Hello and welcome to this rather damp corner this morning... we are in the Welsh Corner this week and I am full of the joys of Spring.
We have had some glorious sunshine and warmth but this morning the world is being washed and refreshed by the kind of rain which makes this part of my world so wonderful!
There is juice, tea, coffee, Welsh spring-water and some extremely tasty welsh cakes and Bara Brith.! Grab your cushions and come and sit a while... time to chat and time to share...
We need to know, especially from you newer runners, how it is all going?
It has been a tad quiet here in the corner, and a few of our friends seem to have disappeared altogether. Life can get very busy and I do know that a few folk have had injuries and illness too . ( More about that later. )
I am feeling quite bouncy as well as happy, as I have finally managed to get three runs in over the last week and although slow and steady , they have been incredibly enjoyable. This location is absolutely wonderful for running in... sea, sky and mountains, and the crisp clean air does blow away any stress-style cobwebs!
I have been Yoga-ing, reading, painting and walking too! Oh and thinking ! ( uh oh... here she goes)!
So...I want us to share that feeling of happiness and think about the joy in our running. We all run for many, many different reasons, but for me, one of my reasons is the enjoyment that running gives me. For me, there seems little point in running something, 'just because' . If there is no enjoyment at all... I think I might find it very hard to continue.
I enjoy my runs in so, so many ways; the run itself. What kind of a run, how long or short is.
The location of the run... routes chosen with thought. Favourites and the ones that are as familiar as an old friend.
The weather and seasons too, bring their own joy. Crisp Autumn days with the glow and the colour , the sights and the sounds... sharp winter mornings with frost sparking at every step, breathing like a small argon as I puff my way across the fields. Blossom filled Spring and the green-webbery of the new-leafed trees, the wild, showery months as we drift towards Sumer and those lazy , heady runs filled with bird song and bees.
Each run we do, albeit on the same route, with the same weather, is different. There is something that we take from every single run, something we have learned or experienced, or achieved, but what about when we are doing it?
Do, we think about it? It is something I am really going to be thinking about on my next run.. is there a particular enjoyment there?
Is there then any way we can enhance that enjoyment... or increase the enjoyment, C25K, well, this is the beginning of our running, and if we start out with no enjoyment... it does not bode well for the future...
There are the practical ways:
We can read the guide to our running before we begin.
We can use it as a reference support as we move through the programme.
We can link our runs with a healthy eating regime and great hydration habits.
We cam try and make sure that we are sleeping well.
*****We can do some rest day exercise , to help keep our running body and mind healthy and... INJURY free****
( Yes... that is starred for a reason... )
So... enjoying the running... ? I would love to know, and I am sure everyone else would.
Do you enjoy the runs? Maybe not?
We can share our pleasure or the struggles, in our runs...in our own posts of course, BUT, by reading also, other folks' reports too and replying and chatting. By coming in here and sharing the enjoyment, or the absence, of it , too ....
Pop in, when you get the chance...I cannot wait to hear your thoughts!
Oldfloss x
NB:
The point I starred, is really important.. because as I read the posts each day, I am seeing a reference to aches, pains, twinges or injury, more frequently than usual. Often these issues can be prevented by very simple strategies in our running and/or by some regular exercises to support our running body.
So:
Please, do watch out for a post which will be going up on the Strength and Flex Forum, very soon...I shall make it a regular feature and it will have a light hearted, but well researched focus on our running body and how to keep it running beautifully!
The title will be... ( not saying yet
WATCH OUT FOR IT !!!
P. S.
That photo is from a run I did a while ago... Did I love it... I think now, I did. ... but at that time I did it... I was not so sure!
Glad to see you coming back to form and getting your runs in!
I am a bad advert for running. I rarely find the enjoyment in the run itself (although I have had a few enjoyable runs), but my joy is in the better mental & physical state, the better sleep, the time to myself, the competing (with myself) to see if I can do it. I have a very sedentary job and although I walk my dogs twice a day, they are getting older and the walks are getting a bit slower and a bit shorter, so the exercise is a welcome distraction too.
Also, often when I run, my thoughts get more organised, maybe it's the rhythm or the repetition, but sometimes it's like being in that state just before you wake up where things are clearer in your head - not all the time but that's another positive.
Sometimes though, it's a constant litany of things that feel wrong - oh my calves feel tight, is it something I can run off or not, oh my breathing is a bit laboured, try breathing deeper, oh this bra is uncomfortable, must remember to look up that link, oh pins and needles, my shoe must be too tight, let me wiggle it a bit to loosen the laces, oh my back feels tight, must relax into it and on and on and on. BUT, when I get home and I'm in the shower, I feel a sense of accomplishment, my mind feels freer, I know I will sleep better and I'm glad I did it, even though I didn't enjoy it - they joy comes at the end.
Loved these thoughts!! I think many of us will identify with you.. especially the physical discomforts during a run… I am sure there are many out there ( & inside) whose main motivation is the exercise, the preparation for races, the timing, the routes, the hills, the rhythm etc .. the challenges & rewards both mental & physical that running brings…. then there are those of us (like me) who have a faint interest in all of the above, but not the same passion. Perhaps if I had run earlier in my life it would be there, but I am now content to run slowly with no goal except to enjoy the present moment. Running is a wonderful gift to be explored whatever our motivation.. once we get to the finish line in C25K it’s really just the beginning… during consolidation the passion to do more will fire up , or for some like me, the newfound joy and freedom of being able to run a few miles in beautiful surroundings will be enough.. that’s the beauty of a gift…it’s ours to unwrap & use as we wish..
Joy in the moment.. absolutely... the total soaking up of everything around you..... every finish line is a new starting line... and I love your expression of running as a gift... to be unwrapped and used as we wish...just perfect! Wow... stay a while and maybe we will get one or two more visitors!
if not, we will just sit and rest and chat some more... Thank you for popping in !
I agree with Annieapple ...the joy is, the benefits... mental and physical...and it is clear just from the two replies, that we are all getting joy but in different ways... and I do feel a bit of reverse psychology creeping in, by saying that the ruminations on your runs are a sort of joy in themselves.. the sorting out, the addressing of them, etc. The sheer pleasure then after the run is a real bonus...So interesting...fascinating!
I can really relate to a lot of backintime ’s post. I sometimes feel like it’s a bit taboo to say that I didn’t enjoy a run at all but I loved it when it ended. For me, sometimes there’s a perverse pleasure in knowing I’m mentally tough enough to push myself through something really not fun because it’ll be worth it in the end. I’ve had a couple of rainy ten mile runs that have been real stinkers but I’ve had to do them to be ready for half marathons I really wanted to finish well. Nearly two hours of grim, each. The utter relief at it being over was an amazing feeling though. Plus, physical tiredness feels like a badge of honour sometimes! Coming back from injury has meant some not particularly enjoyable runs but in know I have to do them to get back to where I was. I find just accepting that I am not enjoying it but that doesn’t really matter too much because I’m doing it anyway helps. Most runs I really do enjoy, and most even most tough runs have something enjoyable about them!
Ha ha...that's what I meant by the reverse psychology bit... a perverse satisfaction !
This is all so interesting , as I hoped it might be...we are such complicated beings aren't we... I totally understand what you are saying, .. maybe because I am older and came to running like this, later in life, I just am so full of joy most of the time, because I am able to run...
I am loving the different thoughts you have as you run... ! You have had so many rough knocks to your runs and your coming back with so much strength each time... that is a true joy in itself!
I really am hoping we get some new runners in to read these replies and to share how they feel or felt on the first runs... Thanks you for popping in this afternoon... plenty of yummy snacks straight from the oven!
yes, the physical tiredness is a nice feeling - the "I'm tired cos I did something" as opposed to "I'm tired cos I did nothing but sit around" is very good!
Sorry, I meant to say that I hesitated a lot before posting, but I thought that maybe there are other people who are not feeling the joy during their run and it might help someone to know that they're not alone in not getting the joy of the run, but finding it some other way.
I think it’s really important to be honest and share these feelings. I’ve often posted about runs that haven’t gone to plan, and runs I haven’t enjoyed, and the fact that I sometimes run just to “get it done” because that’s the next run on my programme and I need to do it, If people only ever post about how they always love their runs, it creates a false impression of how running can sometimes be and you can think you’re doing something wrong if you don’t feel like that. We’re all different. It’s wonderful when people have a great time and I find those posts encouraging to read, but I equally love the ones that say “I found that tough and I didn’t think I could do it, but I did it anyway”. Or even, “that was a struggle and I couldn’t finish but I’ll get it next time”. I’ve had plenty of those myself!
Totally agree... I probably tend to not post when I feel really down...but then I have posted some really whinging posts too!!! I know my first park run at Hafan Pwllheli was full of struggle... and left me exhausted but determined to do it again... better !
One of the greatest things about this forum is that we are all so different... which is why it so successful!
I wanted folk to post exactly as you did.... i was thrilled that your post came first :)... That is what the corner is for,,, to chat and share. the joy or not joy, that we are all different and that we all have different feelings... and it is absolutely great! x
I have edited the post a little, as I feel it may come across, as you should enjoy them , which was not my intention... it was just to get a chat going and share our thoughts! Thanks you !
The thing that I love most about running is that feeling of freedom you get when you’re flying along a lane with trees and birds and everything just feels like it’s working together. There are times when it’s calming and mindful and reflective. Other times it’s utterly invigorating and then exhausting but in a really good way. Being able to go from one place to another under your own steam and drive home feeling amazed that you went that far. Doing things you never thought you’d be capable of. Finishing and feeling “I worked hard today and I am proud of that”. Falling down but getting back up stronger. We are so much tougher than we think we are!
Yeay...this says it all, absolutely... all the different runs... each with its own agenda... beauty and strength... covering distances which once seemed a long way, in a car! But on foot! Yes, you are so right...
We are, YOU are so strong and tough... we think we won't be able to ...but we DO.... just super thoughts , thank you...
Oh... buying running kit???? You betcha.... a new pair of sassy leggings.... WOW!!! xxx
Popping in for the first time , someone mentioned cake I believe??
In answer to your first question in the OP, it’s going pretty well. I’ve drawn a line under week 8 today, with my third 28 minute run in the books.
I treated myself when I got to the end of week 5, to a gait analysis and a new pair of Asics. I may also have bought several new running tops, pairs of shorts, some running socks and a Garmin Forerunner 245. I think I’m good now for ‘stuff’😂
Do I enjoy my runs? I’ve enjoyed my progress over the past few weeks, each week since week 5 run 3 setting new boundaries in terms of time and distance.
I think I’d struggle to say that I enjoy the runs, although I should say that I’m starting to get the feeling that, given time, I might do. I’m no longer out of breath from a couple of minutes in, and a rigorous hydration regime means that the legs don’t feel heavy for the first 10 minutes as they used to do. Im yet to feel the in-run euphoria that I’ve read and heard about, I will admit to surreptitiously punching the air when I completed 20 minutes uninterrupted in week 5 though 😂
Injury-wise, touch wood, I’m all good. I ache a little the day after each run since week 7’s 25 minute runs, nothing serious, just a little twinge here and there, always gone the day after, and nothing that a better post-run stretching regimen wouldn’t probably sort. If there’s anything I’d say I need to improve on it would be my post-run stretching,
So overall I’m in a good place with my running. I’m feeling better in myself, I’m sleeping much better, I’ve been told I look younger and slimmer. I’ve got a virtual running partner at work, we run on the same days and have a WhatsApp group where we post our run details etc, so we’re accountable to each other. It feels good knowing that I’ve only got ……..
3 runs to graduation, and a plan (ish) for the next couple of weeks to consolidate, culminating in my first ever Parkrun on 27th May. Not expecting to set any records (other than a 5km PB of course)
Apologies for the waffle, and thanks for the cake (I will be celebrating the end of week 8 with something Spanish, red and liquidy tonight .
Thanks also for the hints, tips, encouragement and guidance that is the forum as a whole. 👍👍👍👍👍
You punching the air after your run made me remember spinning my sports bra over my head lasso-style while getting undressed for my shower after one of my long runs that I didn't think I could do
You are doing so well... I am not sure about the run euphoria that folk talk about... I just feel really happy! When you are 73, every run is a real win
Your thoughts are really welcome and I feel many folk ,will know exactly what you mean...enjoying the progress made and feeling and obviously looking better too... folk are noticing !
When we begin this, we are not sure what we are in for... I know I was not at all certain... but just took it very gently.. and probably hoped for the best !
You running sounds to be a balance of many things that our runners feel as they move through the plan and working on those things that you feel may need a little tweak. Plans in place for moving on and a partner to work with too.
I do hope some of our other new runners read this and the other posts... it will I feel give support and encouragement and let them know whatever they feel. or however the runs are going, we are all here, all experiencing different things, and that is just as it should be...
Huge well done to you... and although I did not air punch, when the voice in my ear said I was a runner... I did shout , " YES" very, very loudly, and nearly scared an old lady walking past. I apologised..
Thank you so much for coming in... there will be a cushion her for you and yes... there is cake... no red wine... but that is for later We shall be watching for your Graduation post! x
great to read the posts here as I still seem to be stuck in a phase of ‘not enjoying as much as I was’. Although I did run 6km last week a first for me (2nd week of Ju Ju’s plan) and was pleased with that. I’m hoping the enjoyment comes back, but in the meantime I will just keep plodding along. I’m running with someone else this Friday, another first, and I hope this will help.
As ever, the posts here are really helpful and I find them supportive, thank you.
Hi Oldfloss, you asked me to let you know how my run with a friend went. We did the 7km run of Ju Ju’s magic plan. I was apprehensive as I haven’t run that far, and I hadn’t been sleeping well for a few days. Also the run I did 2 days prior to this was another struggling one. But you know what it was great. I made sure we went really slow. At the end we picked up the pace for the last .5km and I still had energy in my legs and my breathing wasn’t laboured.
I’m beginning to let myself feel like a runner, how cool is that. ☺️
That sound just like an excellent run... confident and , with something left in the tank at the end. Listening to your body, trying to relax and letting the legs do their stuff, is not always easy... but you did it.
Hi everyone, so many valuable thoughts here! 😊Some of you will know, I've started C25K again after a long bout of pneumonia and recovery. And I'm experiencing sooo many emotions around the running at the moment, got to take it slowly......but my runner brain is still in there and sometimes shouts 'sprint intervals, come on lets go!'Meanwhile, my still recovering body is saying 'Slow and steady, slow and steady.....'
I'm usually excited to get going each time, and I think that's because I've spent many months fearing I would never be well enough to run again....
Having said that, no matter how much I'm loving it when I'm in it, if that makes sense, I'm usually glad when its done, and the sense of satisfaction at conquering those dratted gremlins never goes away.
No matter, how slow I have to go, or how much I have to battle the gremlins to keep going, I have always and hope I always will, found so much joy in just being able to do it, its not pretty or elegant, but I don't care.......I can run, and I love that!😀🏃♀️❤
Hello and welcome to you. It is really great to see you here on the cushions, after such a rough time and comeback.
I can just imagine those voices in your head... most of us have them, I would think. Being so glad to be back out, but having to keep control over the urge to go like the wind, must be so hard. Sometimes it is easier, if you feel too fragile initially to move too fast! I know when I have been building back, at the beginning, just walking a short way was a massive achievement.
That fear that, we never will run again... oh yes.. it is so real and seems to be a totally reasonable assumption! I think the way you feel is , what others may feel too. That HUGE satisfaction... a job well done, and YOU did it?
Slow, as you know, is perfect for me...it is what keeps me moving,,, slow and steady... and I just think you last words, sum things up wonderfully..
" I can run, and I love that ". Perfect.
Thank you so much for calling in and sharing this with us... do, please pop in again . Fresh croissants this morning x
Today was discouraging rather than enjoyable. I’m a few runs past graduation (4, I think). After graduation I switched from treadmill to outside. I’m trying to be ready for a 5k on June 3rd, but I’m getting a fair amount of shin pain since I moved outside. It usually goes away after about a mile, but today it lingered so I had to go slower than slow and stick to running on grass mostly. I had to split my run into 20 min run, couple minutes of walking, 10 min run. I’m thinking I might use the treadmill on Thursday to give my shins a break.
The happy part for me is that I’m healthy enough to do this at all. June 13th I’ll be a year past finishing 6 months of chemo. When I told my oncologist that I was planning on running a 5k, he just looked at me and said “go slow”. So at least one person is happy with the way I’m performing lol. I’m a bunch of years older than the last time I did any running (currently 58) and there has been a lot of medical stuff in those years, so I’m trying to be satisfied with where I am. After each run, I do look forward to seeing how I can make things better the next time. And I’m definitely enjoying being out in the spring weather and spring sights!
Lovely to see you here... and what a super post... so useful to hear how the runs work out for us all. This is interesting too because of the transition from treadmill to the great outdoors...!
Also, so helpful for our other runners to see, that after huge issues such as you have had , do not necessarily mean that everything has to stop!
A fair few of the forum friends run using the treadmill, through choice or necessity... and many have found the transition to outside challenging at times. The advice to keep things slow that you had certainly works... and you probably are taking steps, ( pardon the pun), to work on exercises for the legs, feet and ankles, to reduce the shin pain. Landing lightly, I call it kissing the ground with your feet, can be really useful.
Being satisfied and content with your place... and the way you feel, simply because you are healthy and are able to run at all, resonates, with me and I feel sure, many. Simple pleasure in one sense, but hugely precious and hard won... certainly for you.
Sit back and rest with us a while... I feel sure that the 5K is going to be well within your reach. Is it on a track or trail? Will the surface suit your running?
Do keep us posted please, as you work towards it and thank you so, so much for popping in!
Hi -+ good to see you are getting back to fitness after chemo. Don’t think I’ve yet had that conversation with my oncologist but definitely next time… !
I’m probably a few weeks behind you on that but just as determined to get back to running, so have restarted C25k from the beginning and so proud to be up to W5 already.
I graduated in 2018 but since then life has kicked me around a bit, so I'm starting right at the beginning again, a few years older and 20kg heavier. My first time through C25k I did not enjoy the runs themselves until about week 5, surviving on the joy from having done it afterwards.
This time even in run 1 I was so happy to be back out there, the entire run was just pure joy!! It took me a few weeks to even get to week 1 because I've been so sedentary my ankles aren't used to carrying the extra weight, so I had to take a couple of weeks of just walking and daily ankle-strengthening exercises to be able to make it through a week 1 run without worrying about giving myself plantar fascitis.
I did week 1, run 2 yesterday and it amazed me how much easier it was than run 1, and how much less I hurt today (I was a lot more thorough with my pre- and post-run stretching yesterday, so note taken on that). It finally feels like I'm taking steps to get out of depression and back to the old me. I think I forgot how good running actually was for my mental health. I'm doing Strength and Flex on my rest days and every day of exercise I can feel my mental health improving. I'm so excited to be back to doing parkruns and volunteering with my local GoodGym!
Hello! Welcome... fresh tea and blueberry muffins .. ! Healthy and Sugar free too !
Huge well down to you for being here and for beginning the programme again... and what a positive post!
You are doing it just perfectly and reaping the benefits.... and enjoying it... that does not get much better ! Moving on from illness, mental or physical, and feeling so much stronger has got to be one of the best things about the running?
So many of us have repeated the C25K,, either in its entirety or bits of it, me included... and found it so much less challenging because of the familiarity of it.
It is just is good to read this and I do hope other folk reading it will take a positive message away... well done to you too for the PR and volunteering too.
I think you deserve a sit down and a bit of a rest...pop in at any time and let us know how it is going !x
Well Oldfloss , as you are in my part of the British Isles how could I not pop in for Bara Brith and Welsh cakes 😀
I'm still taking things easy after my two surprise diagnoses last week. I am still walking 2-4k daily with the dogs, as I always do, but no exercise that raises my heart rate too much until I've seen the GP on Friday and possibly the cardiology team at the local hospital. We shall see, and I am not jumping the gun!
I'm hoping things get sorted before the 19th as one of my favourite RnR bands, The Bobcats, are playing at our club and I will be gutted if it's no jiving for Annya. Putting firm affirmations out there that I get the OK to jive (and run!) again soon.
I've developed a bit of a whinge in my right leg which is suspect is post thrombotic syndrome raising it's ugly head once again. The downside of not being as active as usual is that the leg reminds me I'm not doing enough to keep my vasculature happy! Can't win!
Still, it could be worse, so I'm trying to accent the positive as the song goes 😁
I am so sorry. I got so flustered this morning...I missed this!There are plenty of tasty treats left. And the corner is cosy tonight ...the rain is coming down, but warm and dry here.
Those unexpected bits of news were not welcome at all, and taking it as gently as you can, seems like the best plan. Hopefully your appointments will give you more information.
Your poor leg...oh my goodness...it must feel like a no win situation. But...you are strong.. and we are here at anytime ...to share and support as best we can.
Fingers crossed for the dancing !! It puts a whole new slant on the saying..." If you can't run, walk...if you can't walk...err...jive!"
Fingers crossed for Friday. Keep us posted please and sit here for as long as you like xxx
I'll have a bara brith with my cuppa please. My run this morning was joyful. Brilliant sunshine, bluebells gently dipping in the breeze as I found my slow and steady pace for my first 25 minute run since my enforced injury break. It's feeling good right now and I'm full of optimism as I continue my C25K journey. 🏃♂️ 🏃♀️ 🏃♂️
Absolutely perfect and sorry I wasn't here to welcome you this morning! Please, have another slice of bara...
Your run sounds wonderful. I can sense the joy from here! Sunshine and flowers and you...full of energy and optimism! Some runs are just like that, especially after an enforced break... I feel happy for you !
Long may that feeling stay with you and get only stronger as you move onwards. Thank you for popping on, there will be a cushion here for you, anytime... Well done you!
I am so close to graduating! Just one run to go on the programme. Some of the runs I have absoluteky loved, and some have been a struggle. The one after fish and chips springs to mind. On the whole I am enjoying the process though. And I am proud of myself for what I am doing. And I think I've got a better outlook on it than I've had before - not putting pressure on myself to go faster all the time, just trusting the process.
Sometimes when I am enjoying a run I hold my arms out to the side to feel like I'm flying! (Only when there's no one else around.)
I've been thinking about what's next. I'm going on holiday to the Lake District next week. I'm going to take my running stuff but not worry about it if I don't manage to get a run in. Then at least a couple of weeks of consolidation. Then then I'm going to use the magic plan at the Bridge to 10k forum to increase to 45 minutes running. That should get me comfortably to running more than 5k, but my local parkruns are all quite hilly, and where I run is pretty flat, so I want to know I can do more than 5k before going to parkrun. I think I'll stick at my long run being 45 minutes for a while, as any longer will probably be difficult to fit in. But that'll be an amazing thing to be able to do each week.
Oh my.... Fiadh79 ... I know that arms out and flying feeling... I have done it myself ...shhhh !
Welcome and very well done to you on your runs and the way that you are balancing out the runs listening to your body and just going with the flow. Trusting any plan can be tricky...but you seem to have got the hang of it and accepted that alongside the joy, there may be the angst too !
Your holiday sounds as if it is going to be lovely... and maybe you may find a trail around one of the lakes for a short jogette? Your plans seem very sound and sticking at the 45 minutes, will surely help the stamina and strength too.. I had to practice on the flat , before I ran a park run as where I live is mostly hilly and I run faster up things than on the flat!
Just reading this , I know you will get where you wish to be, and as for many of us... you are finding so much joy in the process...
Please pop in at any time and, if you get a run in in the lakes.. a photo please x Enjoy your holiday x
And I thought all the time, having read your post, am I enjoying this? And the answer was a resounding No! But when I got back home, stretched out and soaped myself down in that lovely hot shower, I have to admit I did feel awfully good about it, and I think to me, that is the real plus side.
Tbqh, for me I hate all the having to run along fairly busy main roads before I can luxuriate in a green and pleasant rural environment and I really envy those of you who have safe rural trails or paths close by to run along, and I’m sure that if I had those facilities I would get far more joy from the actual runs instead of afterwards.
(But I do remember when I was fitter and healthier, enjoying my runs, despite the bits along the roads to start with! So I will aim for that….)
Hello...thanks for popping in ..I'm fluffing up the cushions and chatting still.Your thoughts on your run...honest and ones many clearly have too.
The after run thoughts and feelings do, it seems for many of us, provide the most satisfaction.
Road running can be hard.... I can see that...especially busy roads...it is something I had not given a lot of thought too. I shall now though. Thank you.
It is good to chat because we see things from others ' perspectives. Helping us to rationalise our own and, be more supportive to other folk.
There's a lot of positives in your reply...you're running...you're getting there. .and sneaking in at the end...looking to finding more in your runs again, too.
Sit back.. relax..Week 6 will wait. Thank you for calling in...always a cushion here for you x
Love all these posts. I wish I had more time to read more and in more depth. I always resonate with what most people post, which I guess shows we are all in the same boat. I don't run that often probably only once every 2 weeks (that's without the short burst runs at bootcamp) and so I struggle on a lot of runs because of this. It's just a busy life, not because I don't want to run. Struggling on runs does not equal enjoyment on most occasions but the end feeling of achievement, a bit of breathlessness and a good shower always keeps me coming back for more. Living in Central London doesn't give beautiful views to encourage runs, although some days a built up skyline has its own beauty. On my next run I am going to consciously think about my run, what's good and not so good to see if it gives me a better insight into why I keep going, albeit slowly.
Hello and welcome...carrot muffins today..gluten free too !Busy lives do impact so much...and the runs often have to be squeezed in...which can detract slightly from joy!
The feeling of achievement and satisfaction after the run, is proving to be a common denominator for many folk too.
Sone runs I read about and the city photos look stunning...so different from my views and so good to be able to share too.
Yes. .this whole chat this week has made me more determined, too, to think about my actual run. ..lots to think about!
Do you run early...or in the evening..City running does fascinate me,
Its whenever I can squeeze it in. I think I prefer mornings, which is normally a weekend run but I have been known to pop out on a cold, blustery night after work. Never appeals the after work run but sometimes it just has to be done. I have memories when I started c25k of going out at 8.30pm in the dark, rainy night to get my third run in of the week. Hated going out but ended up really enjoying it. You just never know what a run will bring.
Always different..every run. It is easier for me...older..retired...when I did c25K way back in 2015. .I used to go out in the dark early mornings.. it was December... I loved it...but very rural.. I am in awe of folk like you, working so hard, but still getting the runs in..!
Good shout about run timings, I’ve got my first week 9 run to do today. Thus far I’ve always run in the morning on an empty stomach, work commitments meant that wasn’t possible today.
Heading out later, be interesting to see how it goes ….
Hi OF! Well, please forgive me for being rather remiss on HU of late. It’s been a bit tough as I am one month in to a 3 month break from running to let injuries/niggles clear up, so while I’ve been scanning HU, I’ve not been very active (literally and metaphorically 🤣).
To add insult to injury I caught covid again 2 weeks ago, which lasted a week. The symptoms post covid have been 10x worse than the actual covid, and only today do I feel a little bit more normal, which is SO welcome. Will have a little walk later to test the old legs and lungs out.
The one good thing to come out of the above is that sitting on my ever expanding bum for days on end means that my injury finally feels like it’s starting to behave. So there’s always a silver lining!
While I miss my running greatly at the mo, it does my heart good to see it brings so much joy to you. 😊😊😊
Oh my goodness... it is so good to see you. You are so welcome to come and sit down here a while!
Your tale, is so, so true of so many of us... having to take time out for one reason or another... and this blinking Covid.. still here and still being an absolute horror.
Like you, the aftermath was much, much worse than the Covid for me too... and it has taken an absolute age to build back.
I am glad that you are feeling a tad more like yourself...just take it really gently indeed and rest wherever and whenever it is needed !
Positive from negative... enforced rest has meant that the injury is healing !!!
Yeyayayayayy ! That is fantastic ! Fingers crossed for future running.
I wonder if you would pop back, please, and let is know how your walk went...I managed barely 1K, the first one I took... and was really glad to see my garden gate !!!
The folk here in the corner and on the forums do keep us going... the support and the empathy is priceless...
Please, do take care and do take it gently...there is always a cushion for you here, at any time. x
Aw bless you OF! Thank you for your kind words. I think this strain of covid is much worse than the first time round. If your symptoms afterwards were anything like I’ve had this week, I bet you felt terrible, and probably a bit scared too.
Well, my outing resulted in a 2 minute walk to the garden centre, feeling VERY wobbly! Then about a 5 min walk round, and 2 mins home. And have been asleep ever since 🤣🤣🤣. But I did get a nice plant, and it was so nice to get some fresh air which I think has helped with my breathing.
So it was couch to about 1,500 steps today, but that is serious progress!
It’s funny when I think this time last year I felt absolutely invincible with my running. But I’ve realised there’s no point in getting too upset about what life throws at us. It won’t change anything.
Huge well done to you...and good that you rested and slept afterwards. My Nan used to say, sleep was a great healer.
I got Covid the week before Christmas.. first time... and like you now, felt during the weeks after testing negative... dreadful. Fatigue was overpowering and yes, like nothing I had ever experienced.
You do feel like you will never walk again, let alone run! But we runners... we are made of strong stuff and that is proved time and time again on these forums.
You made excellent progress... and you got fresh air and a lovely plant. Small steps my friend, that will get you there... .do, please keep me posted...
so thought I’d drop in again having completed my Week 9 Run 2 this morning.
It’s official, I definitely prefer running in the morning to the evening. Was out just before 7 this morning, a cool and crisp morning, just seems to suit me better for some reason.
All went rather well to be honest, I was halfway through before I knew it, breathing was easy, legs felt strong throughout.
One minor hiccup when I had to add an unexpected detour on account of the level crossing coming down 50 yds in front of me at the 25 minute mark, threw in a 2 minute loop and just kept going😂😂
Was very tempted to just keep going to 5k when the 30 mins was up, pace was steady and distance covered was 4.4km again so only another 600m….. but I didn’t
Must stick to the plan and not over exert myself !!!!!
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