I had to run today...no excuses, no procrastination. I'll just have some more tea and look at what people are up to on here. This often works for me, I'll see someone's post and it will inspire me or give me a shove out the door. This morning Lollipop916 's wonderfully understated post was just the impetus I needed to go for my run (check it out if you are in need of an injection of spirit).
Man, was it wet out there...As is often the way the standard run became somewhat different due to changes in climate, poor planning and tech failures. I warmed up, listening to my book, only for the head phones lady to start warning of 'low power' before telling me in clipped tones 'power off!'. Nothing to distract me now and 5k ahead. I thought about what's in the freezer for tea and composed a recipe for pasta with pheasant (I'll pop in to the village shop for some streaky bacon and mushrooms), thought about the running vs work schedule for the week ahead and roleplayed a difficult conversation that I need to have, in my head. This done, I decide to spend some time writing this post as a means of distraction, so here it is (sorry to inflict )
The rain has by now increased from rainy to very rainy. I don't like running in a jacket so quickly I am wet through. I forgot my cap and so my glasses are now more of a hindrance than a help. I push them on to the top of my head and run on in a vague, slightly disembodied state; cut off from a clear view of the world and needing to concentrate on where my feet are.
I reach the bridge and I know that I have done the first km. This patch of my run is always tricky as I run across the fields for about 500m and the ground is very uneven, the grass is long and often wet. Today the ground is squelchy underfoot and it feels as if the mud is leeching energy from my legs. I tell myself that this will soon pass and continue towards the next footbridge that takes me down into the woods.
I feel like I am running faster than my usual snails pace and half wish I'd set mapmyrun. The lady would be telling me that I am coming up to 2k, and might not have her usual sneery tone as she gives me my stats. Discomfort it seems may be driving me on.
By now I am completely sodden. I have to concentrate in the woods, my poor eyesight means that the roots pop up suddenly and I need to be able to jump. The 'bridges' that people have made from logs over boggy bits, are pretty much submerged. I negotiate a couple of streams but then splosh, splosh; total, bilateral footbath.
Running naked (without headphones) gives me surprises. In the woods, in the rain everything is muffled. Not silent by any means but no human sounds except for my breath and footfall. I feel happy, truly content and am aware that I have a smile on my face.
Coming out of the woods and back into empty countryside and 3k under my belt. The fields look vast, especially now that harvest is complete. There's a combine, parked up next to the hedge that looks as if it's sheltering from the weather. On the other side are sheep looking miserable in the rain. I don't bother avoiding puddles now, there is no point; my feet are squelchy. I pass the pylon that is my 4k marker. I'm tiring but I have run this km loads of times, so I know I can. I push up the pace for a champions finish (well in my world!)
2 cyclists are in sight so I call the dog to heel. We say 'hi' and I wonder what they see; a sodden, muddy middle aged woman running in a tee-shirt in this deluge. I sometimes see other runners on a Sunday morning but today no one is quite as intrepid (mad?) as me
Ahead are the two trees that mark a bridge over a stream. They bend together over the lane and with my bleary eyesight they put me in mind children playing 'Oranges and Lemons', I just hope that they don't bring down their branches to 'chop off my head'.
By the trees is the first of my 'countdown' gates, three more to go and my 5k will be done. The home straight, the last leg, the finish line. A sense of satisfaction. Tired and happy.
I decide that I won't stop at the shop. Don't want to drip on the carpet
Yey!!! What a run!! I can get every feeling from your post...I want to put my trainers on RIGHT NOW!!!!!! Brilliant post, brilliantly inspirational too 😃😃😃
Ha Ha. Went with flash fried (indeterminate) game (well rested), pasta and a sauce made with pureed squash, carrot, swede, stock, thyme and blackberries. Very nice actually. Told the daughter it was chicken (am I bad?)
What a great post Helen. You ARE a warrior! Felt like I was right there with you only I was warm and dry with a hot coffee and you were soaked to the bone smiling in the downpour! 😀
Wow ! Well done Helen, that has definitely inspired me to get my trainers out again and get back on it! Love the descriptions on your run - I think I need to be more adventurous and try other routes rather than just the playing fields. Here's a big round of applause 👏 from me!
It is a very helpful distraction technique to have an internal commentary going on...Takes me back to being a kid when all games needed the internal dialogue- remember?
I don't have any distance waymarks such as your pylon or gates although I am very good at judging it so that wherever I run from home I end up at the gates at the far end of the park for my 5 minute walk home. Maybe it is because I run in 10 minute increments using Polyrunner. But I might try and sort out some waymarks.
Actually, in Lanzarote where I will be running next week, I do have some markers for turning round to head back to the ice cream kiosk. The second Urbinisation gate post for a 3km run, the "tree roundabout" just before the airport perimeter fence for 4km, the second corner of the fence for 5km. I don't know where the other Lanza Road Runners go after that, I wasn't up to any more in March. And still may not be, as I think it will be even hotter now.
Or I could try using the marathon markers which are permanently fixed on the promenade
I have done this run since w1r1 (and before that as a walker) so I know it so well. About week 6, I stopped turning around and just kept going. It's perfect; quiet, flatish and a circular run of 6k perfect for the warm up, cool down + 5k. Sometimes familiarity can make it a bit dull, but the changing seasons help and I find routine (with occasional variation) suits me well. Today was an adventure with an old friend
I would love to run in Lanzarote, if you follow the marathon markers will you run a marathon???
No no no,thankyou, I am nowhere near a marathon! I only recently did my first 10K. It was just that someone pointed out the markers to me. Where I run is near the halfway point of the marathon to turn back to Arrecife.
Wow good for you!!! I’m not sure I will ever be able to manage 5k!! 30 mins and I’m knackered this week!! Well done!!
You absolutely WILL be able to do 5k, and then 6,7.... and so on. I started c25k in about April as a complete beginner of a certain age and now run 5k 3 times a week, minimum. I have 2 x 10k under my belt. This programme and the ethos that underlies it (as well as the amazing forum) has completely changed my life.
Thank you Helen, I loved your post and photographic evidence! So descriptive and atmospheric especially the muffled sounds in the wood. I compose posts as I run too and also find this forum inspiring. It is very uplifting hearing about other folk's experiences and successes. Happy running 😀
It’s weird how we like posts for different reasons.
I l e in a village in the arse end of nowhere in the Czech Republic with a population of 600.
All of my C25K has mainly been done through forests and fields.
Tonight I find myself in London and the overwhelming population rush takes a bit of getting used to (they have street lights here!) and so to read of both running AND through fields and forests is a nice reminder of home.
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