Leisure Time!

Sparkling clean, but not for long!

I’m not quite sure how it happened, but those clever people in the Fundraising and Marketing Department at the Richmond Home have made the words “Yes of course I will run the BUPA 10k for the Charity” come spilling out of my mouth.  The thing is, that although I do run every week, around 5k in the lovely Bushy Park near Hampton Court or in Richmond Park just across the road from the Home, I have a bit of a block when it comes to distance.  I have a 5k barrier stuck in my head which means that I always stop at the 5k point and find it impossible to push myself further which is fairly frustrating. 

I started running around 2 years ago with my husband and our energetic yellow Labrador, Dixie.  First attempts were with our local Stragglers who were exceptionally patient with me as I brought new meaning to the word Straggler, and we then tried the Saturday 5k Park Run in Bushy Park.

It was really fun to run with so many other people, some dressed quite improbably in tutus and animal outfits.  I came third to last, taking over 40 minutes to stagger/walk through the route.  I was pretty demoralised and vowed to improve my time.  Two years later, I can run the same route in 29 minutes but I feel there is more in me, but my own self-imposed barriers hold me back.  I’m sure this is not uncommon. Tell me this is not uncommon?

So having somehow agreed to run the BUPA 10k, I now need to get serious, so downloaded an app on my iPhone which takes you through a 14-week training programme, using a run/walk exercise 3 times per week.  I have just completed week 1, and was joined on week 1, day 3 by my running buddy Jacky, otherwise known as the Financial Controller at the Richmond Home.  We were treated to motivational quotes such as ‘Motivation is the fire within, only you can light it’ and on a bitterly cold Friday lunchtime, a fire would have been most welcome.

I hope you like my brand new running shoes?  I’m hopeful that the go-faster-stripes on the side and gel cushioning will make all the difference.  Shame they won’t stay looking this clean for long.  Wish me luck, and I’ll provide some updates as I (hopefully) progress.

Pauline Shaw, Director of Care & Service Development