W5R3--my body is not a hire car

[Bogshuffler]

Where is Bogshuffler going with this you may wonder?

Well it came to me this morning, during the W5R3 run, that I have been going through life treating my body like a hire car. For the first 15 to 20 years of my career I worked on survey ships away for 1 to 2 months at a time and it was usual to have a hire car to and from London, Heathrow. We all treated those hire cars with total disrepect, we didn't worry about fuel burned; because the company paid, tires worn and engines having a reduced life. I once left LHR at 21:00 and made last orders (23:00 back in the day) in a pub in Ilfracombe (where the ex-girlfriend, now my wife, worked) in a brand new 2.0L Vauxhall that only had 12 delivery miles on the clock when I picked it up. ( If you are a policeman please do not calculate the average speed ) I then abused that car around Exmoor for the weekend. Wheels spinning, engine redlining, tappets bouncing, for every gear change, and gallons of fuel burnt.

These days however, I drive (for the most part) watching the economy meter, trying to be a smooth as possible. I recently got 74 MPG out of a 2014 Qashqai on a 100 mile drive, and I regularly tow a boat; 3,500Kg on its trailer with a Ford Ranger, all over the UK. I don't brag about how quickly I took the boat from Cornwall to Cumbria, but I do brag about the fact that I achieved 19 mpg and that my brake pads last longer than average. The biggest bonus of this style of driving is that I get to enjoy the scenery and am noticing spectacular views that I have have passed by a 100 times before completely oblivious to there existance

So I am sure that you have all worked out what the analogy is. This C25K lark is about the embracing my older (more mature) driver, embracing my inner snail, preserving the fuel in my tank, making sure my suspension and tires stay in good nick and are not over stressed. And that is what I did this morning. Started off slow, watched my breathing, when my legs did that slowing down thing that they do when Jo says that the 5mins are up and its time to walk, I just took a fraction off my pace. When I got to the 18min mark I found that I had fuel to spare and was able to stretch out my stride and when Jo told me 20 minutes was up I was so chuffed and gave out a huge whoop. 4.27 Km completed over the 30 minutes, weighed in at 93.7Kg compared to 104Kg before I started C25K. I have written it before but am doing so again: I am so impressed with this program.

I hope my fellow W5R3 C25K'ers got on as well as me this morning.

All the best, roll on Week 6

[Oldgirlruns Graduate]

That’s a great life lesson Bogshuffler and, I suspect, one that many of us will recognise!! Happy running!

[nowster Graduate]

So you're hypermileing those legs? 😉

[Bogshuffler Graduate in reply to nowster]

Its funny how you wake thinking "Oh have I really got to do this, what with arthritic hands, aching lower back and knees?" But then you get changed, switch Jo on, start the warm up and think yeah I can do this, then 3 minutes into the running the little devil on your shoulder says "You are never going to do this" but you say "Come on just give it a couple more minutes" because you know you always have aches and pains at the the start of the run. Then the 10 minute mark comes along and you think really, this is cool I am doing this, at 15 minutes its "Heck I am tired but almost there" and then at 18 its "I am still tired but I wonder if there is a bit more gas in the tank" surprisingly there is and then "Woo hoo I've finished! And surprisingly not about to drop dead" Bloody 'maze balls it is

[acountrycabbage Graduate]

Great write up Bogshuffler, well done you truly smashed it! Awesome distance covered too 🙌🏼😎

[Bogshuffler Graduate in reply to acountrycabbage]

Aww thanks

[VPOLLIE67 Graduate]

Brilliant 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[carolinestanford Graduate]

Yay!!!! Well done