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RE: Set-to-tember
The running or the gun?
And so I run once again. The first few minutes were a wretched affair: laboured, grunting and lacking in confidence; prickly, stinky sweat quickly fused with my now too-tight running top. This shirt, a fetching bright green affair was honestly earned at the Almeria Medio Maraton in just February of this year. Until a few weeks ago it had been frequently and proudly worn by me and not too tight at all. Today though, it was uncomfortable and clinging, its tightness and my wretchedness pinning me in a searchlight of justly-deserved condemnation as a fraudster. I could no more run a half marathon now than qualify for the Olympics. It's at times like these I feel like chucking it all in and retiring to a rocking chair on a porch somewhere with a loaded shotgun to shake my fists at the world and spend the rest of my days yelling at people to get off my property.
But, of course, after those first few minutes of gloom, with just a little persistence on my part the inevitable magic returns. A warmth that only runners can appreciate suffuses and calms my inner torment; the frustration at my loss of fitness dissipates and instead the knowledge that I'm back on the path to running righteousness once again prevails. It's a bloody wonderful feeling, and my slowness and laboured breath are as nothing in the face of my return to the patiently waiting world of health and vitality.
In truth I've never really felt part of that world that is the 'running community', although any form of regular social interaction is not something that is easy for a shift worker such as myself. Instead I feel like the nosey neighbour who sometimes pops in unannounced, hanging around awkwardly for a while before disappearing again without a word of explanation.
But nosey or not, here I am: and despite my lack of running not too much damage seems to have been done, I suppose. I'm a little flabbier, of course, but still on the correct side of my target weight, and having done enough cardio work (mainly walking) in recent weeks I can fairly say to still be in reasonable health. But it's time to focus and put in some effort again. A replacement GPS has been ordered and a new season of running has commenced, which, of course, is great.
So, let's crack on. Today's effort was a relatively paltry and very slow run/walk session, but at a little over an hour, it counts as a genuine piece of training and a good kick-start to the southern spring season.
Chuffed, I think, is the word I'm looking for. Yeah, that will do.
Chuffed.
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Set-to-tember
