W6R3 in the bag

[Roadrunner65]

I was not expecting THAT run until end week 7, beginning week 8 maybe, but here it was. I never want to know the next run until Michael J tells me at the time of the run itself, my little tease, so when he announced it, it did take me a little by surprise, truth be told; 'I'm not ready'...,'That's nearly the whole thing...', 'What can the rest of the programme have in store?'.

After leaving home at 06:15 for a long day behind a desk, in meetings, behind the wheel...sitting, sitting, sitting, then getting home at 20:00, I was well and truly drained (a tough day at the office). I said to myself all day, for the last 2 days even, tonight I finish week 6. But when I got home, shut the door behind me; I thought, 'No, I'll do it tomorrow, I'm all in!', I need to sit'. Oh! the irony.

It was when I thought about that thought for just a couple of seconds that it dawned on me that I had been, as I often am, sat down all day. 'No! I'm doing this; it's only 30 minutes, just 30 minutes'. So got changed and set off on the 5 minutes walk, feeling pleased the second I felt the chill of the evening air on my face; air that I had denied myself all day (not good I know).

It's an odd sensation, hard to describe, but my legs seemed to send a message back to my brain after we began the run, as instructed to do so by MJ after 5 minutes, to say, 'right then, we're off again...action stations!' The old legs were on auto-pilot, jogging along at their now familiar pace and gait. I felt a somewhat removed from them for a moment - very aware that they are now quite used to this, prepared, stronger, not shocked at all. Great! Crack on!

Good tunes and good earphones (I use ear buds as I do not like any wires) make a big difference for me. I have on familiar old school tunes that I know well, can bounce along to, know the words to, old favourites that I don't tire of hearing, that hold great memories which help me not to think about the tough day in the tomorrow, or overthink about the task that lay ahead of me. 7 or 8 songs later, it's all over.

In the penultimate 5 minutes of the run I was getting tired, it was hard. Those pesky demons trying to find their way into my mind, but I beat them down. Then for the final 5 minutes, they've rallied the troops and try harder to beat you down - but my new found experience, will and determination suppresses them more easily now.

'One minute to go, if you feel good, try stepping up the pace a little', MJ suggests. I felt good, tired, legs aching, but I was in control. I thought about those poor marathon runners whose legs go from underneath them in the final straight, in front of the big crowd and the TV camera's, they're all over the place, but who is going to carry me over the line if I get jelly legs? I stepped up the pace, not much, but enough to prove to myself that I'm getting stronger, have a bit more stamina, a bit more to give now. MJ is right (as always), there was no way I thought I'd be running like this just a couple months ago.

A day of rest tomorrow; behind the desk, in meetings, behind the wheel - what a life! So glad I found you C25K, you're a godsend.

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate]

Good post from you BWhelan65, all that running has paid off, congratulations, you are now officially a runner after completing run 3 of week 6, you deserve a good rest tomorrow before again running 3/25 minute runs of week 7.

[Roadrunner65 Graduate in reply to AlMorr]

Thanks AlMor. 😉

[PeteJog in reply to AlMorr]

Duh, he said he didn’t want to know!

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate in reply to PeteJog]

👍

[MartinKH Graduate]

Another great post, you describe very well there what many of us feel and go through every day.

We sit down all day, and get home and we think we need to sit down all over again.

Good on you for getting out again at the end of a long day 👍💪

I know that can’t have been easy, but sounds like you enjoyed the fresh air and exercise straight away.

I hope you felt great at the end of that run. Brilliant, well done 👍👍👍🏃‍♂️

[Roadrunner65 Graduate in reply to MartinKH]

Thanks MartinKH. It felt good to finish, the mental strength needed is the challenge for me, but so many good folk on here to help.

[Joanney69 Graduate]

It's great when Michael tells you you can do it, isn't it? He has so much belief in us, more than we have in ourselves probably 😁

Well done for getting out there after a long work day - it always makes me feel better 😊

Good luck with week 7 - you'll smash it. And try not to work too hard ☺ 🏃 👍

[Roadrunner65 Graduate in reply to Joanney69]

Thank you Joanney69, wise advice.👍🏃

[SueAppleRun Graduate]

What an inspiring post, just enjoyed reading it and relate to the day as mine is similar

A huge well done for running and sharing

[Roadrunner65 Graduate in reply to SueAppleRun]

Thank you WillowandSola.

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

Very well done you...these are the runs where the legs really do begin to find their own happy pace.

Making that effort after a long day can be hard but the benefits are terrific...

The sensation of the legs taking over is a fantastic one... I always say, in my longer runs, that once I reach 6K, my legs really take over and I feel like I could run for ever.

Relax and enjoy all the runs as you head wonderfully towards that podium!

[Roadrunner65 Graduate in reply to Oldfloss]

The legs taking over felt a little surreal for a few moments, hence the almost outer body experience. Thanks for the response, most encouraging.

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to Roadrunner65]

....and that is exactly, how it was for me; and I still get that out of body experience that you describe every time I reach around 6K in the lovely long runs. The legs do it all, the rest of me just along goes with them!

You are going to really enjoy all the running to come

[Comfortnotspeed]

Nicely done and a good read 🙂

[Roadrunner65 Graduate in reply to Comfortnotspeed]

I saw some great posts in this great forum when I began, from supportive folk like you, thank you.

[Blackcat66 Graduate]

A great post. I admire your will power - getting out the door would have been very hard. It's a great feeling, isn't it, when you feel aware of how far you have come. All the best for the rest of the programme - no question of you completing it!

[JonnyBeGood Graduate]

Awesome post! Well done!!

[Nilsam Graduate]

Well done, BWhelan65. You are really smashing it now. A really interesting post too. Keep it up...we are all with you.

[Fionamags Graduate]

What a great post and an inspiration to the rest of us who find it hard to get off the couch. Theres a lot of it zbout! 😉

[cadoganm Graduate]

Well done not an easy task, I tend to have Strava on in the background as well as Michael, breaks it up a bit as it tells you when you have done each half km and time ,I try to improve on this each time , and of course great motivating music . Good luck for week 7 👍🏃‍♂️

[Roadrunner65 Graduate in reply to cadoganm]

Thank you.