LONG POST ALERT!
I’m really loving this running lark and am really proud of what I am achieving at the moment.
So after my 5K PB last Saturday (28.31), see previous post I was intending on aiming for my longest run 8 miles on Tuesday. The plan changed however when I suggested to my daughter that she come around to us Tuesday and we do a longer run together. (My partner babysits 3yr old Olly on Tues mornings before work so she can do a run, but normally at hers).
She struggles to do longer than 5K runs because of time constraints and I suspect a little bit of motivation running alone, hence my offer! She has been suffering from a cold and a chesty cough so I was a little concerned about her running but late Monday night she confirmed she was fit enough to run.
Because she was running with me, we embarked on a 10K run. We set off at quite a brisk pace but alternating the pace setting between us. We passed the 5K mark bang on 30 mins, certainly my fastest pace when embarking on a longer than 5K run. Just after that is a long steady hill up to where my 2nd lap really starts. I was about to ask Kirsty how her chest was when she said It was hurting a bit and she thought she would leave me and head home trying to complete a 4.5 mile run, so we parted company and I set out on my second lap. After 4 miles still at a good pace I began to realise I could possibly get my double of a sub 60 1OK (which @SKEG predicted last week) and that focussed my mind somewhat. And yes pushing on briskly I completed 10K in 59.23, much to my delight. I returned home to be met by Olly who proudly announced that Mum beat you!!! LOL, but Kirst had managed 4.5 miles so she was happy too. So a 5K and 10K PB in just 4 days.
Thursday was my next scheduled run and I will admit that my legs were feeling the effort of those two previous runs so I could not really decide what I was going to do. Got up at 6am made a cup for Ali and myself the time that allows for a longer run without encountering to much school traffic on the pavements I run on. Still feeling a little stiff I set off at a leisurely pace with my running belt and water and dried apricots on board just in case. Halfway through my 1st lap I thought I would settle for a 5K, but as that mark came up I thought I’m not getting up this early just to do 5K so up the hill I went and off on my 2nd lap. A nice leisurely 10K came into sight and after a mental discussion with myself decided I’ve got this far, I’m not stopping now so up the hill again and branches off on a new loop which I thought would take me to 8 miles pretty close to my home, which apart from a little extension to complete the distance I pulled up after running the 8 miles and achieving my longest run. The time was totally unimportant to me this time but I did do it in 84.24 which I think is a perfectly respectable time!
No Park Run yesterday as I was working, but a totally satisfying week’s running in the bag.
week3run1 ✅. 3 x 17 mins with 1 min walks. 
