Afternoon all! Aussie here... I know, I know - I've been away for a while... I'm sorry my friends... my new work clients don't have "proper t'internet". I did reply to a HU survey about an app though and if that happens then I'll be on here a LOT more via the phone
Work has been crazy busy and I'm leaving early on Monday up to Birmingham or Edinburgh, doing 14-16 hour days, flying between Brum and Edinburgh sometimes and dragging myself home to Mrs Aussie and the little Vegemites late on a Thursday evening... the glamorous lifestyle of an IT consultant I guess!
Anyhow - how about the running? Well - not too bad actually. Treadmills in the evenings at hotels and some early morning Brum runs past the Bullring! Managing to keep reasonably fit and trying to keep the food to the "healthy choices"... so far, so good! I have some half marathons to run you know!
The last few weeks I've been taken out by this flu/cough thing that's going around so I had to abort last week's long run at 5K (then sprint for 1K extra for fun) as I wasn't feeling the love... and no more running the rest of the week...
So, this morning I was aiming for a 12 mile run (19.4km) and I thought that would be a stretch... Anyway, Vegemites off to swimming, Mrs Aussie briefed that I "might be a while today" and it was around an 08:00 departure. A brand new "RockMyRun" playlist on the headset and a deliberate intent to "keep it slow" today. Still not 100% cough wise so it was certainly time to just go easy...
First 2K over with and a nice steady pace going. Nice and slow and a HR of under 150bpm. Perfect... this is how I need to keep it going. A lap around the streets of home soon eats up the 3k and 4k markers and then as 5k clicks over I'm into Richmond Park - my beautiful running oasis... clockwise today.. but first to run Ham Gate to Kingston Gate around the border anti-clockwise then up the asphalt path clockwise (I am going to need some extra loops today for that 12 miles!)... Loving the tunes so far and loving the run... this nice and slow pace is amazing... I can enjoy it - but I have to consciously keep it slower than normal....
Up towards Pembroke Lodge now and we're coming up to 10k... about now I realised it was probably prudent to take advantage of the bathroom facilities... haha! So - a quick stop and straight back to it... 10k clicks over and then it's Richmond Gate... and Parkrun is in full swing with (I am guessing) the 30 minute crew heading up to finish as I come the other way... You all looked AWESOME! So many different types of people - all shapes and sizes, all abilities, all just "out for a run"... go Parkrun! Go C25K - you made my day as I stumbled on past through 11k and 12k... and the back marker was a lovely old lady who I reckon must have been approaching 80 - slowly jogging along with the back markers... what a star!
Sipping my sports drink every km or so and it's time for a gel now (I do find they help after about 10k or so)... that goes down okay and the caffeine kick from the sports drink is also kickin' in now too... down into the long downhill towards Sheen Gate and onwards to Roehampton Gate we go... rain starting to lightly come down now - perfect! Still pacing okay and feeling okay... onwards to "that hill"... today that hill hits just before the 16k mark... and I slow it down and "just get on up there". I must be able to walk faster than this at one point in the ascent but I give myself a good talking to and step it up a bit... hit the top and carry on... just as 10 miles clicks over... come on Aussie! 2 more miles to go!
Onwards now and back towards Kingston Gate we go... plodding along now, feeling tired now but a few more sips from the hydration belt and a change from ascent to slight descent helps! Into the downhill towards Kingston Gate now... love it... here comes that "running high"... smiling like an idiot and with about 1.5k to go I know I've got this... 12 miles is mine!
Then something happen... I decide that "12 miles isn't enough"... I decide that I'm on such a high now and pacing so nicely that I'm going to push for 13.1... I laugh at myself, hit 18k just before I get to Kingston Gate and think "well, only 3.1 more kilometers now - why not"... so - now it's clockwise from Kingston Gate to Ham Gate.... 19k clicks over (longest distance to date) and the endorphins are kicking in big time... The legs don't want to stop... they are on auto-pilot... my brain has worked out what's going on and is (for once) in agreement - we can do this....
Out of Richmond Park and up Ham Avenue now and 20k clicks over... TWENTY FREAKIN' KILOMETRES... now I'm getting tired... time to change the tunes! Quick 20 second walk to get the tunes sorted and "now we're cooking (well simmering)"... Let's go Aussie - only 1.1km to go... left towards Ham and 21k clicks over... 100 metres to go and I reckon the traffic lights are about 200 metres away... I push as much as I can (it's not much by now I can tell you) and 21.18 clicks over as I hit "stop" on the Garmin!! Selfie, new PR on the Garmin and a 10 minute cool down walk home...
When I walked in the door, the Vegemites and Mrs Aussie asked me "how did you get on? you look a bit tired..".... I said "I think I might have a bit of a cry now! I just ran 13.1 miles for the first time ever in my life - I feel that's quite some milestone..." ... Mrs Aussie decided she better get more serious about C25K (she's doing it at 1/2 pace - and that's fine too!)... and the little Vegemites couldn't believe quite how far their "old Dad with the grey beard" ran today...
I'VE DONE IT! I started running in March after a lifetime of not being fit and being an overweight, out of shape Dad... today I ran 13.1 miles pretty much non-stop (okay, there was a toilet break and a playlist change)... 2:31 for my first ever training run of that distance is, for me, an amazing effort... and I'm still not 100% over this cold! 
I've got the mojo back, I've got that love of running back (it never really went away, but life did get in the way a bit)... and I've just done something I NEVER thought I could do... and I couldn't do it without C25K and support from all of you... Thank you!
Next weekend is another 10K race (Kingston 10K) and some more bling so it'll be nice to "take it easy" next week and "only do 10K"... after that, 1 February and I'm running the London Winter 10K (with a lot of you I think), then 22 February is the Hampton Court Half! On the 22nd March, the Richmond Half will give me a chance to improve my time! Hahahahaha!
I'm ready for you now 13.1 - you're a looooong way, but today I made you mine!
Happy running everyone... if you're on week 1, graduation week or a graduate out and about 3 times a week - just remember it's only ever a race against yourself... whether you aim to run a 5K a bit faster, just run 30 minutes and care not a jot for distance or whether you're training for a 10K a half or (dare I say it out loud) a full marathon... we all started with that first step out the door....
This one was for my grandfather who (at 90) is in hospital in Australia and when I spoke to him the other day he said to me "whatever you do in life, just do it as best you can - no-one can ask for more than that"... bless you Grandad and get well soon...
Keep looking forward - never look back... the couch is no place for you and me...
Thrills and Spills - 13.1 Miles Of It! 
