SUNSHINE, SWEAT & SMILES (THE 3 "S's") - Couch to 5K

Couch to 5K

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SUNSHINE, SWEAT & SMILES (THE 3 "S's")

danzargo profile image
danzargoGraduate
17 Replies

All hail to my Fellow Runners!

What a beautiful sunny day we had in London today! I woke up this morning incredibly late and opened the curtains which revealed a glorious blue sky and bright sunshine. "Still going for your run then?" said Mrs Dan with a cheeky smirk, knowing that last nights imbibing in the pub with some chums may have rendered me unable to move. "I most certainly am Mrs Dan." I said "Fetch me my lycra compression pants wench!".

After the slap on the head I received, I dressed in my running clobber. Long grey jogging pants over skin tight lycra compression shorts, blue T shirt and fluorescent yellow long sleeved top! Jogged down to the juicer and pressed a couple of apples, carrot, lemon and ginger and cucumber and celery and swallowed. Deeeelicious!

Decided that today I would run to my own musical choices. "You and Julie" on the WEEK 8 PODCAST really makes me want to strangle the nearest person to me and the thought of hearing it again was just too much. Being a bit of an old rocker (played lead guitar in my band in my 20's), Tom Petty got me underway as I stomped down the street. I had also set ENDOMONDO to read me my lap times, (something I'd long ago switched off because it made me compete with myself too much - but this time I wanted information baby!) and once my 5 minute warm up was complete I started it off and awaited the information on my first K.

The music really did keep me going and once the first K had been eaten up by my shoes, it announced 5'56sec! WOW! I hadn't managed a sub 6 minute K for aaaages! I powered on with the full knowledge that I would without doubt today, complete 5 kilometres. The 2nd K done - 6'02. "Damn it!" I said "That K was longer. I can speed up. I can. I can!!!"

I couldn't. But I was still motoring along at a fair old pace as The Beatles sang "Ob-la-De-Ob-La-Da" in my earholes and the third K eventually swept by in 6'07. Slower, but not much. I wondered if I could speed up? Lengthen my stride perhaps? I was feeling pretty good but my pace just would not increase. It didn't matter really, cos I was really enjoying being out in the fresh air, sunshine and seeing lots of annoying people who wouldn't get out of my f***ing way!

The 4th K was really hard. So hard, that I had to stop for a "get my breath back" walk and boy that felt good. I knew my time for this K was shot to bits as a result of my walk, but what the heck! I couldn't really care less. I was out and running and pleased with myself for conquering the overpowering desire to stay in bed!! 4th K announcement in that weird computer'y stuttery voice - 6'34. Way slower than my glorious first kilometre, but again - WHO CARES! A LIVE version of "My Back Pages" started in my ears with Petty, Dylan, Harrison, Clapton and Young each singing a verse. See? Told you I was a bit of a rocker!

The final K beckoned and I started running again. Maybe I could romp home in a sub 6 minute K and really earn myself a pat on the back? I tried once again to go faster, but it was all I could do to keep moving just above walking pace. Thoughts ran through my head about the folks on here who run 6,7,8,10, even 17K (a JuicyJu mind boggling run) and I wondered how the hell they do that? I was nearing the end of my 5K and I was looking forward to it. If anyone had said "Go on Dan my son! Do another kilometre" - My response would have been "Why don't you **** right off you *** *** ***** ****** sod!"

"YOU HAVE REACHED YOUR GOAL" announced Endomondo woman. "5K in 31 minutes 08 seconds". Not bad eh? It was hard as hell, but enjoyable. I am getting quicker each run since my loss of mojo. I may be going too hard too soon, but it's hard to ignore that little voice in your head that whispers to you that if you go a bit faster each time, you'll be a champion!! I think it's part of the human condition to want to improve oneself.

Will Dan improve on his next run? Will he go just that little bit faster? Will that pair of skinny jeans do up without crushing his optimism? Find out next time on..... "The Incredible Adventures of.......Lycra Man"!!

Thanks for reading :-)

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danzargo profile image
danzargo
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17 Replies
Rockette profile image
Rockette

Brilliant post as usual & brilliant run ! Well done Lycra man you are getting your mojo back

danzargo profile image
danzargoGraduate in reply toRockette

Thank you Rockette. I am indeed. Next challenge....stop boozing in January.....Aaaghhhh!!!!

misswobble profile image
misswobbleGraduate in reply todanzargo

From one old rocker to another, don't go too far too soon! I did and now I'm going nowhere as my ankle is crocked! I love running to some good ol rock n roll too. I think folks on the country park where I run must think I'm an escaped loony but who cares. "Whole lotta Rosie, yeaaaaaaaaahhhhh" LOL

danzargo profile image
danzargoGraduate in reply tomisswobble

Ooooh you cheeky devil! "Whole Lotta Rosie"?? Good old Bon Scott. If only he hadn't choked on his own vomit......

Rockette profile image
Rockette in reply todanzargo

Now that I would find tough

Great post!

Sadly, I don't know who Tom Petty is.

I shall have to Google this.

danzargo profile image
danzargoGraduate in reply to

He's only a rock God! Haha!

Mummysaurus profile image
MummysaurusGraduate

Great post as always, and great run

danzargo profile image
danzargoGraduate in reply toMummysaurus

Why thank you mmmmmmsaw-us!

Hules profile image
HulesGraduate

Great post and so glad you are back on it! The thought of that Julie song again is such an incentive to keep my runs up so I don't have to go back to that week! Looking forward to hearing about your next adventures.....

danzargo profile image
danzargoGraduate in reply toHules

Merci beaucoup Hules. I wonder if there's ANYONE on here that LIKES that bloody awful JULIE song? If so, REVEAL YOURSELF!!

misswobble profile image
misswobbleGraduate in reply todanzargo

Yep, I must admit that it made me titter and I found myself singing along to it. It was the best of a rotten bunch, and I figured if I could put up with it all then I could put up with anything. The running was far easier to cope with than some of the cruddy music.

Tom Petty fan here too. Showing my age I think!

OldNed profile image
OldNedGraduate in reply todanzargo

Well, this may generate hoots of derision but I confess that I rather like the Julie song!! But in my defence I also know who Tom Petty is and like his stuff both as him and as part of the much-missed Travelling Wilburys.

waletta profile image
walettaGraduate in reply todanzargo

I too like the Julie song- like the beat. Tom who? Isn't that the dark lord who cannot be named. (Voldemort)

IannodaTruffe profile image
IannodaTruffeMentor in reply todanzargo

I wish you could use really small fonts on here, so that not everybody notices. I actually "hated" Julie, but found myself singing it long after I had stopped running. Uncontrollable earworm...

As for increasing stride length, I am convinced that led to early injuries for me, so build up gradually. we don't want you stuck indoors again.

A very entertaining post :-) Well done!

danzargo profile image
danzargoGraduate in reply to

Whaa thigh-ank yuuu M'aaam. Ahh sho preeshate yo car mence!

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