Yet again it's been a busy week, and I haven't been out running since Tuesday. But yesterday I went and bought my Christmas present - new shoes! I can't wait to take them for a run, but have to wait... So tonight I put on my current pair and braved the dark and the frost.
The bigger village down the hill from us has exciting things like street lights, pavements, and lots of roads which loop round or intersect, so is a nicer place to run of an evening. Since I had to take a daughter down there, I decided to make the most of it. And since I'm so tied of runs 1 and 2 of week 5 I thought I might as well have a go at run 3.
There are times that being a stubborn so-and-so is useful. Right from the start I didn't think I'd make it through, but knew that the first five minutes are always difficult so I just had to get through them. The next five were hard going, but I told myself that I'd done 8 minutes several times already, I could manage another two.
At ten minutes, I could just about keep going, and eventually got to fifteen. Then k started playing mind games - another 20 breaths and I can walk. No, still going ok, no worse, so another 50, then there's only 100 to the end... The last two minutes were pure mule-headed obstinacy. I'd go this far, I wasn't about to give in now.
So I did it! Twenty whole minutes. Whoop-whoop! 
One step forward two steps back 
One step forward, two steps back - but I'm Not Giving Up!
Big step forward
One step at a time - huh!
When you think you can't run one more step - you can!!
