Post Grad W1R1

[Equi-geek]

I’ve had a full week of doing very little but physically repairing, and sleeping poorly. Even though I went swimming twice, all the unhealthy eating patterns came flooding back. It was actually frightening how deeply ingrained the patterns of shopping for unhealthy food and staying up too late were. Eating doughnuts that really didn’t taste as nice as I thought they would - and ‘treating’ myself to chocolate that tasted bland and ‘samey’ A matter of days! I felt sluggish, anxious and just awful. And negative. I’d somehow lost 2lb in weight and eaten like a pig.

This weekend I was up near Preston for a CPD on Saturday and a Sunday meeting event at Myerscough College. Hmmm, just what I want to do on a Sunday- sit in a dark room and discuss ISO9001. I took my kit with me, rather half-hearted. I was going to start again on Tuesday, but I had also said I would only take a week off after last Saturday’s graduation Park Run. I thought I might take advantage of the cooler weather, rather than tuck into the continental breakfast this morning.

So I didn’t drink on Saturday evening or eat a heavy meal but I had a residue of unhealthy food in my gut from earlier on Saturday, I hadn’t hydrated properly on Saturday and woken up later this morning than I hoped. I couldn’t remember where my usual earphones were and I’d forgotten my roller. I almost didn’t bother.

But I necked a small glass of bathroom water, got dressed, and headed out the hotel towards the College. I fired up MJ on the app and got my iTunes playlist going. Suddenly everything felt better! Black eyed peas ‘I got a feeling’... (woo - hoo!) to stride out on the walk. Break into the run after the canal and hit my comfortable pace - noting where I started running to see if the trip back would be faster or slower.

I finally remember to put my watch on for logging my run! Cut up a footpath to the campus and notice some sports pitches. Trot around the outside while monitoring where all the niggles had been. They are still there-ish but start to feel better as I run for longer.

Back on tarmac and gravel - I have no idea what the elevation changes are - it doesn’t matter - I’ve already done more than I thought I would. My earphones keep falling out, which is annoying. I fiddle about as I jog on.

I notice my reflection as I run past a building clad with glass panels and it’s not pretty. I can see where all the remaining blubber needs to be shifted. The bell goes for half-way, so I can see the full effect of my wobble as turn around. I jog on.

Then the earphones suddenly stop working so I bring out my phone and detach the earphones and go onto speaker - there is no-one about anyway. Music gets going again. I jog on.

Then I start to wonder where MJ went, and notice the app has also paused when I detached the earphones. Fortunately my watch is recording my actual time! I restart MJ, skip ahead, and jog on.

I’m almost back the where I started running, having lapped the sports fields again on my reverse path. The last bit is up to the top of the bridge over the canal. I could walk up the slope, because my watch says ‘times up’. But my T-shirt says, ‘The only one who can beat me, is me’ and I jog on.

I only stop when I reach the brow of the bridge. And I feel like I finally beat me today. I beat the unhealthy food, the less than perfect hydration, the anxiety of a new place, the accidental over-sleep, the worry about not having my roller, the doubt I would get very far, the tech problems, the physical niggles, the bridge. I’ve beaten the old me, who would have taken the continental breakfast and thought running was mad!

So while all those unhealthy patterns are still uncomfortably close to the surface, my new patterns are in there now too. My shoes are starting look like they belong to a runner...

[owmeknees]

Great post Equi-geek, a really good read. I can identify with some of what you’ve said. I’ve lost 21lbs since starting running by dieting and just making healthier food choices to help me feel better when I run. Having been in the IC for nearly two weeks I’ve noticed myself slipping back into some old, unhealthy eating patterns.

Good to hear you showed those gremlins who’s boss today. Well done for overcoming all those anxieties and getting out there. Your shoes look like they belong to a runner because you are a runner!

PS, I grew up not too far from Myerscough, some lovely countryside round there. 👍👏😊

[Equi-geek Graduate in reply to owmeknees]

Thanks Knees! How long until you can leave the IC now? Hope it’s not much longer.

Today was a real eye-opener for me, and I am a behaviourist so should know this stuff already!!! The old me would just not have bothered, but the more things that seemed to go against me today the stronger I became. Might not always be the case, of course. I hope this helps people with uncertainty- whether to go running or not. I still can’t predict how I will feel when I run, but how I feel when I don’t run is lots worse!

[owmeknees in reply to Equi-geek]

Going to risk a little shuffle this morning. Fingers crossed 🤞😬

[Equi-geek Graduate in reply to owmeknees]

🤞👏💪 Have a good one!

[Sybilw Graduate]

Wow. Well done you! It would have been so easy to pass on that run but you didn’t! I’m keeping to my pre-grad routine in case that happens but I’ve yet to meet the challenge of a cold or wet morning. Sounds like you’ve turned another corner so onward and upward (with not too many hills of course!!) 😂

[lexi6 Graduate]

Brilliant post, just read some of your others too looove! that you did Irish johns tee shirt idea 👍 👏🏻