W5 R2&3

[Beads]

W5R3, last Friday.

Boy was it hot up at the aerodrome. I took the dog for a walk up there at lunchtime and it was amazingly warm, by 5 when we went on the run it was even warmer. Alex was working so Nicky and I took Grace (Alex's daughter). Nicky walks round, Grace and I 'run'. Grace is doing a different plan and set off on her first of 3 8 minute runs while I was still doing my warm up walk. Not good, I started running after my 5 minute walk, Grace in the distance in front of me, closing the gap as I run slightly faster. Calves start feeling tired, Grace still running, feet decided to start going numb, Grace still running, feeling tired, Grace still running. I can do the maths, if Grace is still running I'm less than 3 minutes into my run, I shouldn't be feeling this bad. Phew, Grace has stopped running and Laura's just told me I've run for 4 minutes. Pretty soon after that I passed Grace and kept going, I was thankful for the break at 8 minutes though, but when I stopped running and started walking I also started analysing. Yes, I'm breathing faster. Yes, my legs feel tired. No, I'm not gasping like a goldfish that's just jumped out of its bowl. No, my legs and lungs are not screaming at me. I can do this! Second 8 minute run, tired yes, but still did it!

W5R6, TODAY!

Grace sleeping in after a party, Nicky delivering son to football match, so just the 2 of us. Alex on her bike, without a big stick to prod and poke me with. Me 'running'. My 5 minute warm up walks are getting me further these days. Laura believes in me, she reckons I can do it. I'm not too sure, it seems an awful long way. I was glad that Alex was there, it would have been so easy if I were on my own to head out of the next gate at the aerodrome, take a left past the pub and head down the footpath to home, but no, moral support was in place. It's warm but not too hot, I'm glad I got out of the house for 9am. And Laura starts me running....... I was surprised when she told me I'd run for 5 minutes, it didn't seem that long, I wasn't puffing and panting at all. At 10 minutes I was starting to feel a bit tired, by 15 minutes I was getting a bit more tired. Then she said we only had 2 more minutes, I can do this, I've got something in reserve, I can do it, when she gives me the 60 second alert I'll push on and go a bit faster for the last minute.... BUT...... The next thing she said was well done, I'm thinking have I got that extra bit for a bit faster and she let all the air out of me by saying slow down, stop, you've done it! So I did it!!!!

Onwards to W6, after school on Wednesday.

[ceefin Graduate]

Very well done on doing your first 20 mins run in such warm conditions. What an achievement

ps - A wee word of warning about the first run of W6 - start SLOW

[Beads Graduate]

Oh yes, I do slow quite easily, though I can see that the 'euphoria' of the 20 minute run would carry over and make us set off at a desperate pace come the next run.

I've just bought a treadmill on Ebay!!! My heart was racing faster watching the countdown of that than it was after the end of the 20 minutes!