Monday 2 July 2012

From 0 to 3 in 7 days

From a week of self flagellation to a week of abusing my leg muscles
Oooh it's been a while since I posted and so much has happened since the last self abusive blog post I put up.  Nothing too exciting, I haven't won the lottery and Jonny Depp hasn't asked me out on a date yet (give it time, the break up is still new) but I have upped my running.

So, I joined the Lordshill Road Runners (LRR) and ran with Father Christmas, ran in the rain, all shouty and proud and I also ran on the Saturday.  I ran three times in a week! I'd gone from 0 to 3 in a week, not as impressive as a Ferrari but more impressive than a Daewoo Matiz.  Imagine if you will a sort of Jackie Chan pose, punching the space in front of you, shouting 'Get In'.  Or alternatively giving yourself a pat on the back (I can do that as I have hypermobile joints, not so sure it's so good for the long term health of them to keep extending them?).  My belief and excitement grows with every run that I do and it continues to improve.  I'm running further before stopping and stopping less and for shorter periods of time.  I'm extraordinarily glad that I never listened to my mother who believes that God wouldn't have invented cars if we were meant to use our legs! It's great to be rebellious sometimes.

The increased running activity rolled into the Monday with week two with the LRR.  Mmm, something had possessed my legs, or my self belief or my lung capacity.  I was rubbish and I mean R U B B I S H.  I kept stopping, more than I'd done in weeks. My legs felt heavier, like someone had snuck weights into the soles of my trainers, and lead lined my socks.  I sweated and I heaved myself round but I just wasn't that great and I felt bad about it.  Surely my fitness should be increasing, not decreasing.  I do hope that I'm not one of those unfortunate few whose genes dictate that they just won't get fit (there was a whole programme about this, I'm pretty sure it was Panorama as well)? If I am I'll just go get myself a Daewoo Matiz and be done with it. Hurrumph.

A friend who comes with me had decided to go into the next group up as she's fitter and lighter than me.  And she did five miles with her group and while I was really, really chuffed I felt a tinge of jealousy.Why couldn't I run that far yet?  I've been going out for about two months now, why aren't I shooting round the common in no time and a size 10 already?  In my head I was stamping my foot, and crossing my arms whining that it wasn't fair, Nelly the Elephant looming loud in my ears with a sub woofer and the volume turned up high.  And I decided to stop that, I had a word with myself, turned the music down, changed the tune and moved on.

Morning runs
Not the kind after a particularly vehement curry, but the trainers and alarm clock type of run.  After my success with three runs in a week I wanted to carry it on.  And having busy evenings with preparation for a hypno client, and seeing the client I had to fit one in somehow.  The only conclusion was that it was going to have to be an early morning run. Now for me to get to work in a timely manner requires leaving the house about 8 ish, so to fit in a run requires getting up about 6 ish. Ouch.  The words of my mother were ringing in my ears.  I thought it likely that the bed would be victorious over trainers.  Running gear was laid out like a brides wedding dress before the big day.  Alarm was set.  Whining about it on Facebook had been completed. Sleeping commenced.  Alarm clock started.  Snooze button was hit.  The internal dialogue started. I was saved by a good friend who happened to also be up at that ungodly hour and posted on Facebook 'Are you running yet?'  That was all it took, the PJ's slipped to the floor, the Bongadong scaffolding was applied, wick away shorts, double skin socks, hair scraped back to create a mini facelift, trainers at the door and I was off.

It was bloody marvelous. I felt high as a kite, I'm sure you could get an equivalent feeling by having a line of cocaine with your Cornflakes and coffee (if that was your thing) but I got mine because I ran. And because I was pushing towards a future that I believe in and want.  Because I'm eventually getting it, this thing called self belief, this treating yourself nicely with a bit of respect.  I'm really, really getting it and it beats the evil sofa, the glasses of wine, the extra hour in bed, the big bags of sweets . . .

The Jedi Runners
And now the training starts in earnest with Adam Eason's Hypnosis for Running and the Jedi Runners for support.  The hypnosis will start and perhaps more early morning runs to get me to that 10 mile fitness goal.

And tonight . . .
With the LRR, we ran about four miles.  More than I've ever done, with less stops and more running. Que Jackie Chan stance while shouting 'Get In'.


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