I set off on a new route, one close to home but that I’d only found out about last week for some silly reason. Well, it was a lovely country road, quiet and peaceful and just bliss really. I had felt slightly apprehensive beforehand about whether I should try it tonight because you never know what could happen going down a secluded country footpath on your own, but I needn’t have worried and it turned out to be a good decision because it was just lovely really. The only people I came across were a father teaching his daughter how to roller-skate along the lane. I did get a bit of a stitch but nothing to write home about.

I did two circuits of that loop and was at about 4.5km. My aim tonight was 5.5km, if I could get to that with all my doubts about this evening then brilliant. Well… at 4.5km I knew I was going to do it as I felt really good and just ‘having a moment’ really. So I kept going round the estate on my normal route and I got to 5.5km… still felt great… then thought ‘I want to mark this run somehow… I know the longest run I had in memory was 6.42km… I bet I could do 6.5km. And I did… 6.55km!

Just one of those ‘I love running’ nights tonight. Cleared my head and just had some me time. I’m so glad I have found something I can call my own. Along with all you guys of course!

(Ok… so I’ve just checked and I must have remembered wrong because my previous longest run was actually 6.59km… typical, lol! But I know I had that in me tonight anyway, so still on a high!)

And now, to celebrate? My last chocolate digestive!

Night everyone! X

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate10]

Beautiful... well done you !

[sarah469 Graduate10 in reply to Oldfloss]

Thank yooooooou! I'm still buzzing about it even now!

[Sandraj39 Graduate10]

Oh, that's a lovely post Sarah! I know what you mean about finding something you can call your own😀. Sounds like one of those special runs - well done, you are well and truly back🙂!

[sarah469 Graduate10 in reply to Sandraj39]

Hi Sandra! Yes, it certainly was a special run, just felt like throwing my arms in the air and wooping when I was done! Thanks for your encouraging words

[aliboo70 Graduate10]

Well done Sarah!great run! You deserved that digestive!😆

[sarah469 Graduate10 in reply to aliboo70]

Thanks aliboo! I'm a bit bereft tonight without any digestives left in the house

[Irishprincess Graduate10]

Just perfect. Well done. 

[sarah469 Graduate10 in reply to Irishprincess]

Thanks Irishprincess It was indeed perfect (perhaps minus the small stitch!)

[Anniemurph Graduate10]

Wonderful!  That's a great post - I particularly like what you said about "this one’s going in the ‘good run memory bank’" and "Just one of those ‘I love running’ nights tonight".  Well done

[sarah469 Graduate10 in reply to Anniemurph]

Thanks! The good run memory bank is what I refer back to at 6:30am on a Saturday morning when my alarm sounds for parkrun and I have to drag myself out of bed Highly recommended!

[boptillyoudrop49 Graduate10]

Great to be back off the IC and back in form. Love those runs which go right for you.k

[sarah469 Graduate10 in reply to boptillyoudrop49]

Thank you This type of run just keeps me going through the hard ones!

[Hidden]

Great run , well done , there is always another day and that is what counts 😊

[sarah469 Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Rob! You're totally right, and when I officially beat that 6.59K (soon!) I will know this wasn't a fluke!

[Maria62 Graduate10]

Well done you - just goes to show what determination does for you.  I bet you enjoyed that chocolate digestive - my favourite.

[sarah469 Graduate10 in reply to Maria62]

Thank yooou! I certainly did enjoy it, as it was the last one though I am missing them tonight, I'll just have to run another 6.5km to justify buying more I guess

[davelinks Graduate10]

Sarah! Well done!😊

[sarah469 Graduate10 in reply to davelinks]

Thanks Dave! Hooray! I'm still in a good mood 24 hours later, those endorphins really kicked in!