What a difference a day (+ or - 504 others) makes

So I'm into week 4 of my training programme and the longer runs are hitting double figures and taking well over an hour now. That is a lot of 'me' time and I am not one of those runners who head into blissful meditation when they run. My brain runs faster than my feet. And it was during my tempo run this week that something occurred to me - I wasn't thinking about the run. Up until now every run had involved some element of how much Jim was hurting, how I wasn't sure I was going to make it, or why I wasn't as fast as that guy in the baggy lycra legging it up the hill in front of me. And that in turn led my thoughts to how difficult I used to find all this just 18 months ago.

It was a dark and stormy night... Well it was raining anyway, as I headed over to the park for my first British Military Fitness class. At that time I was a stone heavier, couldn't do a press up, had never heard of a burpee and couldn't run 100 yards without having a cry and cake. I watched all the mental Duracell Bunnies in the 'elite' green group bounding effortlessly up the hills and decided I wanted to be one of them. So I started trying to run and I found several things very hard -

1. Heating. I never seemed to heat up on runs like other people and ended up running in big jumpers and two set of leggings. I envied these runners in a t-shirt and shorts. But as I have got fitter, my internal thermometer seems to be working much better. I can now run in a thermal top and thin jacket on even the coldest of days and be perfectly warm.

2. Routes. I live at the bottom of a hill. To the east is a red light district. To the west dark, lonely streets. To the north an uninspiring ring road and to the south a rowdy city centre. Finding a route that kept my interest was impossible. But now I can run further, I can get to the interesting parts. Result.

3. Speed. It's difficult to do speed sessions when your 'easy' run is as fast as you can go for 30 paces without turning grey. As the miles notch up, the short speed sessions become possible and feel more credible.

So some of the basics problems I encountered at the start seem to have worked themselves out. And now, I am a very proud owner of green BritMilFit vest myself, although my hill bounding is anything but effortless...

Here's mud in you eye.