Week 8 Run 1 & Dracula: Well this week I've been... - Couch to 5K

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Week 8 Run 1 & Dracula

AliHC profile image
AliHCGraduate
β€’45 Replies

Well this week I've been blessed with sun β˜€οΈ sand ⛱️ a sea breeze 🌊 a great big hill ⛰️ and Dracula πŸ¦‡

I'm in Whitby for a couple of days visiting my 82 year old parents who are at the Folk Festival 🎢

I'm very happy to say that I managed to run (very slowly) non stop for 28 minutes along the harbour, through the cobbled streets and finished with a ridiculously steep run up 199 steps to be met at the top by Count Dracula πŸ¦‡

I wanted to recreate the Sylvester Stallon scene in ROCKY when he's running through the streets during his training session and finishes with great big victorious run up the steps and the music is playing the ROCKY theme tuneπŸ₯Š But all I could manage was a lot of puffing and panting and sweating and the look of horror on my face at seeing Dracula in the grave yard ⚰️

Never a dull moment πŸ‘»

The photo is Whitby Abbey where Bram Stoker created his Character Dracula... The scenery is quite spectacular once you get to the top 😊

Have a good week everyone 😊

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AliHC profile image
AliHC
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45 Replies
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Debston profile image
DebstonGraduate

Fantastic! 199 steps - that's awesome, and you didn't even faint in terror / exhaustion when you saw Dracula waiting at the top! πŸ˜‚

AliHC profile image
AliHCGraduate in reply to Debston

🀣 I could have kissed him!

Irish-John profile image
Irish-JohnGraduate in reply to AliHC

Was he singing his favourite song ?

"Fangs for the Memory"?

;)

Irish-John profile image
Irish-JohnGraduate

Soooo....would it be fair to say you had a "bloody" good time? 😁

I've always wanted to go to Whitby, thanks for sharing the photo and your run there :)

AliHC profile image
AliHCGraduate in reply to Irish-John

Ah thank you! You should go if you ever get the chance. Go out-of-season and it's even better! X

Irish-John profile image
Irish-JohnGraduate in reply to AliHC

Will do :) I saw the ruins first in a postcard in the '70s and can't believe I still haven't been there, it's an amazing location :)

AliHC profile image
AliHCGraduate in reply to Irish-John

The views are quite spectacular. There are so many places that are close by that are also worth a visit... Like Robin Hood's Bay x

Irish-John profile image
Irish-JohnGraduate in reply to AliHC

You have sparked another memory :)

In the late sixties I was given a book of Robin Hood tales. One of them was when he and the Merry Men went to fight a ferocious Pirate at - presumably - that Bay :)

I loved that darn book, it "dissapeared" though one day and I have searched book forums, book stores, libraries etc for over twenty or thirty years now trying to identify the edition because it really was something. :)

Problem is - there are MILLIONS of books about Robin and his Boyz out there, and I've never met anyone who remembers a pirate battle. But - the search will continue :)

AliHC profile image
AliHCGraduate in reply to Irish-John

Look what I've found 😊

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The...

And this

robinhoodlegend.com/noble-f...

And this en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob...

Does any of this help? Xx

Irish-John profile image
Irish-JohnGraduate in reply to AliHC

That looks like a very fun movie Ali, and will be watched :)

My kids will no doubt roll their eyes and say it's "another of Dad's weirdo movies" :)

("Quest for Fire" anyone? :) )

AliHC profile image
AliHCGraduate in reply to Irish-John

Just looked it up! Good call! πŸ˜‚ Fantasy caveman action! πŸ˜†

Irish-John profile image
Irish-JohnGraduate in reply to AliHC

While it is indeed "Fantasy" it adds interest when you know the makers really did want to make it as accurately as present day knowledge allows us to surmise "What it could have been like" :)

Desmond Morris was one of quite a few respected Anthropologists, Sociologists, Paleanthologists etc hired (and listened to) as Consultants.

Morris said the movie should be seen in the context of vast developments in human development being conflated to a few hours on the screen, but he had never been uneasy about being so identified with it :)

It's a long one, it's not exactly "comfortable" viewing - but neither is life for a lot of us :)

Give it a go :)

AliHC profile image
AliHCGraduate in reply to Irish-John

I will John! Thank you for putting me on to this one! I'll let you know what I think when I've watched it πŸŽ₯

Irish-John profile image
Irish-JohnGraduate in reply to AliHC

Please do :)

Twinkle9 profile image
Twinkle9Graduate

Did Dracula make you run quicker πŸ˜‰

Well done you

AliHC profile image
AliHCGraduate in reply to Twinkle9

I couldn't run any quicker even with Dracula behind me πŸ˜‚

Irish-John profile image
Irish-JohnGraduate in reply to AliHC

Can he 'Count' on that if needing a snack? πŸ˜‚

( Ok - I'll stop it now :)

Twinkle9 profile image
Twinkle9Graduate in reply to AliHC

Bet you could if he was real and chasing you 😬

AliHC profile image
AliHCGraduate in reply to Twinkle9

tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OGC....

Twinkle9 profile image
Twinkle9Graduate in reply to AliHC

🀣🀣

Irish-John profile image
Irish-JohnGraduate in reply to Twinkle9

It's hard to say. I love these speculative scenarios :) I t would depend on how unexpected his initial presence would be imho. The human psyche responds to shock generally in one of four ways ;

Fight, Flight, Freeze or Fall.

Personally I think if I bumped into Fangy McFangface I would fight like never before.

To control my bladder and other bodily functions

So that at least I would die with clean pants on 😬

:)

AliHC profile image
AliHCGraduate in reply to Irish-John

🀣 He'd probably not want to take a bite out of me after seeing me staggering up those steps!

Irish-John profile image
Irish-JohnGraduate in reply to AliHC

Lactic acid poisoning πŸ˜…πŸ˜‚πŸ€£

AliHC profile image
AliHCGraduate in reply to Irish-John

πŸ˜±πŸ˜‚πŸ˜°πŸ€’

LeeU profile image
LeeUGraduate

I love Whitby, kudos to you running up those steps to the abbey, I tried walking up it one time and that was bad enough, this was pre-running me and very unfit.

Please do keep in mind, Bram Stoker was going mad when he wrote Dracula, he had syphilis, doesn't mean you have to try to replicate that madness by doing those steps or something like it on a regular basis

AliHC profile image
AliHCGraduate in reply to LeeU

🀣 I did a little victory on-the-spot jog at the top! Then collapsed on top of one of the graves⚰️

Puppy-love profile image
Puppy-loveGraduate

Well, you wouldn't want to miss the opportunity to run up a great big hill would you? I have this vision of you leaning on the Count while you do some stretches. Great photo and well done.

AliHC profile image
AliHCGraduate in reply to Puppy-love

I love a good hill 🀣

Felt like kissing the Count when I got to the top ❀️

Jazzyrunner profile image
JazzyrunnerGraduate

Fab running, well done! I’m sure Dracula was impressed πŸ§›πŸ»β€β™‚οΈπŸ‘πŸ»πŸƒπŸΌβ€β™€οΈ

AliHC profile image
AliHCGraduate in reply to Jazzyrunner

I think I looked more scary than Dracula 😱 xx

Doddery123 profile image
Doddery123Graduate

Blimey. Those steps are lethal. You are officially crackers! Well done.

AliHC profile image
AliHCGraduate in reply to Doddery123

They were a flipping nightmare! There's no way I would have said 8 weeks ago that I would even attempt that! πŸ€”

Goslow profile image
GoslowGraduate

Impressive!! Sounds like you had a great time! I'm on the same week as you but not on the same fitness levelπŸ™ˆ Well done you πŸ™ŒπŸ™ŒπŸƒβ€β™€οΈπŸƒβ€β™€οΈπŸƒβ€β™€οΈ

Great picture.. have a good day x

AliHC profile image
AliHCGraduate in reply to Goslow

Thank you! Same fitness level or not... We're both doing it! The only difference is, I'm probably more stupid 🀣

Keep up with your fantastic efforts! Xx

Goslow profile image
GoslowGraduate in reply to AliHC

Lol πŸ˜‚ and thank you x

Ping-pong profile image
Ping-pongGraduate

Lovely picture. I adore Whitby and folk music so that's my idea of a good trip. I can imagine you running up those steps triumphantly. The last time I walked up them my toddler son was stopping every few steps (he's 23 now, so quite some time ago!).

AliHC profile image
AliHCGraduate in reply to Ping-pong

Thank you! I love Whitby too! I went to the Fleece that evening and sang a few songs with my mum & dad 🎢❀️

backintime profile image
backintimeGraduate

Great photo, those steps sound like you would be pretty happy to get to the top even if dracula were there lol

AliHC profile image
AliHCGraduate in reply to backintime

I was bloody ecstatic 🀣

Never again though! πŸ˜†

I love Whitby! I don't know why I love it so much, but I do. I think it's just a place of fond memories... I took my Australian in laws.. They loved it, so much history.. Cook and Joseph Banks.. My last name is Banks, their last name is Banks... How weird is that?

AliHC profile image
AliHCGraduate in reply to

I love Whitby too! Lots of fond childhood memories. My last name is Cook 😊

madmother profile image
madmotherGraduate

We were there in June. Well done you that is no easy run!!!! Greeted by Dracula...excellent! Xxx

AliHC profile image
AliHCGraduate in reply to madmother

No. It was NOT easy 😭

I've walked up it again this morning and I stood at the top and thought "how on earth did I do that!?" πŸ€”πŸ™„πŸ˜•πŸ˜³πŸ˜

Hope I didn't dream it! 🀣😴

Tasha99 profile image
Tasha99Graduate

Ah not far from me. Well done. Those steps are brutal 🀣

AliHC profile image
AliHCGraduate in reply to Tasha99

Too right 🀣 From here on it's plain sailing πŸ˜‚ NOT 😳

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