Finished week 5 and so happy!

[Madriz]

I did the 20 minute run this morning on a freezing morning in Madrid, never thought I'd be able to do it but managed to just keep pushing myself and I did it! This is the first time I've posted but I read all your blogs every day and they really inspire me to get out there. I'm starting to feel a bit like a runner, I still get lapped in the park but I now think it's a matter of time before I'll be able to ramp up the speed a bit, for now I'm just happy to be completing the runs each week! Will keep you all posted on how the next weeks go...

[gdeann Graduate]

Welcome and congratulations! Week 5 run 3 gives all of us that wonderful sense of achievement! Welcome to week 6 and please continue to blog. Gayle

[Madriz Graduate in reply to gdeann]

Thanks for the welcome Gayle, I really enjoy reading your posts and all the great advice. I will try to keep posting from now on!

[greenlegs Graduate]

¡Hola! (Just wanted to see if the upside down exclamation mark would work.)

Well done for getting through that 20 minutes - I'm a week behind you and very conscious of that one coming up! I did wk4 r2 today, 3+5+3+5, and when Laura said 'you've just run for 16 minutes' my first thought was 'wow' and my second thought was 'And next week you'll ask me to do more than that all in one go?!'

It's all pretty good though. I just managed to catch up with a man pushing a buggy during my first 5 minutes today - impressive, not! (It took most of the 5 minutes to do it!)

[Madriz Graduate in reply to greenlegs]

Thanks for the Spanish welcome! I didn't realise wk5 r3 was actually 20 minutes non-stop until Laura said it yesterday morning, I nearly turned around and went back to bed... I thought the 20 minutes must be 10+10, no way would we step up from 8 minutes to 20! But we do and unbelievably it is (just about) doable! Good luck with week 5!

[Norni Graduate]

Lovely to think of you following the same programme in Spain.

Keep us updated and good luck!

[Madriz Graduate in reply to Norni]

Thanks! I did wk 3-4 back in the UK over Christmas, it was actually really nice running in the rain and in the countryside, all that fresh air... I'm signing up some Spanish friends to follow the program too so maybe soon there will be some Spanish bloggers too!

[Esprit Graduate]

Hello and welcome!! Congratulations on your achievement so far, looking forward to hearing more about your progress. Whereabouts in Madrid do you run? I used to live in Spain and always wanted to take up running but never managed it whilst I was there.

[Madriz Graduate in reply to Esprit]

Hi Esprit! I run near where I live, I have a big park called Tierno Galvan (do you know it?) really close by and it's lovely, very flat and with nice pathways to follow. I also have the Madrid Rio area on my doorstep which is the area that's been developed down by the river (or stream, depending what you compare it with) which is great for running, cycling etc and connects as far as Casa de Campo although I've never run that far...! I'm actually really lucky to have these areas nearby otherwise it would be awful to run around the city streets... Whereabouts in Spain did you live? It's taken me 13 years living in Spain before I started running, so not surprised you didn't run over here

[Esprit Graduate]

Hi Madriz, it's great that you have a nice park to run in. I was imagining you in El Retiro. I've never been to Madrid, hope to visit one day. I lived in Granada. Have you been there? It's a beautiful city, I really miss it. Anyway, looking forward to your posts and hearing about your progress! Buena suerte!!