leyton.org

I knew it would happen eventually. All this enthusiasm would hit that most immovable of objects, the weather. I’d wake up one morning, look out the window and thing ‘bugger that’, and go back to bed, and listen to John Humphrys instead. But I’m pleased with myself, I decided I would go out and brave the weather, and get through at least a ’small’ run. In fact, I managed the full 30 minutes, and whilst I’ve decided I need a light-weight waterproof jacket for heavier weather, I didn’t get nearly as wet as I thought I would. The trees in Pollok park certainly helped!

A lot’s happened in the short time since last Monday, when I went on my first wheezing run. I’ve realised I’m not as entirely and utterly unfit as I thought I was half way around that first run. I’m not, by any stretch of the imagination fit, but I can already feel some small progress, and it seems a little bit easier each time. It’s still very early days: I’m not setting myself any goals other than to follow the rough programmes outlined in various books/websites (running a couple of minutes, and walking, repeating for half an hour or so). Building up strength and endurance is the goal now. The only personal goal I’m setting is simply to keep this up.

I did as my friend Sharon instructed and went along to Sweatshop here in Glasgow (up in Anniesland) on Saturday, and spent an interesting, useful and (dare I say it) enjoyable 45 minutes talking and getting measured up and sorted out by the assistant. So I now have a new wizzy pair of trainers, which is making a huge difference. This was no teenage weekend-job assistant, this chap new all about the technology and the physiology of running, and how the specific trainers helped my particular walking/running stance – which I gather is ‘neutral’, ie. my feet land quite squarely on the ground, unlike many who ‘over-pronate’, and land more on the outer part of their feet (Apparantly Paula Radcliff is a serious over-pronater, so no bad thing, but just needs specific shoes)

I also ‘geeked up’, and have splashed out on an iPod Nano, along with the Nike Plus receiver/transmitter pair. No, I didn’t get the specific Nike+ shoes – not recommended by the chap in Sweatshop, despite my enthusiasm. I have however modified my shoes with a neat ‘hack’ (update here) which enables me to use the system. So far two runs in the system show marginal improvements, but I’m really impressed with the information available, and already have a “beginners challenge” going with Adam, as we’ve both recently taken up with this running madness.

I’ve not (yet) dug out any running clubs. For a start, I’m much preferring morning/midday runs, rather than evening runs. I miss the appalling thought for the day too, which has to be a good thing. I also need the break during my day, which frequently doesn’t see me leaving the house given I work from home. Whilst the long nights are approaching mean getting out around Pollok park in pitch darkness of 8am doesn’t stike me as the best plan. I’ve still not ruled it out – indeed I could use the social aspect given my home office setup – but want to get the ‘beginners itch’ phase out of the way, and feel like it’s definitely something I am going to stick at (and if I had a pound for every thing I’ve started and never finished, I’d have, ooooh, £lots), before heading along to a running club.

So who knows where it’ll lead. That I braved the weather, and enjoyed it, feels like an achievement. That I’m getting a full 30 minute workout every couple of days also feels good, and that I’m feeling better about it is also really satisfying. But my next goal? Get to the end of a month, having done 3 or 4 runs each week.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 20th, 2006 at 10:23 am and is filed under Glasgow, Personal, Sport. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.