Lesson learnt: Shake it, but don’t break it
Week 2 and 3 are combined in my journal simply for efficiency andnot because I’ve thrown in the towel.
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I’ve learnt a valuable lesson these 2 weeks; that no matter how much you are tempted to push the boundaries be mindful that boundaries are there for a reason. It’s very much like the railings installed on staircases, they are meant to be used. One can go up and down without holding on to the railings but after a fall, you finally understand why they are there in the first place.
My online coach has provided me with a 10 week plan, each week adding a bit more to my endurance, this plan must have been tried and tested by several new runners, I’m certainly not the first. At the end of week 3, the target was to be able to run 2 minutes non-stop, but I was comfortable with 3minute runs and feeling very proud. But each time I boasted to friends I always got ” you mean it’s only 3 minutes you can do?” 😦
This ‘inspired’ me to set my timer for 4 minutes last Saturday, the first 4min run was great, the second was good, the third set was…. well…. incomplete. My legs simply refused to move. I was painfully aware yet again of how long a minute was…..I thought I had learnt that lesson in week one…but as with most things in life, success gets to the head and we forget. As I walked off the pain, I ‘advised myself’ and reset my timer back to 3minutes before completing my run. Lesson learnt.
3 other lessons I have learnt at the end of week 3 are:
1. Getting home in time to run in daylight is close to impossible. Always have a plan B , not running is not an option. I have chosen to use the limited space in my compound and just keep running in circles.
2. Motorists and cyclists expect you to get out of their way. There is no plan B, stay as far away from them as possible.
3. Making a choice between early morning sleep and getting up to run requires all of my will power and then some, so far the negotiations with my pillow have been successful. I hope it stays this way.
Current status
At the end of week3, my breathing is so much more controlled, it’s unbelievable. My stretched target was to achieve comfortable 3 minute cycles vs the 2 minute cycles in my plan, I can safely say I’ve achieved this goal- check!
Next week, I shoot again for 4 minutes…and pray that nothing breaks.
Inspirations by Elozino 