Well, despite this awful humidity, I went out and ran this evening. After last week’s horrible runs, I was determined that this one should be different.
All weekend, I have been drinking water like it’s going out of fashion. It was actually easy, because it’s been so hot and humid. I had also decided to go back to basics, and forget about trying to better my pace, but practice niko niko (Japanese slow jogging).
Anyway, running bud came round earlier than we were all meeting, as she said she had a new Fitbit, and needed help on getting going with it. There followed some extreme faffage, as she hadn’t got a Fitbit at all, like me, but a Garmin Forerunner 35. Well! I surprised myself, as I managed to set it up for her, and pair it to her phone with relative ease. Brilliant!
Another bud turned up, and it was my turn to faff, setting up my music and Jo. Off we went. It was hot. And sticky. As were we. 😒 We reached our rendezvous point where another bud and her dog were waiting, and off we went, meeting with buddy number five a little further along the road.
Well, I was listening to Wind and Wuthering by Genesis. I find Genesis really good to run to, as the tracks are long, so you’re not predicting how far you’ve run.
Anyway, the usual burning in my trachea that I experience almost every run, was hardly noticeable. I was running SO slowly that the buddy with her dog, who was doing w2r1, kept pace with me! But I WAS running, honest!😁
Jo piped up that I’d been running for five minutes. Really? It felt like I’d just begun! Then she said ten minutes. Then fifteen! What the...!!! My pace was a little faster, but it was still a gentle jog, and my legs were like a metronome, keeping a very steady pace.
Before I knew it, Jo said twenty, then twenty-five.
After a few minutes, I fished my phone out of my belt, and started counting the minutes, so I could do a bit of a sprint at the end. Just as I was feeling out of breath, Jo called time. I had done it!
I had run nonstop for thirty minutes, and felt absolutely fine. Not out of breath. Okay, rather red in the face, and dripping with sweat, but I did it! The witchcraft was back again! I hadn’t experienced this for a while, as I had been trying to increase my pace. My inner snail 🐌 came up trumps!
I have decided that no matter how fast my companions are, I will stick to what works for me. It may take several months to get to 5k, but I don’t mind. What matters is that I have gone from extremely unfit and fat couch potato, to someone who can run for half an hour, and feel absolutely fine afterwards. This programme works. It works particularly well if you don’t rush or push yourself too hard. Yes, you do have to push yourself at times, but it is mainly a mental tussle. For those of you just starting out, or having a bit of a struggle, never fear, and Trust The Programme.
Just two more runs! 😃
W9R1. Horrid 😖
W5r3 - Officially amazing and amazed!
W9R1 A fly in the ointment 
W9R1- with a little procrastination on the side 
My first wobble, W9R1
