Run, Rabbitt, Run

I run in my small town, a few different routes, generally on very public roads because I mainly run at night.  I want to improve my running and felt like I'd reached a point where I was bored of my routes and needed somewhere more inspiring.  I've found a new route within 2 miles of my house and it's my favourite place right now.  I wanted somewhere quiet, peaceful, beautiful to look at and flat so I could work on my pace.   Research told me that a loop Ardsley Reservoir is 2.45km (thank you runleeds.co.uk !) so I aimed to run two loops.  It's very flat so this is achievable even for me!  At this time of year the trees are bare allowing an uninterrupted view of the reservoir.  It's an open space so chilly and a bit windy in January but I prefer that to the Summer heat.  Such a lovely route is bound to attract other people; runners, dog walkers, people walkers but it's not too busy.  It's easy enough to get lost in the b...

My relationship with exercise is somewhat fraught.  I'm significantly more active now in the latter half of my 30s that I was in the first 35 years of my life.  My attitude was always: "I can't do it, I'm not sporty, exercise is not for me, I can't think of anything worse."  I'm not sure what the switch was but I started running.  I am a runner, I run.  I have to remind myself of that to combat the doubts that tell me I can't run.  I do run.  I ran a 10k last year in 1 hour 9 minutes.  Not spectacular but for me it was a massive achievement and if nothing else running makes me feel like I've accomplished something...but it's more that that.  It's MY time, I can feel my lungs explode and my legs complain and it feels good.   What no one tells you when you start running is about all those pesky little injuries.  We never got these injuries as kids when running was the preferred method of ambulating, other than the odd grazed knee...