First run done!!

Whilst I should have sorted this blog out yesterday so that I could post after my first run, I forgot. So this is the update from this morning's run.

During the week I finally managed to get myself into Sports Direct in Northampton to see about some cross country running shoes. They have a wide ranging sale on at the moment, and the shoes that I was looking at were 50% off, as were a matching pack of socks. So I'm now the proud owner of a rather bright pair of running shoes, the first I have ever owned! But having dug my lycra shorts out, it seems they're well past their best and I'll need to get some new ones as well as a base layer or two for the top half.

So kitted up I went off to see Anthony for my first run at 10 this morning. I was a bit nervous, but just as keen to get started and see how it went. And this is the obligatory pre-run photo showing my 16 St of pure awesome, and just outside a pub too!

The route was Ant's usual dog running route and measures 3.95 miles according to his Iphone. It's just about all cross country, with grass and stone tracks, recently ploughed fields and some hills. I hadn't really understood what this meant before starting out. I now know that I often struggle to walk, let along run on ploughed fields and I hate hills. But being a stubborn git does have it's plus points. Unfortunately they're currently out-balanced by my asthma! Ant, being the good mate he is, managed to take a photo of me when I wasn't watching that makes me look like a complete muppet too. But it does show I was actually out there!

I would love to say that I made the run without stopping, but that would be a lie. I think I had to stop 3 times to use my inhaler and slowed to a walk to get my breathing back under control quite a few more times than that. I was nearly sick twice, but managed to not be. So 52 mins 47 secs after starting we completed the loop. And I was not looking my best:

Much to my surprise I didn't feel like death warmed up, despite it being the farthest I've run since being made to do the yearly cross country run at school. My joints feel fine, even the knee I trashed the ligaments in years back. My lungs however are just about recovering and I stopped running 12 hours ago. I'm really hoping next week is a little easier, but this has given me a glimmer of hope that I can do this.