Well hello there fellow runners!
I did the conga when I got home from my run today! Admittedly, it was a bit of a pathetic one seeing as there was only me and I had to be quiet so as not to wake Mrs Dan. Didn't want a shoe thrown down the stairs at me. Again.
But the reason for my jollity was that todays run went especially well.
I set off later than usual (7am) because I didn't have to start work until 10am today. The temperature was perfect - not too hot or too chilly. I had this "feeling", this "belief" that I might do a good time today. I felt it in my water. You know how it is.
Having already experienced going way too fast on the first K once before, then feeling totally knackered, I was careful to pace myself well. I set off Mrs Endomondo woman on my iPhone and I started off. I ALWAYS find the first K a bloody nightmare. After about thirty paces, I want to stop, collapse on the ground and be all dramatic and shout "I just CAN'T do this! I tell you. It's imposssssible!"
I never do, do that though.
Once the first K was in the bag, I had an incline to negotiate at the start of my 2nd. Mr Power Legs here kept pushing and I reached the top of the long hill and then sped down the other side, like some sort of gazelle like creature on roller skates. I wasn't half travelling I'll tell you and I felt very comfortable. 3rd K, same thing, but this was on the flat and across Old Deer Park, (where Henry 8th used to shoot stuff back in the day.) I was saying to myself "You can do this Dan lad. You can do a good time here if you're careful"
4th K and fatigue set in. BUGGER! I'd reached Richmond town centre and had a hill to run up. My breathing was like a horse and my legs felt like lead weights, but somehow I got to the top of the hill and run/rolled down over Richmond Bridge towards the Thames path for my return home along the river. I reached Thames path and then this absolutely awful wave of nausea came over me! DISASTER! I don;t know what happened - maybe it was too much effort or what, but I had to stop for a walking breather. "Well, damn and blast!" I thought. "That's my flamin' good time down the toilet." (followed by at least three or four choice expletives, unprintable here...). What made it worse was that a female jogger passed me, looking fabulous, gliding along without a care in the world and I felt soooooo jealous.
After half a minute or so I regained my pre nausea state and bounced off once again. Feeling a bit peed off now as I'd bloody well blown it.
Last K. The 5th. Amazingly, I had enough va va voom to push a bit harder and I reached the finish line with a flourish. Time to get my phone out of my pocket and look at my stats........
"LET'S ALL DO THE CONGA, LET'S ALL DO THE CONGA, DA DAAAA DAAA DAAAA, DA DA DAAAA DAAAA"!!
WHOOOHOOO!!! 5K in 28'25sec if you please! My 2nd fastest time! AND THAT INCLUDED A WALK! Sorry to gloat.....but I was sooooo happy!
Hence the one man conga.
Sometimes you wake up in the morning and get a feeling (no NOT that feeling!) and you just know that the Gods are smiling at you, the planets are lined up and something is gonna go right for you.
This running lark is a powerful THANG.......
