It was all Jon's idea. Chatting over a cuppa in the Lakes Home Centre, he was saying that he found the Monday and Thursday BodyFit sessions difficult since his return to running after a break. 

So he casually suggested that previously, he found doing longer runs on a Saturday helped him build up the stamina needed to get through Sam's hour of torture, sorry I mean exercises. 

We all nodded enthusiastically. That post-run high doesn't half make you feel invincible. 

The following Saturday, he turned up with a map for an 8k-ish loop. Serious effort had gone into this plan. 

I couldn't do it due to other commitments but pledged to be there the following Saturday, mad fool that I am. 

He did do the route with speedy Edna and they came back buzzing. 

It rolled round to the following Saturday. It was a gorgeous morning and I felt up for the challenge. 

Jon, Edna, Michelle, Margaret and Elaine were too. Janette, Julie and Wendy didn't want to and set off on our normal route. 

Speedy Edna and Routemaster Jon were very reassuring - the biggest hill we'd have to face was Papcastle, then it was fairly flat. 

Despite them being faster than everyone else, we'd run at the slowest pace (me and Elaine) so we'd stay together. 

Michelle and Elaine faced the route with trepidation as they'd never run this far before. 

I too was slightly nervous. Despite two 10ks under my belt, it's still a big thing for me. 

So it was up Papcastle, through Broughton across to Brigham and back to Lakes Home Centre. 

I ran with Michelle and she swears blind she was doing her normal pace, which made me feel good as she's significantly quicker than me. 

We made it up Papcastle without passing out and the run to Broughton was lovely. 

We passed farmers who looked at us like we were mad, but we could have been in the middle of nowhere. 

But it soon became clear that you can't trust Jon and Edna. They lied. There were hills and a lot of them. 

This was despite the fact that Edna kept saying "This is the last hill".

The worst was Brigham, when we could have turned down Low Road back to base. 

Stupidly - I blame the endorphins - I said "Come on, we'll go the other way" and convinced poor Michelle that it was a good thing. 

I don't know where we were, really, but it was a hill that never ended. 

Sam's been teaching us about living in the moment this week and just focusing on the loop you're doing, rather than what you did before or will do next. 

It took all my mental energy to focus on the next step. 

But we made it and then Parklands was in sight. 

Never has a housing estate looked so welcoming - it was the final stretch and downhill. 

I hadn't really noticed but Michelle and I were in front too, despite not knowing where we were going. 

We'd racked up 9.3km and I know that running round the car park would have got us to 10k but I really did not have the energy. 

The bacon buttie in the cafe was probably the best I've ever tasted though. 

It was a good idea Jon, but I quite possibly hate you too. 

Will I do it again? I'm going to have to. Dianne was away so no doubt she'll want a go tomorrow.