I've got this

Yesterday I walked a lot - 13.4 km in fact which is a good thing of course. But it really made my stupid toe ache. So this morning when I had my run all planned out, I really wasn't sure about going. But I said if it didn't calm down a bit I would cut it short rather than actually injure it more than nature has done already.

But it got better (or no worse anyway) and I did the whole thing, including the muddy cut-through leading to a climb. So well done me. 

4.69 km (edging closer to the magical 5k...)

7m 07 per km - which I blame partly on the deliberately slow start plus faffing around while trying to get the next episode of the podcast running. It's a shortcoming of Sounds that if you start a series it seems to run the order backwards. There will be a way around it, but not when you're striding majestically across Horfield common... 

So, that's a win

Less Bouncy

When I got my Asics shoes (June 2016) they felt very bouncy indeed. I wore them today and they are definitely flat. Last time out my semi-off-road ones were making my feet ache on impact so I wondered if the others would be better, and they were. But they were slippy on the off-road bits. Who'd have thought? So, do I get new regular ones?

Area of concern this time: it's my lungs, they don't give me enough oxygen. So - I'm unfit? Got to be. My actual body was fine - nothing hurting too much (achy calfs, nothing too bad) but my throat felt constricted which I guess is the definition of not getting enough air which is about being unfit. So I have to keep pushing. I kept telling myself how much I was enjoying the experience. Once I got to the highest point it felt a lot better.

Not the best post over, but it's a habit and I like reading back over the years 

4.44km (edging closer to the 5k...)

6m 41s per km and that is the fastest I have been for a long time (17 May last year in fact) 

Comfort zone

 So; 'comfort zone', specifically, 'out of'

1. I'm in Boston Tea Party in Bishopston, being one of those annoying people who nest in the booths with a laptop and no intention of allowing anyone else in until they've finished what they're doing. I turned up here with huge plans to crack on with some of one of the many courses I've signed up to recently, but I've fallen at the Adobe hurdle: I don't know if my laptop is out of date (early 2014???) or the problem lies within my grey matter...  No matter, I've ground to a halt: obviously getting out of the wfh comfort zone isn't working for me today. 

2. I've taken up sleeping on the other side of the bed, just for the hell of it. It feels very odd, but also nice. However, this change has coincided with my piling on weight recently. The phrase 'correlation does not mean causation' springs to mind. So perhaps there are more fundamental reasons for the weight piling on.  Overeating maybe. 

But - of course the sole reason for unloading in this blog is because I have a run to report. Yay, well done me. 

It was bitterly cold, but I had the 'look at me running' headband on, and gloves. And it wasn't too icy. And I waited for the school run to be over. But, significantly, there was a distinct lack of reluctance to get out there. Is that a result of the Slimpod process I've begun? It involves a large element of CBT, attributing positive thoughts to the process, and so, if that's true, then I am very happy. On the other hand, I haven't lost a gram since I began listening to the audio tracks 8 days ago...That might be on me, right? 

Anyhoo; stats

4.36km

6m 55s per km

Whoop - very happy with all that. I think I should be able to manage another 640m to make it a round 5k. 

Cartoon: 'I'm interested in the couch to 5k programme. Can I see your range of couches?'

Bit of a favourite. 

Bloody Hell, Kevin

 reference for no good reason to 'Uncanny' on BBC Sounds

So I forgot to start the mapmyrun thing before I set off so I can convincingly lie about how far I ran before setting it. But in truth, it wasn't as far as last time... 

2.74 km

6m 57" per km

At least I got out there. And it was horrible. I had no energy to speak of and those gentle slopes I like to call hills just about broke me.

But (apart from the bit where I had to walk to start the app) I ran all the way. Yay. 

It's been extraordinarily wet recently and the only reason I didn't come back covered in mud was that the puddles were ankle-deep and washed it all off... 

But it's nice to have done it.

I'm getting the operation to slightly fix my ruined toe on 17th March and I feel I need to lose weight and get fit for that so that it won't be too awful to get back in shape after a couple of weeks of raised foot loafing around. So I have about 9 weeks to lose 10lbs and regularly run 5km

A better person than I could achieve that I'm sure. 

Happy New Year!

First one of 2023 and all that. I need to get a bit fitter because there is a chance I'll get an operation on my dodgy right toe soonish and that will mean an elevated foot for a couple of weeks. But after that I should be back on the road. 

My toe did hurt today for the first time in a while. On the bottom rather than where the bone spurs are - but I think that's to do with my gait more than anything else. I was being very mindful of how I was moving: elbows tucked in, core engaged, arches flexing. And yet, my hamstrings are aching (I did stretch before I left) and I expect my calves will be painful tomorrow. But I did a run, with the full intention of doing more. 

3.79km

7m 5" per km