As I have previously written, I’ve been giving the Couch to 5K running programme a go since the start of the year, mostly doing a weekly run on the treadmill after a session with my PT. I was really psyched to get so far through it and see the visible improvement in my physical fitness. Enthusing about it publicly even inspired friends to take it up and give it a go.

And then I sort of stopped. It’s been three weeks or more since I last did a longer stint on the treadmill and so while I am still being pushed through hellish aerobic interval training, I’m not really running. My knees have been hurting a little but I have no idea whether that is from the running or squats by the thousand, or maybe even from having stopped running.

This evening I had the bright idea after a house and chore filled morning and a desk and marking filled afternoon, that it would be nice to take advantage of the late evening sun and pop around the park to the tune of an iPod filled with Excess Baggage.

I didn’t get far. The first run phase happened upon a steep hill which knackered me enormously and while I did get some running done it was mostly wheeze filled staggering, flashing my pasty white legs to the late night golfers and a score of caravan-dwelling fairmen setting up rides. And this despite going back to the lighter Week 5 runs rather than the week 6 ones.

Maybe it’s time to start over with the C25K only this time, with a stronger focus on the regular running, not leaving weekly gaps, and trying outdoors rather than treadmill. But then again this is me. Grand plans, not enough follow through.