So here I am all purple faced in my beautiful new Tolkien-themed running shirt. I look pretty happy and I sure should be as I have just finished my Week 9 Run 3. The photo was the right way up on my PC, but apparently I now need a good long lie-down. (Taken by the lovely Fran who comes with me and goes for a walk whilst I run, but is now starting to achieve 60 second jogs, and walk further than she has done for a very long time - go Fran!)
I have found the first 10 minutes always seems a bit disheartening because I hear Laura's 5 and 10 minute announcements at exactly the same place every time, so it feels like I am not improving, but the point at which the 30 minutes finishes is slowly creeping further round the lake, so I am definitely improving later in the run. I was much encouraged reading in "Running Like a Girl" (Alexandra Heminsley) that it can take up to the end of that first 10 minutes for your body to sort itself out, work out that you are running and really mean it, and then start getting enough oxygen to the right places; this explains why the improvements in pace or stride length don't happen until after that point.
Thanks to all of you for your support and your personal courage; they have been a great help on this journey and will doubtless continue to be.
I got home and my husband turned up 2 minutes later with a beautiful bunch of flowers and a card which was lovely and very unusual - and he thought of it all by himself!
Hurrah!!!