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| Jessica Ennis. She's brilliant. |
I’ve started running
again. I used to run a lot… but that all ended about seven years ago. Back
then, I was super fit, super slim and super healthy. Then things changed. But
I’m giving it another go.
So last July, I
started doing the NHS’s Couch To 5km running programme, which I heartily
recommend. It’s a series of podcasts, led by the most friendly woman ever,
which guide you from being a lethargic slob to being able to run 5km in nine
weeks. It was so good that I started to have separation anxiety about finishing the
podcast series as I couldn’t bear to be parted from Laura.
Couch To 5km took me a
little longer than the recommended nine weeks… I finished it in November, so,
err, it took me nearly twice as long (this is because I had various trips away and was working
away for several weeks). But so what? I got there in the end. And I felt better
for it.
Then, on the stroke of
midnight on 1 January, I signed up for the Bristol 10km which is on 11 May. I
haven’t run in a race since 2006, and that was only a 5km (I’ll do the maths
for you, that’s eight years ago), so this was quite some challenge. And to
prepare me for it, I’ve signed up for a 5km race on 9 March… so that
will be my official first race since 2006.
Training in the
miserable weather we’ve been enduring the past few months has not been much fun.
It’s dark when I leave for work, and dark when I come home from work, and I’m
exhausted at weekends from work (I have two full-time jobs, one of which is
unpaid). But I make myself. I dress myself up in a ridiculous combination of
kit – running tights, long-sleeved technical top, long-sleeved running jacket,
running gloves, ear-covering headband (after too much earache from the wind)
and baseball cap – and spend up to an hour huffing and puffing my way around
the park in all weathers.
It’s a cliché, but I do feel better for it. Even if I
desperately don’t want to get out of bed and do it. My dog comes out running with me, and she's fantastically good company and very supportive. I also try to fun mindfully - meaning that despite the cold, wind and rain I try to notice the things around me... the magpies who need to be saluted, the rare colourful flowers poking through the mud, the work done by our lovely park keeper Ray.
I’ve now signed up for
four races in 2014 (so far)… two 5kms and two 10kms. And I may well sign up for
more. Although it feels daunting at the moment, it’s good to have those diary
dates and commitments to focus my training and keep me on track.
I will report back…
Links for running beginners:
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