All together now (to the tune of Amazing Grace...) .... 🎵 10k ... 🎶 10k 🎶 10k 🎶 10k 🎶🎶🎶🎵

[iain-strachan]

Yep! Finally did it this evening. The temperature was 3 degrees C, but dry and no wind, and a grand circuit of my town.

I aimed to do it in 75 minutes, and completed in 74:35, so not a bad estimate, especially as I had to lose about 20 seconds crossing the road coming back towards town. Also not bad as my first parkrun earlier this year took me around 39:50, so it's two parkruns back to back each about 2 minutes faster than I was doing back in August. (Though my best 5k time now is 34:29).

I slightly short-circuited JuJu's magic plan. I had completed the first of the two 9k runs, and then managed to strain my back raking up leaves in the garden, so haven't run for a couple of weeks (also had a bit of a holiday with lots of food etc ..). Then on Monday I did a 5k to see how the back was holding up (pretty well considering) and decided I wanted to "Get 10k done" so skipped the second 9k run.

So I got 10k done. Crossed the bridge. It still hasn't sunk in.

Grannyhugs - you may be interested in the heart rate statistics. Average heart rate was 162 bpm, rising to 176 by the end. I was for 5-10 minutes in what is supposed to be the "red zone" on the MyZone hr monitor app, which is 90% of your max hr. Mine is set to 190. Since you're supposed to get really puffed out at 90% after a couple of minutes, and I wasn't I guess my max HR must be closer to 200. Not bad for a 61 year old!

And the best ever bonus:

AN HOUR AND A QUARTER NOT THINKING ABOUT THE BL**DY ELECTION!!

Bozza and Jezza are outta sight, outta mind.

Head = Sorted.

Where do I get the graduate badge?

[Dexy5 Graduate10]

Congratulations on your first 10k Iain, you aren’t the first to skip that second 9k , and I doubt if you’ll be the last. Celebrate. 🍾🥂🏅🏃‍♂️👏🏻👏🏻

I’d like to say ‘Don’t worry, it’ll all be over tomorrow ‘ but I think we all know that won’t be the case. 🙁

[iain-strachan Graduate10 in reply to Dexy5]

There's a beer in the fridge ...

[Bluebirdrunner Graduate10]

Oh Congratulations Iain, You have waited a long time for this. 🎉🎉 Life and injury got in the way before, but your comeback has been brilliant! 10k ✔

Request your badge here... it feels great doesn't it. 😊xx

healthunlocked.com/bridgeto...

[iain-strachan Graduate10 in reply to Bluebirdrunner]

I'm also over 4 stone lighter than when I started C25K!

[Rigpig in reply to iain-strachan]

This is where I want to be! Very inspirational

[Mummycav Administrator Graduate10]

Hahahahaha...love the last bit!! I can't get any of that out of my mind!!! This is fantastic and sounds like you really enjoyed something that has been bursting to get out there?! Fantastic time too...well done fella!! Next time I sing or hear amazing grace I'll be thinking of your 10k!!

[iain-strachan Graduate10 in reply to Mummycav]

The next door neighbour of my parents' house was an Irish bricklayer who became a multi-millionaire by setting up his own brickwork company. I remember one day he'd thrashed his son at one-on-one football, and could be heard singing the score lustily to the tune of Amazing Grace: Twelve four, Twe-eeelve four, Twelve four, Twelve four!

So it was Brendan (who sadly passed away aged 69 of early onset Alzheimer's), who was the inspiration for the title of this post. He also owned a box at the Watford football ground, and offered to take my son to a match, but it was not to be due to his illness. At his funeral, the service cards had ribbons in Watford colours.

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10]

Congratulations to you Iain on graduating to Graduate10 by running a 10K, just like me I wanted my first 10K to be sub 75 minutes and I also missed running a 9K and ran my first full 10K a week after running 8K, I bet you are very proud of yourself, I have ran 3/10Ks since my first one, 4 altogether, my best time is 69.23, it was nice getting a sub 70 minutes time, with a little more running, you may also get a sub 70 minutes time as well., once again congratulations 🎊 😊 🏃🏾 🎓a wonderful early Christmas 🤶 🎄 present 📦 to yourself.

[iain-strachan Graduate10 in reply to AlMorr]

Thanks! I'm getting a silly grin at the sight of the badge - like I did when I first got my C25K graduates badge. But that was over 2 years ago. I got injured and life got in the way, so I re-did C25K from May this year, but I already had the badge - so no additional bling when I regraduated!

Looks like you were even quicker through it than me - skipping 9k altogether. I did 1 week of 9k, then a couple of weeks break (stiff back after raking lawn), and so this week, getting back into it, couldn't endure another week not achieving a 10k.

Yes, I'm hoping my times will improve. I was encouraged to hear from a friend of mine, who's much younger (in her 40s). She went through C25K about 4 years ago, and then went on to do 10k. Her first 10k was 83 minutes, and she has now achieved 51 mins at 10k and does Marathons and ultras.

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10 in reply to iain-strachan]

There was a fault on my Smartphone the day I ran my first 10K, it WAS meant to be 9K, however, the announcement for 9K never came, I looked at my phone and I had already ran 9.6Km, so I just continued on to 10K and graduated one week earlier, one thing it did mean was that morning I did not wake up a bit nervous when I would be running a 9K as it would be a 10k, a little anti-climax.

Amazing that friend of yours who ran her first 10K in 83 minutes and now can achieve it in 51 minutes, just shows you how much improvement you can get when running a lot.

[iain-strachan Graduate10 in reply to AlMorr]

Sounds like your smartphone did you a favour!

[cheekychipmunks Graduate10]

That’s a mighty find badge you’re sporting there iain-strachan ! 😍 Very well done on achieving the landmark 10k. It’s still my favourite distance. 😀

Hope you’re still pleased as punch this morning - even though it’s *The Day* 😱

[iain-strachan Graduate10 in reply to cheekychipmunks]

Yep - nice bit of bling!

[Buddy34 Graduate10]

Congratulations on your 10k and your amazing weight loss . Brilliant achievement 😊😊👏👏👏👏

[Grannyhugs Graduate10]

Massive congratulations great run great time. I’m sure those 9k runs are there just to be missed 😉 what a nice convenient town you live in to give a perimeter road suitable for long runs. Great steady split times. No idea who made up that 220 HR rule, guess it’s also there to ignore. What now?

[iain-strachan Graduate10 in reply to Grannyhugs]

Probably some consolidation runs at 10k. I'm intending to do the Oxford Town and Gown 10k next May.

After a few weeks I might try and increase the distance. On the map of my run, the bump at the southernmost part heads towards Drayton and then goes back along a road and ends up on the riverside at St. Helen's Wharf - an iconic Abingdon site. But I can continue towards Drayton and take the next road back and have a longer riverside run to increase the distance to 11k. Then, even further along can get a route that leads to the Sustrans 5 path and back via the Abingdon Marina. I think that'd give 13k. But best tackled in the light as the path is pretty dark. I've got a headlight for running at night but it's not that bright.

[Grannyhugs Graduate10 in reply to iain-strachan]

Good luck with longer distance. I've gone short and hilly. I also have 10k in May at Durness - north west coast of Scotland. It's a hilly road race so as I've avoided hills so far thought I'd start short and sharp then lead back up to 10k

[JonathanP Graduate10]

Well done Iain! That first 10k really feels special -particularly when you take a 'short cut' to it !🎉👍😀

[Run46 Graduate10]

Congrats Iain, very well done...Great run 🏃‍♂️🎉👍