So I finished W9R3 on Sunday and was feeling pretty darned chuffed with myself.
If ever there was a Channel 4 documentary to be made that mixes embarrassing bodies with lifestyle choices to somebody out there running and loving it then it was me.
From drinking tattooed biker to telling everyone in amazement just how much sugar is in their muesli and that a low glide slowly is better for my knees.
My mates have looked at me with confusion, support and shaking of heads whilst muttering ‘That’s it, he’s finally lost it. Call the special number.’
So today was to be Post Grad 1 (it certainly ended up PG rated!)
When I am not travelling I normally take Mrs GB to work in the morning to save her taking the bus and we take every chance we can to catch up when I am at home and not travelling with work.
Then on the way home if it’s a run day I pop into the local shop. Get my banana and some water then head home and go out for my run making sure I get lots of photos to enthrall my thoroughly interested chums.
Today the traffic was pants. What is normally a 20 minute journey today took 50 minutes.
Then on the way home the store rang me to say the mattress we had ordered was ready and could I go and collect it.
Then something else happened then I was working blah blah blah blah blah.
So for those of you still reading, it was 6.20pm by the time I headed out for my run.
I had on my new Brooks Ghost 10 trainers (graduation present to me from me when I was in the U.K. last week) and donned my ‘go faster’ yellow dayglo waterproof long sleeve top and I was off.
Where I usually park for some reason there was a bazillion cars and I found out that Tuesday evening is the local meetup near the woods for the off road cycling club. (Middle aged men in athletic gear in bright colours....I mean seriously!!)
So my slight ocd aspergers thing kicked in and I was wound up after the day that I couldn’t even do my normal pee against the tree then 5 min warm up.
But off I set.
The song that I always play as I start is Spencer Davis Group ‘Gimme Some Lovin’ as that drum beat sets my pace. Well today I forgot to hit start in Endomondo as my 5 min ended and so was late in doing that and then started Spotify where it left off and on cane Chemical Brothers. So my pace was all over the shop.
Up the Slopey Lane of Pain towards Calf Killer Curve and my breathing was definitely not right. I was breathing in through my ears and out through my eyes or something!
Was it these new shoes? Were they not right for me? Was the new top not fitting right?
Flicked through Spotify and carried on.
At the village sign turn point I realised that the Banana I would normally eat is also my first meal of the day. By 6.30pm it’s mixed in with other stuff (it was 3 hours since my late lunch so I was fine). At one stage I thought the dark blue Brooks would also be dayglo in shade of Banana but I survived.
Downhill stretch after passing the pylon and back along the lane in the forests.
In the daytime they are full of butterflies and deers in the fields and pheasants and such. At night time they are full of slugs and hedgehogs and one wild boar that scared the **** out of me as he ran across the path.
I knew my time was slower as I had Endomondo chirping at me telling me my min/km pace. I knew I was going to be slower anyway as I had pushed on W9R3 to get below 8min / km.
The final stretch to the car and I couldn’t see a thing. We live in the back end of nowhere and no, I don’t want a head torch as my balance isn’t the greatest when it’s dark so a torch beam swinging from side to side would put me off. I would prefer my eyes to adjust to the dark.
I was hitting the car remote to get the indicators to flash.
Like some guiding beacon in the dark sea. Like some landing lights on a runway bringing the stricken one engine running bomber back to a spluttering landing.
4.6km in 38 mins.
But I definitely will not be running on an evening again.
Hated every minute.
Got home and Mrs GB said ‘so how was the 1st run with the new trainers?’
Me: bloody brilliant! Loved every minute!
If after doing this 9 week program I was asked to describe in one word the worst run I have ever had?......:
‘Fantastic’
We’re going to have good runs. We’re going to have bad runs.
But here is the thing....the only reason you are having a bad run is because you are out there running.
Great isn’t it 
Well that's me finished! W9R3 run tonight...
Well that was warm enough!
W8R2 - well that was a first for me!
Well that was a surprise!
Not doing too well :0((
