The First Run

I finally did it, I went out for my first run! I almost managed to go out a couple of weeks ago, got changed into some gear, but by the time we had got the kids to bed I had gone off the idea, but not last night.

For some reason last night was different. I was actually going to go and run around the block. It isn’t far and it is a course that have done a couple of times on the bike when I first started just to get some fitness.

But this time I was running, no freewheeling down the hill, no sitting down and taking it easy when the heart rate increases and you feel like your chest is about to explode. Just you, some trainers and the road. Of course I have all the gear so had running shorts and a running top, which to be fair is a bit OTT for a summer run and I could have done with a t-shirt, but I’ve got it so I used it.

New headphones in, water bottle in hand, Strava run started on the phone and off I go. Uphill at first, along a straight and then downhill. Legs are heavy, heart pumping, chest screaming, no air through the nose, only gulping it in through the mouth and I’ve only done 1/2 a mile.

Back round towards where I started and I know it’s just under a mile from my bike trips on this course, so round I go again.

Just like I did when I first tried this on the bike I only get half way up the first hill and have to stop. Well walk. “This is the last time I will be this slow” I think to myself, probably right but not really helping at that precise moment. I need to slow my breathing, take some air in and start again. I would have turned around and walked back down the hill to home but I had just passed some people sitting on a wall and didn’t really want to go back past them walking having given up – strange where we get our inspiration from but I am glad I pushed myself a bit further.

I managed to go a bit further but had to walk again, not for long, just to get some air in to my sore lungs and start again. It was at this point I decided to take a shortcut back, through the estate and not all the way round the full course. I knew I was slowing and didn’t want to overdo things on the first day, “live to fight another day” I thought, “this is the first of many”.

In little over 20 minutes I was home, sweating, panting, aching all over and feeling sick. I’d got the metallic taste in my mouth I get just before I am about to throw up so dinner would have to wait. I would like to say I felt good after the run but I didn’t. I felt dreadful.

At least I wasn’t sick and after about 10 minutes of sitting outside on the decking, taking in some evening air, I felt fine. Yes the legs where stiff and I should really learn to warm down, but it didn’t matter, I was home.

I had done it, I had gone out on my first run.

Run Details

Distance: 1.6 miles

Time Taken: 20:28

Pace: 12:39 minutes / mile

Selling Out?

When I set up this blog I only ever had the intention of cycling and blogging about cycling.

Since then I have covered a few miles, bought a new bike and enjoy riding through the countryside where I live.

So I feel like I am selling out a bit as I have started to think about taking up running! I’ve never really liked running, I’m not really built for distance and I don’t enjoy it that much, it’s just something I have started to want to do. So much so that I have been out and bought some running shorts (so I really do have all the gear…). The last time I ran any distance (apart from the Sport Relief Mile in 2012) was at school. I used to run the 1500 meters, the first 1300 meters would be jogged, trying not to stop, then the last 200 meters I could sprint as that’s what I could do, sprint.

I want to do this for two reasons – and no I won’t be stopping riding, just supplementing my rides with a spot of jogging, which brings me onto reason one. It’s dark out there, very dark. Much as I like being outside, not being able to see very well makes riding in an evening or first thing in the morning quite difficult – weekends are OK but the rest of the week I will struggle, especially when it comes to motivation.

The second reason is perhaps the more important, I want to compete in a Triathlon. Me, an overweight, fairly unfit, fortysomething wants to combine three sports into one and complete them one after another – for fun.

I only want to do it once mind, I’m not wanting to take it up as a sport, but ever since I realised that the London Marathon is about 25 miles to far for me I have wanted to do something just once before I’m too old to want to try.

There is a fairly easy (by triathlon standards) event run once a year a few miles away from where I live. It consists of a 400m swim in a pool, 16km bike ride and 4.5km run. The swim and the bike I know I can handle, separately at least. It’s the run that I’ve got no chance with and what needs the work. I’m not kidding myself though, I am aware that it’s going to be tough to do all of these three disciplines one after the other, let alone one at a time.

So I am going to use this blog to not only chart progress with my rides and the views I see when I’m out, but also to talk about my quest to get myself from total non-runner to doing at least 5km on a regular basis.

Wish me luck!