Week 7 R1. Gimli on my shoulder : After the near... - Couch to 5K

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Week 7 R1. Gimli on my shoulder

DaveB46 profile image
DaveB46Graduate
18 Replies

After the near debacle of week6R3, I knew it was time to get a little more serious. Hydration daily, rest the knee with ice and gentle stretches on the 2 days rest. Out with the comedy metal on the playlist; I’ve a battle of good vs evil to win here. Basically that’s the metal genre so in with some serious and heavy stuff. It also blends well with a love of mythology, especially Norse. Which means it’s not a long hop to another love: Tolkien! Apologies to him and other fans for the rest.

Today was a Tolkien-esque struggle of humility over pride. On the right, I chose Gimli the Dwarven warrior. Bearded, gruff and short tempered (any relation???) but good at heart. He’ll be on my shoulder. To balance that I had Nazgûl on the left, the sinister side. Dark, filled with pride and anger, lost. I chose these as they also look the coolest in artistic depictions 😂 They will also run whether I want them or not!

MJ wakes me from my walking daydream and urges me to run. Gimli grunts and jogs alongside. We run in search of Orc.

The knee was actually quiet for once! A couple of grumbles, but after talk of divorce it’s sleeping on the sofa. We’ll sort this.

Metallica launch into my ears. “Obey your Master!!” Implored young James. Not sure who that is yet lads...

I run past a group of lads on the playing field. A Nazgûl hovers into my periphery. “They’re laughing at you” he hisses.

“They're admiring your Beard!” Barks Gimli. I pat his back and we trudge on.

Corey Taylor’s turn on the playlist, in Stone Sour guise. “Go ahead, give it up, see if I care”. Not today. Like a Rocky montage, I’m gonna slomo through this.

MJ gives me the halfway call. Blimey, I’m past the usual halfway point. We turn back, puffing and trudging. The stitch threatens, a morgul blade to my side if you like!

MJ and Gimli appear to spur me on. I pass the point where I nearly passed out on Saturday, where yet another Nazgûl sat. “Remember this place?” He asks. I do, but that just spurs me further. I learned humility from the run that nearly wasn’t, and he failed to get in my head.

Puffing on, Dio sings of demons. Gimli grins and pats his axe. MJ says one minute to go, and that I can go faster. The very cheek!

Miraculously I imagine Orc in the distance. We pick up the pace as a fell beast swoops in. MJ fanfares the end and we all survey the decapitated remains of the beast that is Run 1 of W7, bleeding on the battlefield.

It wasn’t pretty. It still hurt, and I won’t let too much pride in. But epic music and a silly imagination, along with a healthy respect for the advice from graduates and admin who know way more than me, got me through that one. I might even be beginning to like this.

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DaveB46 profile image
DaveB46
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18 Replies
sallenson profile image
sallensonGraduate

Good man!! We were missing you. Tho I did a double-take at your "Week 7 R2" title and wondered if I'd fallen asleep for a few days.

You may or not be delighted to hear that I have foresworn most Hobbit/LOTR related metaphors on the grounds of good taste. That they crop up occasionally in the poetic works of Robert Plant is due to the unfortunate era in which he was born. And also his being a Brummie.

But if there were a place in the universe for these Hobbit folk and their ilk, then helping you is defo where they should be.

DaveB46 profile image
DaveB46Graduate in reply to sallenson

Oops! Definitely run 1!! Duly edited 😂😂

I’ll get flack for the Tolkien bit but it’s captured me since a young age, got me to read around a lot of the classic mythology he based it on.

Plus I literally do have Gimli and Nazgûl on my shoulders, an artistic essay on good/evil, the balance between and possibly a nod to mental health.

That and it’s a bloody sight safer to have a tattoo midlife crisis than a motorbike one... I’ve donated a few minor parts to that hobby in the past!! 😂😂

sallenson profile image
sallensonGraduate in reply to DaveB46

All of which is true my friend. :-)

You could also make a hat out of a discarded sleeve of the fourth LZ album and start going on about "The Runes..." Not sure I'd recommend that either tho. Better music than the films. Fewer special effects.

I'm up for a very heavy dose of "When the Levee Breaks" tomorrow to crush the inside of my skull on W6R3. On repeat...

DaveB46 profile image
DaveB46Graduate in reply to sallenson

That drum. Oh yes.

sallenson profile image
sallensonGraduate in reply to DaveB46

THAT drum. Indeed. That f*in awesome "been sampled so many times no one can count any more" THAT drum. And the whole make this as hypnotic as possible production over the top.

If that doesn't frighten W6 into a cowering heap of 6ness, nothing will....

DaveB46 profile image
DaveB46Graduate in reply to sallenson

I’m gonna steal that idea shamelessly. How it’s not on the playlist I’ll never know.

sallenson profile image
sallensonGraduate in reply to DaveB46

You need me to act as Musical Consultant occasionally. Just ditch the One Direction okay?

I've still got Gallows Pole and I've added Four Sticks just for the bonkersness. But no. No Stairway...

DaveB46 profile image
DaveB46Graduate in reply to sallenson

Hahaha one direction. You flatter me, sir. I haven’t the coolness to be down with the kids 😂😂😂

No stairway? Denied!

sallenson profile image
sallensonGraduate in reply to DaveB46

"If there's a bustle in your hedgerow". ?? C'mon. It's like Mrs Tiggywinkle. Plus flutes. Genesis territory. But admittedly with music. Tho a cracking solo from Page.

I'm worried now tho. Maybe a reconsider.

But "Battle of Evermore" would defo not make it on to my desert island.

DaveB46 profile image
DaveB46Graduate

It’s a must learn solo for any guitarist of the genre...

But I agree. Come on, who wouldn’t be alarmed by a bustle in their hedgerow????

Genesis with music. Cracking quote.

_SimonT_ profile image
_SimonT_Graduate

Oh my goodness DaveB46 and sallenson ! Get a room! 😂😘😋

Well done Dave! Fantastic effort and fantastic post! Absolutely loving the Tolkien! Was a childhood fave of mine too. Glad too read you are back on track! 😀👍🏻

DaveB46 profile image
DaveB46Graduate in reply to _SimonT_

Last push before a two week break, I may go back to week 6 after that. Knee is complaining and I think the break will put me back a touch. I’ll get there though!

_SimonT_ profile image
_SimonT_Graduate in reply to DaveB46

Hope your break is for something nice. Should help the knee recover a bit.

DeeRunning profile image
DeeRunningGraduate

Well done on the run! And I love the way you've described the battle that can go on in our heads. The good guy definitely won this one. 💪

sallenson profile image
sallensonGraduate

Can't believe I forgot to like your post yesterday. The very idea. Slapped bottom for me :-)

Marvo69 profile image
Marvo69Graduate

You have almost conquered Mount Doom! Well done Dave

DaveB46 profile image
DaveB46Graduate in reply to Marvo69

😂

sallenson profile image
sallensonGraduate in reply to Marvo69

Dave can conquer anything!!!

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