Whoever thought I'd be writing about Week 9? Not me that's for sure. Morning started bright and early, no rewind it didn't start bright, it started sh.te...
Mr JCR, up and out first has a dicky tummy, Mrs JCR 30 minutes later likewise. Today Mr JCR cycles up the Chipo, which is a big thing in our Region. It's where a famous local rider used to train for the Giro d'Italia. This is a milestone ride for him and today is my first official 30 minute run. We could both do without popping Imodium first thing...
After 30 minutes of grumbling (my stomach) I set off, having decided that today I would walk all the way down the slope of hope as that probably gives me the extra distance to do the 30 minutes, without messing up my rhythm. Past one dog walker, I don't know him, I say buongiorno he grunts. Down past the turning for the hill that kills, and then a quick 90 degree turn and back up again. Quick pat of the tum , everything appears to be in order, phew.
Got my tech knickers in a knot this morning I thought I'd set MMR on a 5 minute delay so it monitored only the run bit, but I got that wrong and I had the weird mechanical voice woman talking to me. Luckily she never interrupted Mr Smooth. Up the hill that kills, passed the first of the two wooden statues on the yet to be completed olive wood statue trail. The first time I saw it I thought it was a giraffe, now I am thinking goose, emu, or perhaps a swan. Got to the top of the hill, safe and sound and then the little slope towards Lovers Lane. Aaarrgghh, a Mexican standoff two cars and a runner all in the same place, something has to give as there's not enough room for all of us. As I am the softest and most easily injured, I give way, which means my run is interrupted. AAARRGGGHHHH. The car behind me is tooting, now I am getting miffed, but it's friends returning home - they know this is my critical week, so they just shouted 'Don't stop, keep on running', which was somewhat ironic as I'd only stopped because they were creeping up behind me.
Into Lovers Lane and Mr Smooth came back with a bang, 'I don't want to exhaust you' - oh Mr Smooth you can exhaust me all you want.... 10 minutes in. I see Anouska and Albino and I run past shouting - can't stop. At this point Locomotion is playing on my play list, how apt....
Around Bali, back down Lovers Lane, up to the hill that kills and Mr Smooth is telling me I've done 20 minutes now. Back up to Lover's Lane past the second olive wood statue - this is definitely of the abstract variety. Then I see a new person - an old guy who looks exactly like Lord Kitchener in the old WW1 posters, except he's wearing shorts. His moustache is absolutely glorious, no beard as he isn't a Hoxton hipster, but he looks quite jaunty all the same. Double buongiornos exchanged and I continue. Final run around Bali and back down Lovers Lane and it's done my first official 30 minute run (please forgive the Mexican stand off stop it was 5 seconds no more I promise). Shouting yes, yes , yes, and to my embarrassment, Anouska and Albino come into view once more on their second tour. They stop and i explain that today is the first 30 minutes without a stop and they are so sweet they congratulate me. Anouska says I look as though I've lost weight (I haven't but it's kind of her to say so) and they tell me 'Hai fatto un buon lavoro' You've done a good job, which is exactly how I feel.
Going for a run when you have the trots not exactly the best way to start the day, but then Mr JCR is doing 7km, 22 switchback bends and a gradient of 11%, wearing cyclist's nappy pants and he's riding the 80km to get there and back. So out of the two of us I got off likely. Colour salsa red, temperature is about 24 degrees so that helped a lot.
For the statistics, here we go...
Oh and just added the topic Week 9 - how great is that????
Grumbling, Grembiule and Graduating - Week 9 Run 3
