Day 4 - When nothing happens

Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday I'm supposed to go do this thing where I go outside and run around the neighbourhood for no reason whatsoever.

So Sunday is today, which is one of these days, a day on which I've woken up around 12h30. 

I don't think you've been told, but I've been running around 7h30, right after I wake up. And it's been working well for me, I am actually doing it every time I'm supposed to, regardless of how ridiculous my work schedule may seem for that day. All that crap people say about giving you energy and putting you in a better mood for the day are real. 

I used to wake up every day at 7, but I didn't actually wake up. My brain remained sleeping, thinking of my pillow, telling me how deliciously warm my blankets are. So I'd feed the cats, maybe catch up on the Whatsapps of the evening past and then fall back into bed the moment my boyfriend left for work. Then wake up all over again realizing I was gonna be late for work and doing everything in a hurry.

So Sunday, when I don't even wake up to any of the five alarms of the morning (and I give myself a break: on weekends my alarm is set for 9), I wondered what to do. Would I wait till the evening, after I've done all the day's activities, would I go straight out of bed, as I should?

I sat at the table and had my breakfast, which meant I was going nowhere running at the moment. I can't eat anything before I go for a run, it makes me sick. So that was decided. I might as well have a piece of cake as well. Which I did and was delicious, thanks for asking.

When it's about 3 in the afternoon, I actually get ready for that damned run. Getting ready doesn't mean going, so I take my sweet time. Put on the gym clothes, then I have a little sip of wine, remember I have to wash the dishes, then about an hour later, I decide to actually leave the house. 

This day is to be the most difficult of all I have throughout this week. I have to run four intervals of 2 minutes each. Thinking that I nearly died on the one minute intervals, I'm not looking forward to it.

Starts out well, the whole five minute power walking where I always feel I'm brilliant.  But once the intervals start... 

I'm dying. I'm positively dying. 

But only for a few seconds, because I realize I didn't stretch before starting. I make it a point of reminding myself of that next time. Once my legs warm up, I am actually doing it quite easily. And at a faster pace than the app is asking me to.

Two minutes can actually go by very fast, on occasion. The app I use, Endomondo, lets you know when you're halfway through the interval. The first time around, I heard the one minute warning and was all like "woohoo, I'm getting better at this!!!". But then the end of interval warning feels like it's never gonna happen. It's like when there's only one person in front of you in the supermarket queue, but then they have 173 items on their trolley. 

But then it arrives and it's pure bliss. One down, three to go. I won't bore you by telling you how uneventful the other three were. Only that I actually got that shit done, yay, go me.

I should cover 2.4 km in 21 minutes. I know I did it, but since I came back walking, the app tells me 4.3 km in 44 minutes.

Laura Prado