I wanted to run this morning but because I was having a "fasting" blood test this morning, I hadn't eaten for hours so felt a bit too wobbly to try it. I decided that instead I would ask my Beloved to drop me off at my yoga class and that I would run back home afterwards. Beloved told me I was barking mad.
At work today, I sneakily checked out the distance on Google Maps - 2.7 miles. Well, I've done more than that a few times now so that shouldn't be too bad, maybe a bit slow as there are a couple of long steep hills.
I got home from work and got changed, Beloved came home expecting me to have seen sense as it was raining. No, I was still set on running home. He delivered me to my class, still thinking I was a mad fool.
After an hour of stretching and contorting, I felt quite ready for the run home. I didn't do the usual warm up walk as I assumed I was already pretty warmed up. I felt good as I set off.....but all too soon, my legs felt weary, I was struggling to find a rhythm and I felt sick. I decided to let myself stop after five minutes....I had to stop after less than three minutes. My throat felt tight, my legs ached and I could feel the contents of my stomach churning - it was three hours since I'd eaten so I'm not sure why.
I decided to walk home. Well, I got to the top of the hill and didn't feel too bad so I set myself a new target to run to and set off at a slow jog - this really was hard work. After a while, I decided to move the target further away - get to the big roundabout and then walk up the next big hill. Running on the grass verge made the jog more comfortable and I cheered myself up by splashing through muddy puddles. I just about kept going to the roundabout, my stomach still felt strange, I felt slightly sick and I was starting to fear I was going to have a Paula Radcliffe moment (sorry Paula!).
I carried on walking, determined I wasn't going to ring Beloved and ask him to come and rescue me. I started to feel a bit better again and increased my walking speed - by the time I reached the top of the hill, my legs were tight and achy but I felt able to run the final flat stretch home. As it turned out, it wasn't flat - I've just never noticed the incline when I've been walking! I made it though and staggered in through the front door, gasping and wheezing.
So what have I learnt?
I suspect I should stick to running in the mornings, this is the first evening run I've tried since starting the program;
I shouldn't underestimate how intense a yoga class can be;
I like running in the rain and jumping in puddles (I already suspected as much);
I care a lot less about what people think about the sight of me in lycra than I would have done 9 weeks ago;
I've listened to my own advice and, even while I was struggling, I was managing not to think of it as a Bad Run - I wouldn't have been able to do that 9 weeks ago either;
Beloved is almost always right (but that doesn't mean I have to admit it to him!)
I've also decided that when Stubbornness gets you home, it's only fair to call it Determination instead.