Real run - with stats.

Well this morning came and I only hit snooze on the alarm twice. I had my sensible-ish breakfast and regular giant coffee and tried to mentally prepare myself. 8 miles was the goal. And it seemed pretty insurmountable. I'm somewhere quite hilly and knowing what I had to do made me want to baulk and climb straight back into bed.

Mile 1 - 11.20 (all up hill)

Mile 2 - 11.09 (up hill then a nice down)

Mile 3 - 9.55 (gently rolling)

Mile 4 - 10.52 (big hill then rolling)

Mile 5 - 10.16 (gently rolling down)

Mile 6 - 11.14 (gently rolling up)

Mile 7 - 10.31 (nice down, rolling, then up)

Mile 8 - 9.05 (down, down, down)

1.24.27

Avg 10.33 per mile

Despite some very negative thoughts whilst I was running it was overall a positive experience. I have to stop being mad that I've let so much fitness drop by the wayside and just GET OVER IT. It will only come back by actually doing something and trying - not by being pissed off with myself. The mojo might slowly be coming back.

So - quite slow, but outside and quite hilly. Who knows. I've just looked up my long run last year whilst I was here. It was meant to be 12 miles, but I only did 11. Average speed 10.22 - so apart from being 4 miles behind in my training (quite a lot behind really) I'm not as slow as I feared.

Possibly should have cut the above as it is extremely tedious - but hell, maybe my readers like the crazy stats and aren't just searching for Sports Bra Reviews (that'll get this post read more than it deserves). He he he.

Oh yeah - we did some other stuff this week. Went to Hexham, Newcastle, Lady's Well, Morpeth, all along the coast from Blyth to Newbiggin, Druridge Bay etc. All pretty and a distraction from there being little else to do.

Visited my Gran today which was really quite lovely - until the moment she pressed a dusty, ugly, nodding scottie dog into my hands. She put it there at the very last moment and I couldn't say no... TheO is now desperate to put it on the back of the new car (which we pick up on Wednesday - vv exciting).

Happy dogs, happy people. Final full day tomorrow then off to niiiice hotel with some pals - can't wait.