Pages

home      my running story      races from the beginning      talk to me       product reviews      

Friday 19 July 2013

Enough of Being a Cowbag


Enough was enough. I hadn’t run for almost a week. I couldn’t blame the weather – it had been perfect! Hot and still and beautiful. A combination of my car breaking down, lack of childcare for my daughrer and lots of work had combined to make it difficult to go out for a run. But the main reason I hadn’t was simple. Pure laziness.

I’m normally highly motivated. I look forward to my runs and enjoy them, but even if I’m not looking forward to the running itself, I look forward to being able to go outside and snatch an hour of peace for myself. I love my family and enjoy my work – most of the time – and I’m really lucky to have a relatively simple life but it’s still so nice to just leave it all behind for an hour or so a day and just be me. Listen to an audiobook or some music while I run or just enjoy the quiet and the pat-pat-pat of my feet on the trail.


But I had no excuses for not running. It was laziness pure and simple. Two weeks of a very lazy holiday – I ran only 5 times! – with too much food and lazing around by the pool and then coming back to warm sunshine meant I had trotted out all the excuses I could find so I wouldn’t have to run.


Enough! I was uncomfortable and felt bloated and miserable. I was irritable and grumpy. A run! I changed into my running clothes but it STILL took me another hour to move from the sofa. Do I want to turn into a fat, grumpy cowbag who lies around on the sofa in sportswear? Nope! Out the door!


It was a warm evening but I’d decided on my route. 9 miles around the perimeter of the town. Hilly, but with the benefit of the last 3 miles being almost all downhill. Best of all because I’d chosen a long route I could slow it all down. No time pressure, no trying-to-beat-my-PB and not struggling against the warmth of the evening.


By the time I got out of the door it was 9.30pm so the sky was light – just – and the air was still. Passing houses with all of the windows thrown open and the lights on as it was too hot for curtains to be drawn. The grass was yellow on the lawns and the pavements were dry and solid under my trainers.  


I didn’t see any other runners and not even a cat crossed in front of me. Everything was still and the people and animals were stretched out indoors trying to escape the heat. The sky was dark but the warmth still radiated from the houses and pavements.


Every time I felt the heat I slowed down further. Tonight’s run was just about getting out there and I wanted to make sure I enjoyed it. I had a good audiobook on and as I listened, I felt happy being outdoors and running. It’s amazing how running lifts my mood.


I finished the run in just over an hour and 20 mins and made a decision that I’d had enough sofa time this month to last me a year. No more lazing around, no more sitting on the sofa and no more being a cowbag.

6 comments:

  1. I've been lazy with running recently too! Only doing on average 2 runs a week- in this heat, the sofa is very attractive for siesta!
    Well done for getting out there and getting a run in :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I'm glad it hasn't just been me struggling to get out there! The sunshine has been gorgeous but I'm finding it so hard to run!

      Delete
  2. I think this hot weather is PERFECT for blaming lack of running on! :)
    I've very glad I've got my Operation Ultra plan in place to keep me motivated right now. All my runs have been at 9:30pm or later too...Just too hot any earlier in the day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hooray! I'll keep blaming the sunshine for my laziness then! :) Agree that it's too hot to run in the daytime though - it's nice to be warm but it's so difficult to keep hydrated ... and motivated!!

      It's so exciting that you're doing Operation Ultra!! What an experience! Can't wait to see the articles in the magazine!

      Delete
  3. Lovely post... well done for getting back out there - especially in this weather!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Millie! It's been so gorgeous that I feel a bit of a fraud NOT running in it but it really has been too hot!! What's the weather like in Belgium? Do you have a heatwave too?

      Delete