Trying to be good

I am trying to be good. Honest. I brought in my gym gear to head to the gym after work but my friend who I have not seen in ages has texted me asking if I fancy a drink after work.

I am meeting her in the pub.

I could go to the gym tomorrow but I am meeting the girls for lunch.

Lunch will be served with wine.

Now depending on tonight I could go to the gym tomorrow morning however tonight will go one of two ways:

1) we only have a couple of drinks and I am home at a very reasonable hour and I head to the gym tomorrow morning

2) we have more than a couple and I get home at a very unreasonable hour and the be lucky to be fit enough to make lunch never mind the gym

What do I have to say about the last post?

Miss Negativity 2008 is at it again. Let's put things into prespective.

Geraldine, due to a nasty injury and because of work, has not taken any exercise in roughly a year. We all know how quickly fitness disappears, and how hard it is to re-gain it. The first steps towards fitness are undoubtedly the hardest ones of all. You will be unable to do very much. You will remember what you used to be able to do. You will still get of the physical pain associated with using muscles that have been idle, and there will also be the mental torture not being physically where you want to be.

I think most of us have been in a similair position at some point. I know I have. I know how depressing it is.

Chin up Honey. Everytime you exercise you will get a little fitter, a little healthier and a little more towards this body image that you so obviously desire.

Nothing worthwhile ever came easily. Whomever said it they were very, very wise.

Coach DQ

Last night my training officially began. I headed to the gym to start getting in the mileage for my big 10k which is only 13 and a half weeks away.

So how did it go? Well, lets just say that when I left the gym I phoned coach DQ and told him to bring a chair and a flask of tea for March as I am going to take at least a week to complete the race.

Instead of the advised 15mins on the bike and 2miles on the treadmill I managed a mere 10mins on the bike and only 2km on the treadmill. Pathetic. However, I am determined to stay positive as I actually went to the gym.

It was while I was taking my three hours to clock up the 2km that I took the chance to look around at my fellow gym attendees. What can I say? You had the usual elements of :

- Stunning, big breasted blonde who doesn’t even sweat although she is doing 100 miles an hour on the treadmill. She is of course wearing the latest Nike sports range while no doubt listening to the latest findings from the Nobel prize winning scientist - are these women from how to make other women feel inadequate.com

- more mature gentleman determined that age is not going to be a barrier to being honed and fit but really would much rather be curled up in bed with a hot cocoa and a good book

-big huge bulky fella working out on all the machines making all the women including myself wonder if the naughty thoughts we are having cross the perverted line as he looks quite young

-lady who realised that the office Xmas party is less than a month away and the little black frock is a little too little

-And me who is trying to hide the fact that I am ridiculously unfit by wearing all the proper running gear combined with every so often touching my knee and wincing in the hope that I look that I am coming back from injury hoping to once again create the glory of my past sporting achievements.

Anyway my training has begun and while I was disheartened by the discomfort I felt, the boredom that struck and that it is going to take a miracle for me to reach the finish line before the daylight goes I am determined to continue on…..

Am I runner yet?

So since I am in need of running shoes I called Run4it in Edinburgh and explained that I was a beginner looking for running shoes. Ben said they have a treadmill in store for gait analysis plus he sounded so lovely so off at lunchtime I went.

I explained to the lovely Ben that I have sighed up to take part in a 10K in March but I don’t have any running experience or any running shoes. The Lovely Ben said no problem I am sure we will find you something suitable. So for the first time in a shoe shop I did not look at styles and colours of the shoes and wonder if I could still strike my moves on the dance floor in that height of heel, instead I was instructed by the lovely Ben that I needed to take my shoes and socks off so he could get a good look at my feet ( it was at this point I wondered if running shops suffer from men with a certain fetish applying for the job as foot analyser) Following a series of sit and down and turnaround which I was very disappointed did not end with a prize for the winner and a bowl of jelly and ice cream I was asked to go onto the treadmill on my bare feet.

The treadmill. I have been on a treadmill before but I have not spent any time on a treadmill and yet here I was in the middle of a running shop at lunchtime wearing my working clothes with my trousers rolled up like a Dad taking his kids to the local beach on a bank holiday. The Lovely Ben who at this point I was starting to doubt the loveliness of, said I will start you off gently then build you up to a mild jog. To my surprise my chest did not collapse nor my heart seize. Apparently, I run quite efficiently but I have a mild (mild seemed to be word of the day) over-pronation which is slightly worse on my right foot.

So shoes with a mild arch support were the order of the day. The first pair comes out and they feel nice. Back on the treadmill again and they feel comfortable. The next pair hurt the top of my foot and the third pair rubs against my ankle bone. At this point I am starting to feel that I am putting the mileage in as I am on and off the treadmill so often. It seems my training has already started in the shop. I feel sad that my coach is not there when I take my first steps.

So the lovely Ben asks if they were any trainers that I fancy the look of. Now this a sign of my growth towards becoming a runner – do you know what I replied?

“it is more important that I get the correct trainers for my feet rather than what they look like”

Yes, I Geraldine, put athleticism before fashion. At this point I was glad coach DQ was not there as I think he would have cried with pride and joy at such words being uttered by me.

So I went for the first pair - Asics Gel 1140 and a pair of anti-blister socks.


So now I have the 10K booked, the blog and the shoes – I really have no excuse not to go running except…

I am going to the Lake District with my Mum for the weekend for her birthday. This will involve lots of shopping, wine, fine dining and most importantly lots of fun. I don’t see how I can fit any running into the weekend although I will try to actually go to the bar rather than just get the waiter to bring the drinks over and I will make sure I go round every boutique at least twice.

At this point my coach DQ will be despairing and no doubt wondering if he has taken on too big a challenge. 90 miles of the WHW on a broken ankle will seem like a breeze compared to trying to get me to the finish line in March.

Not a good start

Last night I thought - Geraldine you have the race booked and you have the blog but you have not ran any distance. So I thought i will head to the gym after work today. One small problem - I don't have any running shoes.

At this first hurdle I immediately contacted my coach DQ. After several comments involving rude words and

- what do you mean you don't have running shoes

- how can you not have running shoes when you own over a hundred pairs

- only you would sign up to run a 10K when you don't even have the only essential item

- you tried to end my dream those years ago, you tried to stop me running to the end and you don't even have the footwear to run the length of yourself

It was decided that I need to go to a running shop and purchase running shoes.

Now normally when i go shopping for shoes, which is as often as my bank manager allows, I have an outfit mind but i am not sure what i am going to be wearing at the 10K . Hopefully the trainer i need will be interchangable with whatever running gear i purchase.

Imagine the horror of mis-matching footwear and shorts. Although saying that, it might make me run faster as i will just be horrified at not having the right looking ensemble. You can take the girl out of Harvey Nic's but you can't erase the Harvey Nic's philosophy

A message from your Coach

I have been asked to make, occasional, contributions to this blog from the standpoint of someone who has done some running and looking at Geraldine and saying "What the hell are you doing?"

No, of course I won't be like that. I will be supportive and encouraging...as soon as she does something to warrant this involvement.

Geraldine is taking on quite a task. From nothing to 10k in just over 3 months. As Race Control of the West Highland Way Race (God Bless it!) she has seen what happens to runners. She has seen the destruction of body and mind. She has heard the tales of misery and toil. She has smelled (smelt?) the disgraceful body odour. And yet, she is willing to take it on herself. What a girl!

I hope everyone else is going to get behind her and support her right the way through to the finish line.

Coach DQ

And so it begins

My name is Geraldine and I have a lot of goodies from running events.

I have never run at an event.

I don't run.

I watch people running.

I don't run.

I am on running committees.

I don't run.

Until now............

I, Geraldine, have signed up to undertake a 10k on the 1^st March 2009.

For the West Highland Way Family 10k it is not even a warm up but 10K is a long distance to someone used to get their drinks served at their table.

So, you may wonder why I have signed up to become one of the running people. I could say it is to gain a sense of achievement and create a goal in my life but Nike sponsor the event so I reckon the goodies will be top notch.

Now, you may wonder why don’t I do my usual and volunteer to assist and gain all the goodies that way, but I have decided to see if a tee-shirt earned feels better than a tee-shirt given due to my outstanding ability to keep an eye on the clock. Plus, if I start running it is an excuse to buy new footwear!!

So now I am on the 10k start list. All I need to do is start running........