running! - day 1

so.... I started to run today!
even though basically everything for me is going really great, I have been feeling kind of terribly crappy for the last couple months, and I finally realised some action needed to be taken.
I haven't found a nice yoga studio in Brussels yet and also I don't really have the money to go to one, so I just decided to try running.

I have so great shoes but unfortunately they are far away in Berlin, but today I found some really new great runners in a second-hand shop for 15e and I bought some nice socks and...... then I took off!

OK well first I asked Steve and Danny anf Frieda for some running tips. They all said to just run for 10 min or so, not longer, do this for a week and then next week I could try 15 or 20 min.

I went out, walked for 10 min along the canal and then at the part where there are no cars I started to run. After 3 min I thought I might not make it, but then I just focused on making my breathing regular and it because actually really pleasant and not hard at all. I just went slowly, but I didn't stop. I ran down the canal and after a while the pathway actually ended, so I turned back, still running. When I got back to my starting place, I started to walk again and it was really odd because actually my legs kept on trying to run on their own! They didn't want to quit. But I was advised to keep it short and regular, so I just walked the rest of the way back, which was nice because I saw some teeny baby ducks in the canal and a very big but low and long boat passed by slowly.

So in total (according to google maps) I ran about 1.8km. I guess I was running 10 or 12 min. I didn't have a timer with me. I will keep doing this each day this week and next week I will have to find a new route because the pathway for this one ends at a fence once I reach the industrial zone. Maybe I can just run the other way down the canal.

This was my route:

View Larger Map

As is the nature of Molenbeek (this area of the city), some kind Moroccan men like to call out compliments as you pass them on the street. One guy wished me good luck in the race, another said Guapa! (ye in Spanish, not sure why) and another said the classic... bonjour gazelle! Which I took as a nice comment when I was running.

I stretched a bit after the run and came inside and made myself a nice coffee. I can't wait to go running again tomorrow.

Look! (me right after running) I am not dead!

Actually just before I went out running, i was online and Freida, who is in Montreal was also about to go running. Because of the small problem of vast distance between us, we could not run together but we did run synchronously, which provided some friendly motivation for both of us!