Flipping the chart

Last week I started jogging and attempted to swim a few laps at the pool. 

Realizing that I am grossly unfit I am just trying to build from a very low base. No major acts of bravery or bravado. The mission is to consistently have a go and trust that time and effort will result in improvement.

I had the boss's car all week so took advantage of the opportunity and drove to Nightcliff instead of riding my bike.

Each day from Monday to Friday I jogged very short circuit of about three or four kilometers which brought me back to the pool where I have begun the arduous mission of swimming laps. 

I haven't achieved anything miraculous but have managed to keep up the routine and have slightly increased my distance both on land and in the pool.

On Saturday I was caught out. The pool wasn't due to open until 8am! So I took that as a sign that I could goof off. I went straight to the shop and got myself a cup of coffee and a strawberry doughnut. Yum!

As I was enjoying my justified break, rather than journalling if flicked to my phone and the notorious facebook, where I saw that the Nightcliff Parkrun was scheduled to commence in half an hour... Normally this wouldn't bother me much but recently I've had a notion in my head to say yes to all reasonable propositions... This was within the boundary of 'reasonable'! (I've also made an agreement with myself to be rigorously honest!). There was nothing I could do to avoid the run. According to my new standards for living, the activity was locked in!

The run was scheduled to commence at 7:00am. I was there on time.

 I've never done a Parkrun but figured it would be a gentle way to ease into running with a group. I didn't really know what the deal was, how it was organized but I knew that it'd be easy to join in. It's just a bunch of people running together. So I jumped in somewhere toward the front of the mob and when they said go I followed the leaders.

I just tried to jog like I always do and stick with a group I could keep up with. Of course there were some super fit runners who took the lead and never dropped their pace, but most of the people running were doing a pace I could manage. I stuck with a group of guys who were pretty fit but not pushing too hard. 

As the crowd spread out I found that I was still relatively close to the front of the pack. (Bear in mind there were all kinds of people running, of all ages and abilities, there were several people pushing prams!) By the time we reached the first turn I was feeling pretty puffed, but I looked around and saw that most of the others were too. I decided to run behind a big guy, who looked like an add for the army hand to hand combat brigade. I chose him because I figured I could draft behind his mass and because he was wearing a vest full of weights... So it was kind of like he had a fair handicap. It gave me a psychological advantage over my desire to quit. Keeping pace with a fit young guy boosted my ego enough to keep me tagging along, knowing he was carrying a shit load of extra weight reassured me that he must be struggling nearly as much as me. (It worked!)

I thought I was coming to the finish line but saw the leaders heading over the Rapid Creek bridge... WTF! Do I have to keep going? I tried to stay cool as I passed the photographer and marshals, I even gave a bit of a grin and a skip but it was all bluff... as soon as I was out of their sight I walked! At this point I expected a bunch of people to come charging past me but when I looked around there was no one there. Everyone was flagging. (Except the serious joggers in front of me) I soon had my breath  back and decided to keep running. I made it to the  finish line in a reasonable state and was only passed by about three people. 

They gave me a tag that had No.00033. I had no idea what it was for so I took it to the marshal who was keeping notes. Apparently they have a way of timing everyone. I couldn't receive a time because I hadn't registered, didn't even know how. So the lady took my barcoded tag off me and told me I should register next time... "OK".

It took me a while to cool down and to regulate my breathing, I was absolutely covered in sweat but I felt awesome! After just one week of fairly mediocre attempts to go jogging, I had completed my first fun run!

I celebrated with a cold shower and a couple of laps of the pool! 

Before I turned 50 I was in a very low place. I was beginning to feel that my life was on the cusp of ending. I was not satisfied with that outcome so made a concerted effort to change, everything. Some of the changes have been very difficult, others are a mixture of bliss and agony. But bit by bit I am feeling life, and a lust for life return to my being that is craving more! I just have to say yes!