After completing the somewhat idiotic running challenge in September, given that my body was falling to bits on me in pretty short order (the last run of the challenge was assisted in no small part by ibuprofen gel), I decided to take some time off from running.
I didn’t anticipate stopping entirely - I need to run. As the temperature rose last spring, my ankles started to swell up. I’ve seen this before - my Dad has exactly the same thing - so I decided I needed to do something about it. It took all of thirty seconds to self diagnose “sitting on my arse too much” on the internet.
I know I sit on my arse too much.
So… I waited patiently for the various pains in my legs to go away. For weeks. It seemed like they might never get better, and that running had been a stupid idea to start with - but then one day about a week ago I realised I was absolutely fine, and had been putting off running until “later in the week” for far too long.
So I downed tools one lunchtime, pulled some shorts on, and set off. I did the same a couple of days later.
Inevitably, I’ve lost a lot of cardiovascular fitness. I can now only run 3km without too much trouble - at the end of September, even while injured, I could run 6km or more. Seven weeks of sitting on my arse have not been helpful.
But I’m doing it.
I’m pulling my trainers on, and doing it.
I don’t particularly like running while I’m running, but I like the feeling when I’ve finished. The cocktail your brain cooks up when you stop is really quite powerful. I’ve never taken recreational drugs, but I imagine they must be similar. I can understand why some people become addicted to running - or the gym - or any similarly strenuous activity.
I’m not setting myself any targets over the coming days and weeks - just getting out there and getting a few kilometres in is enough for me. At my own pace. No pressure. Just me.
I think perhaps that’s half the attraction - running also serves as a break from everything. While I’m doing it my mind tends to empty of anything and everything. It’s hard to describe.
Anyway.
There it is. I’m running again. Maybe not doing 100km again, but I’m running.