Picture the scene...
Sunday 24 February 10am: A quite hungover Woman A is having a greasy breakfast with two friends, after a night out on the wine. "So are you really going to start this running thing this morning?" They say with a bit of a laugh. After all this is not like Woman A at all. Running? We'll see how long this lasts, if it starts at all! After they have gone, Woman A rummages around in her wardrobe and finds an old pair of trainers and some gym gear she bought for a short stint at the gym about 12 years ago. I am going to start this! she thinks. I have lost weight and this is the next step! But she knows she is so unfit this is going to be hard. But the hardest bit is getting out the front door they say. So tentatively out she goes, hoping none of the neighbours will see. She has her husband's ancient iPod, just in case she drops it. Huff puff she goes, running for 1 minute is very tough! Her nose is running, she feels sick, was it the wine last night? Or the bacons and egg? Plus her pants are going up her bum and her jogging bottoms are falling down. And it is hilly. And it is muddy. She can't even manage to do some of the 1 minute runs properly. At home she collapses beetroot-like onto the sofa. This is going to take forever she thinks, I will have to repeat week 1 half a dozen times!
Picture the scene...
Tuesday 30 April 5.50am: Woman B's alarm clock goes off. She gets out of bed straight away because she's awake already. In fact she's been awake for ages, excited about this morning's run. She goes to the bathroom where her matching Karrimor running gear is laid out neatly reading for her. She gets dressed, puts on her stopwatch, moisturises, goes downstairs, has a drink of water, turns on her iPhone and goes to her bespoke running playlist (all her inspirational running tunes), sets up her Strava, clips it into her armband, folds up a tissue and tucks it into her tights, and goes out the door, locking it with her special running key that slips neatly into her tiny running tights pocket. Perfect running conditions! she thinks, lovely and cold, but sunny too (that's ok as she is wearing her special running glasses). She does her 5 minute walk and then starts her Strava and off she goes, not fast but very steady, on her favourite running route (flat, smooth, not many roads to cross) in the sunshine, pass the fields, says hello to a duck in the stream and a couple of other joggers, waving thanks to cars who pause to let her cross some roads. When she feels tired she slows down a bit, no need to stop, just take it steady. 36 minutes and 5K later she's done. She smiles and walks the 5 minutes home.
Woman A and Woman B are of course the same woman: me, Jonut. And I am proof that if I can do it, anyone can!
Thank you Laura, thank you all the lovely people on this forum who have given me so many tips and support, most of the things Woman B does are because of you!
B210K W5R3 Girl Interrupted
My daughter's advice
Mondays run and Mrs LeeU's Graduation.
Run of shame.
Who else runs with their dog?
