Sunday 9 March 2014

Sunday Sundries: Run, Run, Run

Firstly: My deepest and most sincere apologies for not writing a Sunday Sundries post last week. I don't have a good excuse at all, other than that Sundays are family days that tend to consist of getting up-going to my grandad's house-eating-not having internet til the evening when inevitably I just want to watch TV or whatever. Like I said, not an excuse, but just an inevitable chain of Sunday events.

Probably I should write a weekly update post on a day other than a Sunday*, but ehhhh, no.

So, it's been two weeks. I would say a lot has happened, but it kind of really hasn't. This last week I worked extra hours for no overtime pay and pretty much no thanks, and to say that I'm so over my job is a giant understatement. I know it's not the best idea to be mean about your job on the internet, so, you know, no details, but I'm definitely feeling undervalued and SO ANGRY I WANT TO PUNCH THINGS at the moment. So, you know, if anyone knows of anything... *winks significantly*.

But anyway. Since it's the weekend and I'm trying not to think about it, let's talk about the thing that's probably been on my mind the most recently, and that thing is running. 
Totally what I wear to run.
You might not know how ridiculous it is that I want to talk about running. I mean, you might, considering that I write exclusively about reading books and watching TV and movies, all of which are sedentary activities, and none of which contribute to fitness in any way. But you probably don't know just how much I hate(d) running- just the pure, PE style horror of having to run and then being out of breath and still having to run and feeling like you're dyyyying and just no. No.

Things have changed in my mind a little bit over the last year or so- the internet is such a great resource for anything you might be interested in, and there were a few bloggers I already liked and felt an affinity with who started writing posts about running and how amazing it feels, and I was... intrigued. Not intrigued enough to do anything stupid like actually running, but intrigued nonetheless. Enough to put 'attempt to do a couch-to-5k thing' (note the word 'attempt' in there) on my 24 before 25 list, and yes I realise it's March now.

So, last Monday morning, I put on my neglected trainers and left the house early to attempt to do a couch to 5k thing. And I did it. I did 8 minutes more running than I've done since I left school, and I felt incredibly (over) impressed with myself. I ached terribly for three whole days afterwards, but I kept going and, incredibly, it got easier. Which made me feel amazing, and made aching feel like it was a good thing and all sorts of other decent stuff that I never expected to get from running, at all.

Let's be real here. I've just finished week two of the Couch to 5K podcast I've downloaded, which meant running for 90 seconds, recovering for 120 and repeat. I am in no way an experienced runner, and I don't even know how I'm going to feel about the whole thing when I get to stages where I have to run for, you know, longer than 90 seconds at once. 

But here's what I do know. Before last week, I hadn't run IN MY WHOLE LIFE unless someone was making me. After that first run, my ribs hurt more than they ever had, I could barely walk up stairs and, you know, everything hurt. I could have easily given up then, but I didn't and the next time I went, it got easier, and I was suddenly like 'OH! This is how exercise works!' and it was honestly the biggest revelation ever. 

I'm going to stop going on about this now, because there's not a lot more I have to say about it at this point- suffice to say, the basics are: I am running. I don't hate it. It's all good. I will definitely have more to say about this in the future, but I'm happy to leave it here for now. 

*To be fair, I am writing this on Saturday morning, so.

12 comments:

  1. YEY FOR RUNNING!

    I *love* to run but I'm injured at the moment and it's driving me crazy. I'm doing the Great North Run in the autumn and I'm dying to get back to training. I'm so pleased that you like it because I also hated running at school and cross country was my idea of torture and it's amazing how that made me think I hated running, when actually I was just hating gym knickers, mud and running with others...I'm sure that you'll still love it when you have to run further. I found that the further I run, the more proud I felt and the further I wanted to run.

    So yes, hurrah for running! Have a super week :)

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    1. See, yes that! I had this whole discussion with my friend the other day about how PE fucks you up because it's all based on like achievement and winning and everything, which is FINE if you're good at it, but if you're not it really demotivates you. SO we are advocating for streaming in PE lessons so you're exercising with people who are around the same ability level as you the end.

      But yeah. I'm kind of excited about running! For the first time in my WHOLE LIFE. Mental!

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  2. Yay for running and sticking with it after that first day after of INTENSE PAIN.

    I want to run. Or more accurately I want to want to run. And instead I do not, despite the fact that I bought expensive[ish] sneakers thinking that would guilt me into running. Where do you go running? Just like around your neighborhood? How does the couch to 5K thing work?

    (Also I'm sorry about work being stupid assholes and hopefully they stop/you find something better and then they realize how much they needed you.)

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    1. SO MUCH PAIN, ALLEY. I can't even explain. I had to self-medicate!

      So. At the moment I just run around this park near my house, because I'm a little bit like 'OMG what if I start dying in the middle and need to go home?' at the moment, but that's actually getting really boring so I think that yeah, I'm pretty much going to start running around my neighbourhood and stuff.

      The couch to 5k thing is basically learning how to run for people who don't run *points to self* so you start off doing 60s walking, 60s running and so on, and then build it up (eg I just started week 3 which is 90s running, 90s walking, 3m running, 3m walking and repeat) so you're not ridiculously tired/don't give up after about 2 minutes. And it's really working for me so far!

      (Thank you Alley! I really really need a new job anyway, but this shit doesn't help me with my life RIGHT NOW and I don't need it tbh! The hassle, rather than the job. That I need, unfortunately.)

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    2. Yay I'm so glad it is working for you! (Not yay for the whole SO MUCH PAIN thing.)

      I sort of want to run but I also don't have places to run. Not without having lots of people staring. (They probably aren't. I just assume I am the center of everyone's world so obv everyone is staring at me.) Perhaps I should get over that and try this thing.

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    3. I really thought I was going to get all weird about people staring at me, but it turns out that I'm fairly good at blocking out the world/only caring about the fact that my shins/calves/sides/boobs/ribs hurt. I was also like 'omg, what if I run INTO people?' but that hasn't really happened at all. Which is good!

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  3. I think my sister's doing the same thing you are. I know that the other day I walked to the library and she was running away from me then coming back to chat for her 'walking time' then running off again when the nice man on her earphones told her to. If it's any help, that was only a few weeks ago and she's now totally into running, has new shoes and clothes to wear while she does it, she goes running with her friends after work, and actually prefers to run than walk during that 'running time' because it hurts less. I... just lie on my bed and listen to her tales like they're some kind of exotic mysticism, I've got to be honest. She's also given up chocolate for Lent even though she doesn't BELIEVE in Lent, so I've taken up eating Chunky Kitkats to kind of atone for her chocolate-neglecting sins. Ironically. I don't know if this comment makes any sense, but the GIST of it is that apparently running gets funner the more you do it, but I'm unlikely to find out anytime soon because I have this 8-pack of chocolatey wafery goodness to eat so no one else has to. You're welcome. :P

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    1. Oooh, go your sister! This comment does actually make sense and I'm glad to have the information. Also I encourage your chocolate eating because, you know, yum. I have totally not given up chocolate for Lent because sometimes my muscles hurt so I deserve chocolate. If I seriously don't get fatter from doing all this running I'll be really surprised, because my attitude right now is 'Oooh, should I have extra cheese on this? YES because I run.' I've got this shit DOWN.

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  4. Dude! Welcome to running!

    I started with Couch to 5k also (and let's be honest, I had to start that a few times...it took a while for running to stick with me), and the slow and steady thing really does work. Running really is super mental. Convincing yourself that you can put one foot in front of the other for just a little while longer can be really tough sometimes. But when you manage it, you feel so good about yourself!

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    1. MANDY! You are totally one of those bloggers that made running sound the most amazing so well done! My couch to 5k coach lady is called Laura (hilariously) so when my legs hurt and I can't breathe and she makes me run I go 'Fuck YOU, Laura' (which is amusing in many ways) but probably I should be cursing at YOU!!

      I mean, thanks! Cause I like it :) Running is so SO mental, I'm coming to realise- the other morning I went out and was so tired and not into it, and I ran craply. The other afternoon I went out and was quite looking forward to it, and it felt great. So yeah. Trying to keep a PMA when it comes to running, basically!

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  5. Noo your blog ate my comment!

    I've been meaning to try doing couch to 5k again (although I want to find a podcast for it where the music doesn't make me want to bang my head against a wall repeatedly... or with no music at all!), now that it's light enough in the mornings outside to be feasible (I have no willpower in the evenings so that's not really an option!)

    One word of warning - I've heard lots of couch to 5k success stories, but I've also heard of a lot of people who get to one of the later stages, and then something comes up and they don't manage to get back to doing it again. That's what happened to me (I caught a cold or hurt my foot or something *shrug*), and it happened to my sister when she was about 2 weeks away from finishing. So maybe try not to miss a session unless there is some reason that you absolutely cannot do it, and if you do try to make sure that you do it the next day instead.

    You can do it!!! And I may well join you next week!!! (Not physically, as that would be cripplingly expensive and I think my work might fire me, haha)

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    1. DAMMIT BLOG. GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER.

      You should def do the couch to 5k again! I do an NHS one and the lady is fairly encouraging and the music isn't terrible? I don't know, after halfway through I don't even hear it anymore because PAIN hahaha.

      Your warning is totally noted and I'm very very painfully aware of how much I lose interest in things so I'm making myself do this one properly, and for reals. I've been doing the runs Monday-Thursday-Saturday, but I've been thinking that I might try to do Monday-Wednesday-Friday-possibly Sunday because THEN if I don't feel like it on Wednesday I know I have to do it on Thursday, whereas last week I didn't even consider it on Wednesday but was really really not into doing it on Thursday. I mean, I did it. But I liked it a lot less. Haha. But yeah, I'm on top of this! (Kinda... lol)

      YOU SHOULD JOIN ME! Just fly over every other day, it'll be fine!

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