I Am Running!

OK, it’s happening here. I am throwing myself headlong back into the world of proper physical exercise. Now, I say ‘back into the world’ which is perhaps a teeny bit misleading, as it does infer that in some previous life I was all about exercise. I was not.

At school, I was always somewhere around the middle for team picks, and then as soon as I was old enough to get out of PE, I would! At some point in my twenties I got into going to the gym, and I do recall actually enjoying that for a time, but then jobs changed, time to get there became harder as my career took over, and before I knew it my exercise was walking to and from car parks. I had a brief spell, shortly before I got pregnant with Boo where I took up running, and I did enjoy it. I ran at 5.30-6am-ish and there was a real sense of peace going out at that time of the day, whilst most people were still abed. But then my knees began to hurt and then my pregnancy became apparent, so I stopped. Since then, I’ve kept fit running about after two little ones, and enjoying plenty of family walks, but with Boo now at school, even that has diminished somewhat, and as I’m feeling the Christmas excess pounds, it’s the right time to get out there again.

I Am Running

I will run. There are no costly gym memberships, no set times I need to be somewhere, no-one else relying on me. That all works for me. I feel odd, a bit of a fraud, as I don’t really ‘do’ exercise, but, thinking back to my ‘So Who Are You’ post, I resolutely refuse to be defined by the me that has been until now. Who says I can’t be a runner? Who says I can’t find this new hobby, love it, and continue to be running a decade or two from now? Well, I may have given up in a month’s time, I may be running marathons next year, I just won’t know unless I try, though, will I?

I have my new Asics, I have the Couch to 5K app, and I have that first run under my belt now. I won’t lie and tell you that that was pretty. Around halfway into it, I started to wonder whether I would survive. I was breathing hard, could feel the heat from my face, my head was pounding, and I was weaving a little over the pavement on the final stretch. I did tell you I was unfit! But, I did make it, I did survive, and weirdly, I find myself looking forward to my next run tomorrow. So wish me luck!

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18 thoughts on “I Am Running!”

  1. Well, knowing you as I do, I expect to hear about your first half marathon sometime in the next few weeks or so! I ran for a while but I prefer cycling, although I totally get the enjoyment of running. I hope you have fun with it xx

  2. Great that you are running. If you are looking for inspiration, I can’t recommend ‘Running Like a Girl’ by Alexandra Heminsley highly enough. Its such a positive, realistic account of the ups and downs of running. You won’t be able to resisit putting on the running shoes!

  3. Oh wow, good for you Jocelyn! I love that couch to 5 k app, it makes it so manageable. Last year I went from struggling through 5 mins to running (well, jogging- it was busy, ok?!) 5 k in 45 mins for race for life, the feeling was immense. Funnily enough, I’ve been waiting until I’m absolutely better after bronchitis to do it again. And I start again this week 🙂 Go you!

  4. Ooh, how exciting! I am running too :). I’ve just completed week two. I promise it does get better. Like you I decided to run because it’s free and I can go in the day when the children are at school. I desperately need new running shoes though so am a bit envious of those Asics ;). Good luck!

  5. Oh you’re inspiring me to get back running too. In fact had a peep at some new running shoes today in a shop but need to find some where my feet don’t get soaked by running in the countryside (which happened last time I tried with my old running shoes!)

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