Two weeks ago, I restarted the program and got as far as W3R1, which is where I had stopped when I first started the program in January.
As much as I want to, I just cannot do a complete W3 run, and so I have come to realise *and accept* that I am more unfit than I thought I was.
Rather than feel frustrated by my lack of success, I have decided that I would walk the same 4 km/2.5 mile circuit everyday (or as often as I could) for the whole of May, in order to increase my fitness.
I live in the French countryside, surrounded by gentle and not-so-gentle hills and over the last 10 days, my pace has not increased considerably, but I have noticed that the slopes do not leave me as out of breath as when I started.
Yesterday, I found myself half-way up a hill which I used to dread having to walk up, before I even noticed how far I'd gone up it!
I set off early in the morning after an oat and banana smoothie, and I return to a warm shower and a couple of poached eggs.
I use Nike+ to record my efforts and give myself challenges: faster pace (that is hard!), or more "runs" in a week. Seeing my attempts (achievements?) displayed in a little graph over a calendar gives me an incentive to continue.
So this is my lesson this month: set an achievable challenge and appreciate the small victories.