I remember a while back during a runclub session, a small group got a dressing down in front of everyone for chatting. 'This is a serious running club, if you want to chat, tie your sweat shirts round your backsides and join the other joggers on the High Street.' Patronising and rude at best, but the real insult that made everyone wince was use of the word 'jogger'. Ouch! And as I watched my leg Dr write out my rehab programme and I saw the word 'jog', I too cringed. Had I not explained in great detail?
Is he confusing me with someone else? Did I not tell him I am an athlete? Of course, I could only express this with a look, not words, kind of like when a dog cocks its head illustrating a complete lack of understanding, but in a questioning manner. I continue to watch him write out a full 28 day schedule, hoping soon he'd replace the word jog with run, at say day five. No. He didn't. Jog/Walk it is, then. And so this morning, I stepped out. My biggest issue was what to wear. How to dress for a light run, the term I shall now use, mixed with a walk?
I opted for warmth. The next issue was planning a route, taking heed that I wasn't to overdo it in these early stages. The past two mornings, this has resulted in staying in bed. Too cautious perhaps. So I set off...for one minute, watch held high. I must say, it was not a great experience. My legs felt heavy, my back was sore and I was sort of out of breath already. Within that first minute I felt like my running days were gone, or at least my fitness had. How can everything have changed so much in that time?
But then it might have something to do with the fact I'd literally just come back from a 25 mile mountain bike ride, changed my shoes and headed right back out, transition-like. Ah...did I not mention that? In other news, there was no 'trouble' at parkrun on Saturday. In recent weeks, this has been news. As I watched them set off, running through our park, people of all shapes and sizes simply trying their best...it's hard to remain impartial. Everyone can have a view, but really, what a great way to use the park for an hour once a week.
