A running entry! in Jingle bells, batman smells while shepherds wash their socks (winter 2015/16).

I’m in full on nag-mode. Well, this should go without saying since I want the girls to get ready for bed! T is walking around, shivering, like an ethereal creature from a Victorian novel, with a towel wrapped around herself. L is talking, non-stop, in her kitten voice (in other words she’s putting words into the kittens’ mouths).

So, as I wanted to talk about running I thought I’d come here in order to avoid snapping at the offspring…

One foot in front of the other; plod, plod, plod. I have been injured and ill so many times over the past 30 years that ‘coming back from injury’ is a way of life. And I’m, once again, plodding my way back from the brink of losing-my-mind induced by the lack of running. I’ve been running most of this year now, and last week finally ran 10km again. The first time since the race in November - the 10k which I ran the first 5 and ran/limped the second 5!

Last week I made it to 8km and really needed to walk but had to be home in time for Rich to go to work so I kept going, forcing each foot in front of the other. Every breath dragging through my chest, my posture drooping and my eyes focused inwards at the pain. I didn’t even see the sunrise which I noticed only once I’d stopped by the house. But I did it. I was so happy, I was so proud.

I was so knackered!

Knowing that I was running the same distance this morning made me feel slight dread last night, it was soooo hard the previous week that contemplating doing it again brought back the pain.

And setting the alarm for 4:35 doesn’t make anything else seem more appealing!

I got up though, I put on my kit and drank half a pint of water. I put on some cheesy 80s music, set my running app and left. The first four kilometers hurt but by 5km I was cruising. I felt strong, I felt good and kept going even during the long, steep uphill during the 9th kilometer. I finished with a sprint and felt dayam good!!

By the time I finished work all I wanted was to curl up on the sofa with chocolate and lemon & ginger tea, which I did.

But holy moly, what an amazing run.