Another thwarted run

I think I am cursed, and like Sisyphus, I will never finish the Couch to 5k running programme.

Today should have been my final run. And it was a good morning for a run. It was cool after yesterday’s heat, a pleasant freshness in the air but not cool enough to need long sleeves. There was a dew overnight and the park smelt autumnal – leaves are starting to fall, there’s a kind of ripeness with a hint of decay, but everything is still mostly green, still alive.

I started my first lap of the park. It felt like I was running well – not super fast but a good pace. I finished the first lap and got concerned because usually I get a cheerful update from Sanjeev* on the app to tell me that I’ve reached five minutes, and it had surely taken me more than five minutes to do the first lap?

Indeed it had, and on checking the app, it was still sitting at 30 minutes – on pause. I’d somehow paused the app instead of pressing play when I started running. I was annoyed but figured I could work out the timing later, based on the two songs I’d got through. I pressed play anyway to monitor the rest of my run.

The second lap passed by easily. Less fast than the first lap and I was getting a bit huffy and puffy so I tried to focus on my breathing and not start to panic. All good.

I started the third lap and – oh no – I need the bathroom. I tried to ignore it, and kept running but after a few hundred metres it was obvious I couldn’t keep running, so I stopped.

And then my sports bra came undone.

I checked out the cafe just in case but it wasn’t open yet and so neither were its bathrooms. I flagged Husband down when he next came walking by and we headed back to the house. It’s a long walk when you really need the bathroom.

I kept my workout playlist on for the walk back and it threw all the great 80s power tracks at me, as if mocking me that I could have been fired up to run well, apart from all those things that stopped me from running well today.

Here’s hoping the next run won’t be another catastrophe.

*Other voice overs are available but I like Sanjeev as he has the least “fluffy” style.