I'm a runner woohoo, battle dog by my side and man eating horses avoided. Week 8 Run 1 didn't go so well.

[spoonierunning]

Yes Ferd today is the day, are you ready?

Pre warm up walk walk - ummm can't be comfortable cycling with your trousers round your arse, interesting choice of pants and why do these teenagers feel the need to wear their trousers round their arse anyway. So tempted to walk behind them and pull them up.

Fiddle and turn on iPod. Ferd it's warm up walk time do your dog stuff so we can get under way. No Ferd not that way we are going on that route we did the other day for our walk, remember the one with the horse poo, only I'd appreciate it if you didn't roll in poop today.

Dig phone out from bra to get runkeeper going.

And it's time for your run ok. Arrrghhhh. Dog walker. Ok hold on. Pause iPod. Ferd just a couple more minutes till we get past the giant dog.

Arrrrggghhh fecking runkeeper has closed, wait an eon again for it to open. Fecking stupid pathetic excuse for a smart phone.

Right and we are off.

One foot in front of the other, one foot in front of the other, one foot in front of the other.

5 minutes - aaahhh ha I knew you were going to say that no catching me out today.

Oh when I walked this the other day I thought it was flat, not a down gradient, erm should make turning back interesting.

Onwards.

Ferd no. No. Ferd.

Good boy.

Run round the pile of horse poop.

Run a corner, oh great more dog walkers. Decisions decisions. Stick with plan and head back, or loop round to the canal which will mean Ferd will have to go back on lead - there are coots nesting.

Decide to turn round.

Father and son duo run past, not sure the unfit teenage child is overly impressed his dad is making him run considering the look on his face.

More dogs. Ok seems this is a popular morning route unlike the path I normally take and the gentleman dog walker says lots of runners about today as he went past. He included me in that statement. Me a runner. Woohoo.

The decline becomes an incline and it all goes to pot. Shuddenly I couldn't catch a breath. I tried reducing my pace and concentrating on my breathing, but I just couldn't get the deep belly breaths like normal. This was shallow I'm really struggling, oh my god am I actually about to have an asthma attack cause you know it's been so long I don't technically have asthma now! Stop running and walk while getting breathing back under control, start off again, but then start coughing which just caused lancing pain in my head and burst blood vessels in my throat. Oh maybe it's my old friend bronchial hayfever - because you know I can't just get 'normal' hayfever - must remember to take my hayfever tablets. Also need to check inhaler situation, I still get an asthma reliever prescribed every so often because a few years ago I had a very very bad chest infection and for bronchial hayfever which hasn't affected me in a while, I can only assume I am breathing in more pollen when I am out.

It was at about 14 minutes I stopped. Half way. A little disappointed, but it doesn't feel like a fail. I've had about a week out and I was totally doing it, pace was good and I know I could have carried on if I hadn't have made that bad decision. I think it was the extra exertion by the incline that created the breathing issues hampered by hayfever.

I also think I might have to ditch Laura again, ok so the Julie song is amusing and I do like Laura's encouragment but I think at this point I need my own music to really give me that push to get me through. I am however determined that I will finish listening to the podcast.

But oh my did it feel like a long walk home and I kept thinking, well I could just pick up the pace and run back, but I didn't I kept walking.

And in a moment of bravery I said hello to the man eating horses, obviously from the safety of the other side of the fence.

And now the rest of my day will involve rounding up bunnies to go to the vets (yes I have more bunnies).

[Azores Graduate]

Poor you with the hay fever stuff but it looks a lovely place to be out whether running or walking, The horses look nice too and quite friendly I would say.

[spoonierunning Graduate in reply to Azores]

It is a lovely area I am very lucky to have it all within a short walk from my door

[runner56 Graduate]

I had to read that 'man eating horses' bit a few times before it finally clicked

[spoonierunning Graduate in reply to runner56]

They do eat people, my husband says they are fine but honestly they are dangerous and should not be trusted. I was brave and may have tried patting one today.

[runner56 Graduate in reply to spoonierunning]

When I first read it I thought there was a man in the field eating a horse. I had mentally put that route on my avoid list when it clicked.

[TurboTortoise Graduate in reply to runner56]

Ahh, like 'man eating Tesco lasagne'?

[runner56 Graduate in reply to TurboTortoise]

Indeed

[TurboTortoise Graduate]

I recently met what I believed to be a friendly horse wanting to say hello over a fence, but when I bent down to pick some grass to feed it, it started eating my hair.

[spoonierunning Graduate in reply to TurboTortoise]

dangerous things those horses

[AncientMum Graduate]

Hi Spoonierunning, That was some run you've described there! My runs are so much less eventful than yours: no lovely scenery, no lovely dog, no coots, no carnivorous horses, no reluctant teenagers being chivvied along by determined parents, no major respiratory issues, just some pavement, some traffic, a couple of dog walkers and one or two other runners ( all faster than me) and, of course, the dodgy knees. I always run clutching my inhaler like a comfort blanket but haven't ever had to use it, so I can only imagine how horrible it must have been to suddenly run out of breath. You take care of yourself because you're so close now, we're so close now. With or without Julie we're nearly there. Good luck with r2 xx

[spoonierunning Graduate in reply to AncientMum]

thank you. I just have an over active brain that thinks too much