I had arranged a run with a couple of our group for Saturday morning before realising that we had promised the little ones we would go swimming that morning too. Luckily the others then suggested we did it early as they also had things to do that day.
We met up and went along one of our longer routes. The run is mainly off road along footpaths and across fields. We tried a few detours to our normal route and by the end had completed just over 15Km.
I got home, showered and out was again within 30 minutes. Normally, we both (hubby and me) have time with the little ones in the pool, the he goes off for a swim in the big pool while the little ones and I get out and dry off. However, after my last swim, I decided to do a few lengths too. I managed to get 20 lengths in before we swapped and I took the little ones in to get changed.
I was quite pleased with my swim, although not a great distance, I didn't struggle at all.
On the drive home we got a call from one of my husbands friends in a bit of a panic. He is building a patio in his garden and had ordered some gravel. He was expecting it to arrive in those big bags as that is how his last lot arrived. Instead, a tipper lorry had arrived while they were out and dumped several tons of gravel on the drive blocking his and his neighbors access. He needed help shifting it and was calling in favors from everywhere. To be fair, he is the first to offer any help to anyone in need so we could not refuse. His little ones and ours get on really well so we all went round to give a hand.
A quick change again when we got home, grabbed some gloves and a shovel and off we went. We parked up and walked to his house. I was expecting to see a pile of gravel, not mount Everest. the pile was as tall as me!!
He had contacted the local hire shop and they were marvelous and dropped of 6 wheel barrows within the hour. Top marks for a Saturday Morning.
He had hired a mini digger to dig out the base (due to be picked up on Monday so another reason for the urgency) and that was used to fill the wheel barrows while we took them around the back and emptied them. I was only able to move a half full one. The little ones found it great fun leveling out the gravel as we dumped it (carefully supervised by one of the mums that had come around to help).
After an hour or so, I found it a bit easier as I got used to it but then towards mid afternoon I was knackered!! The only other woman helping with the barrows was his brothers girl-friend who is a stunt woman and supper fit and I had no chance of keeping up with her. His wife was operating the digger and the others had genuine reasons not to lift anything but supplied endless drinks.
It was obvious that by 5PM we were not going to clear it all so gave up for the day. I was about to drop anyway!!
Sunday morning and no run!! Straight round to get to work. Another brother arrived and took over from by barrow and I was asked if I wanted to drive the digger much to the envy of my husband. I was given instructions and it is actually quite easy to control. Not that I was very accurate at first but soon got the hang of it. all too soon, we go to the point where we had to shovel it by hand so my time in the digger was over. The shoveling was back breaking but by lunch time we had cleared it.
The digger was then taken to level out and compact the gravel out the back. The men were almost fighting each other to have a go, just big kids really.
Five days on and still ache but funny enough, really enjoyed it. The one thing that I realised, although I have built up some stamina when it comes to cardio, I am lacking in strength. !!!
My husband swings around kettle bells for exercise, and seems to help him with cardio too. I may give that a go and see how I fair. My attempts at using my neigbors pole was a bit of a disaster so building up strength may help there too.
week3run1 ✅. 3 x 17 mins with 1 min walks. 
How did your parkrun or (not)parkrun go?
