C25K is my bitch, even if nature hates me

I've been moderately terrified of today's solid 20 minute run since I first saw the C25K training schedule six weeks ago, and even when I set out this morning I was pretty unsure about my ability to actually finish without having to stop and walk.

An enormous spider dropping out of a tree and straight into my path when I was all of about 20 seconds in didn't help (although it did add vaulting and an extra sprint to my session).

Yeah, pretty much like that. Only I'm sure it had fresh blood dripping from it's fangs. [from here]

I desperately wanted to give up after about 15 minutes, but instead I cranked up my tunes, powered on and amazingly enough, I actually finished the 20 minutes!

I celebrated by flinging a victory fist in the air and letting out a whoop that neatly turned into a choking cough while I swallowed the fly that had been buzzing around my head and waiting for me to die for the last ten minutes.

Yup, just like the old lady of yore.

BTW, how cool are these "There was an old lady who swallowed a fly..." nesting dolls?! I want some. [from here]

And then, on the cooling walk home, still picking fly parts out of my back teeth, I had to navigate through an area covered in blooming clover and currently occupied by a herd of bees (herd? flock? swarm? it's actually a swarm, isn't it?).

Pastoral beauty my ass. More like Nature's Killing Range. [from here]

I can only conclude that Australian wildlife are alarmed at my increasing fitness and are now trying to keep me weak and incapable of escape. Which isn't really a surprise considering that it's, you know - Australia.

But who cares! C25K was totally my bitch this week and that's what counts. Suck it, nature!