Every second counts.

This year I shall be 50 years old. 18262.1 days old. 1,577,836,800 seconds old. 

Time moves on, it takes us back and forth in memories and every second is precious. Hours, days and years pass and yet sometimes events make us feel like it was only yesterday we left school, made a new friend or took up a hobby.

Thirty four years ago I left school to begin my adult life. I have kept in touch with several school friends some of whom only in recent years through the wonders of the technical revolution. One bestie I have travelled half way round the world for, twice. The magic of a real hug after months of virtual ones is incredibly powerful. 

Though Facebook I have been able to add my congratulations to friends I have yet to re meet up with who are also celebrating their 50th year this year. I had the pleasure of visiting north Devon  a couple of months back to join in festivities for a particularly special friend, a great night of dancing and drinking was had. Last night I partied in a barn, a real barn, with a disco and a large number of people! This bestie I had not seen since the day we parted company on our last school day. 

All these people have not changed one bit. OK, we may look a bit older and we are certainly wiser from life experiences but underneath we are exactly the same. I loved them then and I love them now.

I consider myself very lucky to have met many friends along the way. My husband, of course, no one knows me better, he really can read me like a book. Some stay the course and if they've been with me this long then I shall not be letting them go anytime soon. They are a very important part of my life. Thankfully not so many where circumstances have sent us on different paths and new ones bringing friendship, support and encouragement in many guises. 

My Timehop app took me back four years this morning to my Facebook status that read "5K, 42 minutes, I'm feeling sick and I need a lie down." Yesterday I completed my parkrun 5K in 30 minutes and 3 seconds. I still felt sick and I could have had a lie down but settled for a perch on a bench. Twelve minutes improvement in four years, to say I'm over the moon would be an understatement. (This is my official parkrun time, my coach's time has me at sub 30 and had I not had to stop and tie my laces my official time would have also been under 30!) 

A few months back a new friend took me under her wing and has very kindly been nurturing me along in my quest to improve my running. She devised a plan for me, this encouraged me to do speed work and I even ventured onto the track. She explained how to increase my distances, slowly and steadily and most importantly she made me realise that running sometimes should just be an easy and enjoyable outing. Sometimes she also forgoes her own parkruns to run with me, to pace me and to keep me going. Added to this one of my running club leaders has been leading sessions on exercises, stretching, track and hill. Fellow runners are incredibly supportive and encouraging. All in all I am incredibly lucky to be surrounded by such good people. All of these wonderful people have helped me to improve my running and I did not think this would be possible. I am very grateful to each and everyone of them. Thank you all. 

This morning I have spent time with another very good friend, sadly she is injured but we did manage a few loops around the park and very many minutes putting the world to rights. Her most important message to me today was to concentrate on the seconds you are currently in. Enjoy each and every one of them as much as you can. Thinking back to happy times is good, but you can't change the not so happy ones so don't dwell upon them, remember them and put them away. Thinking forward is good for time planning and all that organisational stuff  but there's no point wasting precious time worrying about chores waiting at home until you get home. 

Every second is precious, make the most of each and every one of them. Oh, and those three seconds I need to lose on my parkrun time, they'll happen, and be sure, you will hear me scream when it happens!     

Loosening My Laces

I've clocked up 23 miles this week. I'm quite chuffed about that.

Monday was an inset day, no work for me. The teachers were writing their reports and I was taking stock of my beautiful surroundings on an almost 7 mile round trip. I added in an extra loop to a tried and tested route that I usually enjoy and this outing was as lovely as usual.

Wednesday after work I was treated to a visit from my lovely DiL and the scrumptious granddaughter. Oh how I could eat her. My heart melts when she looks at me and that face breaks into a smile. Her eyes sparkle, she gurgles and I am putty in her hands. When they left I changed into my kit and set off to running club. Half way along my journey it finally registered that it was, once again, pouring with rain. Fellow runners waited under trees and out in the open getting soaked through, not me, I waited until the very last minute before leaving the dry and warmth of my car.

I am very fortunate that a club organiser is training for her running coach qualification and is needing guinea pigs, free coaching for me then!  Hill training was planned for this session. The Vale of Taunton kind of gives away the fact  that there are not many hills in the town and  I had been pondering all week where we would do the training. We trotted off to Galmington and found a hummock.

I had promised, mostly to myself, that I would not moan my way through this session. You may know, I HATE hills.We started with some warm up stretches and then had to run around the crescent and back four times. Every ounce of effort was required and we had to remember posture, arms, knees up oh and to breathe. And off we went.

Up the hummock, or maybe it had become a hillock, whatever it was a steepish incline but I quite quickly and efficiently got to the top and relaxed back down the other side. No problem, hills, don't know what my issue is with them. I turned around and was soon back to the top of the rise and enjoyed the next relaxed down. Second climb. Actually that was a hill, not a big one I grant you but that gradient was enough to make breathing considerably harder. Shouts of encouragement from Sandra helped and I must have been doing everything OK as she wasn't telling me to change anything. Relief, the top was reached and I got some puff back on the decline.

The third attempt and I couldn't believe I was going to have to do the climb again. I really didn't think I was going to make it to the top. I was going to need crampons and a rope. The quicker, proper runners were gradually increasing their leads and I was meeting them coming back as I reached the summit.

Soaked to the skin, exhausted and in need of a quiet lie down in a darkened room I set off on my final trek up the mountain. I made it, as I had slowed down quite considerably oxygen was not required and I was so happy with myself for not having moaned once, I hadn't had the spare breath to do so.

By the time we got back to the cars just over 4 miles had been added to my weekly tally. (I still HATE hills, but I'm not moaning!)

Thursday after school Gill and I set off for our after work chatty run. I don't know how Gill manage to run and talk without sounding like the steam train I turn into! On a whim I suggested a different route and Gill is usually happy to go wherever I lead. I actually took us off road which is very unusual for me. I like roads and pavements and it wasn't long before I was regretting the extra weight from the mud stuck to my trainers. We put the worlds to rights and clocked up almost 4 miles.

Sunday, today, my first trip out in my brand new trainers. Grape, lime and white in colour, gel in the soles and go faster stripes. What more could a girl need in running shoes. I set off on my long run route adding in another loop to lengthen it further and was very soon saddened that my legs were not loosening up and each and every step was darned hard work. I thought I might cut it short and detour back home the quick way but decided that as it was such a beautiful morning I would keep going. I keep reading on running forums that to take a walking break is absolutely fine, but why does it always feel such a cop out?

My go faster stripes were not working, the gel in the soles was not making the journey any less painful or easier and the colour of my shoes matched the colour of my face perfectly.  I decided that I had tied my laces too tightly and this was my problem. I ploughed on with my chosen route, and completed 8 miles in a fairly slow venture. Eight miles is better than zero miles so no harm done.

Next week's running choices include hashing, (probably far too muddy for my liking) some self led speed work, (I aim to be quite quick on the downhill and quite slow on the up hill) a club time trial, (not done this before and I am quietly terrified) my weekly run with Gill, (must remember to ask her lots of questions so she does all the talking) and parkrun, (but not in my new trainers unless the sun shines ALL week!)