Lapping everybody on the couch

This morning's session was a solid three hours on the wind trainer followed by a 25 minute run/walk that was in some ways a little less convincing.

I'm building my running by combining walking and running and I feel self conscious about it. Although I knew the reality - that I'd been hard at it for over three hours - I was embarrassed by what others might be thinking. I was worried that I looked like just another middle aged lady, shuffling around the block, holding desperately on to a new year's resolution to shed a kilo or two.

Part of this is probably that I find walking for training purposes a bit tiresome and boring. I also have this niggling idea in the back of my mind that I'm wasting my time and I should just run.
First things first, let's get one thing out of the way - a reality check. I am a middle aged lady, and I'm very aware that I don't exactly run like Mirinda Carfrae. So my fear of what I might look like to passers by is probably not unfounded.


Sure, there are always some tell-tale signs that hint at something more - like my Ironman branded running hat and perhaps even my Garmin. But when it comes down to it, the embarrassment I feel is using up precious energy unnecessarily - not the least because in reality, most people probably don't give me a second glance.

Particularly in my current situation, I have to be confident that while I'm still strengthening my ankle, getting out there and walk/running is the best of three options.


I could, of course, listen to that little voice in my head, toughen up and just run properly. Despite that little voice that tries to tell me I'm being soft, the logical side of me wins out - this option seems a little risky with a middle aged body, particularly when time is not on my side. I do, after all, have an iron-distance race looming... which leads me to why I've discounted the third option, of doing no run training at all.

Marathon runner Lisa Weightman is on my side. When she was returning from injury last year, one of the rules she trained by was don't be afraid to walk. Breaking up jog reps with a minute or two of walking allowed her to get more miles into her legs more quickly than running alone.

Seems like endurance runner and coach Campbell Maffett is on the same tilt - he blogged recently about the lessons he's learned from running. Third on the list is time on your legs.

Lastly, I'm comforted by an inspirational quote Coach Troy (of recently Spinervals fame) posted. No matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everybody on the couch.

My "shuffle around the block" this morning may not have been pretty, but I reckon I lapped a lot of people.