I tried to run yesterday, got to 5 minutes and decided I wasn't quite in the mindset and knew I'd feel better in the morning. So I promptly stopped at Gail's and had a skinny latte while trying not to feel guilty.
This morning I felt much more up for it and I had my FitBit watch back fully operational again. The first little bit of my run is down a steep incline and then I turn off into a road which is a gradual incline. Once I hit the 5 minute mark in this part of the run I know immediately what condition I'm in. This is where I have stopped a few times if I'm not in the mood. However, I don't want to get in the habit of bailing out on runs and today I was feeling a bit wheezy (as usual) but strong enough.
Between 5 and 10 minutes takes me around a corner and after a slight incline, down hill past Highgate Cemetary and into Swain's Lane (past my coffee shop). Since my pace has increased a little, I now hit the Heath at 10 minutes. I then run up a slight incline past the tennis courts and onto the flat path which goes past the coffee shop on my right, lido down the hill on my left and running track on my left. I usually hit 15 minutes just as the path is running uphill again. Today when the 15 minute halfway bell sounded, the toilet gremlins hit me and I made a decision that instead of doing my usual route I was going to run back home. This is harder than it sounds as I have to run all the way up the steep hill to where I begin my run.
So today I didn't run down the hill past the lido, I ran back towards home. It's not the route that I take in the first part of my run but the reward is if I can make the top of the steep hill, then it's all downhill for the rest of the way home. I negotiated my way off the Heath and across a slightly perilous zebra crossing on 20 minutes. The next 3 minutes is slightly downhill and I hit the bottom of the steep hill on 23 minutes. I got half way up and my legs were aching but worse, I started to feel sick. So I took the side road where I run the first 5 minutes, which is a slight incline and then promptly turned around and ran back on myself and down the hill I had just run half way up. I then turned left towards Ackland Burghley school and to my delight it was all downhill until...Jo gave me a 60 second warning and in front of me was a very steep incline. I couldn't run back on myself either as that was also uphill. I bit for the bullet for 60 seconds and ran up the hill. I've never been more pleased to finish a run!
I think for my next run I'll change up the music tracks because as much as I love Lust For Life..and it works every single time to keep me going...I feel that maybe I should switch the music up a little. Variety is the spice of life.
As I was running today, I smiled to myself at all my talk of running 10K...I'm struggling enough to run for 30 minutes. I think I have a fairly tough job in my area as there are so many inclines and little hills that it can make life difficult. But I'll keep persevering. I'm getting stronger and more determined with every run. My body doesn't seem to like running in the afternoons for some reason. I seem to be a morning, pre breakfast runner!
Job Done!
Week 5 run 1 - least enjoyable yet 😏
