"...Spring was moving in the air above....….Small wonder, then, that they suddenly said “Bother!” and “Oh dash it!” and bolted out of the house without even waiting to put on their coats" !
( But they did put their running shoes on)!
Hello there running friends Yes. It's me...again! Welcome into the Corner!
A new Season, a new month and a whole lot of new runs to be enjoyed.
Happy April!
I always get a little buzz at the start of a new Season and at this time of the year, I get a tad twitchy. I want to get outside, into the garden, start to sort and tidy and more importantly get out into the wide world!
I think this month is time for us all to take a bit of a look at ourselves and our running and maybe, just maybe, make some plans, to help put a Spring into our steps!
So... time for a Spring Clean.... No...not in the house.... A Spring Clean of our running plans!
If you are a new runner on the C25K programme, then you know exactly what you are going to be doing in each of the weeks, as they come along, but... you can, even within those runs, use some strategies to keep you, strong, healthy and happy. That is the idea of the programme
You will, of course, have read the pinned post on How to Run C25K, but these little hints are intended to support and enhance your running through those weeks.
The evenings are slowly drawing out, the sun is shining a tad more, and the temperatures are, ( or should be), rising; so finding the motivation that may have had a habit of hiding over the darker weeks, should be a tad easier
Now, we have had some dark days and some dark times, so. ease in gently, take it at your own pace, make the most of your warm-up and your cool down; so much to see, smell and absorb. Everything!
We need to look after ourselves too, mind and body.
Yes, we are running but, in order to do that we need to train to do that running. Listen to your body, ( yes I am always saying that), but it is a great advisor. Treat it well; a heathy eating regime and great hydration.
Pop across to the Strength and Flex Forum too, for some super ideas to maintain your core-strength and stamina.
We need also, to try to relax when we are running, not just our body, but our mind also. For me, I look around ( sometimes a tad too much) I soak everything up; it almost an automatic part of my running now.
A relaxed mind, is so helpful in relaxing our body, so gentle steady breathing and a steady pace to match can help. A short mantra too, may be helpful when you feel yourself tightening up and pushing too hard. Mine of course , most folk already know, is slow and steady. It works for me.
I may image the stress of the days, floating away behind me as I run... I leave them... or I tuck niggly things away, to be handled at another time when I am feeling refreshed and recharged.
I focus, not intensely, but gently, on my body too; more a general awareness of what is going on....relaxing my face and around my jaw. Relaxing shoulders and arms, shaking my hands out, if my arms feel tense; my hands unclenched, ( think holding a bag of crisps, not wanting to crush them), I try to land lightly, I call it , kissing the ground with my feet.
It sounds like a load of stuff to think about, but with each run, if we take our time, it just becomes second nature
So... a few ideas there, and you could add some things yourself?
A change of route, a piece of new running gear, running with a friend, and of course, if you get chance, giving yourself some quality recovery time, to recharge and reflect, on just how amazing you are.
Many of these hints apply to all of us, whatever level of running we are at. We may be returning to our runs after illness, or injury; repeating C25K, or bits of it, but we still need to take care of ourselves
So there we are... we have made a start... we have dusted away a few cobwebs, polished a few things maybe, and we are thinking of moving forwards with energy , enthusiasm and confidence
We need to hear from you now. Whether you are just beginning, somewhere in the middle,.. in sight of the podium, or here for a re-run...
Slip off the running shoes and pull up a cushion; let us know what you are up to
Oldfloss x
PS
Apologies to Kenneth Grahame.... I love Wind in the Willows x
and had to repeat today, but was going so slowly, with your words slow and steady in my head so thx for that it got me though. also the accepting / adjusting post from a couple of weeks ago came to mind and I just wanted to let you know your posts are so helpful and made a difference to me today, so thx again! I am feeling a bit coldified now do wonder if that’s why my energy had been down this week. Plus need to make sure I’ve eaten enough before i run as my metabolism is insanely fast! Like you say the most important thing is to relax and enjoy so I’m going to try to do both on Sunday when I do run 3. 
