Well I have to admit that week 8 started off pretty well. A seasonโs best Parkrun ๐โโ๏ธon Saturday was followed by a gentle 4k jog ๐โโ๏ธaround IBMโs lake at Portsmouth North Harbour with Dexy5 on Monday. Wednesday was ridiculous weather-wise so Graduation Day was postponed, and logically it should have been again today, with 20+ mph winds forecast and a 20%+ chance of rain. Did I mention Iโm a fair-weather runner? However, there was Ju-Juโs schedule to maintain and the Billy Trail is partially sheltered, so the cunning plan was to start running south, into the wind, for 4k, then do 1k north, 1k south and be blown home for the last 4k. Thinking was if I could maintain 6 mins/k for the first 6k, mostly into the wind, I should be able to hang on over the last bit.
So off we went, with me leaving Dexy to her own devices from the start for once.๐โโ๏ธ๐๐ฝโโ๏ธ Mr Garminโs instantaneous pace readouts were all over the place to begin with, as per, but settled down to around 5โ50โ to give the first 2k in 11โ39โ. The next 3ks were a bit quicker, though not deliberately, around 5โ42โ, and the 6th, back into wind but mostly sheltered 5โ45โ, so at the last turn, with 4k to go downwind, I was a minute and a half ahead of target at 34โ31โ.๐
Now my brain is going โdonโt push yet, donโt push yetโ, knowing I havenโt cantered further than 7k at a stretch yet, having had spells of trotting in all previous runs, but my legs donโt appear to be listeningโน๏ธ. 7th k 5โ31โ (โsteady on nowโ), 8th 5โ23โ (โlook out for the wall you idiotโ), 9th 5โ18โ (oh whatโs the useโ) and the last k 4โ54โ if my watch is to be believed, which I find more than a bit difficult. 10k in 55โ38โ, thanks very much โฆโฆ now whereโs Dexy gone? Weโd crossed after my first turn, as expected, me having gone 4.6k to her 3.4k. We should have crossed again after my second turn and her first and only, around 5.7 for me against 4.3 for her. But I get to my final turn at 6k and thereโs neither sight nor sign ๐โฆโฆ.. a mystery to be solved when she posts perhaps โฆโฆ.
While Iโm celebrating, I should perhaps remind people that I started this โBridge to Madnessโ from the position of being disappointed if a Parkrun took over 26โ, which means it just doesnโt compare with the efforts of those of you who have done it, or are still doing it, as an extension of C25K. And I now find, thanks to some swine ๐น providing a link to Jack Danielsโ calculator, that although 55โ38โ is inside the target I set myself, given my starting point of 26โ Parkruns I should be able to manage 53โ59โ. So perhaps the madness will have to continue โฆโฆ. and all because the lady loves C25K. I never thought when Dexy got off the Couch in March that it would lead to me running 10k again. And now sheโs mumbling โGreat South Runโ ๐โฆโฆ behave yourself, woman!
We are off for a gourmet dinner with excessive wine this evening to celebrate. And weโll raise a glass ๐พ to Ju-Juโs magic plan, and everyone on the forum eyeing up the Bridge, part way across it, or collapsed next to me on the far side. May the Plan be with you all!