Sunday morning 60 minute run! 😊

[Jools2020]

I decided earlier in the week that I need to start extending my running time if I’m going to regain my former fitness. I refused to listen to the gremlins today, got dressed into my running gear, light breakfast, coffee, stretches and and headed out. No faffing allowed!

I had planned out my route. It incorporated a hill (The Demon Hill) that I turned back from during my 5K run last week. I’d worry about that when I got to it!

My warm up walk is uphill. I walk briskly and reach the point where I usually stop and turn round ready to start my run. I decide to carry on even further up the hill on my walk (I don’t even know why, but I did 😬)

I start my playlist, suggested by Amazon Music, called Hard Rock. Hit the button to start the run and walk briskly for the first 90 seconds. I really need to start easy if I’m going to run for 60 minutes and this will make sure I do. I’m not focussing on split times this morning (I’ve got the Demon Hill to contend with) but I do want to finish strong. And I want to Keep Going, even if the going gets tough! No walking breaks or stopping to cross the road and grab a rest 😂.

The first 2 kilometres are just steady running and enjoying the music. My heart rate is a little high in Zone 4 and I wonder if it’s possible to ease off even more and get it back into Zone 3? Well yes, it is!

I reach the Demon Hill. I shorten my stride and keep going. I look ahead and I can see traffic lights, then I’m pretty sure it’s downhill, but there is a bend in the road and I can’t be sure. I plod on! I crest the hill and then it’s downhill. I lengthen my stride again and keep steady as I recover from the hill. Now I’m into new territory. I have the map in my head. As I near the main roundabout which leads into town, I spot a small park to my left. I deviate from my plan and run round the park. I’m enjoying this run! I’m not taking any notice of my pace, just glad I’m out running - that I can run!

I cone out of the park and go back towards the roundabout again. I have to go down into an underpass (this part of the town is full of them) and I’m not sure where I need to go, but I find the road I want. There a number of runners here and we exchange greetings. One runner returned my ‘Hi’ by moving his eyebrows which sent me into a fit of giggles for some reason! 😂

Starting the 6th km I take the brakes off a bit. I don’t want to run flat out as I can see that 6K will not take me to 60 minutes and I don’t want to run out of steam before then. I reach 6K and carry on at a similar pace until I’ve got to that 60 minutes.

My longest run for many months! And my body knows it - I’m tired. A real sense of achievement today. I kept running as I had wanted to do and finished strong. I head back home for stretches and a long hot shower, followed by coffee and breakfast no. 2! 👍🏃‍♀️☕️😊

[Instructor57 Graduate10]

Well done Julia, good to see you back at 60 minutes 😁👍It's worth it just for the 2nd breakfast 🤣

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Instructor57]

Oh yes! Bacon butties, don’t mind if I do 👍😊

[Instructor57 Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

Hmm...... You've made me hungry now and I've no bacon in the house 😐

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Instructor57]

Shops are open 😊 Trouble is, once you fancy a bacon butty you can’t get it out of your head 😂

[Birdlady64 Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

Ooh yes! I had bacon butties after my run this morning too! 🥓😋

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Birdlady64]

It has to be done after a weekend long run! 😊

[nowster Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

There was the smell of cooked bacon coming from the cafe in the park after yesterday's parkrun. I resisted.

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to nowster]

Not sure if I could resist the smell of cooked bacon after a run!

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10]

A great one hour run today for you Julia, well done, nevermind the hills, congratulations on running up Demon Hill, you should be very proud of yourself that you didn't walk or stop, no harm on slowing down while running up hills. 😊

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to AlMorr]

Thanks, Al! I am indeed proud of myself for that run. It all went exactly according to plan 😊

[Birdlady64 Graduate10]

Great run Julia! Nice to see you extending your distance again. And you beat Demon Hill ! 😃💪👏👏👏

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Birdlady64]

Thanks, Diane. Thought it was time! Couldn’t think of any more excuses 😬! The Demon Hill wasn’t quite as bad as I’d made it out to be in my head. No doubt it will figure again in future runs 😊

[GailXrunning]

Brilliant. Well done! Tired.,, but I bet it’s such a great sense of achievement to regain you one-hour run… and you know that it’ll feel even more achievable next time round.👏🌟

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to GailXrunning]

Thank you. Oh yes, that’s exactly it. 😊👍

[Roxdog Graduate10]

Demon Hill conquered! Well done you! Sounds wonderful. You are on a comeback roll!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Roxdog]

Thanks, Roxdog. I hope so! 👍😊

[Fionamags Graduate10]

Fab run report - sounded like you had fun and cracked the 60 mins target at the same time!!!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Fionamags]

Thanks. Yes, I started to feel like I used to when setting out on a longer run! 🏃‍♀️😊

[nowster Graduate10]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secon...

I wondered what that little loop in the bottom left of the map was. 🤣

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to nowster]

I’m not sure when I started having a light breakfast before a run. I always used to run fasted and really early! Nowadays I have a light breakfast. It doesn’t seem to make much difference, but I was hungry when I got home. I took a detour into the park just because I fancied running round it! I’ve been there before with my grandchildren.

[Runninggirl59 60minGraduate]

Well done, you can certainly pull it out of the bag when you need to. I will be joining you at 60 mins before too long! 🏃‍♀️

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Runninggirl59]

Thanks! Yes I have a tendency to suddenly decide to go for it 🤣. I did this with every milestone run! Sneaking them in when no one was expecting it! It was our conversation about longer runs that made me realise I needed to just do it. I had already recently done a 45 minute run, so……..

I don’t doubt that you’ll be doing a 60 minute run just as soon as you’re ready! 😊

[Runninggirl59 60minGraduate in reply to Jools2020]

Will let you know when I do, 55 mins this week 👍

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Runninggirl59]

Good luck! 👍🏃‍♀️

[Hidden]

Well done! And I know how you feel. I had not run any decent distance or even more than 30 minutes since early December and I just went and ran 6K / 60 minutes yesterday. I Jeffed it at 3min30 / 1min30 and don't really feel sore or anything. But I do am feeling tired!

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

I like Jeffing, but decided I fancied just running slowly for the whole of the run. 60 minutes is a great length of time to run. Especially rewarding to achieve it after a break. We’re both back in the game! 👏👍

[Peter44 Graduate10]

Back on it Julia, making me feel bad, as 5km is my normal run these days, and has only been one a week for a while now, anyway, glad it's all good for you! 😃

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Peter44]

Your 5Ks seem to be getting faster! If running once a week suits you - and it seems to - there’s nothing wrong with that. Why don’t you try a park run?

[Peter44 Graduate10 in reply to Jools2020]

Sorry for late reply, not really bothered about park run, apart from running with my daughter, not so much these days, actualy happy running on my own, turn on the music, and go! 😊

[Jools2020 Graduate10 in reply to Peter44]

Whatever works for you 😊👍