This Run... Running in a lockdown... (and coming back again)

My current running view, without the stinky teenager
-he is at school- laughing at how slow I am.

This run..Running in a lockdown... why is it when I say those words, I have to do it do it to the tune of 'The Specials' 1981 tune 'Ghost town'? Anyway, I have only begun running again because frankly I was having trouble getting into all of my old clothes. It was this or swimming and as the pools are closed, trying to do laps in the bath would be darn tricky, (although it would mean I could boast a new personal record on laps).

The little portable treadmill finally turned up -- It was a Indiegogo/Kickstarter thing which should have been delivered in January, but it ended up being June. I suppose they got some of the letters right in the month, but as with all of these projects you have to take a chance. The little treadmill turned up, and it's meant that instead of braving the glorious UK summer (aka rain and cardigans), I can do a quick run whilst supervising the spawn. Multi-tasking -- the new Coronavirus/lockdown skill. Need a paper to write whilst homeschooling your kid? Easy... actually, yeah, that's a fail. Run in your underpants and a Tweetie-pie t-shirt, whilst watching your kid play computer games? Score -- I am rocking this parenting thing! Yes, he's had chicken nuggets and rice five times this week... I keep my parenting bar low, so I can ensure that I occasionally surpass my expectations. I am proud to say I have a teenager who bathes every day -- so I must be doing something right.

I mentioned last time, I am coming back to running after a 2-3-4 ?? year hiatus. Why did I stop? Well, I think a lot of the authors on this blog, found their running vibe did fade and like myself, they don't run anymore. Life, age and potentially misery get in the way perhaps. The kids got slow and ended up on computer consoles, so we don't need to be fit to chase them anymore.

Personally, I moved country -back to my native UK- to an area that, although has its own type of natural beauty, didn't have the type of trail running I was used to. I just didn't enjoy it as much. I tried to reconnect, but I had my own lows about coming back to the UK and the issues I thought I had run (haha) away from. As we all know, you can't run away from life. Life sucks!! I want a refund on the one given me, I am sure parts of it are broken -- definitely an IKEA life. A surname you can't spell correctly (I blame the husband on that one though), instructions no-one can understand, always some bits left over, seemed good in the shop but when you get home you never know what to do with it. Oh, and I always seem to come with meatballs, hotdogs or ice-cream. I had a 365 day return, but I am over forty years past the return policy.

Another local move, more life angst and then about 18 months ago -after a viral infection- I developed Fibromyalgia. I have to admit, I haven't really felt that amount of pain before -- I have broken limbs, flared discs in my back, frozen shoulder and giving birth, but this was another level of pain. There were points I could barely walk up the stairs, let alone run. And was I tired! So damn tired. If there was a medal for falling asleep in strange places, I bet I could have a couple of golds in a few events by now.

I am still getting my head around the symptoms -- my good days, my bad days, my triggers. I am still in the learning process. New meds, new ways of doing my day. Having to say 'No' to things -- which is a huge issue for me. Going slower. Accepting the new me. It's not been the easiest process -- I am a Gal that likes to go fast and hard, (you know you say something in your head and it seems fine...)

Running isn't the most recommended exercise for fibromyalgia -- It's considered too load intensive on the joints. Swimming is preferred by doctors; as is regular exercise. As soon as I received this Perscription of 'Swim regularly!', Coronavirus took over and the pools shut. As with most doctors recommendations -when it comes to the type of physical exercise I should do- I politely ignored it. The treadmill turned up (eventually), the Tweetie-pie t-shirt went on, the trousers PJ bottoms came off and I started to run (okay, fast walk/trot, as my spawn likes to point out) in socks.

I forgot the whole shoe thing... again. I never intended to 'run' on the treadmill in socks -- I wasn't deliberately thinking about running minimalist again. However, I have had no pains in my knees -which is the one of the main joint killers in Fibromyalgia- and as the treadmill has no inclines, my ankles have been stable. I am taking everything slow because I am unfit and ... well old... but, its going good. I know I will never, ever be able to win any PB's. My goal is walk/run a 5K by the end of the year. In January I didn't think it was possible... now... who know's? I think I maybe in with a shot!

But for now, I am moving happy. I am moving smiley! (as long as the teenage spawn doesn't fart -- cloth masks maybe good for helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but they do nothing for the biological weapon known as his farts!).