Week Two, Day Three: 5 April

Today is Sunday and I woke feeling resentful that I had to get up for a run. Yes, I know that no-one was making me do it so I had only myself to blame. But the thing is, I like order in my life and doing a scheduled week on the app across two weeks has been annoying me. As I didn’t manage to do the run last Sunday.

Interestingly I just re-wrote that sentence, I first wrote ‘I failed spectacularly to do my run last Sunday.’ As I previously mentioned, when I started this I want to change the way I think, especially abut failure and that means changing the way I talk about myself and to myself. I want to remove the word failure from my vocabulary. What you say to yourself is more important than what anyone else says to you!

I was determined to do it today even though I was feeling grumpy about it. This may have been a mistake. I did give myself a bit of a lie-in so left the house at around 7.15am. The first thing I noticed was the temperature. The sun was up and for the first time I didn’t put on my hat and gloves. I started my warm up walk to The Stone Roses as I still haven’t managed to turn shuffle off. (After pressing random buttons on my phone for two weeks I have come to the conclusion that there is only one course left open to me – I am going to have to read the instructions!) I have 269 tracks, but for some reason shuffle seems to prefer Nirvana which suits me fine as it is great music to get you motivated. I couldn’t help thinking, as Kurt Cobain was yelling ‘STAY AWAY’ in my ear, that it was a very apt track for our current circumstances.

Unfortunately, things started to go downhill from there. The first run was not too bad but after that they got harder and harder. The sun was in my eyes and my lungs felt like they were on fire and all I could do was to stare at my feet and keep trying to put one foot in front of the other. This run felt almost as bad as the first, so what went wrong? All I can think of is the attitude that I had approaching this run. I really didn’t want to do it and felt resentful that I was giving up part of my weekend. I think the way we approach situations has a real impact on the outcome. But now it is over I can still feel a sense of satisfaction and am glad that I got out there and did it. Any challenge is going to have a few bumps along the way. I just hit one, but I hope I learnt something from it too.

Here is a picture from my warm down walk, I am very grateful that I am lucky enough to live in such a beautiful part of Oxfordshire.

If you are thinking of doing something similar take care to stay safe.

To do this I am:

• Keeping social distancing. I aim to get out by 6.30am (I am a lark not an owl), so there are very few people around, and if I do meet them I stay 2 meters away.
• I have my phone with me, and someone knows where I am going and when I am due back.
• And, of course, I have Dog with me.

Top tips to keep you safe and well during this strange time.

• Keep to the self-isolating and social distancing rules.
• Keep in contact with friends, family, and, of course, Restore.
• Find a routine and stick to it (I can’t emphasize enough how important this is)
• Every day do something for your physical and mental well-being. On the days I am not running I go out for a walk. I am also doing a 21-day meditation challenge with 2 friends. This benefits my well-being as well as keeping me connected every day. There are plenty of meditation apps out there, but if that isn’t your thing then find something that nurtures your soul. This can be as simple as listening to the birds sing or gazing up at the stars.
• Set yourself a challenge. This could be big or small, it’s entirely up to you.

These are just a few ideas and there are plenty more out there. The Restore website has a directory of useful and trusted websites with information, tips and ideas, here.

The Reluctant Jogger and Dog