We had to run today, 3 years ago my daughter sent a text to say her and my grandson had just done week 1 run 1 of Couch to five k. What’s that says I? she explained and while i downloaded the app confessed that they only got half way through! There was some grumbling from Willow, his exact words were “just because they did it doesn’t mean we have to” so I said I wasn’t expecting him to come too i would go on my own, as anyone who’s been here a while knows, he came too and puffing and wheezing we completed our first run….. sitting at home drinking tea afterwards I was gazing lovingly at the app with one run ticked off, at the bottom of the screen was a more button…. I clicked that and found this amazing forum! I read a few posts about other peoples running journey and worked out how to write my own. A few strangers who I couldn’t believe would be interested welcomed us and said well done!
I’m great at starting things, getting all excited and then fizzling out, Once started Willow has to finish! So in the beginning, before it became habit, on the days I drove home tired and hungry thinking we’ll go tomorrow I’d be met by Willow in shorts with a cup of tea in his hand urging me to change so we could go. I bought a set of wireless ear buds so we could wear one each so i no longer had to bellow run or walk for the intervals. We graduated, it took longer than 9 weeks, we listened to music and ran for a bit longer every so often, eventually getting to the magic 5k we ran into winter and on boxing day of 2019 I carried on after we’d finished to run 6k, leaping up a high curb near the end I hurt my calf, and limped into 2020.
Fast forward to today otherwise I’ll be here forever, we had to run, woke up feeling the effects of gardening yesterday and way too much food late in the day, a low thyroid function and recent change in dose of pills, huge amounts of pain pills slopping round my body and general low mood but hey it’s our runniversary so we are going to run. we went to the park we first ran in, I took a photo as we walked into the park, we walked round once 500metres, we ran round twice 1k Willow got in the car, I walked round again and we came home. That was slower than slow, that was harder than hard, that was shorter than short but the sky is blue the sun is shining and we are smiling.
I wish to say a heartfelt thank you to the people of this forum, who cheered when we ran well who cheered us up when we didn’t and who advised when we got confused. All of you have been part of our running journey and no one has ever criticised. THANK YOU 😊
