I have to start with an ooooops!!!
Got myself all geared up for an 8k on Friday last week...down by the canal, my fav place...everything was going well and I decided that, seeing as this is my 2nd attempt at 10k I might, if there was still enough in the tank, just carry on and go for 10k...all was going well until about 6k when it suddenly popped into my head that this run should only be a 5k, well that messed with my head straight away and the gremlins attacked me thick and fast...so I stopped because my head was suddenly not prepared for a long run...I turned off Strava, then thought about it for a moment, turned it back on, turned around and ran a bit further, passed a couple having a lovely stroll tgat I'd passed further up there and back.... they mustve been thinking they were witnessing some sort of running melt down because i stopped again, nope, I'd done for the day so I turned it off again, what am I doing, surely I can squeeze a bit more out? So I turned it back on and started running again back passed this couple who promptly stepped aside and started giving me a round of applause!!!!! This made me proper chuckle...I bet they feared for my sanity?!! Anyway, I carried on running over Bevlar bridge where my friend was in the shelter having a smoke, obviously he did his usual shout out "Keep going Bevlar!!!" So I had to carry on until I was out of sight of him so he didn't think I was a loser!! So, this run ended up being just over 7k...but what a higgeldy, piggeldy run??!! Backwards, forwards, can I, can't i??!! So I wasn't impressed with myself at all....anyway, due to my littlests birthday coming up, I didn't get to run again until yesterday...bring on Storm Gareth, who I might add is NOT going to beat me...so I got me gear on yesterday, did the school run, had a quick lurke on here and on strava where I spotted the ever inspirational and tireless ju-ju- well, some mornings that's all you need because she is one tough cookie, I commented on her morning activity and she cemented the fact that I would feel better when I'd been out...then the doorbell ran and it was Andy, my running postman...he looked at me and obviously knew what my plan was but said I ought to just hang on for half an hour to see if Gareth calmed down a bit...so that's what I did and as soon as the rain bated I plugged in my earphones, put on my new Garmin, which I already love, and off I went, just over to the park so that if I got soaked I hadn't far to drip home and I would just do a quick 3k, not part of the plan but that's what I thought I'd fit in before Gareth returned after his breakfast...
Everything felt good...great music in the form of the MummyCav playlist on Spotify, nobody but nobody was in the park, or so I thought...people must've been waiting in their cars for the exact same thing as me because within 2 minutes it was like crufts!!! Anyway, first lap round, there, on the bench at the side of me were a couple...only late teens I'd say, but they were 'doing it'...OMG, I didn't know where to look, so I put my foot down and sped passed them hoping that next lap they would've been as embarrassed as me, but no, they were still there...lap 2, lap 3 etc...in the end, I just ran up and down the same side of the park so i didn't have to see them...how embarrassing????? Anyway, after my trauma I managed a 5k....it took me 40 mins though, but running head first into 60mph winds took it's toll on my time and the fact that I was being forced oxygen up my nose and in my mouth at an alarming speed!!! So, this is my story so far this week...the couple were still there when I left the park, they must've been freezing, I tell ya, this running lark is full of surprises.....till next time.
Happy running my lovely friends xxx
MC
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My runs have been pretty boring so far I'm afraid to say. No interesting characters to speak of! I love your reply to Quirkybee - that sums running up in a perfect nutshell. We've learnt the hard way that it all simply comes back to that.... we need some running stripes on our t-shirts, feel like I'd have an armful with all the lessons I've learnt.... and then spaces where I've ripped them off, cos I've not learnt my lesson properly!! A right old bloody state! No change there then! 
PARKRUN! 😄🌲🌳🏃♂️🏃♀️🏃♂️🌳🌲
Week 3 of the Magic Plan: I ran out of road!
