Back on the Streets

I’m back!

This time for real. In trainers, on the streets, out of breath.

On Friday I laced up the shoes and headed out, but only managed about 400 metres before having to stop and walk. My stomach was killing me –  a stitch combined with not having used those muscles for anything other than digesting cake for the past month. “Cake ache” – it’s a new one. I would have laughed but it started back up every time I started to run again. Even jogging was no good. I headed home depressed.

On Sunday I tried again. This time I was determined to run no matter what. It hurt, but I managed 5 miles with a few breaks to walk up hills. My muscles were all working fine this time, but my lungs were suffering. I shouldn’t be surprised, I haven’t even walked much in the past few weeks, but somehow I am quite shocked at how much difference it makes. ‘This must be how normal people feel when they go for a run’, I mused patronisingly.

I’m going to take it easy this week and run every other day, but I can’t relax too much as I have signed myself up for the North Dorset village marathon (can you imagine anything better?) on 6 May 2012 and so need to get the mileage up fairly swiftly. I reckon I’ll need a 16 week training schedule, so I have until 16 January to be running 35 miles a week.

Gulp.