I know the title makes me seem like a twelve year old girl, but it has been ages since I went out for a run… until today.
It certainly wasn’t far and it very certainly wasn’t fast, but it was!
I just did about 25 minutes, which included a walk and a stretch, but at the moment it’s all about re-teaching my body what it feels like to be running. And I was lucky enough to be running in a very beautiful area near my mother-in-law’s house in Germany. It’s a little loop that’s about a mile round and it an area of meadow, just near the river. But at this time of year the council flood it and when it freezes it is used to ice skate on. At the moment it’s been too warm, but it is probably about -2 today, so you can just see the water starting to freeze. Lovely.
As for the run, well it was more like a stroll or an amble, but I enjoyed it. One of my biggest problems is thinking that I can run, then setting of and doing a 10km run after months of nothing. I usually get to the furthest point of the run, pull a muscle and then have to hobble all the way home. And of course, give up running for just as long as it takes me to forget this mistake and therefore repeat it.
Well, it’s going to be different this time. I’m going to take my time, ease my body in gently, retrain my muscles in how to carry this lumbering fool around… then go for it and tweak a hamstring! My plan is to do a gentle 20-30 minute run every day for the next week or so and then slowly start to build up from there. I’ll let you know how I get on.
1000kmstowindermere 
Keep your feet under and behind you. run at a high RPM, think pitter-patter instead of plod-plod-plod. If you throw your feet out in front you’re gonna hit too hard and hurt yerself. Oh and mince, mince, mince on the outside forefoot. Don’t use your heel at all.
And no, you don’t need a new pair of £75 techno-babble plastic rubbish. The 5yr-old ones that are getting nice and thin are far better for you.
Here endeth the injury-free runner’s guide. Welcome back and Good Luck.
Hi Mike, thanks for that. I’m trying to follow all of that and I’m a big fan of the barefoot running philosophy. However, it does mean a slight change of style which, although will be better in the long run (no pun intended), is taking a while for my body to get used to, especially as I run so sporadically as I described. It’s the mince, mince, mince action that is causing my calves to get very sore, so that’s why I’m taking it nice and easy, but also trying to run regularly.
Sounds like you had a great run! Sounds like it was beautiful too.
It was beautiful and even nicer today as it was dawn and the red sky was reflected on the water.
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