^^^ graduation present for you lovely ladies and maybe some of the gentlemen, sorry to the rest of the gents. I have released this fine specimen of man candy into Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire keep running and maybe you will tag your prize 
Anyway....
I've not been feeling that great this week, further hampered by a bout of insomnia which is never great when you have energy issues. Each night I go to bed not with a I won't run tomorrow, but a I'll see how I feel attitude. This morning I woke up at 5.30 and thought you know what I think today might be the day, but first some more sleep. I woke up again a little before 7 and decided yep Ferd it's time to graduate.
Pre run routine is pretty simple wiggle into clothes, do something with my hair, stuff phone in bra, put trainers on, put iPod and armband thingy on....
...oh poop it's almost out of battery, it's not worth taking it out I know it will die shortly. Erm other iPod also dead. Can I run without tunes? I guess it's time to find out, I use runkeeper to keep track of time anyway.
Oh yes rest of pre run routine - harness the dog, strap dicky bag on (a dicky bag is a poop holder cause you know really don't want to run holding loaded poop bags) lead and we are off.
Our normal warm up walk as we invade Derbyshire, I really am blessed to live on the boarder. See the gentleman we often say good morning to on his way home, only where is his dog? His dog is maybe was 
elderly. Oh no don't say he has lost his dog. I was too far away to ask, I don't know the gentleman other than as a morning dog walker and our hellos. It knocks me, I fear the worst but hope for the best. I debate just having a walk, but I shake myself out of it, it's drizzling and I'm in Lycra, far to cold to just walk.
Onwards we go. I decided on the shorter route today, I wasn't concerned about chasing 5k but rather completing my run in a gentle fashion given I haven't been well this week.
Oh come on Ferd surely you need your pre run poop by now. Today Ferd takes ages finding 'that' magic spot - dog owners you will understand, non dog owners I am sorry you don't know the joy.
And we are off. No music. It's actually ok. Oh dear god am I wheezing? Er that would be a yes, but it's ok. I settle into it and it's fine the wheezing stops and actually my breathing isn't as ragged as I imagine it to be.
And the first dog related running on the spot and doubling back incident as Ferd had dived into the disused canal with very over grown banks and couldn't find the gap to get back up.
Onwards again. Oh so that's what people hear from my magical talking knockers as for the first time I can properly hear runkeeper whittering on, oh that's actually quite nice to have all that info in a time check.
Onwards and over the bridge now on the canal towpath, decide to leave Ferd off lead, it's raining, I see no wildfowl (more importantly coots) to goad him into the water.
It's wet, it's muddy on through puddles I plough. The drizzle has covered my glasses and they have misted up, I have no choice but to balance them on my head. Now I am blind. Onwards I run. Ferd is a low to the ground fast moving blob, I see a blob fast approaching, Ferd is somewhere ahead, I can't judge distance if I can't really see. Fast moving blob is a cyclist, Ferd is too far away, I just have to watch in a blurred haze and hope that he stays put as commanded. Potential disaster averted.
Onwards we go. Splosh. Runkeeper informs me it's been 15 minutes.
Second dog related running on the spot, combined with very slow forward momentum and a little stop - the trouble with running with dogs it's you can't always guarantee you won't have to stop, but these stops are short and unavoidable. Ferd swims up the canal, as we find a suitable bit for him to scramble out.
Pick up the pace again. We hit the bridge over the lock, this I walk it's slippery when wet and safety comes first. Onwards we go. I see a blob up ahead, I can't make out if it's a person blob or just the hedge. I spot swans - white blobs. Ferd it's lead time. As I am sorting out Ferd and his lead the unidentified blob does indeed turn out to be a person and oh god it's the lady with the vicious ankle biter. I run until we are almost at her side and the put Ferd on a short lead to walk past - Ferd always wants to say hello to other dogs, the vicious angry ankle biter just wants to rip someone's throat out.
Passing the swans - awwww baby swans.
Argghhh shoelace related stopping.
On we go. Now I had planned on doubling back, but vicious angry biter is in that direction, I have no choice but to face my nemesis.
Erm road, no glasses oh great choice.
It's a very quiet lane I decide to risk it.
Come on Ferd we can do this. The incline stretches out before me. I am tired I want to stop. Argghhh. I think to myself M_Y runs around Sheffield and all those hills, I can do this. I am an Essex girl goddammit show 'em Essex girls are not to be under estimated. Up we go. And round the bend to the flat and respite, on we run, but there is more and I am not at time yet. The last stretch deploy turbo dog power (it's not cheating) and I reach the top. Woohooo I did it.
33 minutes.
I'm a graduate baby, it's feels better than when I got my BSc (Hons), do I get to put c25k_grad after my name now?
Home. No cheering squad, no flowers, no champaign, just feed the zoo, make my first cup of earl grey of the day and deliver Mr Mouse his morning coffee, prod him to tell him coffee and I get a sleepy 'how was your run?'
