Running Reluctantly – Where Am I , Exactly? – Couch Potato
I really didn’t want to run today. The day had been filled with nonsense and by 6pm, I hadn’t really accomplished anything, was watching black storm clouds gather in the distance and really wanted to get home and fall asleep on the sofa. Only, I know that the next few days are going to be quite hectic and I may resort to a quick bike ride or cramming in some press-ups and crunches when time allows so realised that I really should run today…
So, once I get home and before I have time to think about it too much, I turn the coffee machine on, get changed, neck an espresso and I’m off out the door. I plan to tackle the route through the swish residential area that got rained off last week. The first bit goes well – subway is not flooded today so I make it under the dual carriageway and off to what I believe to be the end of the road I want to run down. Except once I’m on it, I can’t find the turning I want and, though I am no more than a mile as the crow flies from my house, I am a bit lost. Rubbish! How I can be lost! So I run round in a big circle and get myself back to somewhere I know and realise that I am at the bottom of a big hill. I remember reading something on Fit Artist’s blog about tackling hills and looking at the floor and imagining it’s not a hill but flat so try it and it works. But I do still feel like my lungs might implode by the time I get to the top but that’s OK because I’m at the top and then get to run down the other side.
From there on I pick up the last part of my usual 10k route and head back home just as thunder begins to rumble in the distance. Then I sit at home and smugly watch as the rain arrives and I am safely indoors.
And then I fall asleep on the sofa.
Juneathon Stats: 5.27 mile run
Soundtrack to this post: What A Waste – Ian Dury And The Blockheads
RunningAmok 
It’s great isn’t it, the looking at the ground thing? You feel like you’re on the flat but you do still have the half-dead thing. I see Jogblog’s given it a try too.
Yes… it is pretty good and I was surprised it worked. Now, if we can just find a technique to stop the panting and the nausea once at the top, we’re sorted…
I reckon the looking at the ground thing is like the leaning forward and falling style of running that seems to knock about 30 seconds off your mile pace without any extra muscle effort – still makes you puff but sure is quick for the shorter distances.
Hmmm… I may have to try that one too. Leaning forward and falling, you say. I could do with gaining a bit of speed.