Another running day, another run in the dark. One day I’ll go for a run during the daytime and get all disoriented by all the things I can see. If there’s anyone who can get lost in a rectangle it’s me. Actually I did get lost in a bedroom one night at uni but I’m not sure I’m allowed to say why here.
Anyway, it’s been a pretty standard work at home day. Medium productivity, lots of distractions from the kids, lots of coffee and too much sugar. Boys have been mostly good, a few occasions where they really weren’t and went to the Bad Place but we managed to get them down to bed on good terms without too much stress.
Somehow I found the time among that to have a water fight in the garden with the boys, scaring a neighbour back inside in the process and prompting the other neighbour to hastily take their washing inside. They all smile at us but I don’t think we’re very popular here. We always worry about living next to bad neighbours, especially after the last ones by our old house, but now I fear we’ve become them.
Anyway after that we all ate together so then there was my usual long wait before I could get any actual running done. Running that didn’t involve water pistols I mean.
Fortunately by this time the garden had mostly dried out so it wasn’t the slippery mess I was worried it might be. We seem to be quickly amassing garden toys though, including a plastic slide I definitely didn’t put together during company hours if they ask, so I had a few obstacles to look out for but my path around the outside was pretty clear anyway.
Oh, we now have a longer lawnmower cable and I know I’m getting old because I’m excited about it! Tomorrow I can finally mow the middle and then I can look at flattening the whole thing out and make it look more, well, gardeny.
But for tonight at least I still had to put up with a section of long grass but that’s fine. Whatever my cat appears to be hunting still hasn’t shown itself yet but the more she does it the more I think I’m the target. I’m not sure she fully understands these runs yet but she usually comes out to observe this weird human ritual and occasionally get under my feet.
Tonight’s music was, of course... well, do you really have to ask?
It turned out to be a good one but slightly more of a challenge than the last one. I wasn’t feeling 100% last night, for some reason I suddenly got all weak and it felt like a huge effort to walk, which set off alarm bells in my head again. Today I was a little better so hopefully it was nothing more than a blip.
But it still took some effort to get through this one. It didn’t help that I’d been having some pains in my side, nothing serious but concerning since I don’t know what caused them. Luckily these were already gone when I started.
With Debbie Harry and Jo Whiley fighting for my attention (I wish) I headed off on the warm up walk and I was good and ready for the first run.
That one flew by of course. I love how easy 90 seconds is now and I look forward to 3 minutes feeling the same again but at this point I felt it a bit more. That’s not to say I had any difficulty with it but it took all I had to run that three minutes and I know if I tried now I wouldn’t have a fourth in me.
But the three minute walk was all I needed to recover and I love the structure of this week because it really does prepare you well for each new section. I had my energy and breath back right on time for the next 90 second run and that set me up perfectly for the final three minutes.
Again, this one was more of a challenge and by the end of it I was putting away and glowing so brightly I didn’t need the outside light on. The last minute in particular was hard because I kept thinking a minute must have passed by now and I’d be ready to slow it down but Jo Whiley remained silent.
But of course it did end and I was grateful for the break but, as always, once I’d got my breath back I was a little disappointed it as over already and couldn’t wait to get going again.
It’s a strange time during the early weeks when you’re still developing some proper stamina. Dead one minute then raring to go.
But that will do for now so let’s see if I can end this week on a high on Sunday. Maybe I’ll get a sprint in there. Who knows, maybe I’ll even get to run during the day.
Fish, chips and mushy peas!
Hello all - 71 years old and hoping to run!
FAQ Post C25K COMPLETED…….WHAT NEXT?
