Long time no see, does anyone still read? Is anyone still out there? Hello! Thanks for reading on...
Its almost 3 years since my last post about my first half-marathon postpartum. And now ? Only one more half-marathon first postpartum. And 0 races second postpartum.
Life has been taken over running after 2 little boys, and also the old man who is younger at heart!
Fitness levels and goals have been rubbish over the last 2 years, unlike with only 1. The only New Years Resolution for 2020 was to earn my Parkrun50 T-shirt at Richmond Park (no longer my closest Parkrun, but still one that I am comfortable with).
And today marks 2 months on from Covid-19 Lockdown in the UK. Probably not up to me if this goal will ever be achieved this year.
And after a slow start....today I am up there again - first visit this far on the A316 , a Corporate Virtual 5K.
Recent meets on Richmond Park have become a huge logistical exercise - if to bring spectators, by enticing the other half to visit his favourite part of the world over here, and favourite food shops whilst at it, and this was no exception.
With no cars allowed into Richmond Park, I have been dropped off - on a saturday morning, an hour later than usual - to an almost empty starting line. I wore my last Royal Parks Half Marathon finish T-shirt from a decade ago, listened to the virtual pre-race talk, and walked to the start line.
Except there was no crowds there, no buggies, no dogs. I didnt have to start as far back!
I trusted Strava to take me around...foxgloves, wild grasses taller and unkempt, deer in the distance, and London in the far horizon... it was only me, the occasional cyclist, the Nordic skaters (if that is what they were called) in the empty road next to me. After a night devoid of quality sleep, and we must thank my Audible nightcap of bringing me to blog here - as my first morning pages in a while, the first mile felt longer, but ok.
During the lockdown, I have been trying to get out for a run 2-3 times a week, and usually a 5kilometre route. This week I have had the good fortune to have a PB by 1 second on a segment that I usually go uphill, on the way home. And I might finally start to have some virtual friends - a lady who does the same loop counterclockwise (I must have been the same previously until I changed to clockwise this week), a nod. And...the Chertsey Runners Facebook Group! Having always been horrible with keeping up with running in groups, I followed, but never plucked the courage to join. Recently I have been starting to become better at run maps reading, to find new routes around my local neighbourhood...today after an introductory post, they said: we never leave anyone behind. Such a supportive comment in a world where one always find yourself chasing the next thing, or realising that inclusion is a myth. JOMO, sometimes. But good when one find like minds....in our 40s, children, trying to balance work and life, and staying fit.
Its not easy, but it must be prioritised, or fit in, now or never. As lost fitness is very difficult to gain again. Whereas a Couch to 5k I am not, whether I can be complacent with having to stop-start/fartlek/jeffing instead of a non-stop 5k...once I stop I cannot start without stopping again.
Whatever it is, less people? Timing? Knowing circumstances aren’t quite the same at the finish....I kept start/stopping, glanced at my Apple Watch....it didnt flick to 3.1 miles when I walked through the virtual Parkrun Richmond funnel...so I did a little bit more.
11 PRs (gold medals) . 5 Best efforts on Strava, whatever that means! Sub-30.
I felt my virtual friends there at the finish...and walked through the gate to leave Richmond Park, avoiding eye contact with the person with the high viz vest.
It was a windy day, and it might have helped a bit (to my disbelief). Hiked down Petersham Hill to reunite with the boys, to a socially distanced Richmond/East Twickenham to the one we knew 2 months ago...
Here’s a first. Time to restart, Time to reflect. New normal. won’t be the same. Just have to accept its different.
