The time has come for me to embrace the mini-marathon. For years I have fervently argued that power-walking is just as valid a form of exercise (read: weight-management), but the shrinking forms of my running pals have forced me into admission: running helps you drop pounds faster than walking. It just does.My middle sister met her husband a few years back, and he immediately got her into running, and biking and swimming - and before we knew it, my sister, who had never even owned a gym membership was taking part in triathlons, and coming a place!
My dad is a daily jogger, and patiently counts down the days each year, along with Tim Bailey (Australia's Channel 10 weather man, for those not in the know...) until Sydney's
City2Surf - a 14km run from Sydney's CBD to Bondi Beach, held annually in mid-August. Us girls, (my eldest sister, middle-sis and me) have joined him for the race over the years, and it was always Dad and I up the front, with my sisters strolling along with the thousands of others in the back-of-the-pack. But not since she met hubby. No. Now middle-sis trains, and partakes in various other races during the year, so that come August she's raring to go, and tackles the 14km around 70 minutes.
City2Surf - a 14km run from Sydney's CBD to Bondi Beach, held annually in mid-August. Us girls, (my eldest sister, middle-sis and me) have joined him for the race over the years, and it was always Dad and I up the front, with my sisters strolling along with the thousands of others in the back-of-the-pack. But not since she met hubby. No. Now middle-sis trains, and partakes in various other races during the year, so that come August she's raring to go, and tackles the 14km around 70 minutes.While I have missed the last 2 years City2Surfs (being overseas and all) I have not lost my resolve to one day take on middle-sis at the starting line. But thanks to the countless tubs of Ben&Jerry's I consumed in New York I found on arrival to London that not only had my waistline expanded, but my fitness levels were at an all-time low. Over the past 3 months I have endeavoured to start getting myself back into shape (sans the gym, because I just can't afford the £85-monthly fees! eek!), and over the weekend, I took to the pavement once more.
With the parentals in town I offered to take Dad jogging south-side of the river. Bright and early on Saturday Dad and I left from their hotel, and ran along the Thames and around the leafy parts of Wandsworth. When I realised that I was able to run without coughing up my lungs, I decided I should give this jogging-thing another go. Back home I checked out the route we had taken - by marking out the streets on runlondon.com (awesome website!) - and it turns out we had run just under 7km! So I figured by running a few more times round Wandsworth Park I would hit 10km - a distance hitherto unimaginable in the mind of the Intern.
5am Monday saw me in my gear, joggers on, and ready to blast my 10km run. And I did. In 56 minutes. The plan is now to run 4 times a week on alternate days... I'll keep you posted on the progress (hopefully, regress) of my waistline... Oh, and on my improved fitness levels, of course!
Short-term goal: Compete in the Wimbledon 10km run, 21 October 2007
Long-term goal: Run a marathon
No comments:
Post a Comment