Friends......Runners.....countrymen (and women), I feel MAGNIFICENT! Todays runs was one of those runs where everything seemed to click into place - perfect breathing, solid legs, no twinges, no tiredness and NO MISERY!
Apart from when I couldn't get my radio app to work and the headphones kept pulling on my ears and then the ****ing Endomondo app didn't announce the first K time to me. THEN I cursed like a docker. I never bother with headphones, or any sort of aural entertainment (that's AURAL) as I find music gets on my nerves and I've never had headphones with a cord long enough NOT to pull my ***king ears off my head! I really wanted the Endomondo announcements today though, as it would have helped me with my pacing. Alas, twas not to be dear friends, so I pulled the headphones off with annoyance and stuffed them in my running tops pocket. I HAD also wanted to listen to a phone in on the radio about last nights LEADERS DEBATE (I LOVE politics and espesh elections!) but because the useless, shi**ng, crappy, pointless piece of ***t app kept dropping the signal, I couldn't even do that.
I need to "grr". Excuse me....
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!
That's better. Thank you.
I was feeling light as a feather today, probably due to not boozing for two days and getting a good nights sleep. I bounced along and didn't get even breathless until about 6K which was when I turned up the paceometer a bit. The weather was overcast but not rainy and the ducks and geese quacked on the Thames, alerting me to their presence on the water. This was RUN THREE of My Asics plan for my half marathon next autumn and I thought a lot about how far I've come since the breathless days of WEEK 1 where my heart pounded and threatened to come through my chest. Where my legs throbbed and pulsated violently. Where I felt like I could never get past the third run of week 1. And now here I was approaching an 8K training run with absolutely no fear that I couldn't do it. No fear that I might have to stop at some point. My fitness has built up incredibly slowly over the past two years, but boy, it is WORTH THE WAIT!
I remember my PRDs (Pre Running Days) where I felt clogged up. Could never breathe deeply enough to get air right into the bottom of my lungs. Where getting into the car, made me make that middle aged man noise - "Uuugghhwaaaghhh!" Where walking up stairs made me breathless and my trousers kept getting tighter - so much so that I bought a whole new set of troos a size bigger. Where my shirt buttons had the tiniest bit of "stretch" to them, meaning they were at their maximum holdage. Any fatter and the things would fly off like bullets taking someone's eye out!
Now two years later, I can breathe right to the bottom of my lungs and it feels MAGNIFICENT. I'm permanently slim waisted and my belt really has to do it's job now. My shirts hang better. I look younger cos my skin is clearer. I boing boing boing up stairs without any effort and I get in and out of the car with only the tiniest "Ughwaagh". These are huge benefits as far as I'm concerned and I really cannot stress enough how this plan really has magic qualities to it.
To NEWBIES out there, who's lives have got them all "clogged up", over weight, listless and low - I say this. DO this C25K plan and watch the riches it brings to your life. Let it take a year, even two....sod it, how ever long it takes - but you will feel younger again and get that feeling that little children have when they run and jump around with seemingly no tiredness whatsoever. I remember my youth so well and the relentless energy it brought. I'm not saying I have the same levels nowadays, but I'm pretty damned close!
So today was a good 'un. Better splits than the other day but still a bit of improvement required. On Sunday it's a 12K "comfortable" run so I'm looking forward to that.
Take care fellow runner chums and may your Easter bring you eggs, chocolate and a blessing from THE LORD! (I'm not talking about Nigel Farage here.....I mean the one "upstairs"....).
Until we meet again
yer pal
Dan.
Written by
danzargo
Graduate
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Yes, the orthotics have definitely helped in as far as "levelling" me up and getting support on take off. My one specialises in bio mechanics and helps a lot of athletes and rugby players so she knows her onions (so to speak). Good luck!
Makes me realise that it is worth the time doing the runs, I'm only on week 2 got 1 more run to do but I'm determined to complete c25k this time round, no excuses unlike the many attempts in the past,
I want to increase my fitness for when I do gymnastics, footy and in general my health, I'm not over weight but I have some health issues that in the past have helped me to gain some weight, I really am happy I have read your post, it makes me realise that this will be all worth it in the end, just now if my balance could get better it would help but doubt that it will get better any time soon
Good for you Siobhan. Get your aaassss out there as soon as you can. Thanks for your reply and allow me to wish you good luck in your fitness endeavours!
Ah, Dan - great post, as always! I'm adding a hearty hear-hear to the benefits, too. I celebrated my 2 year anniversary of starting the program with clearing out my wardrobe. Most of the clothes in it are just enourmous on me now - and my god, they were drab!! I was wearing old person clothes - no shaping (mainly as I didn't have any) and definitely no loud colours (would have looked too much like a barage balloon). Not sure why I had kept them all quite so long, but finally, they are no more! Instead, there is now one whole shelf (admittedly, it's a pretty small shelf, so it's not as bad as it sounds) that is all lycra (and not just black!) and what's left on the rails is only half the size of the stuff cleared out (and colours! who'd have thought I could wear colours and not feel embarrassed).
Half way through the program I remember feeling chuffed as I could hold a conversation while I walked up stairs, now, I tend to bound up them (it is after all, a good running exercise to practice getting those knees up!). I smile more, too - if only because I am still amazed that I can do this at all. Like Turbo says, though, I just cannot envisage you as a chubster!
Please please do. Just get some running shoes, download the podcasts and off you go!
Hi Dan,
Your post made me smile.. Thanks for that! It's hard to actually believe how it was for you in the beginning (sound biblical myself now!) and how you are now. I am trying to work myself up to even getting the Couch to 5K app on my phone - let alone doing it! Anyway,congratulations on your successes and long may it continue! Keep posting!
Lucy, start C25K THIS WEEKEND! All you have to do is do it. The HARDEST run you will ever do is the first one. So many peeps on here agree with me on this. The great thing is that in only 4 weeks you start to feel different and it gradually gets easier, mostly because if you do 12 runs (4 weeks) it becomes a habit in your brain - ie. your brain gets used to your body going outside and doing some running!
Just to say I would definitely agree with Dan's reply to you. This site is full of people with similar stories - even if they are not told as well. Give it a go and you won't regret it. Linda
Yay Dan , sound like you really had a GREAT run! God i just LOVE your posts, you are a very funny man(in a good way of course!) not to mention a pretty mean runner too!
aah, glad you are no longer Mr Podge! My brother said to me the other day, "good job you took up this running, you were turning into a bit of a chunkster!" thanks Paul! Pointed out to him that i'm around the same weight as 2012 (when i lost 2 stone through Slimming world) but certainly much more toned and fitter since 2014! He had been working abroad alot so didn't see him much then! Forgiven i suppose! Hes just worried cos i weigh less than him now!
HAPPY EASTER to you, and many more happy runs !
Why thanking you Dan...I was contemplating not going out for a run this evening but I read your post, got my trainers on, headed out and am super glad I did.
Thank you again Dan and to you, Linda... I feel so nervous - I haven't done a tap of sport since playing badminton in school - many moons ago! I hated running at school - we had no training and were sent out to do 1500m which nearly killed me and took forever! Well, it is both your faults that I enthusiastically went out and bought some running gear - no expensive stuff (yet!). My daughter has again announced she will help her poor old mum! God help me and the others who will (eventually bear witness!)
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Week 8 run 1 - app went at double slow speed??!!
Distance with Map My Run app
NikePlus
Week 6 DONE!!!!!! Who says I can't run?!
