Running Girl

On my birthday last January I told Dan that since I was about to turn 36 and enter the second half of my thirties I wanted to set myself a fitness challenge. I wanted to run a race. Dan was fully supportive, and we agreed to replace my six year old trainers as a birthday gift. Then he sensitively reminded me that I was turning 37, not 36.

Buying trainers from ShoeDog. A 'personalized shoe fit experience'. Following our 'investment' we were officially welcomed into the Shoedog family by the ringing of the store bell, followed by lots of whoops from the staff. At that point I politely leaned in, reminded the member of staff that we were British and asked that he never ring the bell in our presence again.

I have never been a natural sports person (school friends will know that the closest I ever got to the long jump was pointing to the dog poo in the sand pit, and then there was the time I hit my foot with the javelin). So I consulted my running friend Cat and we agreed that I should try a ten miler with a difference, so I am now an official participant in a race on Angel Island - an island in the middle of San Francisco Bay - taking place on April 12th.

In preparation I have been running twice a week, building up distance each time. It doesn't come naturally, but I'm pretty determined to do it. I'm learning that running makes you very hungry ('runger'), that running downhill is harder than running uphill. The first few miles are irritating and uncomfortable but then I somehow zone out and it gets comfortable. Music matters. I'm still trying out the best way to carry water. I'm realizing that trying to talk to other runners is like talking to people on the tube.

My usual running route: the race route is not at all flat so I have some work to do!

Last Tuesday morning I ran nine miles, which was my best run yet, albeit it was a flat run. Please imagine me completing this run, casually checking my watch for my PR time and sauntering back to my car to gently sip some vitamin water. Because in reality I collapsed at my car wheel, thought about crying and then called Cat and managed to croak 'I did nine' into her voicemail.

Despite this, I love it. When I find myself on a running trail several miles in, nobody in front, nobody behind, when I am sweating more than ever, with no make up on and feeling completely alone, all my natural instincts tell me that I am out of my comfort zone. And yet I cant help but grin, turn up the volume and run harder. Exhausted but energized.

Thankfully our new home on Redwood Shores is a runners paradise. We moved just over a week ago. It's our fourth home in just over two years. I have bubble wrapped my garden tools more often than I have used them. The novelty of moving has completely worn off. Its expensive, inconvenient, unsettling and tiring.

Having been served notice by our landlord (see previous blog post), we had little time to find a new home to rent, and have decided to buy. The apartment is a temporary measure and most of our belongings are in a storage unit on the East Bay. Redwood Shores is mostly new build on filled marshland. It has a transient corporate feel and overinflated property prices as a result. We are about 15 miles north of the heart of Silicon Valley and 20 miles south of San Francisco. I love the flat, open landscape. We watch the flights descend into SFO over the Bay (and still wave like idiots at the two BA flights that land a day: if you are ever on one please look out for us!)

Moving day. A third floor apartment and no elevator!

The view from our living room balcony, southern bay in background

The children's bikes have been used more in a week than in two years of living in the hills, we have an outdoor pool and hot tub within the apartment building that we have already visited twice this week.  I suspect Annie got a bit confused when she asked us on the first night: 'is this one of those places where they bring us our food?' Until the novelty of bijou living wears off, this certainly feels like a holiday!

Spring is sprung at Filoli Gardens this afternoon - 25 degrees!

Despite a runny nose Tom is doing well.

After a swim Annie and friend Alma dress up as princesses.

He is handsome isn't he?

And just when I thought that nothing could make this 36 year old feel any better I found a car parked in my apartment space with a 'Llandovery College' car sticker in the window. As tempting as it was to leave a message in Welsh asking them not to park there again, we ended up meeting the car owner today. His name is Gareth, he is from Aberystwyth and despite clearly being here for many years (I guessed at least 12 years when he asked me if I knew anyone working at the WDA) he still has his accent and Welsh pride. If only we had met him earlier this month to celebrate a Patron Saint and commiserate the rugby!

Celebrating a patron saint.

Commiserating the rugby.