Running At Last!

Hi Blog lovers.

This autumn running is so very difficult and enthusiasm zapping! But I am determined to beat it, no way can I let those months of hard sweat and tears go to waste. Talking of tears, there were a few of those again today towards the end of today's run, but if you read to the end you will see that.

I left the house after my work had left and I had got changed. Not in my 'skins' because they still in the wash! (lazy mare) but I had on nice warm Dunlap velour jog pants, very Essex Girl! and the old mans fleecy hoody! I did look a sight, but the darkness was coming, I don't think people would notice me. As I was setting my IPOD I noticed naggy coming home, maybe I should have asked her to come along, but thought, she just home from work! she wont want to come, but then again she is a runner! I wasn't sure what to do, but as I was psyched up I just waved and went.

I went quite fast for the first 200 metres, and had to say "Whoo there girlfriend, where's the fire?" and I pulled in the reigns a bit. Then I noticed I was blowing a bit. It was Nagging Sister that had set the fire. She had told me that she went out jogging today, (renewed her interest) and only managed 2 miles but in 24 minutes! Average of 12 minute miles! I'm sure that's faster than me. But I got to remember she is younger than me, by a couple of years, and she is skinnier than me, and she really is more fitter than me, what with her millions of badminton classes! I have to do my own pace, that's my rule for me to get fitter and faster.

I know I have to push myself hard, but I will have to do that at the weekends and on the days that I am not working or cycling. Today I just need to get out there and just keep doing what I'm doing, and keeping myself safe. So no running through parks this time of the day! All the way up to the first mile marker I was deciding which way I would go, I still wasn't certain. Do I run down the hill I hate and then up to the round about, or do I run up the hill and just do the usual route. Well, it was getting pretty dark, and I am again dressed in dark colours, so I decided that I am going to take the shortest route, which means running up the hill.

I really did feel good running today, all the way up to Turpington lane, of course I did stop, if naggy was here she would give me such a telling. This shouldn't be happening now! But I am too soft. Its really dark now, and my glasses are steaming up from the sweat on my face, making it even more difficult to see anything up ahead. So I decided to just focus on one tree or lamppost at a time, get to those then focus on another one.

Soon enough the hill was there, but it didn't matter, I couldn't see it! But I did feel it under foot. Have to lift my legs just a little higher, but I am still feeling very good. In fact I was feeling so good I went straight up and didn't turn right at Holbrook! Ok, I chickened out of going down there, too near the park! But it's a sensible thing to do. So I ran straight up to the main road again and turned right towards home. Got to the first mile (last mile) marker and this is where the old legs and stamina start to go. This is the hardest mile for me, I looked at my IPOD and saw that it was 27 and something, if I did this same mile as the first one then I could be back by 38 and something! Which would be my personal best!

DARN BLOOMING LAZYITUS COUCH POTATO WOMAN!! I just can't run this last mile like I run the first mile. Other people can! Why can't I?

I went down the second Oxhawth, I think, the easy option, but also to say to couch potato me that I need to run non stop now from the top of oxhawth to my door! As I was running down here though, a song came up on my IPOD, it was Madonnas 'Papa Don't Preach' and for some unknown reason, this stirred up some emotions in me, thinking of my kids and their needs, and my own mum and dad, and how much I miss them. I just started crying! Only for a very short while, but the tears ran down my already wet face. I soon pulled myself together and got on with the job in hand.

I had just a little bit left over for the finishing, not quite in style, but shall we say just looking good. I stopped the timer and made a mental note of the time, it was 41:40 minutes. I was ok with that time, of course I wanted it to be faster! but the fact that I got out today after work, was good enough for me today.

I was going to go straight in, and not walk out the 3 miles, but just as I went into the gate, Hearts 'Crazy On You' yelled in my ears. I love this song, so I took the walk around the green, not only that but I was singing along with the girls. Did you read that, let me write that again I was singing along with this song! I wasn't particularly out of breath, I wasn't puffing and blowing out my........whatever, I was singing along fairly in tune I might add, out loud! I am definitely getting fitter!