An Initiative.

(re: My last post)

I am well aware that a detox isn’t a permanent solution to my weight gain/lethargy/recent ease of disease contraction – I’ve gotten ill more times in the last month than I did in the entirety of 2014 – so I’ve decided that I needed to be more proactive in my aim towards being a healthier, lighter, fitter me.

In addition to the regular workouts I’ve been doing inside the comfort of my own house, cycling and attending classes at the sports centre, I thought I’d take up something I loathe – running. Why? Because… why not kill two birds with one stone while I have the chance? If I could make a habit of out running (or more accurately; jogging, at the pace I’m going at at the moment) not only would it assist in achieving an overall better body, physically and metaphysically but it would also prove my ability to conquer anything and/or everything  that I put my mind to, regardless of my feelings towards it.

This morning I woke up in a hurry, because it dawned on me that I had less than 10 minutes to carry out my Subuh prayers. I was tempted to go back to sleep, as I usually do after my morning prayers but I was determined to break my habit of sleeping late and rising late – so it was the best time as any to actually start running, so as to keep myself from retreating back into my duvet and kick off my day on a good note.

Took my L-Carnitine and energy tea – and rushed out the door.

It was only when I reached the gates to Whitworth Park that I realised it would only open in another hour, so I decided that I would just run around the perimeters of the park. But the idea of having the park to myself to run in eventually got the better of me, so I proceeded to climb up one of the gates and made my way in. All those times I’ve climbed up the gates to my house back in Malaysia had proven itself to be useful in my successful breach into Whitworth Park this morning.

I expected to be regretful of my decision to go out for a run, but it turned out to be a rather relaxing experience. I took the advice of multiple blogs/websites and kept my pace slow and steady – alternating between running and walking every few minutes or so. I believe that it definitely kept me running for longer as I wasn’t pushing myself too hard which could result in me feeling very tired, very quickly.

Of course, after a couple rounds of running around the park, it was inevitable that I fooled around taking pictures of myself using the self-timer option on my phone.

Roughly 15-20 minutes before someone came to open the gates to the park, I lied down on a spider swing set to enjoy the morning breeze whilst being serenaded by the birds. I would have never expected to say this; but I could get use to this being a routine, and I actually look forward to the next time.