Sunday Run

For the first time today, I've covered a full 5k distance.

Here's my 5k route.

Today's session required me to alternate 2minutes of running with 1minute of walking, and that was pretty intense. But it seems pretty cool to think that in just 8 more sessions I'll be running it all.

15mins - DONE!

Yesterday I ran for every one of the 15minutes I should have done. And I loved it.

I've just looked ahead on the schedule, and this time next week I'll be running solidly for 25minutes. At the moment it feels like a bit of a stretch, but I'll do my best.

This week I'm actually feeling like I'm exercising. My thigh muscles are aching, and my stomach is tighter - who knows, I may actually be toning up.

AND

When I decided that I was going to get fitter, when I started working from home in November, I started walking everywhere again, like I'd always done before. Living in Leeds it's pretty easy, although a little time consuming, to get about without a car. I live a flat 4miles away from the City Square in the town centre, and I've found I can walk it in about an hour and 10 minutes (in trainers, bit longer in boots!). Yesterday, after my run, I walked in for a meeting, and then walked back home again too. I slept well last night.

I've just found geodistance.com, which is how I've just measured my route into town. I've figured out how to get the distance for tomorrow's route from, and am surprised to find that when I was training for the 2007 10k my route was almost 500m longer than it needed to be. However, it's pretty cool that I was doing it in about an hour and 5minutes. My time on the day, in sunshine and wind, on a really hilly and previously unknown but measured route, and amongst a whole field of other people I didn't normally have to deal with was 1hr, 3mins and 48secs. I think I'm pleased with that now, feels like I was doing better than I gave myself credit for. I can't wait to get up to that distance again.

The Weather

It's grey and damp, and even when the sun is supposed to be up it's dark. When I first looked around the edge of the curtain this morning it was very difficult to rustle up the desire to get out for the stipulated 12 minutes of jogging and 12 minutes of walking, and I got back into bed. As I was busy wallowing there for a few more minutes, I realised that after all my positivity and bluster on Friday about how totally into this I am, I had a bit of a rubbish weekend. I didn't get out on Saturday because it was snowing, and my run yesterday left me just that little bit dissatisfied because I'd set my route all wrong and missed off the last 3 minutes from a planned 40 minute circuit of running and walking.

But, at 10.00, having put my running stuff on just in case, having done the washing up and tidied the kitchen, after answering a few emails and checking my plans for the week and entering the autopilot mode whilst I considered some of the problems this week has offered me to deal with, I came to my senses to find myself all warmed up, outside the front door and pressing go on the stopwatch. I was 2 minutes into my jog by the time my brain started remembering I wasn't sure I was going to manage it today.

Someone who knows a lot about running once gave me 2 pieces of advice which have never failed to keep me going, although usually I have to actually be running to feel their benefit.

1) The weather always looks worse from inside.

2) The first mile is always the hardest.

The first one is especially true on days like today. I could've used it as an excuse not to go out. But then when I think about the light and warmth I was enjoying last week down there so much closer to the equator I might as well give up running altogether on the grounds that I'm in the UK. However, Saturday was a totally different situation. I will not run in snow of any sort. I'm not the most stable on my feet in proper snow footwear at a sensible walking speed, so running on the slippery stuff is right out. I've broken enough bones to know that I prefer them when they're intact. This was one reason why I'd originally decided to start running again on the 1st March, when winter's on it's way out, and there's less chance of sustaining a weather related orthopaedic injury.

The second piece of advice was only observably correct for me when I was confidently and regularly running 10k back in 2007. Even though I knew I could do it, and had fallen in love or become addicted or whatever that strange feeling you get is when you arrive home after more than an hour of just running over whatever the route throws up for you, and you're panting and sweaty and tired but you still just want to do it again. I remember the massive smile I'd wear while I was still getting my breath back, probably to do with all the conflicting emotions and sensations that wash over you when you're plodding along for so long. Hormones are wonderful things: pain and stress relievers especially, the waves they come in run in roughly 10 minute cycles.

The first mile, generally roughly 10 minutes, is difficult, regardless of what distance I'm out for. My body wakes up violently to find that it must pump blood and supply oxygen to the bits of me that are moving more than they really need to, just because I decided to move them, not because I'm being chased or trying to catch a bus or anything useful, and my brain is pleading with me like a stroppy 3 year old to just stop. I've often had the disastrous feeling that my legs will fail and that I'll puke within the first 10 minutes. Thankfully, I've been here before, and I know it's just something I have to get through, and now that I'm carrying extra weight it's that little bit harder.

So this morning, I ran for 12 minutes and experienced the "Oh dear God" moment, went through the bit where my heart realised it wasn't having an attack and my tired legs stopped protesting (which all happen in the first 3 minutes because on this route, I'm running up a hill), and settled into regular strides and didn't even check the stopwatch until I got to 10 minutes. And then I realised I was grinning, and got the sudden and welcome thought that I could probably keep running like this for ages. The only problem with this stage is that it's fairly rapidly followed by a contrary and more persuasive thought "Actually, no, I'm getting very tired." Thankfully, my 12 minutes were up, and I switched to the walking part. But I felt so good that I walked the uphill route back, and instead of walking 12 minutes, when I got to 11, I started running again and made it home with another smile on my face, especially as those last couple of running minutes made up for what I missed off yesterday. Where I'd started the session not feeling very hopeful, I ended it thinking I might just make it to the 10k distance after all.

I don't feel so guilty for having missed a session now. By the end of this week, I'll be running for 15 minutes solidly. A mile and a half, probably. Feels good.

The Team Shirt

Also this morning, I tried on my lovely green Team Macmillan t-shirt, which was waiting for me when we got back from holiday.

It was a little bit tight.

This does add a little more motivation though.

If it fits by the first run, hopefully it'll be baggy by the last one.

The First Mile

I'm following the Up&Running Zero to Hero training plan, which should take me from being a fat biffer (5foot 8ish and 90kilos or 14stone 2lbs, on the bathroom scales last week), to running 10k happily within 12 weeks. I've used this plan a couple of times in the last few years, and I like to run before I've eaten anything in the morning. I suppose I've developed a few habits and idiosyncrasies, but they work for me.

This morning I did the training session I should've done on Wednesday. I was totally ready to go out and do it then, but we were on holiday in Portugal, and there was an almighty storm booming right overhead, thunder and lightning chasing around on our hillside, making it impossible all morning. Eventually, I wanted breakfast and gave up waiting for the rain to stop. I'd been out on the previous 2 sessions, alternately running and walking as the plan stated I should do, into the village my parents live just outside. Even at 9.00 in the morning of a February day, it's hot when the sun's out, and the locals seemed to think I was very amusing, and quite possibly mad.

So I missed Wednesday's run, and we flew home yesterday, Thursday, so I've got a bit of catching up to do this weekend, starting from this morning's run, doing today's scheduled run tomorrow, and getting back on track on Sunday morning with a much longer session. It makes such a difference to motivation when you're running in the warm, bright and colourful surroundings of some sunny place. This grey cold and damp UK stuff is just not as easy to throw yourself out into. I did it, however, and worked up a good heart rate and sweat by the time I got home, feeling pleased that I'd managed the 10minutes of running and 10minutes of walking as the plan required. And when I was in the shower, it struck me that as I used to average a 9and a half minute mile, I'd probably run a mile for the first time in 6months (the last time I attempted training).

A whole mile, all at the same time.

Only another 5 of them in a row and I'll be about ready for my big run.

Warm Up

There's plenty of reasons why I wanted to get back to running, not least that I've put on 3 stone in 3 years since I ran in the 2007 Cancer Research UK 10k. I've been meaning to get back to it for months now, but couldn't fit in training around my work as a photographer. So at each morning networking or client consultation meeting I attended, I'd sit there eating biscuits and drinking coffee, but all the time, I knew I hadn't gone running and was watching the pounds add on. When we got rid of the studio and started working from home, I decided now was the time.

I've always told myself that I'd get back to it, but what's made me sign up for the races now is that recently my beautiful nephews have lost their only other aunty to a very quick, nasty cancer, and I want to raise money to say thank-you to a charity that provided information and advice, and has helped my fantastic sister-in-law so much through her sister's illness. The work Macmillan does really makes a difference, and it's so simple to help them. I have no excuses left.

I'll be doing 5 running events between now and November, I'm using a training plan I've used before and which I'm hoping will help me lose the weight and reach run fitness. I'll keep this blog updated with my progress.

I'm ridiculously proud and excited to be running in the Jane Tomlinson Run For All in Leeds on the 19th June. Jane is one of my heroes, and a true Yorkshire lass in the best sense of her bravery, stubborn determination, and ability to just get on with it. It'll be a very emotional experience for me to complete this race, but it won't be the end of my running season. I want to do 2 5k and 3 10k races, and I'm looking at my options and the timings to spread them out between now and November.

I'm looking forward to it, but I need your sponsorship to keep me motivated! Please click on my Just Giving page and give whatever you can. Sponsor me for one or all of the events, sponsor me to lose the extra weight, pound by pound, or even to get in across the finish line within my target time of 1hr and 10mins. You could even just donate through my page in memory of someone you've lost, or in thanks for Macmillan's help. Cancer affects so many people. My runs will be dedicated to Sadie Legard and Kim Langdale, both of whom lost brief and vicious battles with different cancers, and both were far too young.

Do it for any reason, but just sponsor me!