Cold, wet and far from miserable

There once was a time when Saturdas meant a lenghthy spell in bed, big lunch followed by watching the local team play football. Kids rather changed this with weekend mornings taken up with cartoons and board games as the norm.

Last night was the second out of three when the little one got me out of bed at stupid o'clock and didn't allow his poor old dad to get much sleep before the morning arrived. With a light frost outside and some very weary limbs, I could have been forgiven for crawling back under a duvet rather than pulling on my running gear, but then that would rather have ruined my weekend. I've come to look forward to my weekly ParkRun. Having not stepped foot in a gym since August, it represents my only regular aerobic exercise, and is something I've come to enjoy.

It was a bit chilly this morning, both in the car and at Black Park. I struggled to get my fingers working when setting up the app on my phone, but after a quick warm up, I was ready to go. Conditions under foot were not great. There was lots of puddles and slushing ground to contend with. My lower legs returned home a different colour from that which left the house! Despite this and feeling a touch rough due to recent sleeplessness, I completed the course in 25m 05s, a mere 6 seconds slower than the PB I recorded last week.

Gratuitous leg shot - pure filth

If I hadn't run this morning, I'd have struggled for the rest of the day. Exercise helps to shape the day, whereas if I had stayed home, I'd have overeaten, gone looking for sugar hits and been chasing that buzz until bedtime. There is nothing worse than existing on a mix of sugar and caffeine, artificially awake when your body wants to shut down. Running helps to escape that funk, wakes the body from it's slumber and gives you an excuse to consume later in the day. So a nice afternoon/early evening ensued with friends, and I was able to eat what I wanted. True I am now shattered and it is relatively early on a Saturday night, but I should sleep well tonight unless little one intervenes.

I've always advocated a mix of exercise and food control for successful dieting. It is no surprise to me that my weightloss accelerated after I started running at the end of May. If you are looking to shift a few pounds, make sure you find an activity that you enjoy, or at least are prepared to persevere with, to support your efforts. Running isn't for everybody and I'm a little surprised that I've got into it, given I'd previously had no interest.

If I can get off my backside on a saturday morning to get caked in mud in inclement conditions, but come home with a smile of my face, I'm sure you can too.