A funny thing happened on my way to...

[Anniemurph]

... not to the Forum, sadly. I was out on my third run of the week (yay!) and I was just doing my standard loop out and back from my doorstep. It's about 3.8km and unfortunately the last 0.8 is up the North face of the Eiger - or at least that's how it feels when I haven't been running regularly.

I had been running along quite happily to tracks like Let it Rock, Somebody Told Me, Fun, Fun, Fun and Get The Party Started, and I had slowed to a crawl, thinking that it would be okay if I walked... because I'm only on my way back... and I'd nearly done as much as last time... and I was absolutely knackered... and I just couldn't do any more... and other excuses, when lo and behold, a familiar voice appeared in my ear!

‘Hello! I’m Laura. Welcome to Week One of the NHS Choices Couch to 5K plan.’ And I was transported back to my very first venture out of the door. The hope and the anticipation all came back, and the music buoyed me up on my way up the hill. That reassuring voice told me I was doing well, and I was halfway there. I was still knackered, but the podcast lent wings to my feet and I managed the hill, and then managed to stagger along just that little bit faster, knowing how far I had come in terms of my running. Isn’t it amazing how your mind works?

I’m still not running like the gazelle I think I am, fleet and light-footed, but a friend of mine told me to believe that I am, so…

‘I am a gazelle, I am a gazelle, I am a gazelle’

[pingle Graduate]

Loved your blog and the image of you bounding along like a gazelle! It also reminded me of the time a while ago when we played around with slogans for the graduate T-shirt. My favourite was 'I'm a Kenyan on the inside!' That is still my mantra on the hard bits. It makes me laugh because I am pretty much the opposite of the amazing Kenyan runners to look at and can only dream of the grace and ease of their running.

[Anniemurph Graduate in reply to pingle]

Oh, I love that: 'I'm a Kenyan on the inside!' Hmmm... grace and ease are two words I couldn't use to describe my running, but I will persevere, in the hope that it will eventually get easier. Thanks, Pingle - you made me smile

[Genome911 Graduate]

That Laura pops up just when she's needed, doesn't she? Funny story. Good luck to you, fleet of foot!

[Anniemurph Graduate in reply to Genome911]

Her timing was brilliant! See, it just proves that she does keep an eye on us And I'll work on the fleet of foot business, although it may take a while...

[sfb350 Graduate in reply to Anniemurph]

I did a run a few weeks back where it really didn't feel comfortable throughout and I was dreading the final hill back to my house and had resigned myself to a slow walk back. In a moment of inspiration, I looked for the week 1 podcast hoping it would give me a bit more of an incentive. It didn't miraculously bestow gazelle-like abilities on me but it did bring back happy memories and gave a boost to my enthusiasm and self-belief as I followed Laura's instructions all the way home.

[Anniemurph Graduate in reply to sfb350]

It's great how listening to the early podcasts can still inspire us, isn't it? I'm not sure I'd want to go back and do it all again but that first one sure kicked it at just the right moment!

And sadly, my gazelle resemblance is still only in my mind

[sfb350 Graduate in reply to Anniemurph]

I feel your pain - I suspect I look more like a hippo !

[greenlegs Graduate]

Aw, nice story!

[Anniemurph Graduate in reply to greenlegs]

I tell you, she watches us!