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100% success!

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Well then! Woo, and indeed yay – at 6 o’clock this morning I was outside, propelling myself forward in a manner not dissimilar to running. And you know what? It was alright.

Years ago I got very into the whole 6.30 gym before work lark, but since then have got myself a proper job and motivating myself to get up and dressed is sometimes tricky enough for me. I did enjoy it mind you and with this in mind, I’m giving it a another go. I’m hoping that it’ll be harder for me to weasel out of than waiting til the end of the day when the lure of the paper and a nice cup of tea is far more tempting.

Good stuff about this morning: seeing the world’s oldest paperboy out delivering in his Rover, being spotted by someone I know, the warm fuzzy glow of smugness that lasted throughout the day, getting home at 5pm and knowing that I could have a guilt free sit down, feeling motivated to do it again.

Rubbish stuff about this morning: waking up before 5.00 worrying that I hadn’t heard my alarm and would oversleep, not being sure if the strange man in the anorak was pointing to his watch in a “oooh you’re out early” kind of way or whether it was more along the lines of “Look at your time! Go faster woman!” (I suspect the former as the other is kind of weird, even for the village), getting a bit stitchy at 2 miles, not having my guilt-free sit down but going to tesco instead.

So that was 3 miles of sweaty loveliness, listening to Matt Costa and home in time for breakfast.

On the cards this week, an after work run with my mate, another early one on Thursday and Sunday morning out either on my lonesome or with work.

www.dilmahtea.co.uk

Living up to the name

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Hmmm.  What have I learned in the last couple of months? Well, setting targets for major events is not a good idea for me. Since setting up this blog and planning to enter the Mersey Tunnel 10k, I have done the running equivalent of hiding under my duvet. I’ve probably run every week, but nowt particularly challenging and certainly nowhere near my target of 10k.

I’m very ashamed by this and what narks me the most is that I’ve no better excuse than just being lazy.

Of the runs I have done, I’ve enjoyed most of them; I’ve seen all sorts of nature (rabbits, ducks, goats, a heron, sheeps, cows, horses, geese, moorhens/coots…); I feel fitter and stronger when I run; I have more energy and, dammit, I’m dead proud of myself for doing it. I just need to do it more.

So it’s back to the drawing board for me. When I started to lollop along at more than a walking pace, I stuck to a routine and I need to get back to it and get my lazy arse outside. So… Forget about big targets, my new one is to go out at least three times a week by hook or by crook.

Failing that, I’ll just do another apologetic post in August.

Mirror, mirror…

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Yesterday I didn’t run because I had yoga. Today I didn’t run because I’ve had my hair cut and it looks nice – it won’t look this decent again until I have my hair cut next time. This is actually quite a good excuse for me, my excuses will get flimsier I promise.

I was thinking today about why I’ve finally started this blog – it was actually I run because I like food who suggested it originally when I emailed her after finding her blog via the Guardian. I’ve finally started putting words on it because I’m hoping that it will shame me into a more regular training schedule.

I know that a 10k is only a modest ambition, especially as I will do it very very slowly, but it’s a start. And I will definitely post my race entry this weekend…

Hot hands and a wobbly bottom

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Well, I did actually drag my lazy bum out yesterday, before yesterday’s post but time got the better of me and I didn’t want to get sucked into another episode of Law and Order before bed…

Ginger (husband) and I kind of went for broke and did a lovely 5 miles. In fact it was a gorgeous 5 miles, it was just that we spoiled the gorgeousness with our red-faced wheeziness. Ouch. And again ouch. I was definitely reminded why we should do what I believe the experts call “training“. In addition to the usual achiness, my hands went incredibly hot and as each foot hit the ground, I was horribly aware of my bottom wobbling like a blamange over cobbles. Ho hum.

On the plus side, there’s some lovely baby goats in a field which look like dogs with horns and I’m now looking forward to a canalside run looking at the ducks. Just not tonight cos it’s yoga.

Nothing to declare but my laziness

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Hmmmm. I signed up for this blog back in January. Since then I have managed a fabulous tally of zero posts – this should give people an idea of how I go about doing things. With all my projects I have a tendency to travel hopefully but rarely arrive – my knitting bag contains a pair of slippers (each foot in 6 pieces) and 10 rows of a shawl. I have never worn a shawl in my life, but that didn’t stop me cheerfully embarking on the thing, carried away by gorgeous wool and a mental image of me sitting outside a tent with my shawl wrapped around my shoulders. Incidentally, in this picture I was a stone lighter and working a stylish barefoot, outdoorsy vibe,  rather than the ‘only allowed out with a responsible adult’ look that I tend to work whilst camping.

My point being, I rarely finish a bloody thing (but have lots of good intentions).

Now, the thing I’ve found with running is that there is no end. Well, there’s the bit where I collapse in a big sweaty heap, my head gently pulsating, but you’ve got to keep going with it. You can’t just say, “well I can run 5 miles, that’s that”, there’s always 6 miles, or a faster 5 miles, or 5 miles with a big hill in the middle.

Also, I’ve learned in spectacular fashion today that being able to run 5 miles and then training haphazardly for a couple of months does not mean that I can pick up where I left off. Which is funny, cos I thought I could….

So why have I finally started writing this? Well, at the start of the year I set myself some running goals one of which was to run my first 10k. Since January, I have done nothing particular towards achieving this. In the last couple of days, I found No Boots and read about her goal of running the Bristol Half. I found myself feeling slightly shamed that the only excuse that I have for not doing a paltry 10k is laziness. Laziness and a fear of coming last.

So, I’m now the proud owner of an entry form for the Mersey Tunnel 10k in a couple of months. All I need to do now is fill it in, send it off and get off my lazy bum.