Week 4 Day 3

Weather cloudy 10.6 degrees C - wind SW 2mph

Today was incredible! For the first time on this journey I actually felt like a runner, as opposed to the shambling idiot who felt like he was trying to kill himself three mornings a week. This may come as a bit of a surprise to you dear reader, I know, following all the tales of woe and gloom that have graced these pages only recently. Be reassured that this is as much of a surprise to me as it is to you. In fact today's events were even more of a surprise because I really had very low expectations this morning. Last night I made the regrettable mistake of having two cups of tea near bedtime, and paid for it by going to the loo 5 times in the night. Consequently I awoke, with the alarm, at 5am - a very grumpy and unrested bunny indeed.

Nonetheless, I shambled out and started my warm-up, secretly expecting this morning to be hell. As I was walking along, however, I noticed something which would turn out to be quite profound. I was slouching, quite distinctly, and this was odd because I'd never noticed myself doing it before. I decided that, from here on in, I would make a conscious effort to stay perfectly upright, keep my head still and raise my jaw-line so that I was looking ahead of me rather than down. The difference was amazing: I trotted quite happily through the first three intervals - I hasten to add that I was still working quite hard (it was a revelation, not a miracle) - and prepared to face the final "five".

As I started it I realised that I hadn't tired nearly so quickly as before and that I was actually...wait for it...comfortable. It wasn't easy, but it was distinctly manageable, so much so that my pace actually increased during the final thirty seconds. I actually felt that I had more juice in the tank, and could keep going even longer (I didn't). I enjoyed every step, an achievement made a little easier by the fact that I could see where I was going and just "zone out" a little. The euphoria at the end was amazing.

I'm not going to credit my improved form for everything - there's no doubt that the programme is very good at increasing your strength and endurance (if you follow it), and I am losing weight all the time. Yet I have to say that today was a real change, and I feel very positive about the remaining weeks.

Onward and upward.