28th August – Run 1 – 2.49 Miles

I have started a couple of days early – I’m not sure how my running will be affected by jury service, so I decided I needed to get out.

Running, for me, at least, is not easy. I don’t enjoy it; I never have. I enjoy the feeling afterward, but I struggle to get motivated, and whilst out, I’m counting down the minutes until it finishes. My last run was almost two weeks ago, and I ended up diverting into a field of waist-high grass, getting a rash on my leg. For ten days after, I’ve had a cold, been chesty and struggled for motivation. Last night, I went out for a meal (burger, pulled pork fries) and got through a lot of beer in the bar after. Not ideal prep.

Getting my trainers on and going out today was a real chore, but I had to start somewhere. I guess making the announcement and doing it for charity is a rubber stamp, me protecting the little bit of motivation I found and ensuring there’s no going back. I am now running 60 miles in September (and a little bit in August).

For new runners, I always do a few stretches before I start. I loaded up some good tunes on my watch and decided to just go to the end of our road and back. it’s a little under two miles, and usually, I’d get to the end of the road and head left, along what’s known as the Bluestone Heath Road, before doing a loop. Today, with the event at Cadwell Park, meaning the Bluestone Heath was incredibly busy, I figured I’d just go there and back.

I don’t know if it was the Ferocious Dog tunes that motivated me or just a pig-headedness to get more than two miles in, but I went off-piste on the way back. We’re allowed access to some local private land for dog walking; it’s hilly and grassy, but I figured a nice slow pace would be fine, so I took in a longer run. I found it really challenging. The first run back, even after just ten days off, is never easy, and I purposefully kept my pace slow. The two-and-a-half miles took me over 25:31 minutes –  my fastest 5k (3.1m) is only a minute faster. I was slow, and I felt it all the way around, but Rome wasn’t built in a day.

All the way around, I was just focused on getting through it. Sometimes I can focus on something else, but that first run is always difficult, and the first bit of the run is always the toughest. I wanted to turn around after less than half a mile, but many runners get that. The key is to just keep going.

That’s the first run done. I have 33 days to do another 57 and a half miles. I’ll keep those of you interested updated in this diary and hopefully share some wisdom around running, mental health and the like as I do. Please remember you can sponsor my efforts here if you wish – I’m doing this for CALM, a great organisation that helps many people through the challenging times in their lives.