Having drunk an entire bottle of a rather good chardonnay last night whilst watching our glorious football team get mullered by Uraguay, I awoke this morning determined to go out for a run. It'd been 12 days since my 10K fun run (58'59 if you please!) and now that the lurgy inside my body felt like it was on it's way out I thought I was fit and healthy enough to hit the road.
Sporting a brand new pair of black running tights and black running top and a new hair style to boot, I hollered farewell to Mrs Dan and off I went. I decided to run 5K thinking that it wouldn't be too much and it would be interesting to see if 12 days away had made any difference to my fitness. I set off at a fair old pace knowing that I could easily switch to a low gear should it get too hard going for me. The first two were easy and my chest wasn't heaving much at all, however at the start of the 3rd, my legs started to feel heavy - "Uh oh! Time to engage low gear Danno. Slowwww down baby!" I slowed right down and lollopped across Old Deer Park feeling tired already. I put this down to my cold rather than my fitness dropping off so I didn't get too down in the dumps. I reached the A316, a busy dual carriageway with a brilliant bit of pavement which looks like a running track. I'd tonked up and down here loads over the past year and off I set up the long, long slope towards Twickenham Bridge. It was halfway up this slope that I had to stop for a walk. My legs and demeanour were exhausted and there was still 2K to go. I gave myself a lovely full 60 seconds of delicious walking before setting off again and didn't stop until I'd reached "favourite lamp post Number Two." Quick look at Endomondo and 28'52 secs was my time which took me by surprise as I'd been expecting something over 30 mins. Must've been those fastish early K's that did it.
Still not 100%, but I'm glad to have got this one under my belt. Because it had been almost two weeks since my last run, I was beginning to find it easy not bothering to go out, using my cold as an excuse, but in fact I now feel that the next one will be better.
Mrs Dan and I are off on hols next week and I shall be taking my trainers with me for a run along the seafront in Cyprus. It'll have to be an evening "pre dinner run time" as it's hotter than Ghandi's slipper out there this time of year!!
To all you parkrunners tomorrow - GOODLUCK!
To all you C25K'ers working through the program - KEEP AT IT!
To all graduates doing the weekend run thang - GO GET 'EM!
I shall see you all again soon,
Tally ho!
Dan
Written by
danzargo
Graduate
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Hey DZ, good to hear you're back pounding the mean streets of Richmond! And what a great time after nearly two weeks off. Enjoy running in Cyprus - cool down swim in the sea followed by a white wine so chilled that there is condensation running down the outside of the glass should be just about perfect!
Superman Dan have you stopped wearing your cape then!?! Good going young man especially after being unwell and all that there vino. Have a wonderful holiday and don't forget to slap on the sun tan lotion. Catch ya later
Thanks OldGirl! Mrs Dan used to be a beauty therapist so she's extremely fastidious about looking after one's skin - which means I'll be slathered in various SPF lotions and potions from Day 1!!
Another example of the "Oh dear, I haven't run for two weeks....so what, I'll just enjoy it" training regime. Works every time. Not sure about the Chardonnay, though! Enjoy leaving your scorching footprints in the Cypriot tarmac. Have a nice one Dan.
Well done, and glad you are feeling better..your new stuff sounds fab... Keep it cool on your hols...loads of water and a big stick for fighting off the ladies wanting a piece of 'Dan the tight Lycra man'!!!
Good to see your getting your mojo back bit by bit. I'm on rest day today, had migraine today which wasn't nice but hopefully back on track tomorrow. Have good hols in Cyprus and happy running there.
Hello DanZ .... sounds like 12 days off is a GOOD thing now and again .... that sounded eeeeasy!
Are you coming to Paphos? Have the feeling you're maybe a regular visitor to Cyprus, so you've probably seen our fantabulous, not quite finished but still glorious, coastal path before (no clue why the beach hotels choose to irrigate their gardens @ 7pm tho, makes the path pretty slippy) .... maybe see you dashing past me one eve or another down by the seaside! I'll be the one with the purple face and teen-on-bike alongside! Lots and lots of running types down there of an evening! You'd be okay running in the morning with shades on tho, around 6.30ish - when the sea is really calm and just kind of heaving, no waves at all, not a single line of white on the sand .... by the evening it's always got a bit chippy choppy for a dip.
Wishing you both Happy Hols, whichever part of this lovely island you're heading to
Having not even quite finished Couch25K this has seriously caught my interest (for 2015 obviously, earliest, in my newbie case ....) - lovely time of year to be dashing about the Nature Reserve!
Cyprus welcomes everybody! Anytime you want to pop over
I know the coastal path very well. In fact it was the location of last years week 3 and week 4 of C25K. Not sure I'll be able to get up early enough for morning running, but early evening should be do'able. Love Cyprus! You're lucky living there, and I don't mean JUST for the KEO beer!!
How's about that then! This planet gets smaller by the minute i do declare!
Just one more thing danzargo ... around 7.30 this eve i dropped Prodigal Son + friend at a birthday party at a house about 650 metres above sea level and i swear it was FREEZING up there ..... has put an idea in my own head, cos it's getting pretty humid already down here!
Hmmmm i love Cyprus too ... anyone can live here you know, they're not very picky
Me, i prefer the watermelons, peaches, amazing tasty tomatoes, tiny cucumbers and Vasilikon to the beer!!! Horses for courses, something for everyone here as you already know ! Happy hols i chime once again!
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5k!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Back up to 5k after the IC, feeling happy.
Back to running at last! Think it'll take a while to get back to 5K though
