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!)
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