Halfway to a half...

Morning all you lovely folks from a glorious SW London where the weather is cooler but the sun is shining brightly... a lovely morning for a run some might say! Well - funny you should say that - as this morning I ran the Tamasin Trail in Richmond Park... and LOVED it... and went a little bit further than I planned... naughty Aussie...

So - an 8am start from Ham Gate was on the cards. Fuelled up with an energy bar and some water, I set off on my warm up walk heading towards Kingston Gate... After 5 minutes or so, it's into the running and today I'm going for 11K so I've decided to keep the pace down by monitoring heart rate and keeping it in the 165-170 zone (which for me is a nice conversational zone).... no timing information for me on the Garmin...

First kilometre breezes on past - I've run this way before - no issues here... then onto the 2nd kilometre and into the unknown... something called "Dark Hill"... well, it was just after 8am so it wasn't dark, but oh boy, was that a hill I see before me... muscle killing, never ending, fiendishly terrible incline... Right - slow it down, head down and power on... keep the heart rate down but keep the legs moving Aussie.... before I know it (but after I wished it was over) I was at the top... Phew! Credit to C25K and training to date... slow and steady won that race... now a lovely flat half a kilometre or so and I see some runners walking the other way covered in sweat.... a cheery "good morning" to them when one of them says "ah - you took the easy way then? good thinking!". We laugh and carry on our runs... Hmm... okay - not sure that was an easy hill mate, but okay, on I go...

What goes up, must come down... and WOW, does it go DOWN... really steeply... I am racing down it like a lunatic but trying not to go too fast and fall over... and runners are coming UP it... OUCH! Now the comment before makes sense... That would be agony on the way up! A treat for a few weeks maybe, but not today - onward we go...

Kilometres 4-7 click on by relatively okay - keeping the heart rate in check and my breathing is settling in nicely... I could do this all day... relatively flat now and some lovely scenery through the park as I run past some deer out grazing in the shade.... and then almost run into hundreds of runners at some "RunThrough" event... oops! Fortunately they've either finished or are just starting so I whizz on by (well, stumble on past) and up into what I believe is the last 2km of the Richmond Park Parkrun (a bit of an uphill)... it's not too bad and I just slow it down a bit and before I know it (or even realise it) I'm at Pembroke Lodge which means I only have about 1.5km to go to make Ham Gate again...

Now it's a slight downhill past the car park and the ice cream stand (hmm.. ice cream) and I've just done almost 10km... now I start to put the foot down a bit... start speeding up and dreaming of the 11K end... and then I hit 11K... and I keep going... The breathing is working like it has never done before, the legs feel like they could go forever... this is it - I'm in the zone... everything is working... everything is warmed up... this is what running is all about... I get it now... I finally understand that when you've got your pace right that you are invincible... everything makes sense.... I love it!

So, I've done 11K but I'm not done yet and I'm not back at Ham Gate... nobody wants to run 11.5K or 11.7K do they? Nah - c'mon Aussie... a final push to 12K today! A quick right turn towards Petersham Gate to complete the 12K and a 10 minute walk back to the car... Crossed the invisible finish line with my hands in the air... knowing nod from fellow runner heading the other way...

What a morning! My timings? 1:22 for 12K (6:52/km average)... in the last 2 kilometres where I decided I was having lots of fun and everything just "worked" I ran negative splits of 6:12 and 6:09 (meaning I sped up a lot at the end)...

It was the best run I've ever had to date... it was the longest run I've ever had to date... I love running... Today at the 10K mark something happened and something "clicked" inside me... everything just worked like it should... my pace was right, my breathing was right, my training had got me here... this wasn't hard work - this was great fun (okay, it was still hard, but you know what I mean!)....

On the 8th March this year I stepped off the couch and outside for W1R1.. I was exhausted when I got back after those 1 minute runs... Today I ran non-stop for 82 minutes, covered 12km including some hills and absolutely LOVED every second of it... and I feel like I could go and do it again (I won't - next run is a 5K session on Tuesday!)...

And - I've now done "half a half".... only another lap of Richmond Park and that's a half marathon! ...

Happy Running folks!

EDIT: This also shows you what a difference the weather can make. My 10K time here was a little under 1:10 in an "easy" mode with hills. Last weekend in that horrible heat and in race conditions, I did a 1:07 on the flat...

[useitorloseit Graduate]

Wow! That sounds wonderful - you are very lucky to live near somewhere which is suitable for running those kind of distances. I live near a playing field. At Wk 6 it takes me 2.5 mins to run round the outside so I go round and round and round and round .... it's comfortable, but not very interesting! I need to keep on the soft grass to ease my legs back into running (having been on the couch for 49 years ...). I noticed a much bigger park in my nearest town yesterday, so I might drive over there for my next run - it will have to be super early because it looks like dog walking heaven! I am dreaming of doing 5k, let alone 10k, but if I could get that 'feeling' you describe it will all have been worthwhile.

[Hidden in reply to useitorloseit]

Thanks! It was a lovely run and I'm very lucky to have Richmond Park pretty much on my doorstep. Being able to mix up routes is great. I have the riverside to run along to Hampton Court and beyond one direction and Richmond and Twickenham the other... there's Richmond Park of course and in the darker months the streets around me are well lit and pretty flat with lots of wide footpath to run on...

Mixing up routes is a great way to keep things interesting and even a quick drive to a big park can be a great thing to do... Hope you do try that new park - a new run is always fun!

Well done on getting to week 6 - not long now!

[Net68 Graduate]

What a great start to your day so impressive. You really seem to have settled into you training programme and well done you. Sounds like a lovely place to run.

I must admit I too am loving jogging

Good luck

[Hidden in reply to Net68]

Thanks - it just felt "right" today... I don't know what happened, but something just clicked and it all just worked out okay... slow and steady pace made for a really "fun" run... it doesn't always have to be flat out!

[jcwerb]

That's amazing! Loved reading your post, it spurs me on and hope I can run for 12k at some point. Seems totally unlikely now, but I'm astonished at what I've managed to do so far so not ruling out the unthinkable

[Hidden in reply to jcwerb]

Thanks jcwerb... 5 months ago I couldn't run for the bus! Following the programme, listening to people on this forum and my body has got me to this point... it's all possible but you need to do it at your pace and to your rules... too much too soon and knock backs happen (and they suck)...

The programme works and from graduation anything is possible with enough dedication...

I'll never be a front runner in a race - but I'll finish them...

[jcwerb in reply to Hidden]

You are right, I feel after each session that I want to do it again the next day but I am pacing myself and taking a day in between as advised every time. Doing it slowly and it seems to go just fine so far (I'm in W5). I'm starting to think one day I can actually join in the annual McMillan 5K run they organize here in Orkney, that would be just amazing

[Hidden in reply to jcwerb]

I'd reckon in about a month and you'll be ready for 5K if you're in W5 now...

[jcwerb in reply to Hidden]

Yay! Hope so Thanks for the encouragement!

[Rockette]

Fantastic Aussie ! What a advertisement for c25k & you only started in March , wow ! .You will certainly be on a high today , well done made up for you .

[Hidden in reply to Rockette]

Thanks Rockette! Certainly on a high today - half a half! Great weather and a run in Finland coming up on Tuesday... Hooray!

[danzargo Graduate]

Wham bam kabooom Yaaaah!!!!! 12K is FANTASTIC! You've cracked it. Well done Aussie - great story and great achievement and in a decent time too. I've done that run three times (only ONCE the way you did it, twice the other way round) and it is a hard slog. So hats off!

[Hidden in reply to danzargo]

You ran the OTHER way (clockwise)? Up THAT HILL? Dan... you sir must have glutes of steel... that hill looks killer... running down it was hard work trying not to fall... Coming up must be a world of pain!

<Bows deeply>

12K feels good though...

[AncientMum Graduate]

Oh what a great run report Aussie, I'm so happy for you. All that training and hard work is paying off in spades now, no wonder you're so pleased with yourself. Very well done m'dear

[Hidden in reply to AncientMum]

Thanks AM - it was a perfect run on a perfect day... so much more pleasant now it's finally cooling down a bit (but staying sunny)...

[c4ts Graduate]

Well done aussiegtc - just remember to keep the head up even on the hills - supposed to help the air get into the lungs

[Hidden in reply to c4ts]

It is a good point... it was a figurative "heads down"...

[getfitgran Graduate]

Well done Aussie, great report and as always inspiring. I started the programme a week after you, but taking my progression a lot slower. 10k is now my target . Have no doubt with the inspiration, advice and comradery on here We'll all suceed.

All your hard work is reaoing dividends - good luck

[TurboTortoise Graduate]

What a great run Aussie and a major achievement. It's a lovely route, isn't it? I was running in the park this morning too, though my route was through the middle and I was on the Sheen side at 8.15am.

I saw the start line for that half marathon - the route was FOUR laps of the parkrun, plus extra - that number of laps must be sheer hell, if you ask me, and you would never catch me doing a route like that! Later I drove through the park about 11.30am and they were still going, in the blazing heat. I did not envy them at all!

[Ullyrunner Graduate]

Sounds like an amazing run Aussie. Well done!

[AmberC Graduate]

Sorry for the delay in commenting on your post.....it sounds like you had a fantastic run, I don't envy you those hills. As you say, you are very lucky to live in a fab spot for running.....the backdrop of the Thames would be lovely and running up towards Hampton Court on a bright blue sunny day would be absolutely beautiful.....oh how I miss all that lovely architecture and history.

[mrqwest Graduate]

What a cracking sounding run; and Richmond Park sounds perfect for a run. I've never been there but don't live a million miles away so I'll be giving that a go at some point soon!