This was the first slide in a PowerPoint presentation at a strategy meeting I had to attend after work on Monday. It became the theme of my week.
I don't actually remember much else about the meeting as earlier in the day I'd been rugby tackled by a 5 year old at playtime and ended up (in my valient effort not to crush him) face planting the floor. I split both lips and mightily banged a knee so sat in the meeting feeling like my lips were the size of house bricks and aware of a faint throbbing as my knee began its slow journey through multiple shades of purple.
So to Tuesday evening which was ear marked for running. I got home from work at some ridiculous hour and it was dark already. Contemplated not going - I might need to rest that knee? - But actually knew the knee (despite now having a bruise that even Year 6 boys were impressed by) was just an excuse to avoid what I'd been dreading - the first run in the dark this autumn. So pulled on my big girls pants and more importantly Laura's Speed Podcast (warm up, run, cool down all done in 30 mins) and got myself out there. And it was actually ok - nothing special but I felt better for doing it.
Roll on Thursday also earmarked for running and happily coinciding with a rare working from home day (I'm meant to have one of these a fortnight but they rarely happen) so planned a lovely autumnal early morning run. Was about 5 minutes out when I realised that the lovely purple sky (about the shade of my knee) was not some feature of the sunrise but just a big bag of rain. I was running in glasses and with no hat so completed the run 'blind - thank god for a familiar route! So first real rain and mud of the autumn - and you know what it wasn't so bad.
I'd planned a third run for Saturday after a morning at work (had to go in to catch up on some stuff - sometimes 5 days isn't enough) but really wasn't feeling it. Along with feeling knackered at the end of a long week my front tooth had been hurting since Friday (I'm assuming due to the face planting earlier in the week - dentist booked for Monday) so feeling sorry for myself I spent an afternoon on the sofa watching rubbish on the telly with my daughter and consuming an unhealthy amount of malteasers!
Cut to this morning and racked with guilt over yesterday's non-running I was determined to get up and get out .... into the pouring rain! Started in a grump - berating myself for not having run yesterday and for not going with the rain jacket or at least a long sleeved top as my hands and forearms were soon stinging with cold. Still at least I was wearing contacts this time so could see the grey morning, the puddles, the slippery leaves and stiles and mud in all their glory 😖.
But do you know what? By the end - despite having trouble getting Strava to finish because my fingers were so cold they didn't work - I was really enjoying it and was glad I'd done it.
So this autumn and indeed my life may not be offering up the perfect running conditions - mellow sun, crisp mornings, piles of rustling leaves - but I got my three runs in this week anyway and I'll be out there next week too come rain or shine. And I think things migjt be improving already - the knee is definitely developing the yellowish tinge of an older bruise and my tooth doesn't feel so bad....
Happy running everyone.
Written by
DebJogsOn
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Aw we’re in the wars this week aren’t we 🤷♀️🙄. Good on you for getting out. I have a fat lip and scraped knees too but had a jog yesters. Felt ok after and was pleased to get out. Saw a runner I know and we had a good chat 🙂
I didn’t get wet either. Yay sorry you did 🤨☹️ Makes you feel worse when. You’re not really 100% to start with
Yes - I've never felt terrible after getting out there- weirdly some of the runs I start reluctantly turn out to be the best - though I'd happily do without the rain!
What an eventful week Debs. I hope your bruised knee and lip look back to normal soon. The weather was determined to throw everything at us too. Yes my new list of running gear I need includes a pair of hi-viz gloves because if my ands are cold everything feels cold. I will probably need a nice new long sleeve top too. 😃more shopping.
Rugby tackled at work😆....you have to be tough to teach obviously!
I'm very impressed that you fitted your three runs in this week Deb despite the awful weather conditions, dark and your bruises...it would have been the perfect excuse to put running off.
I love that message and it's true, but it takes determination to carry it through...
Tough and slightly deranged I think are the requirements 😂.
I know if I run I always feel better in the end. 😊
Well done for toughing it out. This is (imho) what makes a runner. No point waiting (for motivation, or good weather, or feeling 150%) you just go out and do it anyway.
That makes you a woman of steel in my book! Poor you though, with the split lip and bruised knee. Hope you heal nice and quickly.
So impressed you got out three times, through rain and dark. Truly. Motivation can be hard at this time of year, but nothing like that post shower/bath after a run, eh.
👏👏👏
Sadie xx
PS I chickened out of a run this morning because of the driving rain, so now feel double guilty. I was like a dog scratching and whining at the door, mind. 😕
I think I'm on the mend. A bath and hot chocolate was a good reward for this morning's run. I can cope if it starts raining during a run but do find it hard to motivate myself if it raining before I go out. I wouldn't havr gone today if I hadn't already put a run off. But there's only so wet you can get isn't there?- Once you reach saturation point it doesn't get any worse... running in rain in glasses was a new low though!
I’m so glad you posted this. Ive got unreasonable gaps between runs at present because I really hate cold starts to runs. I feel lethargic when it’s like this. My last run was Thursday in pouring rain and cold. I was saturated. The previous run was five days before that. I KNOW I always feel better for getting out and running and never regret it, but I find this weather so ennervating. Your post is a timely reminder to work with what we have.
Meanwhile very sorry to hear you’ve been in the wars. X
Ah fantastic post Deb!! I totally agree with the quote too. It wasn’t the perfect week, but you did it. It’s funny how running makes you realise you’re capable of a lot more than you give yourself credit for. And we can feel the fear and the grumps and still do it anyway. Not standing in your own way is actually pretty fantastic!! Well done you!! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽😁❤️
Being an annoying perfectionist - who rarely gets anything done - this really resonated with me - "If you wait for the perfect conditions you'll never get anything done." Thanks for sharing that, I'll be referring to that often! And also thanks for sharing your inspirational and courageous post "face plant" runs! I recently graduated C25K and have been running 3 x 5k a week; and wondering if I should/could look to push that to 10k. The jury is till out on that one though as I see how well my aged knees and Achilles cope with what I am doing now.
I'm such a perfectionist at work so have worked hard to not do the same with running - otherwise it'd lose it's magic in being a complete relief from the stresses and demands of work and life in general.
Definitely give 10k ago - but be sure to enjoy the journey towards it and make it your own. I faffed about for about 3 months after graduating just consolidating running at 3x a week before increasing the distance gradually. I really had fun trying different routes, surfaces, things to listen to, short faster (for me) runs and gentler paced 5ks.
And I have aged knees too - they occasionally niggle but are doing fine.
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week3run1 ✅. 3 x 17 mins with 1 min walks. 
How did your parkrun or (not)parkrun go?
