Sadie-runs Recommends...

[Sadie-runs]

Running Like a Girl by Alexandra Heminsley

And don't be fooled by the title, it is suitable reading for runners of the male variety too...

I read this book when I was doing C25K, almost 3 years ago now! It is a nice light read, but a great one for new runners, as she is incredibly honest about her experiences learning to run, and funny too. There is much in there that you will identify with! The book covers her journey from beginner runner to marathon competitor, and has a handy beginner's guide at the back, with all kinds of useful information.

Sorry I have not posted any new recommendations for a while (but if you haven't seen my posts before, click on my profile – there you will be able to see all my past posts, including quite a few other reading suggestions.) I started a new job during lockdown, and it has been rather challenging to say the least...plus, having a few mental health wobbles, so been avoiding social media on the whole while I try and put my pieces back together again like an old broken vase. Still a work in progress, but still running 3 x a week, which is helping me hold it together - just.

Happy reading and happy running, everyone.

Sadie-runs x

[Granspeed Graduate]

Thanks Sadie. Always good recommendations from you! Sorry to hear about the wobbles - testing times, indeed. Hang in there. Your runners love you. 💕🏃🏼‍♀️💕

[Sadie-runs Graduate in reply to Granspeed]

Aw thank you Granspeed. Am hanging in there...have missed this lovely community. xxx

[Fishypieface Graduate]

Hey SR, great news about the job , but not so good about all the other stuff sorry to hear that xx I've been having a work-related meltdown in lockdown and have been so stressed. None of this lovely lockdown lounging for us eh?! I could definitely do with a bit of that! Glad your running is still helping you though. My body feels like it is falling apart atm so no running for me, although I do aspire to it eventually, I will, most likely, start at the beginning again! I loved Pants of Perspective so I shall give this one a go, too. Reading is my running at the moment, it's all I do other than work and it's been my saviour. That and a bit of yoga nidra and some tai chi. Wishing things get better for you very quickly. xxx

[Sadie-runs Graduate in reply to Fishypieface]

Oh yikes, so sorry to hear that work has been stressful, Fishy. Pffft. I thought this working at home lark was supposed to be less stressful, no commute, a chance to just get on with stuff. But I have found it to be the opposite, and it is so easy to work longer hours and harder to switch off at the end of the day, isn't it? I was initially thrilled to finally get a job, and during lockdown, which seemed impossible, but starting this role remotely has proven to be so challenging in so many different ways (that I won't bore you with). I literally had a little cry at my desk every morning last week. Luckily it is just a maternity cover, so if I can just hold on to the end of November without losing my mind...

It's even harder to keep up with exercising when you are also trying to hold down a job – I get that. Luckily for me (laughing hysterically) I am not sleeping well either, so am up at 5am with plenty of time to run before I start work. Are you at least getting out for a walk? I find walking whilst listening to a podcast really soothing (Happy Place with Fearne Cotton is a good one).

Oh, and a non-running book I have just read that blew me away – Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo – I highly recommend if you love reading. There you go – my gift to you during this horrible time.

Big hug dear Fishy. Lovely to hear from you, though sorry things are not great for you either right now. xxx

[Fishypieface Graduate in reply to Sadie-runs]

Crikey yes I understand everything you are saying there! And realising just how important all the 'little' things are - commuting, getting out of the house, a change of scenery, human interaction! Being strapped to a desk all day in the same place is draining in itself and physically too. My arsecheekitis hates it!! Tight hips are even tighter.

Your situation sounds really flipping hard and a little cry every day - well blimey Sadie that sounds just heart-breaking! I want to ring up your boss and give them a BIG mouthful on your behalf. But I'd probably tell them to stick their job where the sun don't shine and who the heck do they think they are doing is causing all this shite for you. No one should have to go through that...

I also wish I could say stuff this, it's making me ill, but mortgage to pay and all that. But I shall love to read that book, thank you! To take me away from reality. I'd love to be writing my own even more, but that's even less likely than running a 5k at the mo! I really am in the land of make-believe now.... But sometimes that's the best place to be

Big hugs to you too, I am sorry this is happening and I hope that you find a way through it xxx

[Sadie-runs Graduate in reply to Fishypieface]

Aw, you totally understand where I am coming from, and it sounds like we are in a very similar boat right now I spose all we can do is keep baling out the water and hoping for the best.

I had forgotten about your poor arsecheekitis! Gawd, sitting really cannot help...my lower back has started to complain, but 8 hours on a dining chair with no lumbar support will do that to a back. Pfft. I do try and get up at points and stretch, but often too busy and too stressed and find myself not moving for hours on end.

My boss has been understanding, but seems powerless to reduce my workload. But, in part, I think it down to this job just not being right for me. I am struggling, to be honest, and in between struggling I keep fantasising about a different life, and how the flip did I end up here?! Now is probably not the time to be making big decisions, but am seriously so close to jacking the job in. But like you, have bills to pay.

Girl, Woman, Other book is a totally transporting read – and good for getting out of your own head for a bit.

Massive hug to you too, FPF. We just have to hold on for a bit longer, right? xxx

[Fishypieface Graduate in reply to Sadie-runs]

Fantasising about a different life is the only thing that is keeping me going right now!! Stay strong Sadie running is a good release to get that stress out. I'll be thinking of you and hoping you can find a way out xxx

[Wobble1 Graduate]

Thanks so much for suggesting. Have been a runner for a whole 8 weeks (🤣). Have just bought this! Thanks xx

[Sadie-runs Graduate in reply to Wobble1]

Woo hoo! Almost graduation time for you then! Well done! And happy reading. x

[Wobble1 Graduate in reply to Sadie-runs]

And congrats on the new job. Always a juggle to start with for the first few weeks until things calm and become the new normal xxxx

[RainbowSloth Graduate]

Sounds great. Just ordered it. I love reading and haven’t read anything running related. So this will be my first. Just completed C25K recently doing consolidation running now. And eager to keep it up and make it a constant part of my life. It’s helped a lot over the last few months and has been the only thing I managed to keep up. So good for the brain. Thank you for sharing.

Hope your vase comes together nicely.

Kintsugi, if you haven’t heard of it, is a process of rebuilding broken things with gold. The rebuilt, broken things are considered more beautiful with the golden highlighted repairs. We can be stronger and more beautiful after a rebuild. You’re doing brilliantly by keeping going x

Keep adding your gold 😉👍🏻

[Sadie-runs Graduate in reply to RainbowSloth]

Oh then this is a very good one to start with, such an enjoyable read. And well done on completing C25K! Fantastic work. Now you just need to build the habit ; sounds like you are doing well. Running is such a habit for me now it is akin to brushing my teeth. So, even when I really don't want to get up and run, I do anyway, as it is a necessity.

And you have just made me tear up a bit! What a lovely thing to tell me, thank you. I shall keep that in my mind xxx

[RainbowSloth Graduate in reply to Sadie-runs]

Look forward to it being habit 😋👍🏻

I’m still enjoying it. But being cautious not to injure myself before it sinks in as a part of me fully.

Pleasure x hope you’re doing ok

[Granspeed Graduate in reply to RainbowSloth]

Love the Kitsugi, RainbowSloth. A great one to remember for difficult times. 💕👍

[Joster Graduate]

Great recommendation. This kept me going through my first couple of longer runs training for my first half marathon earlier this year. I was just pounding round the track, with her voice in my ear spurring me on!

[Sadie-runs Graduate in reply to Joster]

Oh glad you loved it too, Joster! x

[Joster Graduate in reply to Sadie-runs]

Oh I did! I would relisten if I train for another HM!

[Elfe5 Graduate in reply to Joster]

I haven’t tried audio books (since the days of tapes & CDs 😂) - is this with Audible?

[Dexy5 Graduate]

I can also recommend this one - the first running book I read too. I hope that life will improve for you as lockdown eases Sadie. Starting a new job can be testing in normal times without all the stresses that working from home , with just conference calls, will bring.

Keep on running Sadie and everything will fall into place and do sit in the park for half an hour and watch the parakeets for me and UTS.

😘😘

[Sadie-runs Graduate in reply to Dexy5]

And thank you for your kind words Dexy5 , I do hope things will get easier in time...It would be good to actually meet my colleagues at some point; very lonely and hard way to get to grips with a new job this is.

The parakeets are running riot in the park at the moment and always make me smile.

Hope that you and UTS are doing okay; is your injury healing well?

Sadie x

[Dexy5 Graduate in reply to Sadie-runs]

Yes all is going well down on the coast. We are lucky having space to be able to run still, thanks to the council closing some of the seafront road.

I have recovered from my injury now with the help of my physio Skype calls.. I am just trying to get my running fitness back - 12 weeks is a long time . We and some friends are meeting up once a week to do (not)parkrun and enjoy a coffee afterwards. So a bit of near normality.

[Sadie-runs Graduate in reply to Dexy5]

So glad to hear you have recovered from the injury now (god, I have so lost track of time since lockdown, and not checking in here much lately has not helped me keep up with everyone!) you will of course get your fitness back up again; it will feel joyful, too, to get back to where you were. xx

[Tinytears60 Graduate]

Thanks for the recommend..... should be a decent read... being honest ive thought i could almost write a book with my experiences so far... and I"m only up to week 6..... It's got everything from humour, tears of joy, disappointment, anger, frustration... and thats just talking about me... let alone other things i come into contact with on my runs... including a dog that growled and chased me round the park ..... Loving the experience tho!... Hoping your new job is becoming more manageable for you...

[Sadie-runs Graduate in reply to Tinytears60]

Ha ha ha! So much can happen/change in 6 weeks, when you start running! Such an interesting journey, and not just for the legs. I have encountered barky/chasey dogs on my runs before too – it's not nice. I find stopping running, turnin gyour back on them, and slowly walking away usually helps. And thank you for your kind words. x

[limberlou Graduate]

Good to hear from you again. I think most of us have had a wobble here and there during lockdown. - I know I have !!! I might give that a read 👍

[Sadie-runs Graduate in reply to limberlou]

Thanks Lou. x Mine is a fairly big wobble right now, but I have to keep going, so I will. xxx

[Elfe5 Graduate]

Hellooo lovely you! 😄 Thanks so much for the recommendation, but much more important, a big hug to you. 🤗🤗🤗

Years ago when I was drowning in a new job (So many issues! Where to start!!??) my wise brother said “Pick the three most urgent issues & tackle them first, after that pick another three....” I don’t know if that’s relevant to your circumstances Sadie, but it helped me find a path through the “storm & treacle”. Xxx😘

[Sadie-runs Graduate in reply to Elfe5]

Oh thank you dear Elfe. That is a very wise tip – shall try to employ it this afternoon. I do have a tendency to be quite hard on myself, but I am so NOT used to failing at work. I have always been very good at what I do, but have shocked myself with how hard I am finding this new role, and how I seem to have lost all my resilience to stress. Plus I miss my mum. Oh gawd! Thank you so much for your kind reply. xxx

[Elfe5 Graduate in reply to Sadie-runs]

Oh bless you- it’s definitely NOT the time to be hard on yourself. 😘

It’s early days in a new job plus the considerable extra complication of working from home. I suspect that you are doing better than you think.

Also, might you be comparing your work output in your previous familiar job with that of your new unfamiliar job? - New jobs just take a while to adapt to. - How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! 😉(With apologies to all elephants which I wouldn’t dream of eating!😂)

PS Your stress resilience will come back.

[Sadie-runs Graduate in reply to Elfe5]

Thank you again, Elfe. I need to hear these things. 😘 I do think the new job adaptation phase is taking longer than I am used to because of the remote working, as you say. This is a 2-elephant job, so am going to be nibbling for a while! xxx

[dijep Graduate]

I've loved all your book recommendations, they are all I've been reading during lockdown despite a big pile of unread books waiting on the shelf, I've just started Eat, Drink, Run.

Sorry to hear you've been struggling, but glad you've been able to keep running. Sometimes we all need time to just focus on looking after ourselves x

[Sadie-runs Graduate in reply to dijep]

Oh I am so pleased to hear this dijep I might run out of recommendations soon though, as I am not managing to read so much now I am working. (The irony – I work in publishing, which means I don't get to read as many books as I would like!)

Yes, thank heavens I am still managing to run; brings me so much happiness. Thank you for your kind reply. xxx

[Gannet1 Graduate]

Thanks so much for the recommended reading! My two addictions in one! 😄Will have a look through your other posts too. Very honest post too which I admire. This programme and forum have kept me going, that’s for sure. I wish you all the best with everything. 😊🏃‍♀️💕

[Sadie-runs Graduate in reply to Gannet1]

Same here! Running and reading = ♥️ One balances out the other - if you go for a run in the morning, you feel justified lolling around with a good book in the afternoon. 😊 And thank you for your kind words. Yes, this forum is a very special and supportive place. x