Couch to 5K

It all started with the lovely CT from Countryside Tales. After reading her wonderfully inspiring post about her running, I decided to give it a go. For a while I had wondered about the Couch to 5K programme, but other things and my natural indolence always got in the way. My exercise of choice is swimming, with a little yoga and sometimes pilates thrown in, just to shake things up a bit. Running was something that R and other people did. I can remember doing it at school but I was never particularly good, nor did I enjoy it much, so I'm not sure why CT's post made me want to reach for my trainers ......... but it did. I printed off the Couch to 5K itinerary, stuck it to the fridge, donned my gym shorts and a ratty, oversized T shirt and off I went.

I find, like with most things, that there are pluses and minuses. The biggest plus so far is the feeling when I walk through the door afterwards. The house feels lovely and warm, I have my breakfast smoothie whilst cooling down and then enjoy a warm shower. I feel virtuous and, if I'm honest, more than a little relieved that it is over for 2 days! I feel less guilty about sneeking the odd biscuit and when R and I had to run for a connecting train on the way back from London this week (missing the train is a big deal round here - you can find yourself stuck on a cold station, waiting for the midnight bus alternative - the one that takes over an hour winding along the country lanes and stopping at every god forsaken station between Reading and our destination), I did it without a second thought. 

As for the minuses - well, I'm waiting for the time when I actually look forward to running. At the moment, I'm still forcing myself to leave the house and I'm hoping that this will improve. Also, I'm only at the end of the 2nd week. There wasn't much of a step up between weeks 1 and 2, but next time, I will have to run for 3 minutes at a time. I know to some of you, that might not sound like much, but for me it's a big deal! I wear an analogue watch and don't have a snazzy phone, so whilst I'm running, I'm constantly squinting myopically at the tiny second hand to time the sessions. I tried counting instead, but find that I'm too easily distracted and forget where I'm up to! The mornings are getting colder and there will come a time when it gets frosty and slippery underfoot. I can choose to run at the gym but that means driving there and I'd also feel the urge to make myself look more presentable before going. The biggest minus though is other people. It's nice at the weekend because, although I wait until it's light before setting off, people are having a lie in, so I don't see many of them. On week days, however, there are people driving to work and children walking to school and I don't like puffing my way, beetroot faced, past teenagers, who I feel want to snigger at my middle aged attempts. Then there is 'white van man' who feels the need to call comments or whistle as he drives past. I can rarely make out the comments, but I find I am very quick on the draw with my hand gesture in reply. It's a reflex action; please don't judge me! Finally, I worry about what running on pavements is doing for my knee joints. I could run in the park on the grass but I'm sure that wet feet wouldn't improve the experience.

So, there you have it, my running journey so far. I know that it's very early days, but I feel that by writing about it here, I might force myself to keep going and, looking at the list of minuses compared to the pluses, I need all the motivation I can get! So go over to CT's blog and read about her far more impressive running experiences. If she can inspire me, she can inspire anyone!

Other happies this week:

R and I went to a local Classic Car Show. Sadly, his beloved 'Bridget the Midget' (or 'The Lady' as I like to refer to her in my head - see the adult Ladybird Book of 'The Midlife Crisis'!) was off the road and we had to take my car, but we took a picnic and the weather was glorious.

 I find I have a yearning for a camper van!

 On Wednesday, I went to the Knitting and Stitching Show at the Ally Pally:

I had a wonderful day, but did feel that a little more seating would have been a good idea. I took a sandwich and bought a coffee from one of the stands but, finding the seats all occupied,  I sat on the floor with a bunch of other ladies - the more elderly of whom had more than a little difficulty standing up again!
Here are my treats for the day: a pottery yarn bowl, a skein of yarn from La Maison Tricotee and a hat pattern and yarn from Toft.

 The yarn bowl in action - this is a sockhead hat for E. 

I met up with R after he finished work and we went to an Ethiopian restaurant, Addis, for dinner:

  

I finished my Hitchhiker Scarf. So called because of the number of 'teeth' along one edge ......... that's right, 42.

Finally, a not so happy. On my last visit to Oxford, L had helped me to choose some yarn to make a hat for her boyfriend, J. Yesterday evening saw R holding the skein of yarn, whilst I turned the handle on the winder (we certainly know how to live!). Before I knew what was happening, we had managed to make an almighty tangle that took us well over an hour to sort out. Bad Words were uttered and the scissors used on more than one occasion. I feel that a yarn swift will be making its way onto my Christmas list!

Anyway, that's all for this week. I'm just off to move some dust around the house. Wishing you all a wonderful week. 

Toodle pip for now. x