The incidental runner

Wearing my trainers to work is changing my life.  It all started when the number 22 bus got shifted to make way for the trams and I got the extra bus trip added to my daily commute.  Suddenly it wasn't just the hike up Waverley Steps, it was a walk to the distant bus stop and down to Leith. I lost about an hour a day, time I can't afford to waste.

I spent few days (maybe a bit longer) whinging about the time all this commuting takes up, but a few months on I've begun to accept it. I can tweet a bit more now and that's a plus. But to cope with the extra walking and to speed things up, I've started wearing my trainers to work and things have never been the same since. I don't just walk quicker, I've started breaking into a run and these runs are starting to get more and more frequent.

I started a bit like any new runner - running and walking, feeling uncomfortable in the wrong clothes and wrong equipment (over filled rucksack).  Gradually it all began to feel a bit more normal and I started running more often and for longer distances.

Things tipped over this week and I twigged something was going on. I ran to one meeting (downhill, but it was 2.5 miles) - I was going to be late if I didn't. I've done a couple of a serious sprints which I treated like a mini speed session-  to get the train.  I ran between back to back meetings and I caught myself running up the stairs at work thinking 'this could be a sort of hill session'. Running during the working day is starting to feel very normal. Running is so handy when you're pressed for time, over committed and hate sitting on buses.

I've started thinking I might run to work from the train station now and then, it's only 2.5 miles downhill.  I'm not up to running back up the hill yet, and I'd be slower than the bus, but maybe one day. Tomorrow I'm off to find a good rucksack for running.  And I think it's time to stop carrying loads of papers round all the time in case I get to read them - I'm motivated by the fact that they mess up my running!

I had another first this week - my first solo run at work.  And it's all thanks to Nell McAndrew. I'm very behind with my running mags, so I'm enjoying a bit of a binge. I read a great article about Nell McAndrew on Women's Running Magazine about how she trained for her marathon pb. She said that to get training into a busy life  she added it to her to do list and got it done.  Of course! That's all I have to do.

The penny dropped, a light bulb came on, I twigged.  I looked at my diary - I wanted to run the next day but none of my usual running slots worked, but I had a rare 45 minutes of meeting-free space at lunchtime.  Obvious - run at lunchtime.  I pounded the Leith streets for 30 minutes and got back to work a bit red, but run done. It's not ideal running in Edinburgh - busy streets, busy pavements and lots and lots of smokers do not make for joyous running. But it was a run, it was one of the nicest days of the week and I was out running instead of inside sitting down. Yay!

I managed 3 training runs and one long run, about 14 miles in total. I've a rehearsal tomorrow for the NVA Speed of Light event in August, so I should get a mile or two done then. I've no idea how many miles I did whilst at work, but what matters most is that I did something new and loved it.

It's been a good running week and one that makes me wonder what will happen next!

Take care

Sue