One Day

You know those "one day" ideas... the ones that there's a hazy notion in your head that it would be good to do something, but there's no solid intention of doing much about the idea, just that it might be one of those things that might be cool if you ever get round to doing it. The fun run was one of those...

It was an annual event of my childhood. The excitement would start with the plopping of cones down the middle of the road. Later the sound of traffic would cease, and for a few hours people would reclaim the normally busy road, walking down the town for the start, or neighbours setting up ready to spectate.

First the surge fresh from the start would come charging up the hill, then turn at the junction nearby, following the route through the roads and in to the far side of the park. There was a lull before the fastest runners in ones and twos would emerge from the park, down the roads, past the house for the last half mile downhill to the finish line in the town. The numbers would build up, the runners, then the walkers, novelty costumes. Then the numbers would begin to dwindle leving the exhausted, and those who had always intended a leisurely, cheery stroll.

My role was to cheer and shout encouraging words from the garden wall. "Well done!" "Nearly there!" "All downhill now!" I'd also spot the people I knew from school. The idea of joining in would cross my mind. I'd obviously be a walker as I was dreadful at running. The words 1500m would give me stitches and make me wheezy.  Maybe I'd do it in my ballet tutu... But I grew up, went to university, moved away. Sometimes I'd happen to be around on fun run day, but the familiar faces passing by had moved away too.

New year 2014. C25K was going well. 6 months would give me time to complete that and a 10k programme. I might not be ready to run the whole thing, but I could give it a good go. On Feb 1st, I signed up, my husband too. He was training to hike the 3 peaks. Logistics meant we struggle to hike together, and after a year of pregnancy, crutches and a slow and painful recovery after the birth, I felt ready for a personal challenge. My "one day" would be June 1st 2014.

Another Start

This isn't the true start. That was back in the autumn. That was when I'd had enough of panting up the hill to nursery and decided that my body was ready to push to the next stage and try to run by following the C25k plan. Unfortunately, it was a short-lived start as seasonal illness and life took over for a while. So another start, the traditional new year start arose and it was a good one. Picking up at week 3 again, and panting through 4 minute blocks of running with my heart pounding at 170+ beats per minute.

I kept going. Weeks 4, 5 and 6. And 6 again. The running time sneaking up week by week, session by session. For the first time in my life running for 20 minutes. Weeks 7, 8 and 9. Run 9.3, my "Graduation run" performed with a little personal ceremony at a country park on a bitter, soggy day. That one was a slog, but I put my mind to it, and rather uncomfortably, I did it. I ran past a pupil, and as well as "Miss", he saw a runner, and I felt proud when he asked if it was me the next day.

It was a worthy occasion for pride, but not a time to stagnate, because I had already set myself up for an ambitious challenge. The type where you suspect you have bitten off more than you can chew...