16/01/13
What is that strange taste in my mouth? Is it the after taste of my sweaty run or the Moroccan houmous I tried before the run? Either way, it did not make my thirst quenching drink of water on my return appetizing in the least, which was a much needed essential as I forgot to have any before the run. Also I keep coughing now and I can’t tell if it is cold or I’m too hot to notice.
These are all the thing I worry about after my first run. What I mean by my first run is, this is the first run I have willingly ran without having to be told to by a teacher. Now I don’t have a teacher to tell me what to do and after evening after evening, day after day of sitting on my butt; I made the decision to run. I have to admit there is something pleasing about running on your own terms.
I had not made it 10 minutes before I started going wobbly and my breathing turned heavy forcing the cold air into my lungs. It felt like I was breathing more air out than in. I tried to maintain an easy breathing pattern, but once I start thinking about breathing, that is where I become too aware of the process and I can’t control it evenly. Is it best to breath in through the nose, then out through the mouth? I would try both ways to see which would work best but soon realise by concentrating on my breathing I was losing focus on the running at hand.
Running is meant to be stress reliving, I managed to make it more stressful, until I said to myself ‘hey, you made that first step, getting outside and forcing yourself to run. Everyone that you go past, even if you are walking red-faced out of breath while posing as a runner, none of those people have made the choice to do something as significant as you have today.’
I did go to places not many people would see me but near the end of the run I went right up through the main street. I think more people looked at me like I was mad, but in a respectful way, than anything else. Although before I had thought the same to runners on cold mornings and evenings, saying to my partner, ‘they must be crazy to do that!’
Well call me crazy, running takes a lot of effort mentally and physically but I will push myself and hopefully after about 3 weeks (I hope) I will be running the whole way around the town, further but maybe for the same amount of time.
Run 1: 22 mins, 2.1km
I was decked out with my jogging bottoms I still had from my school days, a black tank top and a grey and white striped jumper that is mainly sleeves and the material crosses over at the front, to show the top underneath. To top this off to make me look like a ‘proper’ runner and for my own safety I bought a runners high – vis jacket from JJB Sports (half-price which was even better). It turned out the only trainers I own are the ‘shape-up’ kind, that make your legs work even harder; great! To finish the look and for practicality in the harsh cold weather of the UK, I added my pastel-striped gloves and my owl hat. Also the jacket had secure pockets, one side my phone; for emergencies and to track my progress on the Strava Run app using GPS. In the other my house keys and my mp3 with the upbeat playlist of 3OH!3 and Paramore. The music was to mostly keep me company, to try to keep a pace and so I couldn’t hear my keys jingle-jangle all the way!
I was proud of myself when I had finished. After a lot of water and orange juice, I ate my stir fry containing Quorn strips and various vegetables, sat down and watched Africa (which is absolutely fascinating) then had a good nights sleep.
… Just to let you all know, running was my worst enemy, I have never liked running. The only thing that made me think I should run, is due to the fact that I need something different, challenging as well as something healthy to do. Right now in my life, I’m starting something that I like to call ‘Resolution Lifestyle’. This includes eating more healthy things – recently I have had a lot of celery and houmous either by themselves or in a wrap for work. I am not one to diet, so I will occasionally eat a chocolate biscuit! I’m not trying to say I am completely a new person all because I decided to be, no it takes time. I am simply making better lifestyle choices, like having low fat Greek yoghurt with my ‘fruit and fibre’ cereal instead of milk. Just small changes, my partner says he only wants to eat meat on the weekends, so I am supporting him with that too. I don’t drink many hot drinks, only when it is cold but instead of hot chocolate, I drink green tea. Normally I only drink water, but when I do drink juice it is mostly orange juice for a boost of vitamins or cranberry juice for the anti-oxidants.
Anyway, I think I am more aware of what I am fueling my body with and how I am treating it.
I also read a great article in ELLE Magazine on running, ‘Run 0-5k in 6 weeks’… I might try this out, but I shall see how I get on.
After all this was only my first run.
Want to do 0-5K in 6 weeks? See here: www.elleuk.com/beauty/running
Edit: Yes, I am aching today! But it’s a good ache!
a look into the mind of a jeni 