So I got my run back on (woo hoo!). After a month of new job related time and energy suckage, on Saturday I went for a run. Nothing special, just my usual walk-run mash-up for the best part of an hour. Usually I am focussed on a couple of things: calories burned and minutes in a row I have run. Usually I break the time up into 5 minute slots and try to run for 3 minutes and walk for two (OCD). Usually this knackers me. But this time I had Coach Julia & Comrade Shauna in my head – pushing me to run half a mile and then walk half a mile. That’s about 6 minutes of running to 8 of walking. Just shifting my focus to the distance seemed to change my mindset about how much I could cope with and I just kept going. I could run for much longer and I felt really strong. And I did it all again this morning. At 6 freakin’ am!
I have had almost a week of re-focussing back to where I want to be (I still have almost two stone/10 kilos I want to lose). But I have my mojo back and it feels great! This week I have been experimenting a bit more with food – looking for healthy filling nutritious options instead of worrying about keeping within a calorie limit. And holy crap have you guys cooked with quinoa? Its like cous cous in texture, but its also an amazing source of protein and it takes on the flavour of whatever you mix in. So for example: diced cucumber, santini plum tomatoes, pomegranate, fresh mint and flat leaf parsley; squeeze a fresh lemon through it and bugger me if you don’t want to rub it all over yourself. Anyway, I’m probably late to the quinoa party but it was totally worth it.
And maybe its down to too much sun on my lily white skin, or that I have finally killed that horrid little gremlin that tells me to stop dreaming too big; it could be the endorphins from regular exercise, the slow but steady progress I am making at New Job, but these days I feel like anything is possible. So I put my name in the ballot for the 2012 London Marathon.
It’s just one foot in front of the other, right?
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I have just recently come across the 2009 “Eddie Iz Running” documentary (Eddie Izzard – my secret boyfriend – running a marathon a day, 6 days a week, for 8 weeks … with no previous running experience). “I am just some bozo who’s saying “Hey, I am doing to do this” and started running a couple of weeks ago – I’ve run before … but mainly for buses”.
I *heart* him more than ever. :)
ok, a marathon? what else did you put in the quinoa salad? :-)
but seriously, it is quite inspiring to hear you talk of running being easy. and the sun is shining, and i have some quinoa. and who knows, maybe it will calm all that damn counting in my head…
just one foot in front of the other…hmm, words to ponder.
Marathons are one foot after another and sticking with it so go lady!! I must try some of that quinoa – your spirit is infectious.
Woo hoo running! Good luck training for the marathon! I’ve heard it’s quite a feat.