I like to think that I'm quite resistant to cold weather, granted my hands do get very cold very quickly, but other than that I'm of fairly hardy stock. The real test of this is 5 o'clock on a late November morning, by late I mean the 30th i.e. today, when the weather bods have predicted that polar bears will be wandering the streets of East Anglia looking for bloody stupid idiots in lycra shorts and trainers. Well they didn't catch me this time, luckily the seals got in the way. 10 minutes after getting home, having completed a steady and very satisfying 5k, the skies opened up and within half an hour an inch of snow covered the dawn landscape.
The point of the guff above is that early morning running, whatever the weather, is second nature and almost non-negotiable. A further point to add to this is that only 6 months ago, well 5 and a half but who's counting?, I would've stayed in bed and laughed at the prospect of getting up and running. Even a bright sunny early June morning wouldn't have tempted me. The C25K programme is such a brilliant thing, I've said it endlessly, that once it gets it's hooks into you then they're almost impossible to extract. The subtle conditioning of the mind is such that 3 and a half months after graduation (again who's counting?!), I'm still up early 3 times a week to run for a minimum of 30 minutes. One steady paced 5 or 6k, a gentle(ish) 7 or 8 k and a faster paced 5k parkrun (on Saturdays). I've completed 12 parkruns with 5 of those being under 30 minutes and one dead on 30. 10k has been bagged twice with the quickest at 1 hr 11 m 6 secs.
My distances have increased over the course of the last 3 months. In September my total was 71.55k, October 78.92k and after today's run I've finished November on 90.60k. The distances will increase for the next few months as I train up for a half marathon in April.
Now, the above isn't a tub thumping 'hey look at me and what I've done' exercise. I've written all of this as proof to newbies and to those of you who doubt what the C25K programme can achieve. At the beginning of June I had never run for fitness or fun EVER, now I can't think of a time when running won't be a regular part of my life. My mental and physical well being has improved immeasurably. People ask me about what I've done to change my look so much. Other than dietary stuff I extoll the virtues of this fantastic programme and the wonderful support network which this forum provides, a true running family.
A happy 5K and a Personal Best!
Week 9 wasn't a fluke... And is anyone else turning into a camel?
2 months after graduation
Consolidation Run 3 -- What's a mere 0.8k more?😂
