Hail to all Ye Xmas Running Types
After a ghastly two weeks of lost mojo, sad HU posts of woe, feeling generally "over-toxed" with end of the year alcoholic beverages and hi fat foodstuffs, this morning (after a mammoth lie in until 10:30am!!) I squeezed my apples, pressed my cucumber and pulverised my celery stick! Yes - I MADE JUICE! Swallowed said concoction with a spoonful of energy giving honey, connected up Laura and warned her that she'd better be gentle with me this outing, as I hadn't ventured outside for a while. I was going to re-do WEEK 8 this time, which was a 28 minute run non stop. I'd last done this 6 months ago, so I was wondering what musical delights/horrors awaited me!
Endomondo crunched along in the background measuring my distance and pathetic speed as Laura told me that it was time to run - "3-2-1...GO!" I did as I was told and made sure I remembered that it was "distance" NOT "Speed" that was the key to this run. The weather was hideous. I'd forgotten about the storm warnings and the amber alerts and all that stuff and at one point as I trundled through the rain, a massive gust of wind rendered me unable to breathe OUT! I ran with my hand over my mouth for a few yards (that dates me doesn't it?) and then took my hand away once the wind had died down.
Kilometre 1 was fine, especially when I reached the A road I run along towards Richmond. The wind was sooooo strong, I was being literally blown along! "Is this cheating, time wise" I wondered. "Who flamin' cares!" I replied to myself. I just enjoyed the amazing sensation of running UPHILL pretty fast! It was like GOD had got hold of a blow football pipe and was blowing it on my back. I powered on, reaching K2 and the wind continued to assist my efforts. I was waiting for my right shin/calf/ankle to start playing up with pain, which it had been doing for many many weeks. I'd had treatment for it and it had worked to an extent, but I still got pain, albeit bearable, in my shin. This morning - NADA. Nothing. NUFFINK! "Hooray! I've run 2K and have no pain. Go Dan go!" I said.
Time for K3 which meant running round the swimming bath car park and heading home in the direction I'd just come, but this time AGAINST THE WIND! Didn't Bob Seger write a song called that? Anyway.....I powered on. The wind was so strong and I was battling against it. Again, a gust stopped me being able to breathe out and I did the "hand-over-mouth" thing again. I thought of all you lovely people who have given me encouragement on here and it kept me going. I hear JUICYJU whispering in my ear "Push that body. Punish that body" and I did exactly as she told me (I mean, who'd dare not to?). Going uphill with a 70mph wind pushing me backwards meant my speed was almost in reverse - I was sooooo slow, but I kept going. More posts that I've read came into my brain "Running isn't easy"...."It's sooo hard"....."Give yourself treats at the end" and again, it kept me going.
I eventually rounded a corner and run down towards the Thames river and the wind wasn't blowing here - it was totally calm and I felt pretty good. Not far to go now I thought. ":Where's Laura? Shouldn't she be letting me know stuff by now?" She didn't let me down! No sooner had that thought gone through my head, Laura announced just 5 mins to go. "Oh yeessss!" I thought. "I am not going to stop. I am going to complete this run. Yes I will!" I pushed on, JuicyJu performing her mantra in my head like some sort of Nepalese Guru sitting on top of Mount Everest dressed in flowing robes and a head band, whilst eating chocolate lollipops. (dunno why I imagined that, but there we are....)
"One minute left" said Laura. "You little beauty" I said to myself "Don't speed up now, just keep it together for less than 60 more seconds, you impressive, handsome hunk of athletic God!" (A bit vain perhaps, but I need to cheat myself sometimes! Ha!). I reached the end of my run at last! Laura congratulated me, then tried asking me out for a drink at her place. I declined respectfully. We had to keep this professional after all!
Got home and felt great! Filled up the jacuzzi and got in, luxuriating in the jets of water on my aching legs.
Today was hard. Running is hard. But I did it today and felt magnificent. Thanks to ALL of you who has encouraged me. Without whom.....
You get the picture!
Dan X
Who am I? I AM KATY AND I BEAT W5R3!
I beat those gremlins!
Gone with the wind…..
I Got Sunshine in my Shoes
