05.45 alarm and realised I’d not charged my phone properly so would be a bit delayed starting as have to wait for enough battery to cope with the run – don’t like this, feels like procrastinating and a chance to find other excuses not to leave – even though it is a genuine and sensible reason rather than an excuse. It’s a teachers strike today so don’t have the same deadline to return – tell myself that this means delay is not an issue. Doubtless child has switched off alarm and will be asleep whatever time I get back. Unsure of conditions – it’s REALLY foggy – never run in the fog before.
As I don’t have an end deadline time, decide on a new route that will take me along quiet lanes and towards the sea, down a steep road into the village and then end walking up another hill to get back. Since not done before and not sure of distance I am guessing where I will end up at different places. I go back to Sarah on a W9 run and feel I’m doing quite well with the breathing and steady rhythm when its first mentioned. I’ve also got proper signal and can listen to the Today Show. Take some photos while still moving of the fog, the cows, the sea etc but start getting concerned about the lack of half way bell. Quite prepared to believe I am just wishing the time away and need to stop focusing on it, so, part way down the hill I veer off along a track that leads to more of a trail as I don’t want to have to run up the hill at the end, so need to extend the route to avoid this…
The trail looks both magical and dangerous, lots of steps and obstacles and plants – there’s certainly not going to be a signal here. I venture along a short way, its slippery and uneven, and quite dark and my legs feel wobbly. I’ve not seen a soul yet either, or a car. I tell myself that I shouldn’t give up, and almost as quickly remember a Despair. Inc poster for “Perseverance” (A picture of a small car being driven towards an enormous tornado). The definition in smaller print says: The courage to ignore the obvious wisdom of turning back. I decide that wisdom trumps courage on this occasion and I retrace my steps, still running.
Without a watch and avoiding looking at the phone usually works for me but frankly this is now ridiculous. I have lost signal for Today Show too. I check the app – It’s gone back to the start of the run and is now paused! So, that explains the lack of the bell. No point thinking about it now, and since I have graduated, no point guessing where it was to “complete” the run. It really doesn’t matter. I just run down to the village and start to run out – but quickly decide that, regardless of the time or the distance, I am now going to walk. And I do – its steep. I get home about 50 mins after I left. I’m pretty sure that included at least 30 mins of running, but the numbers don’t matter. I’ve ticked off another run, and my first post-graduate week! Onwards!
Week 4 run 2 New trainers
Week 8 run 3 - the running dead
Week 7 run 2: Ran up the 20% hill!
Chickened out on the 3rd run! 
First " little bit" of off road run on my own!! (not at parkrun!) 
