Big Bird. Week Six. On a Roll

“Does running late count as exercise?”

It was a good week as weeks go.  The weather has been fabulous but you can almost be guaranteed that is going to happen when the schools are back.  So I’ve been making the most of it.  I managed five runs this week. Whoo hoo!  Although, I was a bit bold with one of them. It involved running into town, 5.4k, to meet Mister Husband and The Screechers who gave me a twenty minute head start.  Our rendezvous point was in the café where we have our regular Saturday and sometimes Sunday morning breakfasts.  On Sunday, I had a blueberry muffin (with cream) and a cappuccino to wash it down with.  See?  Bold. Well, it was going to be my one and lonely treat for that day.  It was too; I was very, very good indeed.    In keeping with my eureka moment of last week where I realised you can’t eat it (chocolate) if it’s not there, I had another one this week.  I’m on a roll it seems.  This week I realised that you blame someone or something else for not getting the job done when really, underneath it all, it’s just a handy way out for yourself.  These are who I tend to blame when I don’t get out for a run, in other words when I talk myself out of it.   I have blamed Mister Husband when he came home later than expected.  The weather gets it in the neck too.  It’s either too hot or too raining.  I can be too tired on occasion.  That’s always a good one.  Once I even blamed the radio – nothing decent to listen to.  Here, Missus, get over it.  You’ve got no-one to blame but yourself.  In the event of Mister Husband coming home late, as was the case a couple of nights this week, so what?  It was only 7 or 8pm.  The kids are usually/supposed to be in bed by 8pm on school night anyway.  At the very least they will definitely be washed and in their jammies, ready to go.  The crazy, I walk like I’m drunk toddler, is definitely in bed and asleep.  It is still only very early September and not dark till 9pm.  Stick on your high viz there, and get your arse in gear!!  End of!  The weather:  last Wednesday night, the night before school started up after the summer holidays, was a rainy evening.  Mister Husband also happened to be late home and I was stressed to the max.  I was in a right fouler and needed to do something to work it off.  So I got up, went out and I got lashed on for twenty minutes.  I should have brought the shampoo.  And I loved every second of it.  I love running in the rain.  Love it!  I still felt very stressed on finishing mind, but very happy that I had completed my run.  However, I do not enjoy running in the heat.  Not one little bit.  I suspected a while back and it is fast proving to be the case, that I am an Autumn/Winter runner and not a Spring/Summer one.  The strive towards 10k began and ended last April but I can see it starting up again.  One of my favourite and used very often excuses is I’m Too Tired: I tried that one this week too.  And I was tired.  I had to go to bed at 9pm the night before.  It is week one of back to school routines and they are taking their toll.  But I went.  Again it was 8pm.  I like to be home by that time usually but I knew if I didn’t go I would regret it.  You never regret the runs you do; only the runs you don’t.  So true.  And again I loved it. After the two long runs at the weekend and three short ones during the week, I could tell the difference.  I’ve stopped timing myself as I haven’t figured out how to do it on my fancy schmancy new phone. Never ever give up.  Certainly not on a bad day.  And the blaming the radio thing?  Again just a big fat excuse in disguise.  I killed my old phone by sticking it down my front and drowning it in sweat.  There was green fizz coming out the back of it.  This is how I know my sweat (which is really fat crying) killed it.  I had to run radio-less until I got a new phone and again this was not a problem.  Just me and the sound of my heavy breathing (wheezing) and the thump thump of my feet. So I’ve met all of my excuses head on and blasted them away.  Just like that.  I have none left now.  There is nothing stopping me.  Except one thing.  The winter.  It just won’t be possible to get out of an evening and run in the winter due to the darkness falling at 4pm.  The road I trek is a very busy main one and it is dark.  There are no lights except those on all the vehicles that travel on it.  I fear the road in winter.  I fear that road in winter.  It’s just not sensible to be on it in the dark so the running will definitely be taking a back seat during the winter months, save for the weekends.

 August 2012 - eleven stone three and a half                                                                                                                                            30^th August -  eleven stone and half a pound.   

September 6^th -   ten stone eleven and a quarter pounds!!! (Sharing is caring is working is deadly altogether)  Also running your arse off during the week doesn’t hurt either!!  But, I feel I must point out something.  As previously mentioned, it was week one of back to school.  It was hectic.  That is worth repeating.  It was hectic.  Stress making.  One day it was 12.20pm and my stomach folded over.  I realised I hadn’t eaten anything all morning.   Meals were hit and miss for me this week.  I was taking them to school, there was a Montessori run after that on Thursday and Friday morning.  Back to collect from that at 11.30 to be in time for Big School pick up at midday.  Only one more week of this thank Jeebus.  Then back in for a 2.30pm pick up.  It’s 4pm before I know it and I’m still chasing my tail.    My point is, like the first week I started, I lost a lot and next week it will all slow down again.  Not my preferred way to go but such is the way of the school timetable and the workings of my body!