In a moment of weakness in the office I agreed to join a jog squad for an eight week training programme leading to completing a a run along (or rather up as the name suggests) the Rimutaka Incline Rail Trail.
It was lunch time and the conversation was more about nice picnics so I thought a day out with a picnic so close to home (the trail is about 5 minutes drive away from our house in Kaitoke) that it might be a nice thing to do. It was only later I realised that I was actually committing myself to train 3 times a week with a pack of women with a personal trainer kicking out butts if we got too slow.
But hey, my hero http://www.ronhillsalterego.blogspot.com/ is training for the 2012 Marathon so I thought I’d take inspiration and give it a go.
First challenge was buying the right equipment – running shoes. This was an embarressing episode in the Shoe Clinic where they had you jogging in the shop and capturing pictures on a computer system to tell them what sort of shoes I’d need. After a few blushes I bought my new shoes.
I stood out like a sore thumb tonight – shoes all shiny like they were screaming to the world “here’s a big bird that’s kidding herself that she’s going to run!”. But run I did – 20 minutes without stopping along the harbour in Wellington. I wouldn’t say I was the back marker but I certainly wasn’t in the breakaway pack. Sorry, Ron, will try harder to get to the elite bunch next time!
Still, I survived and so did my mate Amanda – we were two big birds (she’s about 6 foot tall) lumbered along. Seems however I’m not quite the big bird I used to be so my running shorts look faintly ridiculous but it was dark and I’m hoping that my shining new shoes is what caught the eye most!
So wish me luck, I’m going to need it.
You too can be a Ronette – see http://www.ronhillsalteraego.blogspot.com/