I've been plodding along the Couch to 5K program - it's taken me about 9 weeks to get into week 7, but looks like that's not usual!
I'm visiting Shenzhen on holiday, staying in walking distance from one of several parks in the central area. The outer main loop is about 1.5km, and has a ~600m dead straight along the river on the east side of the park, with a meandering ~900m return. It seems well used by the locals, doing a mix of running, brisk walking, walking backwards, families strolling with children, commuters taking shortcuts on electric bicycles. It has a really friendly feel bouncing around it, though I imagine the constant traffic negotiation might not be to everyone's taste!
I've done week 6 over here so far, and should be able to squeeze in week 8 between returning to autumn in the UK. I've been running around sunset - 18:30 local time.
Anyway, Runmeter tells me my lumbering pace covered about 3.6km, without getting painfully out of breath in the final few minutes. I still remember how awful the final 5 minutes of week 5 run 3 was - that first 20 minuter - and am amazed at the improvement in my breathing in just a few weeks.
The temperature has been 29-31 degrees, so rather warmer than I'm used in sunny England, but somehow I'm coping. The temperature seems to be helping my legs feel more flexible and relaxed, even as I'm sweating myself to death...
Today's 25 minutes ended just as the first spots of the evening's promised rain was starting to fall. I felt quite smug at the excellent timing, took the wrong exit from the park, and had to walk an extra 3km back to my flat thanks a complicated road junction and a set of underpasses. The gentle rain had turned torrential by the time I arrived at home, very damp indeed.
That'll teach me. 
Week 4 Run 2 - Central Park
Mrs LeeU's Week 7 Run 1
WEEK 7 RUN 1 ✔
Week 7 Run 1 👍🏃♀️
