The snow has gone. The sun was out.
Blue trainers, black leggings, blue shorts and the compulsory neon yellow top and I was fully Minion'ed up and out the door.
I knew I was capable of doing this because I did the 9 weeks last year. But after 5 months of not running due to sickness and then the Czech winter I was still curious how I would get on.
Up to the usual running spot near the woods. Stretch. Get MJ blasting 'HI !! I"M MICHAEL JOHNSON!!!' and it was time to go. But then calamity....for some reason the app was running but MJ wasn't talking. Plus I hadn't bought my headphones so this was going to have to be done naked. No coaching and no music.
Set off slowly and enjoying the views around me and suddenly the phone beeped and when I looked down I was being told to walk again. This was great !
Around Calf Killer Curve and up towards the 800m slow never ending incline that is the Lane of Pain. Reacquaint myself with the small electricity pylon that was my initial goal back in the day before I moved onto the signpost that is in the next village and then time to turn around and head back.
All in all I was out for 38 minutes and I loved it. Maybe it was that little bit easier this time around because I knew what my body is capable of. But I think mainly because this time around I knew that I had to take it nice and slow. As I said last year, somewhere between a jog and a shuffle. A joffle. The poise and gait of a dying man stumbling towards water in the desert.
But also made easier by coming in here and reading the posts and support before I headed out.
You lovely bunch of sweaty mad masochistic people.
It's great to be back out there.
Enjoy the journey.
GB