18k, truly my longest ever run in distance and time (2 hrs 15), never been beyond 10 miles (16.1k) in the previous 68 and a bit years. But instead of rising to Oldfloss 's heights of lyricism, the best I can muster as a result is grim satisfaction. I should speak movingly of dog-walkers' meetings, school trips and pram convoys blocking the prom from one side to the other, of delight at being sprayed by seawater as one of Britain's greatest inventions, the hovercraft, slid off Southsea beach into the waters of the Solent, of observing the squadrons of black-headed gulls practicing dive-bomber attacks on the population with high-explosive guano, of the beach lifeguard teams setting up to protect said population from their total lack of understanding of what the tide might be up to, of the gruelling nature of the climbs (all of 5 metres) to the highest point of the prom by the historic monument of Southsea castle, of the quality of the cappuccino in the Beach Café afterwards ….. but I'm too damn knackered.
It was also the longest run ever for my faithful pacer Dexy5 , who did 13k with a bit of jeffing and a natural break, during which times I kept shuttle running back and forth around her datum, which meant I only had 3.25k left to do when she reached her goal. My average pace to that point was around 7'40" per k. I did then manage to knock the last 3k off in under 20 mins, with the last k in 6'04". I suspect Dexy may be along with her (probably different ) version of events in a wee while.
As I asked myself, on reaching the 6k point and realising I had twice as far again still to go, why I am doing this? The idea is to push up the distance so the 10 mile Great South Run in October doesn't seem so far. Oh, and to keep ahead of cheekychipmunks who did 17k last week . Is it worth it? Well we'll see and definitely - respectively!
Onwards and upwards!!
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UpTheStanley
Graduate10
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🏃🏽♀️👏👏👍😀Well done to both of you - great achievement and good prep, as you say, for the. GSR!👍 I am just back from work so will be out for my run in an hour or so - just a 5k for me today!🙂
Well done UTS! You’ve edged ahead again! 😅 I’m in no fit state to match your achievement this week, so you can hold the baton for an extended period - or even creep further ahead still. 👊
This week has been full on baby shower organising and I haven’t run since PR last weekend. I’d like to think I can hop up to 18k next week or (more likely) the week after. My legs were sooo fatigued after the 17k and super humid PR that this week of rest was just what they needed. 👍
You’re doing amazingly well, as is Dexy5 . I can’t believe how FAR we’re all running nowadays! 👏👏👏
I can only do one of these a month, I really don’t find them any fun. So 20k in August and 21 point whatever it is for a HM in September, just for the hell of it, then that’s it. And no, I’m not entering a HM - ever!! 🖐
Once SWMBO got me running regularly, the GSR was pretty much inevitable - been threatening to do that again for years 🙄.
When I did it 22 years ago, I seriously considered doing the Pompey HM the following March, but sanity prevailed then - and remains in charge now, I hope 😜
Thanks UTS, yes I like to plan ahead, well not too far ahead, this morning I ran a PB 5K along what I call the ButtercupKid 5K trail in 32.23, that's 1 minute 89 seconds quicker than my first parkrun time of 34.16 last Saturday morning, however, that course today is fairly flat, in fact I managed the first kilometer in under 6 minutes, the average pace was 6.31 km/h, the next 5K I will run will be at my second parkrun on Saturday 27th July, between now and then this Saturday and next Wednesday I will run a few of the longer runs of C25K with Laura.
Execution, I know what you mean but I don't think that that anyone has been executed for refusing to ran a 5K 😂 lol.
Yay, well done UTS! Don’t worry Dexy5 ’s account is remarkably similar 😂 Welcome to the “Chase after cheekychipmunks ” club! Btw don’t tell anybody, but I’ve finally given in and entered the GSR. Now to find somewhere to park the van 🚐
That’s brilliant. There is a caravan park along our route today. But I don’t know what the reviews are like. There are quite a lot of static vans there You may want to be more rural but close enough to drive in.
Not sure about that, but rain forecast for tomorrow morning here. Never thought I’d be looking forward to running in the rain, but has to be better than yesterday’s hot sun 🌞
I did 7k this morning - even though it wasn’t sunny the humidity was something else. 🥵🥵🥵 I don’t blame you looking forward to running in the rain! 🏃♀️ 💦
Oh UTS, what a pity you're too kn.. tired to tell us about the squadrons of seagulls, battalions of buggies and vertiginous climbs, it would have been very entertaining 😂 I read dexy's post first, and was wondering how much further you'd run when you were guarding the ladies' etc. Fantastic job!
A great run by a great pair! I’m slowly getting my hubby to run further with me but have only got him up to 6k to date. Although he has to miss our run today, a challenging 3k trail run that is up, up, up then down, down, down. But I must be making some headway because he admitted to me he was disappointed to miss this run with me. Yes! Sucking him in slowly, 1 glorious km at a time 😈
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) version of events in a wee while.
. Is it worth it? Well we'll see and definitely - respectively!
W3R1 - my longest run so far! 
Sunday long run...…..longest in a long, long while :)
