Magic 10, 2:3. A stuttering 5k.

[ktsok]

I was feeling more than usually lazy this morning and still hadn’t got dressed by 12pm. The wind had been rattling the window panes all night, keeping me awake. My bowels had been for a sprint and I felt a bit hot. Was I ill? Or was it just the gremlins circling? Shamed and inspired by posts from my fellow virtual runners, I decided it was probably the gremlins taking advantage and I should just go. My son was bribed with a shiny £1 to spend at the local Post Office and we were off.

I wasn’t well. I knew that 1k in, when sweat started pouring down my face and back. Figure 1 on the chart above is the stop mid-hill to take off my top and retie my hair which is uncontrollable even in non-blustery conditions.

Figure 2 is when my son said he didn’t feel well and thought he was going to be sick. Ditto 3. I wasn’t overly patient with him, as he was still ok with the idea of buying a lolly from the shop.

Figure 4 is when we arrived at the shop and found it to be closed. That broke the child. He said he wanted to go to his grandma’s house, a few hundred years away, and get a lift home. Fine.

Figure 5: I could see my mum through the window, pottering about in her back garden. Ringing the door bell, knocking and shouting - in unison, thought the letterbox - could not attract her attention. Eventually I knocked on her neighbours door and they kindly called out over the garden fence to her.

I left my child with my mum and started jogging home, feeling pretty rubbish. Figure 6 is stopping for a car to go past at a narrow point in the lane. Figure 7 is mum driving past and stopping to ask if I want to hop in the car. Yes! No. Yes! No. Figure 8 is the point where I stumble and only just stop myself falling over, and spend a moment wishing I had just got in the car.

I had a reasonable km at that point and started feeling a bit better, then at 9, I felt quite ill and spent a moment wondering whether I was going to be sick. It was only another 500 metres to get home and bag the 5k, so I gritted my teeth and restarted. I don’t think it really counts, though, with all that stopping!

Child and mother are recovering well.

[E27M14 Graduate10]

Hope you feel better soon.

I know we are not comparing and everything, but your bad 5km is still faster than my Pb!! Well done x

[Granspeed Graduate10 in reply to E27M14]

And mine 😄

[ktsok in reply to E27M14]

It took 43 minutes to run the 32 minutes!

[Jell6 Graduate10]

What amazing endurance you demonstrate.

I felt tired reading about it.

I hope you are all feeling better soon 😷🤢🤮.

You still went further and faster than me this morning 😘

[ktsok in reply to Jell6]

In spurts, maybe! It took over 43 minutes to run those 32 and a half minutes 😂

[Jazzyrunner Graduate10]

Crikey Moses that was tough! I’m amazed you did it - and still faster than my best 5k time... Now look after yourself!!!

[ktsok in reply to Jazzyrunner]

Thanks Jazz 🙂

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate]

Oh you poor things, definitely unwell glad you are recovering, way faster than my fastest which i’m so proud of so be proud

[ktsok in reply to SueAppleRun]

Thanks Willow. Maybe I’ll call it static intervals...

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate in reply to ktsok]

Static intervals sounds perfect

[Buddy34 Graduate10]

Well you've got determination ktsok I will give you that . Hope you're feeling better soon 🤗

[ktsok in reply to Buddy34]

Cheers Buddy. Enjoying the couch today 🛋

[JonathanP Graduate10]

Nothing if not eventful ktsok! Hope the next one is more straightforward.

[ktsok in reply to JonathanP]

Me too!

[lexi6 Graduate10]

Run completed huge well done! hope you are both feeling better now. 😊

[Raspberrypink Graduate10]

A run is a run . Hope you soon feel better 😊

[ktsok in reply to Raspberrypink]

Thanks pink 🙏

[PaulS83]

Huh, so you're not from Somerset and you're not even a real snowman. I can help but feel misled.

I don't know how you managed all that, by Figure 3 I would've been marching home, swearing under my breath. I tip my hat that you fought to the end.

I'd count it. For sure. By not counting it you're accounting that all those stoppages were for your benefit, but the perseverance by far outweighs the downtimes.

Glad to hear you're both on the mend. Rest is best. I hope you've got some obscenely fluffy slippers and a lurid dressing gown to not climb out of all weekend. Feet up, lots of tea and a couple of films for you and littl'un to flake out on the sofa to.

I should be a doctor.

[ktsok in reply to PaulS83]

Thanks Dr Paul. I will take it. The important thing is restarting. And not accepting a lift home, offered twice.

We watched Netflix for several hours yesterday, so pretty rested. So much so I just went out and walked half a k then ran as fast as I could over the half k back. I feel ill again. No lurid dressing gown to change into, just scenes of Paris on lilac silk.

[PaulS83 in reply to ktsok]

No, that’s far too classy for sofa shlomp. Go and get yourself something fluffy, grotesque and retina frying and you’ll find your slouch quality will improve exponentially