Some of you will be aware that I considered ignoring what Laura wanted me to do in Week 6 as after the 20 minute run in Week 5, I was bursting with confidence and didn't see any point in going back to walk/run/walk. I had all but decioded to do two more 20 minute runs before the 3rd Week 6 run of 25 minutes when the snow came down, quickly followed by my spirits! By which I mean that the enforced break gave that confidence time to erode so like a good little boy, when I did finally get out, I stuck with the programme.
Strangely enough, although I found run 1 relatively (and disappointingly) easy, Saturday's run was quite tough. I put it down to mind games as there's no way ten minutes is that taxing at this stage. To be honest I'm quite annoyed with myself for not going with my gut and sticking with the long runs as now the 25 minutes I'm due to do tomorrow (it was supposed to be this morning but the barman asked last night and I said "may the giving hand never falter") seems a bit daunting, whereas last week I felt it was going to be a cinch. Then again, after that last run of Week 5 I felt like I could run up the north face of the Eiger, so my confidence may have been misplaced.
That said, I'm looking forward to it and am delighted there will be no more walking.
As usual when I run, I was awake well before the alarm and so got up and was out the door by 06.30. On my warm up walk I passed a couple of revellers on their way home from a club, I smiled as I thought what I'd have said had that been my younger self passing some eejit heading out to run at the crack of dawn. And probably did say when I was that younger man....
Other than them, I saw a handful of other runners and a couple of dog walkers. One combined the two and was out running with his dog. At least I think it was his dog, although now I think of it, he was wearing a postman's uniform and the dog was hanging out of his ankle.....
I jest.
As I said, I found the run itself far from enjoyable, the first ten wasn't too bad but I know overall it was tough as I harboured no thoughts of adding anything to it, whereas when I'm comfortable I spend time on the run thinking about what extra I'm going to do and how to gauge it, run to that kiosk and back, run for the warm down walk, that kind of thing.
When Laura said I'd finished I was as pleased as I'd often been in the early stages of this thing. I was breathing really heavily and felt it all over. That said, after a couple of minutes of the walk at the end I was on the long incline to my home and as I did last time, decided to run the rest of the way up it and around the corner to Tesco, to purchase a packet of chocolate biscuits as I'd promised myself a treat with my post run cuppa! It was only a couple of additional minutes but I was glad I did it, all grist to the mill of my first parkrun on the local uphill course.
Another contributory factor to my sticking with Laura was that I'd had a wee twinge in my achilles right at the end of the 20 minute run in Week 5, then I thought I detected something there on run 1, however on this run there wasn't a peek out of it so I'm hopeful it was a one (or two?) off.
Note for any prospective supermarket thieves, if you want to get away with it, do it before 7 am as although the store was open, I went in, used the self service till and despite checking all the aisles (it was one of the smaller local stores) not a sinner did I see.
I think the staff were asleep in the back.
W8 R1 - Had to dig deep for this one
At last 4K!!!
Disaster and a dark mind... Plea for encouragement!
Week 5 Run 3 - Done!!!!!
