Week Six Run Three: I wish it would rain down on me.....

[Miles_Yonder]

Good morning and happy Friday to you all.

It absolutely poured down today. Threw it down quite spectacularly. About three minutes after I got back home; even now, fifteen minutes later, I can still hear it pouring. But, when I was out, running for those twenty-five minutes, there were but tiny raindrops. Tiny pitter-patter raindrops. I'd have heartily welcomed a downpour. I'd have loved one. But, Sod's Law prevailing, it waits until I'm home. I can hear it now; the Ark shall be sailing soonest.

That downpour would have been lovely midway through my run, when I needed it most. Ah well, I got through it: according to hide-and-seek expert Laura: I'm a runner now! After my usual breakfast (I won't go into detail and make you all hungry!) I set off, just after 0430 today. I decided to wait until after the warm-up walk to activate Endomondo; I wanted to see just how far I can run in those twenty-five minutes. By the way, last night before I went to bed I checked my phone to make sure Laura was still there. She wasn't. For God's sake, woman, cease this infernal hiding! Phone reset. Still no Laura. So, into my music player, click to add tracks then I hunt through the C25K folder until I find W6R3 and reinstate it ready for this morning. Oh she's a naughty one!

The run then: passed without incident today! The first ten and a half minutes flew by; I hardly noticed them at all. Strange as ten minutes on Wednesday was somewhat difficult! Things are going okay, but I know that coming up is a steepish hill: Hill of the Day. Deep breaths, throttles forward a bit and up we go.... and it is a bit of a struggle! But, soon enough, Laura and myself are on the flat again and plodding along. About half way now, which I'm impressed with. Mentally I want to stop but I know that's just my mind playing tricks. I can keep going. I can do this! Continue I do, still largely rain and incident free, down a nice downhill stretch now.

It's funny, I dreaded run two more than run three; I'm quite enjoying this, despite it being hard work and it is starting to become so in the last five minutes. I pass the twenty-one minute mark: nearly there now, push on, keep going, good sir, do not stop! Where is rain? Where are puddles?! I'm so hot! A minute to go now and Laura informs me that if I'm feeling good, I could up the pace for the final minute. You, hide and seek lady, are mental, but okay, why not, ma'am? Throttles further forward and I speed up considerably. And some more. I'm a streak of legs and orange and pink. The latter part of the minute feels longer than the entirety of the bloody run! If I were an aeroplane, all kind of warning lights and buzzers would now be flashing and blaring away. In my head, "WOOP WOOP, PULL UP!" is blaring, but then Laura congratulates me and tells me to slow down. I garble a hello to a passing canine-exerciser and slowly start to decrease speed, rather than coming to an abrupt halt.

I feel quite exhausted, but jubilant after that! I gingerly check Endomondo, a bit shakily. If its accuracy is to be relied upon, and I've no reason to doubt it, in the twenty-five minutes I ran, I covered 3.29 miles, which, according to an online converter, is 5.2K. I'm impressed with that, and proud. I am though, at the best of times, a really quick walker and when running have to watch I don't go too fast and tire myself out, which is a big danger.

Home, chocolate milk, including the usual splattering of the kitchen with cocoa milk as I make it, some yogurt, report in to you fine folk here and now bath time. The run today was very challenging but completely possible, if anyone reading this is dreading it, so don't worry. If I can do it, so can you!

Thanks for reading; I trust you all have a good run/rest day today!

[e174 Graduate]

Miles you are, as always, an inspiration sir! Well done on week 6, sounds like you are in a great place. I am starting to see a pattern myself in the 2nd runs being the most likely to be tricky. 'Spose r1 we are raring to go and r3 feels like a milestone so poor old r2 is just something to get through - I know there is a star wars joke there but my poor tired brain can't quite grasp it!

Have a good weekend and good luck with week 7

Em

[Miles_Yonder Graduate in reply to e174]

*blushy* thank you! Run two does seem to be the most tricky, I agree. I got to a point where I was dreading it! I tell myself now that it WILL be okay; I try to be positive! It's not easy but slowly we get there. Thanks once again; happy running!

[AncientMum Graduate]

Wow Miles_yonder, 5.2k in 25 min with a sprint finish and hills. You sir are a legend! Congratulations! Reckon you deserve that chocolate milk. Have a great day basking in your success.

[Miles_Yonder Graduate in reply to AncientMum]

*blush* thank you, AncientMum! I do need to do a better job of paying myself, I think. It wasn't easy but I'm glad I didn't stop! The chocolate milk was so tasty; perfect after a run like that!

[Hidden]

Goodness gracious, how much more exhausting it must be to do your runs than just read about them !!!

[Miles_Yonder Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Tee hee, it felt very exhausting at the time!

[spoonierunning Graduate]

Wow impressive distance well done, another week down, and week 7 calls. I hope Luara doesn't play her little tricks for your next run.

[Miles_Yonder Graduate in reply to spoonierunning]

Thank you, Spoonie! time to rest now ready for week seven. I really hope Laura behaves herself next week!

[Treemouse Graduate]

That's amazing! I covered only 3.4 km in 25 minutes! You must be turbo-charged, M_Y! I actually enjoyed today's run, but am finding the pacing quite difficult as I just don't know what 25 mins will do to me, but now I've achieved it, perhaps I will be able to step it up a bit next week. Have a great weekend everyone, and roll on W7!

[Miles_Yonder Graduate in reply to Treemouse]

Thank you, Mousey! And your distance was great too and far more sensible; I think perchance I have pace issues and need to slow down a touch! Well done on getting through your R3 too. It's the unknown, isn't it, the 25 minutes? Now we know what's in store, it doesn't seem quite so bad. I dunno about turbo charging but in my mind I'm not an animal, I'm a Boeing 747: a bit ungainly, but elegant, (!) fast (!!) and powerful (!!!) ahem. Good luck on week seven, Mousey!

[Redskins03 Graduate]

Well done Miles and some good times as well. I managed 3.97km (2.47miles) in the 25 minutes and am happy with that - just running non stop for 25min is an achievement itself for me!!!!

The first 12 1/2 min seemed to fly the second seemed to drag and a couple of times I had to dig deep and tell myself to keep going and when Laura said 1 min to go and if I want to I can increase the pace I kindly declined the offer

But that is now 6 weeks complete (Where has the time gone!!) looking forward to consolidating running for 25min next week

[Miles_Yonder Graduate in reply to Redskins03]

Hmmmm, I'm sure I replied to you earlier, Redskins! Nothing here though so maybe my phone was being naughty. Again. Anyway, I'll try again! Running for twenty-five minutes is a huge achievement regardless of distance, so a big big BIG WELL DONE to you as well; I know from my experience this morning it wasn't easy. How are you feeling about next week? I have absolutely no idea, good sir; where the time has gone I couldn't tell you. It's astonishing that we'll be starting week seven soon! Good luck for it, by the way; you'll do ace though.

[runningnearbeirut Graduate]

Sounds like a brilliant run, well done!

If you look at the map on Endomondo you'll get the idea of whether or not it's accurate. Occasionally it's done very strange things to me and mapped me zigzagging across the road all the way and therefore increasing the distance I covered significantly (so much so that it gave me an incredible 3 mins 20 something pb for 1km which is NEVER going to happen in reality!!). If the route it shows fits with what you ran then you can trust the statistics - sounds like you're going really fast, so do remember to pace yourself and don't wear yourself out or you might be in danger of overdoing it and getting an injury.

[Miles_Yonder Graduate in reply to runningnearbeirut]

Thank you! Yes, I definitely need to pace myself a bit I think, especially for longer runs. The map seems very accurate; I've calculated distances and it seems about right. There's some odd mini zig-zagging goes on every few runs or so; one such had me running through a supermarket! But in all I think it's fairly accurate. Must pace myself better! Thanks again. Would love to be able to regularly run somewhere as incredible as you do!

[poppypug Graduate]

Well done Miles ! Lovely , inspiring post as usual and Wow that is some going ! I look forward to the next instalment. All the very best to you for Week 7 and enjoy it ! xxx

[Miles_Yonder Graduate in reply to poppypug]

Thank you, Poppy, I really appreciate it! You're telling me; I thought I was having an episode when I saw Endomondo! Thank you kindly once more, Popster! xxx

[runner56 Graduate]

Well done MY. That is a fine old pace you are going at sir!!

I await tomorrow and the 25 minutes. I hope to break the 5k but shant be too disappointed if I dont.

I can see I will only be eligible for a days rest this week in order to catch back up with yourself, treemouse and redskin. Onwards and upwards my fellow 6 ers (although you lot have now reached the seniors)

[Miles_Yonder Graduate in reply to runner56]

Thank you, Runner56! You'll do fine tomorrow and really, don't worry about distance. 25 minutes is bloody brilliant no matter what is covered, in my opinion. I've always been a really fast walker anyway so that must translate over into my running though I need to be careful with it. You will do great tomorrow and will feel confident about week seven, you'll see! Good luck!

[NatC25Kiskillingme]

Lovely job, well done! You should be super proud - you have conquered the 5K at the end of week 6...Lord only knows where you will be at the end of week 9 - somewhere on the moon I reckon! Keep up the good work

[Miles_Yonder Graduate in reply to NatC25Kiskillingme]

Thank you, Nat! Lol, I wouldn't say 'conquer', more 'somehow arrived breathlessly at'! If you don't hear from me after week nine, check the moon! And thank you for the kind wishes and support; dunno how I'd have got this far without the support of the mighty fine folk here!

[misswobble Graduate]

Chocolate milk! Wowsers such luxuries. Cuppa tea and a kick up t'bum wi an open toed sandal was all you got in my day

Well done Miles on another good run. Ta for sending the rain down to me. It's stair-rods down here in Derbyshire, windy too. Tut Mutter mutter

[Miles_Yonder Graduate in reply to misswobble]

And tha'd be grateful for't kick up't bum an' all! Thanks for thi kind comments; ah reight appreciate 'em, tha knoowas. An'd gorra clue worr'I'd du wiout it!

God, it's like another language, innit?!

Thank you, MissW! I'm sorry for sending the rain down there. Bounce it back up to Barnsley, be reight!

[Ullyrunner Graduate]

Well done Miles! That speed is amazing and it sounds as though you are really enjoying your runs.

[Miles_Yonder Graduate in reply to Ullyrunner]

Thank you, Ully! I am really enjoying them, yes; they feel such hard work at times and I do often wonder what on earth I'm doing putting myself through it all, but I love it all the same.

[Miles_Yonder Graduate]

Ah, Kitty, my squeaky-voiced personal trainer! Thank you; I will keep a check on my pace. In all honesty, I don't know how I manage it. I don't tear about or anything, unless Laura tells me that I could, should I wish, increase speed for the final minute, the hellion that she is. I would more than welcome that bucket of water, thank you; nothing would be more welcome after a long, tiring run! I do feel very proud for getting this far. I will be careful though; last thing I wanna do is do myself a mischief! Maybe in a week or two, perhaps when I finish C25K, I'll do my first Parkrun. I do have a 5K fun-run in August and the Great Yorkshire Run, (10K) in September, with a further 10K at the end of October, but to test myself I'll start looking for another 5K at around mid/late June time. When I started C25k, I never imagined I'd be running races! Thank you for all your training advice and support!

[Hidden]

Well done on completing this week - the very tough week 6. I'm so pleased for you in achieving the 5K though - what a wonderful bonus for you. Good luck with week 7 - it's all straight runs now so you should be in your element. Good luck with your next run and best wishes.

[Miles_Yonder Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Fitmo! strangely looking forward to week seven!

[dytham Graduate]

Well done. My week 6, run 3 today too.

[Miles_Yonder Graduate in reply to dytham]

Thank you, Dytham! How did your W6R3 go?

[dytham Graduate in reply to Miles_Yonder]

W6R3 went fine, though no great pace. W7R1 tomorrow.

[ju-ju- Graduate]

I herebye knight you Sir Miles-Yonder for all things speed. I look forward to seeing your progress...Aftabs watch out!!!!

[Miles_Yonder Graduate in reply to ju-ju-]

Thank you, JuJu! must slow down though so I don't tire myself out! I'll keep updating on my progress, worry not!

[misswobble Graduate]

Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarnsley! Tharra Tyke then thee?

My niece lives oop t'theere. T'posh bit tha knows

[Miles_Yonder Graduate in reply to misswobble]

Narrrrr, MissW, Sheffield 'ere, ah just fort them up theer could du wi't rain forra while. I think it was on the One Show once where I heard Barnsley described as an "offal stronghold". What a wonderful term!

[misswobble Graduate]

Ha ha. Great phrase! True too. It's all them ferrets and Jack Russells that need feeding.