Apologies- long post alert!
W9R1
So, there’s this dedicated cycle/walk path about 30 mins drive from home that I’ve been saving for W9. Gorgeously golden and red this time of year thanks to the numerous beeches, no cars (yay!), more or less flat, and practically deserted by the time I got there, although still daylight, which is unusual for me!
End of warmup brings me to a magnificent granite bridge overhead- “an excellent start/finish!” methinks “run 15, turn, aim to get back here on 30. Here we go!”
I really struggle to get to 15 without walking some. “Steady rhythm after 5 mins”? My arse! Seems I’m one whose muscles are slow learners.. Anyway, the return leg feels better. All too soon Sanjiv’s saying “5 more minutes”. Then an age seems to pass. I’m plodding on but no sign of the bridge. “Christ, where is it? I’m running out of time!” Finally it looms in to view.
“COME ON!” I shout to no one in particular. I *really* push my stride out. I am running. Hard. My lungs are bursting. “Gotta get to the bridge in 30!!!”
10 metres before the bridge, Sanjiv says “you’re doing sooo well!”
“I’ve done it!” Says I.
“Only another 60 seconds to go!” replies SK.
“WHAT??? NNNOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! YOU BASTARD!!”
The next sixty seconds were The. Longest. Ever.
But I did it.
30 minutes.
BOOM!
To Old Floss, Tim, and everyone else with common sense: I know, should’ve kept a steady pace. Shouldn’t have obsessed over the distance. The irony is that I dunno how far I ran because the internet here tonight is making like my last minute of running (snail-like). MapMyRide is not loading.
Karma, they call it.