The last time I went for 'a run' I was 15 and it was the annual hell of school cross-country. Even then I hated running, I'm just not built for it and what's the need when walking gets you to the same place slightly later? My 15 year old self cleverly avoided the whole hour hell of the cross-county by bribing the route monitor (the class fat girl who happened to have a sick note) to let me duck through a hedge a few minutes into the race. I hung around until the race leaders ran past then tagged onto the end of them. I didn't have the 6 inches of mud stuck forming a heavy clay heel on the bottom of my trainers from crossing the newly ploughed field (we were very rural!) so managed to sprint well up the school field to the finishing line - I was very pleased with myself coming third and getting all the wow you came out of no-wheres, I did let them go to my head! Thanks to my pledge to get moving over the next ten years, I thought it would be important to get those feet going a bit more quickly. In fact a few friends have set me various milestones a 10km run next year, a half marathon the year after and (laughingly) the London Marathon (remember - I have ten years, if I start now I may finish in 2020!).
So I have now completed two 45 minute runs (well I was out of the house for that long). I set off at 7am so I wouldn't see anyone I knew, I left my glasses at home so I wouldn't see anyone I knew. The first time the sky was blue, the birds were singing, it was almost nice to be out. The second time it started raining sideways - not so good and I discovered that my new trainers aren't waterproof. I tried the run two minutes, walk two minutes method of training. I managed to stumble forward for nearly two minutes, stumble forward less quickly wishing for an oxygen tank for just over two minutes.
Apparently this exercise is good for you - the week after my first running attempt I'm not sure my legs agreed with that statement, hoping for just a few days of protesting this time.
London Marathon hahahahah - I'll take the London Snickers instead.
PS teenage me did have weird fashion sense and yes did wear odd shoes.
Snap. running is just wrong.
ReplyDeletelol at the shoes :)
Good for you! My 16 year old daughter is dragooning me out of the house to go running with her, on a 'Couch to 5K' programme. I am actually enjoying it, because running is the ONLY sporty thing I can do. Hate swimming, hate watersports, please don't ask me to do anything involving a ball, have injured myself too many times trying to ski.
ReplyDeleteI laughed when I read your school cross country story. Because I could run, I used to run flat out at school cross country and come in ahead of all the sporty hockey types. But what did the PE teacher say when I got back to the changing room? "Pity you can't do that in the rest of the sports." Encouragement, eh?
Go Christia!!!! Loving your 10 year challenge and wishing you more oxygen and a new, waterproof pair of trainers xx
ReplyDelete