Aches and Pains

I didn’t jog last weekend, but instead went for a nice walk in Leigh Woods with my friend Emmeline. I love running in the woods, but it made a pleasant change having some company and going slow enough to carry the big camera around.

I did get out for a mid-week jog, a 5K down the Portway on Thursday. And it was pretty horrible, to be honest. I was achey and slow and really not up for it. Even though it was only 5K, I felt like I had to walk a couple of times on the way back. Body and mind were just not up for it.

Here’s some hope, though; a report from my friend Jose on his latest run:

Monday saw the only my fourth run of the last eight weeks, and boy, was I creaky. The first couple of miles hurt, no doubt about that, but then… then the muscles and bones and bits of cartilage and lungs and all other associated hanging together bits remembered how it all went and everything fell into place. Those following two and half miles were much, much better. I’m not there yet, I need to run and run and run, but that lovely feeling of being able to run 18 miles in one go will return. Eventually.

My hope, specifically, being that I’ve just not been running often enough nor far enough recently, and that if I get out and stretch my current limits a bit, maybe I’ll work through the aches and pains a bit — break through the creakiness barrier — and start feeling good for more of my running.

I’m going to try to get out for a long, slow run today or tomorrow; it looks like we’ve got pretty good weather lined up for most of the weekend, so I should take advantage of it…