Dodged the rain for 12km, no deer for tea.

[MarkyD]

I got out for a cheeky run tonight.

It was pouring with rain as I drove the 70 minutes home from my office, and I really wanted to run... I had promised myself a long run to start the week.

It was one of those evening when the phone kept ringing when I got home and then I couldn't find my lucky socks. As I finally left the house I thought I would run out of daylight for a decent run. And the sky looked thunderous with big rain clouds scudding over.

BUT I made up a new route, expecting it to be 10km or thereabouts. I ran for 1:08 and covered 11km, and totalled 12.1km including warmup and cool down walks. That is the furthest and the longest that I've run since starting C25K and I'm very, very proud of myself. And it was gently uphill for the first 6km!

It was then gently downhill from 9km onwards and I had a thrilling feeling of invincibility from about 8km onwards, taking a whole minute of my pace for the 10th kilometre. I've noticed that 8km+ feeling before: no doubt some of the more experienced runners can explain the physiology behind it.

And it gets better because I did not get a drop of rain on me In fact, the sun shone through the clouds and lit up the corn-fields with a beautiful golden light. I had a great view of a juvenile female fallow deer, beautiful tan brown with distinct white spots on her flanks. Wasn't stealthy enough for bare-handed assassin mode tonight, though

Anyway, GOOD NEWS for all the new runners here on C25K... I started C25K on 11 May, sneaking out of the house hoping no-one would see me. My BMI was overweight, getting close to obese. Since then I've lost nearly a stone in weight and ran for 11km tonight. YOU CAN DO IT. JUST TRUST LAURA.

Good running & stay injury-free.

[Ejbirdy Graduate]

Wow that's amazing , something to aspire to - I'm week 8 and amazed I can do it

[getfitgran Graduate]

That is absolutely brillant, Its hard to believe how far it is possible to come in so short a time. Good work

[Hidden]

May this year? You're running 11KM? That's absolutely amazing! I'm gobsmacked! I started a week after you, just going out for my graduation run this morning! I had weeks 3 & 4 off as I had shin splints and I was doing a lot of traveling too so got a bit behind...still, your story is incredibly inspiring, I'm thinking about where to take this after the programme is finished, I suppose I just go out there and RUN!!

[MarkyD Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Hi CG, yes May 2014. I found that after graduation I wanted to run further and went 5km, 7km, 8km, 10km, 12km (I'm including the warmup and cooldown walks in the distance).

Never follow my advice as I know that we should only increase by 10% per week.

[CKC1 Graduate]

Wow! This is so inspiring to read. (Although I'll be very happy if I can just comfortably get to 5k!)

[AncientMum Graduate]

Hey, well done Marky, you've done amazingly well in such a short space of time. Your run sounds lovely - a new route, perfect weather, great scenery and wildlife, a down hill finish, AND you hit 'the zone'. Several other people have posted about the running suddenly getting easier at around 8k. I wonder what's going on physiologically and psychologically at that distance to induce that feeling. As you say, I'm sure someone on here can explain it. Anyway congratulations m'dear on a great run and a fab post

[bikergirl Graduate]

What a great post to read first thing in the morning. Very inspiring and positive. Love the deer comment still chuckling

[BoPeep9009 Graduate]

How did you DO that MarkyMark??? Very very well done, i'm deeply impressed ... you carry on feeling proud, very very proud indeed!!!

[MarkyD Graduate in reply to BoPeep9009]

After 8km is just seems to get easier. I can't explain it (but loving it all the same).

[Adelaide11 Graduate]

Thats a nice description of your run. Enjoyed reading it. Im week 8 run 3. Looking forward to the last week and building up from there. Thanks for the inspiration!!

[MarkyD Graduate in reply to Adelaide11]

You'll get there! One more week to go and then you can 'let loose' and do your own thing.

[Dee60 Graduate]

Amazing, this is my dream.. I will be doing W5R2 later this morning (so far so good!), and cannot begin to imagine that I might possibly progress to this! Well done.

[MarkyD Graduate in reply to Dee60]

... but you WILL progress to graduation and then onto follow your running dreams.

[Windswept1 Graduate]

Sounds brilliant. Don't know about 8k but on longer runs it takes me about 3k to get out of my 'I can't do this' frame of mind. Having said that I do still walk a bit from time to time.

[PilgrimPip Graduate]

What a great achievement - well done!

[MrsSparkle Graduate]

Wow Mark, you have done so well. I started the very same week and I still haven't managed to finish week 9, and look at you! Well done, you should be very proud of your achievement.

[mancbird Graduate]

No run envy here well done. I am about to start week 7 and want to see where this leads me.......already starting to feel better in my clothes and confidence and motivation is growing. Keep on running!!!!!

[Ullyrunner Graduate]

Sounds like a wonderful run MarkyD. Just you leave those deer alone though!

[MarkyD Graduate in reply to Ullyrunner]

Just for now, they can run faster than me... but I want to do some speed training for opportunities like this!

[poppypug Graduate]

Fab post Marky , you are an inspiration to us all, Well done ! xxx

[Lorraine1108]

That's amazing, well done you. Sounds like you're loving it and it is lovely to be outside in the open air. Great post x

[MarkyD Graduate]

It was my best run of all time... sunshine and clouds were beautiful. I have a conundrum now because I ran in generic trainer socks. Now I don't know if those ones are more lucky that my usual lucky socks. What is a man to do?

I'm going to run again Wed or Thurs and do a short 'intervals' type run to improve my speed, and the next time I run I hope it will be on Great Wall of China (seriously!)

[AmberC Graduate]

Congratulations, I can feel your happiness leaping off the screen. Such a great achievement and an awful lot to be proud of, well done.

[Nellyharte Graduate]

Thanks for the inspiring post, I think I was in the zone for my graduation run but haven't felt to since so I am going out there to find it after reading your post. Thanks Marky.

[MarkyD Graduate in reply to Nellyharte]

My pleasure. Enjoy finding 'The Zone' and safe running.