Auntie/niece time 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️

[Yesletsgo]

My niece, in her mid 20s, announced that she'd like some running shorts for her birthday. This came as a total shock as she's very artistic and most years I buy her paints, brushes etc. It was a novelty to know more about what to buy her as a present than she did

Her other exercise routines (lots of yoga, Pilates, spin etc) mean she's way fitter than I'd realised. I asked her if she fancied coming for a run this morning (we stayed with her family last night) and when she said 'yes' I discovered that she's already running 5k faster than me and is planning to do triathlon training. Oh well, in for a penny.

When we set off this morning I suggested a very easy 3k to begin with. I wanted to reinforce the idea that fast isn't the only measure of success. We went to the local park and set off at a modest pace. After a few hundred metres my heartrate was through the roof. I hadn't realised it was an uphill slope. Sheepishly I asked if we could walk for a minute or two before my heart exploded.

We had a lovely run after that. The park has a 1km pathway marked so we did a circuit anticlockwise, then realised that if we did it clockwise it would mostly be downhill. The second circuit was so much easier, except that the NRC app that was recording it stopped and restarted of its own accord so only half the run was recorded. On the third lap we didn't complete the circle but headed back to where we'd started from, so more downhills and exactly 3km.

I definitely demonstrated the difference between a conversational pace and going too hard and fast, the slopes took care of that for me. Hopefully we'll be running my local 10k later this year though something tells me I'll just be chasing the dust on her heels by then. How lovely to be young and fit!

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10]

This sounds like such a special run! What a lovely family time together. ❤️❤️❤️

[Yesletsgo Graduate10 in reply to MissUnderstanding]

It was really lovely, she's a wonderful girl and it was nice to be able to have an excuse to chat about running. I've introduced her to the NRC app too

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate]

It's wonderful to go and do something with granddaughter, I go to the gym with mine. The young get fit quickly don't they?

[Yesletsgo Graduate10 in reply to SueAppleRun]

She's so sweet, she doesn't know any other runners so apologised that she can 'only' do 5k in around 35 minutes. I told her that's better than my PB! When we finished our run we did a few stretches and a downward dog. She then dropped from the downward dog to a plank, a few pressups and then bounced, literally to her feet. Poor old auntie was just standing there open mouthed 😂

It's just lovely to be reminded of the energy that young people have

[Oldfloss Administrator 60minGraduate]

This is lovely! Well done you and well done her!

I laughed when I read the opening line.. my daughter buys me stuff for my painting for gifts, (watercolour paints are so pricey! but this year, she is buying me a new running shirt!

Doing what you did is surely going to set her on a real journey and to share it with you.. super!

Young and fit... wonderful...but older, wiser and fit... I feel that has its merits too... as you are proving!

Brilliant !

[Yesletsgo Graduate10 in reply to Oldfloss]

Trying to be a role model in the right way for once 😂

[Oldfloss Administrator 60minGraduate in reply to Yesletsgo]

Love it...xxx

[Fionamags Graduate10]

Lucky you! Sounds wonderful. I hope you have many more lovely runs together.

[Yesletsgo Graduate10 in reply to Fionamags]

Thanks, I hope so too. I suggested we run my local 10k in October...we'll see