My longest run yet.
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Last night I decided that I would get up at 5AM this morning and go for a run before starting work.
I didn’t bother setting an alarm as my beloved daughter has been waking up at about 4:30ish for a bottle so I figured I’d be up anyway.
She informed me that she was hungry (by letting out a piteous wail – as babies do) so I jumped up to go make the bottle. As I got there I noticed the time 6:15! That scuppered my plans for a morning run (and I was ever so grateful) so instead I went for a late afternoon run.
It was a glorious afternoon. The sun was shining brightly but the air was cold, so it was the best of both worlds.
I started off near my house and did my normal warm up walk for about 500 250 metres. I then started to run.
The plan for today was to do a long run. I had scouted out my route on G-Maps Pedometer and it looked to be approximately 11km. That would make it pretty much the longest run I’ve ever done. The first bit was relatively easy. I took it easy and just plodded along. I hit a short sharp hill but it was no problem. I then arrived at the boat sheds that I’ve mentioned previously.
The elevation profile that I got off my Garmin after the run makes it look like my run was a series of hills. I would’ve said that in reality between 15 minutes and 35 minutes was flat as I was running along the coast and don’t recall any up or down bits. Never mind.
I got to Mission Bay and then hit the bit of the run that I had been dreading. There is a relatively steep hill that is about a kilometre long. I actually think I did quite well as I managed to run about halfway up before I figured that I could probably walk faster than I was running. So what I did then was walk/run the rest of the way up – lamp post to lamp post. Once I got to the top it was all gravy as what goes up must come down. It was a pretty sharp descent along a nice grass track next to the road all the way back to the Orakei Basin.
It was at this point that disaster struck. I felt internal rumblings and thought “uh oh!” Those last few kilometres were not fun. I’d passed about 5 public bathrooms and umpteen restaurants and cafes in the first half of my run but I there wasn’t one anywhere near where I was. Let’s just leave it there and move on.
I ran through the Basin and right at the end of it I hit the dreaded stairs. 113 of the buggers. I was knackered by the time I got to the top so the last 2km took 15 minutes as I had a bit of a rest and a slow walk to recover.
One thing I did regret was that I didn’t bring my camera along this time. This run had beautiful views at every point in it. Seaside vistas, marinas, horses in fields, beautiful people in trendy cafes etc. And it was such a beautiful day too!
Overall I did 12.15 km (which is about 7.5 miles) which is the longest run I’ve done yet. It took me 1:04 to do the first 10 K (including the steep hill!) and 15 minutes to do the last 2k but overall I’m very pleased.[ad#default]
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Well done on the longest run! You should be pleased!
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Oh no talk about bad timing with your gut! Well done for completing the run regardless, that could not have been fun!
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serious KUDOS on the longest run for you. and WAY further than I have ever run.
have a great weekend.
LAUGHED at your Prez Fitness Test remark!
MizFits last blog post..Link Love and a Friday FREEBIE!
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Well done on the 11Km – keep building – only 5 months to the 21.1 !!!
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Gosh… another day, another milestone! Can you imagine, a year or so ago, just going for a 10+m run one afternoon…. ya know, like it’s no big deal! Big bravos to you!
j
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Sounds like you had a wonderful run. Even with those yucky 113 steps. You ROCK!!
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Great job! I think it’s fabulous the way you keep challenging yourself by not balking at hills and stairs — instead of going around or turning back, you just tackle them!
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Way to go on a great run – I am jealous of you and the view you have to run with. My view is just trees and houses.
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What a great run! I have decided that I will run with a camera as soon as I get one!
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Ugh, don’t you HATE it when your body doesn’t get the timing right for when you’re going to be around the bathrooms? One of the less glamorous aspects of the sport, to be sure.
Great job on your long run though!!
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Thanks all! It’s great to have such support.
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Andrew, great effort.
To do 12km in that time (with the accompanying challenges
) is great. I’d be happy to do 12km in around the hour mark. And I know what you man by those long hills.
I skipped on over to the G-Maps Pedometer too. What a cool tool.
Bill
Bill Wallaces last blog post..Another Day, Another 500g
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I love the feeling of going farther than you ever have before – congrats!
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HAHAHAH The internal rumblings reminded me of my Mum. It happens a lot to her when we’re out and about. . .usually at the most inopportune moment also.
12kms! That’s awesome. Congrats on your new PB.
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Well done, that explained why you are all buggered by the time you get home
And you had to mention the internal rumblings, eh
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[...] Andrew, (though not a woman, but definitely a parent) finds time sandwiched between his daughter’s first bottle and his work day. [...]
Well done Andrew! Amazing!!!
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You should be very pleased with your run. Amazing how far you’ve come since you were just doing a little 5k!
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