A month on...

Time flies. It’s now over a month since my first blog post on my running regime (horrendously shocking, I know, I apologise) so I thought it about time to update you on my recent developments. Tonight I plan to leave work, pop home and pick up my gym bag, then head to the gym at waterloo and take a Zumba class. If I have time I’ll probably do a quick work out before the class…this is what I did last time I went to the gym at waterloo and it worked very well. In fact I decided to then run all the way home, arriving suitably sweaty and exhausted (I enjoy it when that happens, I feel like I’ve achieved in my work out!). That’s all part of the fun, right? I’m beginning to learn that the key is to keep it fun and enjoyable. I usually go to the gym at Borough but as the one at Waterloo is also part of the same chain of gyms AND runs a Zumba class on a Tuesday night – great if I’m doing something on a Monday night, as I was last night (attending an interview to become a London Ambassador for the Olympics in 2012. So it was sports related. Tedious link alert) That’s part of the thing about all of this running business; I think part of it is fitting it in and around everything else. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy exercising, but I have to make sure I’m remembering to fit it in amongst all the other things that are going on. Which I do tend to do usually. This weekend my parents came down to visit and we did a lot of walking, seeing the tourist sites and so on. But then on the Sunday I fit in a little cycling, which was great. Perhaps I really ought to have gone for a run on Sunday afternoon too. Note to self; be more strict and just through myself out for a run when I can. So, this is the plan tonight – a strict session at the gym, including Zumba class, then a run home from Waterloo. Apparently that’s just over 1 mile (which is 1.6km) …so I only have to do six and a bit of those and I’m onto a 10k run…

Day One. The first run (read jog)

I wouldn't say I'm one of those people who can just casually set out and run a 10k run. Run for ten kilometres?! I've know plenty of people who are that sort of person, I'm sure you do too. They have the gear, the athletic physique, the general healthy glow about them. They're all very impressive. Not that I'm saying I'm unhealthy - I'd like to think I'm in alright shape; I try to keep an eye on what I eat - unless its Friday night curry plus a couple of glasses of wine night - I'm a member of a gym, which I actually go along to at least once a week. Ok, the 'at least once' usually consists of a weekly Zumba class where I can follow the instructor's impressive moves, to some funky music (there are mirrors, so you can't just do exactly what you want) - but the thought is there - I keep an eye on my weight and I like to be active (sometimes I go on the cross trainer too). 

However, I've now casually agreed to do a 10k run in July. Sounds easy, huh? A nice run through central London; the website looks great 'see all of London's top sites as you raise money for charity' type thing. Raising money for charity, brilliant. Of course. Seeing London's sites? Excellent. Running the whole way? Well, that's the plan..

So this afternoon an email pinged into my work inbox: "Fancy a jog tonight? x" My boyfriend, knowing I want to start the whole running 'training' off soon. Glad of the encouragement, I agree and change into my leggings and trainers as soon as I'm home. That's the first thing. The trainers, I've owned for literally years. They have been my faithful foot friends through astroturf hockey matches when I was about 16, the odd netball matches, some sports at university, tennis and jogging since university. I've had them for a hundred years and they are almost part of my anatomy. As I pulled them out of the airing cupboard, with the 10k in mind, I look at the layers of encrusted mud engrained into them and think 'Could it be time for a new pair?' for a brief moment. Then no, the brief moment has gone and I sling them on. Ah, my old friends. Those, a pair of  leggings, and my orange t-shirt. Brilliant.

The jog tonight actually went alright. Ok, so I had to stop from time to time - it was the first sunny day of the year - I wanted to enjoy it! And we ran down Bermondsey Street which actually looks really nice. I was nicely warm and my breathing had definitely increased twofold by the time we got back home. This is a good thing, right? I'm slightly worried in hindsight that at points in the running I couldn't actually see clearly. But I think that could have been a bit of hayfever, rather than signs that I was about to pass out from sheer exhaustion.

According to my boyfriend's new app (there's an app that can track your route, see how fast you've run and how far, and how many calories you've burned - technology these days continues to amaze me) we'd run about 3k in 20 mins (ok, so on my part that included some quick walking, but only in places). I think this could be the start of me becomming one of 'them' - one of those super running types; what do you think?

About to jump in the shower, drop my trainers off, and cool down.