Having told sheps that I don't stick to a time of day when running but look at the weather, I had thought an earlyish run would be good.
However Le Marche weather meant I could hardly see my feet let alone a road with low lying fog. That coupled with a dodgy blocked up ear, meant it really wasn't safe to go out on bendy, hilly roads with no pavements and the famous Italian driving style to contend with.
So did a test walk with the dogs - Fibi Fardashian and Bobster the Monster . Frankly it wasn't much safer walking with them, as they do tend to get distracted at the sight of birds and cats. We live in the country - feral cats abound. That's a problem for two greyhounds who as ex -racers were taught to hunt down anything small and fluffy. So my plans to scope out a slightly different running route got scuppered at the sight of one very determined cat, who was not moving despite 60 kgs+ of greyhound straining on their harnesses. We'd managed Slope of Hope, hooked a left into the Hill that Kills and were hoping to enter Lovers Lane. But we had a cat vs greyhound vs owner standoff.
Reader, the cat won.
We mooched off home via Mill Lane again, although some very regretful looks from FF and BM as they kept looking behind on the off chance the cat had decided it wanted to be a snack..
After three lunches, theirs, mine and Mr JCR's off I set.
Jo Cool was very encouraging and did make me smile when she said I may get fed up of her - not just yet Jo, we are only at the beginning,..
We live 230m above sea level right at the peak of the hill, so you always start off going down the hill and always finish up coming back up the hill, there's a few different routes to choose from but they all start and end with hills...
Unless you drive to run, which doesn't really seem to work for me as I start driving and then don't run.
Warm up walk down the Slope of Hope, no problem still a bit misty but visibility fine. Oh blast Jo Cool has said I have to start running now up the Hill that Kills. Years gone by not a problem, 2025 a bit of a problem, I was shocked that I couldn't go that far.
First lesson of C25K do not over-set your expectations.
Clearly I can't run as far nor as fast I used to, therefore I was never going to be running all the way up the Hill that Kills..
Second run over the brow of the HTK and on towards Lovers Lane. No cats, no lovers, no Mexican stand off. Walk again and then the third run towards the Science Museum.
Much nicer as it is on the flat more or less. The half time bell goes and brings a smile to my rather pink face. So running a bit faster would be fine wouldn't it? It wasn't - back up Lovers Lane is a gradient, I had to quickly re-set the pace (snail minus 1 rather than just snail...)
Second lesson of C25K do not over-set your expectations
Back to the Hill that Kills, and I am running downwards - yay - that's a big encouragement, unfortunately at the end of THTK I have to turn right back up the Slope of Hope. I pass two afternoon walkers who very kindly step aside, to see me come to a standstill about 100 metres further when Jo Cool tells me it's time to walk briskly and congratulate myself on completing Week 1.
Third lesson of C25K do not over-set your expectations
Just because Jo Cool makes you think you could do triathlons, please remember JCR you can't swim and hate bikes, and you've just started running again. Challenges for a far distant future I reckon.
Jo was very cool, me not so much, but it is the First of February and I have already run three more times than I did in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. That's a good thing right?
Oh and Mummycav gave me some words of encouragement - in return I ran to her play list on Spotify
Kindly Sponsored by Imodium - Week 9 Run 1
