Training Starts
As much as I love the internet for making life easier, I have also learned to hate it for the same reason! It has become so much easier to tie yourself into things; just fill a form online and voilá, you've tied yourself into a three year finance deal or committed yourself to something that you wouldn't normally do, you just like the idea of.
For me, this is the Great North Run. Okay, I've run it once before, and every year since then it has been a case of "I'll do it next year. Oh, did I miss the ballot?! Never mind!". Not this time, though!
A month ago, I picked a charity and requested a place. A week later and I have a welcome pack in my panic-stricken mitts wondering how on earth I am going to raise my target amount of £500! Three weeks later and I finally convince myself that I should start training in April so that I have six months to get into shape...last night was my first run.
Surprisingly, for someone who hasn't run for a few years, and even then it was only for a few months ready for the last GNR, I managed to run without stopping for 45 minutes - other than the brief moments I stopped to post cards to mates. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this works out to somewhere between 3 and 4 miles, but I have a feeling I am going to be sorely disappointed!! I will have to drive the route to see how far it is...
With the way my legs are feeling at the moment, it will be interesting to see if I can do my usual 80 lengths of the pool tonight, or if I have to quit early. Mind you, if the pool is too busy I might leave early anyway. I have no qualms with swimming in a busy pool when people have manners, but the people that annoy me are those who get an attitude to those of us that are better swimmers. Whilst I am not a great swimmer myself, I do try to splash as little as possible, always move out of other swimmer's way and always aim for gaps, but still I get people getting offensive in their manners.
And what is it with people who come in pairs, walk half the length of the pool nattering about whatever, spaced just far enough apart to prevent people swimming between them but effectively taking up a quarter of the pool, and then take forever to swim half a length?! It's a SWIMMING POOL, so SWIM for f***s sake! If you want to walk and chat, take the bloody dog out to the park!
Anyway, off my soapbox for the time being, I have to go and grab a bite to eat.
For me, this is the Great North Run. Okay, I've run it once before, and every year since then it has been a case of "I'll do it next year. Oh, did I miss the ballot?! Never mind!". Not this time, though!
A month ago, I picked a charity and requested a place. A week later and I have a welcome pack in my panic-stricken mitts wondering how on earth I am going to raise my target amount of £500! Three weeks later and I finally convince myself that I should start training in April so that I have six months to get into shape...last night was my first run.
Surprisingly, for someone who hasn't run for a few years, and even then it was only for a few months ready for the last GNR, I managed to run without stopping for 45 minutes - other than the brief moments I stopped to post cards to mates. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this works out to somewhere between 3 and 4 miles, but I have a feeling I am going to be sorely disappointed!! I will have to drive the route to see how far it is...
With the way my legs are feeling at the moment, it will be interesting to see if I can do my usual 80 lengths of the pool tonight, or if I have to quit early. Mind you, if the pool is too busy I might leave early anyway. I have no qualms with swimming in a busy pool when people have manners, but the people that annoy me are those who get an attitude to those of us that are better swimmers. Whilst I am not a great swimmer myself, I do try to splash as little as possible, always move out of other swimmer's way and always aim for gaps, but still I get people getting offensive in their manners.
And what is it with people who come in pairs, walk half the length of the pool nattering about whatever, spaced just far enough apart to prevent people swimming between them but effectively taking up a quarter of the pool, and then take forever to swim half a length?! It's a SWIMMING POOL, so SWIM for f***s sake! If you want to walk and chat, take the bloody dog out to the park!
Anyway, off my soapbox for the time being, I have to go and grab a bite to eat.
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