Runstreak Day #262 - relaxing about running

Day 262... is it?  I have a feeling it is.

Let me check...

*disappears*

Yup.  262 days of this running malarky.  I wasn't aiming for that.  I wasn't aiming for anything other than the original Advent Streak of running from December 1st to Christmas Day.  And now most of my goals are of that kind of vague nature.  I wanted to run a 5k in under 30 minutes... then under 25 minutes.  A 10k in under an hour seemed like a nice target.  Then one under 55 minutes.  And now, whatever happens, happens!  When it comes to next month's half marathon, I'd kinda like to get a time under 2 hours, but I really don't care that much.

I think that relaxing about running is the thing that's changed most in my running streak.  Running isn't an activity to be 'done'.  It just is.  Like walking.  Eating.  Sleeping.  You just do it.  Without too much thought, and it gets done.  I don't stress about 'fuelling' before a run.  Or what I eat afterwards.  I don't get worried about needing to rest, I just do the run that feels right on whatever day.

And at the start of my run streak, I'd never run with anyone else.  I was far far too nervous about it.  I'd been running for a matter of months and didn't think I was a 'proper runner'.  And now?  Now, as with tonight, I get to have lovely chatty runs with friends I've made through my running.  I don't worry about what pace we're doing when we run together, I just enjoy running with them.  It strikes me that I'm in a really happy place with my running these days.  I can do more than I realise, I can hold my own in a group of runners... and I've really learned how to enjoy it for what it is.  Not what I might want it to be.

Anyhoo... 262 days in a row of this whole running stuff.  Tackled plenty of hills without feeling any anxiety about it.  The aeroplane arms came out.  Finished 5 miles with nice fresh happy legs.

Celebratory cuppa anyone?  ;o)

Geeky stats stuff

Runstreak Day #255 - misleading routes and new friends

Let me see... what day is it?  255 I think!

Cripes!

I'm at that stage with my runstreak (and my age!) where I have to think and do a bit of working out to remember what number should be attached to it.  Today's run was a goodie though.  I met up with another couple of runners for a run (we have our own Notts Women Runners FB group and it's been brilliant for making running friends!) and because someone wanted to do 5 miles, I dutifully planned a 5 mile run.  I remember describing it as being 'flat and a bit hilly in parts'.

I think that was a bit of a lie.  It's more like 'hilly with a bit of flat very occasionally'. In fact, looking at the route on Strava, it's just a complete fib.    I can't actually see a single bit that was actually flat.  Seems like my recollection of that area has flattened most of it out!  Whoops!

So, having unintentionally misled my new running buddies, I was relieved that neither of them wanted to hunt me down and hit me with my trainers.  Not that they'd have had the energy left after all those hills, mind you.  There's method in my madness!  Plus, it was really nice to have their company.  And that's from me, the person who back in January this year had never run with anyone else and was an 'I like my own company' runner.  Well, 'I like my own company' probably just meant I don't know anyone to run with and I don't have the confidence to try it anyway!  It's funny how we tell ourselves what feels like a convincing reason when actually it's an excuse for not giving something a bash.

Anyhoo... 5 miles of hilly deliciousness.  The sun came out to play.  It was windy but not ridiculously so.  And I made a couple of new running buddies.

Today's run was made of pure win.

(and a minor pelvic floor incident (PFI) which we will never speak of again)  ;)

*happy dances to blot out the memory of the PFI*

Geeky stats stuff

Distance:	5.01 mi
Time:	46:28
Avg Pace:	9:17 min/mi
Elevation Gain:	274 ft