Since my breakthrough run last April 5, I have gone on one power walk and four runs.  Nothing over 7 kms yet, but 5km is now easy for me to achieve.  Some runs were good, some were bad.  I still have the same struggles...getting out of bed so early is still torture but I have my partner to thank for pushing me...and of course those visions of a slimmer me lay shimmering in the distant horizon, like mirages that pop up and fade away, taunting me and beckoning me to just keep on running.

Lately, I have been having shoe issues that have left me panicking with the knowledge that I may not be able to run until I get a new one.  You see, my sorry pair of shoes are on the last vestiges of its life.  That's what happens to shoes when you don't use them for a long time and suddenly pound them to death with constant use after a year of inactivity.  Yeah, guilty.  Those shoes haven't seen activity for a year at least.  Until I picked them up and had go at running again.  At least they will go to rest knowing they have given me this second chance to claim my old self back.  I have to do them proud.

In the meantime, the search is on for the interim shoe.  There are so many to "drool" for running shoes and I have got a laundry list on my mind already but they are at the moment beyond my measly budget.  Gotta find that "in-between" shoe that will support my feet and yet be quite easy on the pocket, for now, until I can save up enough to purchase the running shoe I really want. 

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I am Stoked!

Woohoo! I am so glad I went for a run this morning.  I almost did not.  I wanted to just stay in bed, even if i was fully awake at that time and even if I had an early night.  Just thinking of my past poor running performances was so discouraging.  I have been trying to complete a 5 km run for what seems to me like an eternity and save for that one time I was able to complete the 5 km with the one minute walk, I have not been able to do it again.  In fact, it seemed that I was regressing instead of improving.

I was feeling frustrated on the drive to the memorial park this morning, expecting another less than stellar performance from me.  Not that I have been aiming for stellar, haha, but I'd like to be able to complete that 5 km easily.

I started nice and easy, small strides...trying to keep in mind to land on the balls of my feet ( I hope I'm doing the POSE method right).  I tried not to think too much of my breathing and just let it come naturally, find the technique which will work for me.  Hmm, short shallow breaths seem to work good for me...the moment I try to suck in too much air, I start to tire and my lungs feel like they will explode - I must keep in mind to stop doing that.

We went for the 3.6 km lap we mapped out.  My thinking was, if I can finish this lap, then all I had to do was complete a small part of the 2nd lap to get my 5 km.  I hit the portion of the lap which gave me the hardest time - hmmm...I'm still okay...Yes!  We ran up the bridge...no shortness of breath...amazing!  The last 200 or so meters to complete the loop is also usually difficult for me but I was still okay this time - wow! On to my 2nd lap - I knew when I got to a certain portion of the lap that I finally reached my 5 km goal.  I was so happy I wanted to shout, YES!  And I was still feeling okay at that point, in fact, I was feeling better than that - I felt great!

Decided to try to finish that 2nd lap...slow and easy...I made it.  YES! I made it. 7.2 km in 57 minutes.  Now, that may be peanuts to all those elite and experienced runners but today it felt to me like a breakthrough and I just want to bask in the good feelings of having finally been able to achieve my goal and more.

Am I ever so glad I got out of bed today to run.

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