A friendly fellow commuter approached me yesterday with a quizzical smile. "Have you started running again, did I see?"
This question was a triumph of charm. Firstly, what I can do can barely be called a shuffle, never mind a run. Secondly, to say 'again' would imply that I got the hang of it before and thirdly, if another woman with an arse the size of mine had started jogging round Ely anything like as slowly as me, I think the Guiness Book of Records would have alerted me as a courtesy.
But, to give her charming enquiry due attention, then yes, I have started 'running' 'again'. And this time I mean it.
Just 5 years ago my body was no good for standing, never mind running. Every ounce of energy that wasn't being used raging at the unfortunate pusher of my wheelchair was being poured into recovering from a stem cell transplant. Simply walking up stairs was a huge achievement and my focus was very much on getting better and finding a normal life.
5 years on, I want to celebrate my health, and what better way than trying to improve my physical fitness and conquer my fear and hatred of running - something I've had since "Granny" Gower forced me to captain the cross country squad in 1984BS (Before (decent) Sportsbras, oh the humiliation).
I am starting slowly and gently and I have two goals. The first is to run the Great British 10k on 8th July in 1 hour 15 minutes or less. The second is to run the Royal Parks Half Marathon on 7th October in 2 hours 30 minutes or less. I write 'or less' only as a formality. It won't be less and it may be more. Steve is running them both too - he'll be doing proper running, obviously (whilst being very careful of that dodgy knee, of course, because we know it's no fun when one of us is in a wheelchair) as well as helping me with my training. In a non divorcy way. Hopefully.
I'm going to use this blog to track my efforts, update on my training and motivate myself. Feel free to comment, advise, support, whatever, and if you have a spare tenner or two, please visit my Just Giving page (well, OF COURSE there's a Just Giving page) where you will be able to donate to Brook - the wonderful organisation that has kept me gainfully employed for most of my recovery time.
Oh look, I'm your first comment. I think it is all brilliant and you have the Thomas family firmly behind your efforts, always available for training weekend and general encouragement. x C
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, I did ask Guinness not to let you know.
ReplyDeleteWow, all this without even a shadow of a suggestion of a get-out clause (aka, 'Sanity Claus', according to Groucho Marx). Tell you what: we'll blow you along, like thistledown.
ReplyDelete