Short run this morning. Here are the things that flowed across my mind whilst running, making good use of my mnemonic memory hooks to devise the next HU post during my run. My system works ok-ish, it keeps my mind focussed whilst on the run, and it helps to avoid that feeling that I have when I don’t use my hooks: when I know I thought about so many colourful things, wanting to capture these in a piece of writing, but for the life of me I cannot remember them!
So my memory hooks are often in use, and here are the ones from my run this morning:
★ 1 - T for threshold: first thing in the morning, I found myself cheering on other running buddies on HealthUnlocked, posting the link by Göran Winblad, who vlogs about running. In one of his videos, he talks about the hardest thing being the 2 cm threshold at the door of his house!
I love this video about this biggest barrier to getting your runs in. As a result of getting over those 2 cms, he’s set himself a 10 min rule, which is mightier than the 2 cm!
So I was writing about that, which got me telling myself off for procrastinating!
So up and out on a run!
I’ve yet again conquered the biggest gremlin of them all, that 2 cm threshold!
★ 2 - I’m imagining a perky number 2 on wheels racing through London: For the NRC audio-guided run, I chose one of the runs that were featured at the top. “Music for a Mood with Cityboymoe”. It’s a run through London, with Coach Dora and Music Artist and Runner Cityboymoe sharing their memories of music in their lives and how it keeps them in the zone whilst on the move.
Link nikerunclub.sng.link/A6sko/...
Virtually you’ll also be taken through the streets of London. There is a suggestion of being able to listen to an exclusive playlist from Cityboymoe, but trying to access that playlist proved to be a much bigger gremlin.
I first downloaded the audio-guided run, but hitting the music button didn’t open the correct playlist on Spotify. By then, I was already out of the house, standing on the street, but still trying to get the music playlist to work. I even considered abandoning this audio run, but then I thought I could search for the music artist and play that list whilst listening to the NRC run.
And that worked. Kind of.
It was good listening to Coach Dora and the music artist Cityboymoe chatting about running in London and also chatting about his music that I could then listen to. That worked and was a great experience. They also talked about how running and being a solitary artist are very similar; with both, you can feel quite vulnerable, putting yourself out there for everyone to see.
What was a shame, though, was that Cityboymoe also talked about other music artists he liked, and I’m sure their songs would have been on that exclusive playlist that I couldn’t access.
But I had a nice run through London (virtually).
★ 3 stands for items of faffing - I had another faffing-related anxiety. Once I was out on the road, my earplugs let me know in that female automated voice that their charge was medium! I had charged them all night, and I know if they are charged only halfway, they don’t last long. My nightmare was to be left running without music!
I know, for some, this is no biggie, but for me???? (😱🎼🔪🚿🩸😱🎼🔪🚿🩸😱🎼🔪🚿🩸Imagine the music of Psycho in the shower scene!!!!)
I even thought of turning around and not running ….. I know!!! Right!?
But I didn’t! I ran.
★ 4 stands for the four parts of my 30min run: First, the 7 min warm-up walk with some jeffing after the first 2 minutes. Second 10 minutes of continued run up the disused railway trail. Third, the continued joggle all the way down again. And fourth, a three min cool-down walk.
And I arrived at my door just as my NRC coaches finished their chat.
★ 5 I actually forgot. Huh! 🤔
★ 6 was for the walking part of my run, as I tried some Afghan walk-breathing techniques, all explained in this post healthunlocked.com/active10...
It’s part of our Active10 monthly walking challenge, but I cannot get the hang of aligning my breath to my steps …. yet.
The breathing-walking rhythm goes in - in - in - hold - out - out - out - hold . But I have to admit, it’s difficult and needs a focus. It really got me out of breath. And I was glad when the beep told me to run again, as running was actually easier on my breathing than to breathe to the rhythm of my walking steps.
So there it is. My run, in which I encountered gremlins galore but overcame them all!
Happy running, everyone!
I Warned Him A Run With Me and Running The London Marathon Would Be Too Much
NRC 10k plan Week 3: (not really a) Struggle Run
6km Club run & shall I enter the London sprint?
Spur of the moment run! 
