What next? Well, keep on running, I think.
I started early last year at total random to run, yes me who never saw the point of running, unless it was to beat the queue at the ice cream van.
I think my distain of running boils down to two things, firstly I had a bad knee that would moan if I rushed to catch the late bus. Secondly the only running I really saw was sweaty, and often not polite, people who looked totally knackered, running around the streets of what ever town or city I was in.
Not sure why I suddenly decided to go running around a park to see if it was something to do. I have a feeling that it was watching Beau Miles on YouTube and his various runs to work or around the block while he was planting trees along the way or other silly amazing things he did. Do go a watch his stuff, brilliant stories and editing, I'm sure you will enjoy them.
I took it easy as I wanted to protect my knee and from what I've read about runners trying out barefoot running, going to hard to early, you were paying for it with pain.
I've never liked exercising to the brink of your lungs and heart capacity to then collapsing in a heap swearing at the world. Get me on a 25-40miles pootle on a bike or a long hike up on the moors or a mountain. None of these drill Sargent gym instructors things.
Exercise for me should be fun and I should be able to do it every day because I want to and to have a laugh while doing so. Getting a PB, doing a route a bit faster than I've done before should happen by chance, like a quick bet on the day - if you get there first, I'll pay for the cake - kinda wins.
Yes, enjoy looking at stats, not in that much detail since I don't understand them or really care for them. I do it to track my rides, rows or runs on there, mostly to have a record of the route for later ideas for day out. And yes do get a kick out of seeing that I've done something faster than before.
Just for a laugh I set a target of 1000 miles last year, when I did it would be easy to achieve. As I just divided days and miles. This clearly didn't counted for bad weather days, travelling or just general IRL getting in the way.
Yet, I still managed to run over 800 miles, not bad at all for a slow, fat and totally newbie runner. I'm quite chuffed with that.
The other thing is that I enjoy it, especially because I get to run new trails every day and not pounding the same street everytime I go for a run.
I've tried some road running a few times and even set a PB on the 5k - 30 minutes flat. But, boy did it bore me, I can kinda understand why all the runners I've seen in the past just looked miserable, tired and pissed off.
That why I like trail running when passing others - cyclist, hikers and other runners - you are allowed to greet each other, not like road runners, where you at best get a grunt.
Also my lower back ain't complaining and feels stronger. I got a better posture too and walk differently, in relaxed way with somewhat better balance. Best of all my knee haven't moaned one bit throughout my runs. Oh and I lost 10kg in first 3 or so months.
So this leads to what next other than keep on trucking. I'm not really up for a organised run, all that cheering, music and people that have the audadicty to be out in public in large groups, fills me with dread. Also living nomadic and planning ahead dosen't really go together, I just about know where I will be in the next 2-3 days and it often changes because of the weather. So to have a date for a run/race in 3 months time is nigh impossible.
I have an idea of running the 3 Yorkshire peaks, not the official route as that includes a stretch of tarmac road that is best avoided. I got a 30km route in mind, just need to build up to it and be in Yorkshire on a day where the weather ain't crazy. I need to see if I can find other runs/routes out there that I can do un-organised, between 10-20km to start with uless it is a wicked 30km/miles in a great location. Any ideas are welcome.
Some of the best rides, aka pootles, I've done over the years. Has just been 3-5, max 10, of us riding out to a cake stop or a pub. Getting lost on the way, stopping to enjoy the views and having a good laugh. Really nothing too serious. I need to find a way to get into a running group that don't have many memebers, though it's hard when you are living nomadic. But the running community on Mastodon (look for the #RunnersOfMastodon and #TrailRunning) is great, I just need a carrot of some kind, like last years 1000 miles in a year.
At least the Irish mutt is now coming to the age where we can run him more, so more and longer runs will be in my future for sure. The Spanish mutt good for about 20km+ I'm sure, her breed, Podenco, are bred to do more than that a day, so I think she will be up for a 3 Peaks run. The Irish mutt will be happy with up to 5km, and just trots along gently, where the Spanish one rubs it in but running sideway on her hindlegs faster than I can flat out.
See you out there.
