Seemed like a great idea at the time - update
After my first 5k I took a well-earned week off to celebrate a milestone birthday. This involved a short break in Wales combining highly disciplined regime of tequila, whisky, assorted beers, hot tubs, relentless rain, and beautifully empty beaches.
This elite conditioning paid off as back home I tackled the second 5k on 19th December. I chose a new route through my local woods — hilly, muddy, and the wrong trainers A slog, but I survived.
Run number three landed on Christmas Eve, along the marsh at sunrise. Cold, quiet, and genuinely lovely. Almost spiritual. Almost.
Christmas Day overindulgence then led directly to a hungover Boxing Day dawn 5k — run number four. Absolute suffering… yet inexplicably, I knocked out a personal best. Dehydration is my performance enhancer of choice.
Run five (attempt one) on 28th December was abandoned halfway after I ignored all lessons learned and preceded it with an early six-mile walk. Stupid
On 29th December walked up Moel Famau started in the dark, hit the summit at sunrise. Breathing felt great, heart rate down, no stopping for breath. I cannot recommend Couch to 5K highly enough (despite everything above).
Today — New Year’s Eve — I finally completed run five properly, back along the marsh. I was overtaken by a runner in a Tough Mudder Finisher t-shirt who disappeared into the distance at great speed. Inspired - I pushed on and somehow bagged another PB. I am now pulling an average time for my age. I’ll absolutely take that.
Huge thanks to everyone who’s donated — genuinely generous, and incredibly important in helping Education for Health keep asthma training free for those working with children and young people.
The messages and support have kept me motivated. I’ll update again once I survive the final three 5ks.
Cheers Wayne
