Er... just to be clear, I didn't set out to walk 10 miles at the start of this weekend, it kinda just happened due to making the best of the circumstances that came up lol
So to start with, I usually go for a long run on a saturday morning (and I try to fit a parkrun into that run). I wasn't able to do that on Sayurday (yesterday) as my brother broke his leg 3 weeks ago, and is currently sulking on the sofa with one of his legs in a full plaster cast.
Both his wife, and my Dad, have been taking it in turns to sit with him and help him with stuff, and although I work full time during the week I can at least help at the weekend, and that gives both of them a day off from having to help him
So I went round his hose yesterday, and pottered around with bits and pieces, and also kept him company... it can feel very lonely and frustrating to be stuck on a sofa all day every day, and apart from the trips to the bathroom, he does not move.
I walked to his house in the next village, and walked home afterwards... I even managed to fit in a little 6km run in late afternoon... but I was still missing that 'long run' I would usually do at the weekend.
In other news, regular readers will know I am starting a new job this Thursday coming. In preparation for that, I needed to buy some new clothes. You might think that with all my running efforts, I'd be slim and slender and athletic... and I can assure you I'm not. With the injury from last November, my running slowed down, and the my weight crept up.
I've been trying to shift that weight to little avail, and so half my clothes don't fit properly. Workwise, I have just 3 shirts that fit along with one pair of work trousers. Fortunately I currently work from home 2 days a week, so I have been making do with just those 3 shirts and 1 pair of trousers, but thats not gonna fly with needing to be in the office 5 days a week as per my new job role
And if I'm honest, I've been needing new clothes for awhile, but I've been holding off buying any, as I have plenty in the wardrobe, just most of it is one size smaller than what I currently wear. I've been hoping to shift the weight so I can get into them, but with the intermittent training, and bad habbits with diet, I've not managed to do it
which is really frustrating by the way!
The final straw came on friday evening, where I took of my only pair of work trousers, and managed to pop the button of in the process (they've already got a couple of split seams as well), and I decided enough was enough.
I don't want to give in and by the bigger sizes, but I've run out of time. I'm also fed up of feeling uncomfortable and self-conscious in my work clothes, with both my shirts and trouser being just a little too tight
So... I needed to go into town, I needed to go out for a long run, and when I checked the weather forecast, the weather for Sunday (today was to be a warm and sunny 20C), I decided I would go for a long walk into town. The walk isn't quite the same as a run, but it is still active, and outdoors, and most importantly would give me plenty of 'time on feet' which would still be beneficial to my training.
The shops open at 10am on Sunday's, so I left the house just after 9am with my list, and began an easy walk into town. To chnange it up and turn it into a more intersting journey, I picked a different route. Instead of just following the main road into town, I chose instead to pick a more scenic route.
At the top of Cross O'cliff Hill, I turned of from the main road, and headed along a small trail along the top of South Common (see earlier pictures above)
It was cool first thing, but I was just out in jeans and a t-shirt, as I knew it would warm up pretty quickly.
I wander halfway along the path, before I then turned and headed down into South Common itself
The name South Common refers to the idea of Common Land, which basically means land that is availbe to be used for the common man (ie members of the public). The land is available for people to use as they wish, and won't be bought/sold to be built on. It's also a place where people can keep livestock, although these day its mostly where local people keep their horses
Speaking of which... here is a horse!
After passing through the Common, I then headed down a number of different side streets...
...and some more side streets...
...and then crossed a bridge over the railway...
I can actually see 4 trains in this picture... busier than I expected for a Sunday!
Finally in town, I could now crack on with some shopping.
First up was Primark for Trousers and Shirts
I know Primark is cheap and cheerful, but hopefully the clothes I'm buying here are only to be used for a short period of time. In the next 6 months I should be able to increase my activity levels (more running) and improve my diet (less snacks), and once I lose the weight, I will then be able to go back to my smaller clothes that I currently own.
Well, thats the plan at any rate!
I currently have just 2 Shirts that fit properly, and I need 5 for the week, so I decided to just get 5 new shirts so that I'd always have one available (especially if I'm forget to do the laundry for a couple of days!). I picked up 1 Black, 3 Navy Blue, and 1 White shirt. I don't like wearing white, but I'd need one in case I need to wear a suit... just planning ahead etc.
I also needed 2 new pairs of trousers, annoyingly have searching high and low in the shop they only had one pair in the size I needed. I paid £49 for all this which was pretty reasonable.
I did still want a 2nd pair of trousers, so I tried the clothes shop next door, Marks and Spencer's (higher quality, higher prices!)
They only had on pair in the size I needed, but that was £48!!
Considering the value I got from Primark, and the temporary nature of my purchases... I decided that was a ripoff and walked out empty handed, need to find another clothes shop. The rest in town are expensive brand names, so I needed to go further afield, and decided to try ASDA Living. This found on the retail park over on Tritton Road, and would be a significant distance to add to my walk... but needs must I guess!
On the way, I passed Sports Direct, which was one of my shops on the list. I needed another pair of running shorts, along with some more running tops. I have some already, but its getting warm and they need washing more regularly due to the heat (and the smell of sweat). Having some more items would help me change running clothes more regularly. And I found what I needed straight away
I then carried on to ASDA Living, and took a shortcut behind some warehouses/retail units, to save some time
It was starting to get warm in the sunshine by this point!
The shop had air conditioning in, so that helped to cool me down. I quickly found the trousers in the size I needed, and these were only £20... that will do!
I also picked up a notebook, in preparation for the new job, as there is going to lots of new processes and procedures that I will need to learn
I checked my list....
Yep...got everything on it now!
And then I decided it was approaching 1:00, and I was starving.
ASDA Living have a little cafe upstairs, and I fancied a burger
So thats what I ordered.
It was 'ok' I guess, the burger itself was a little overdone, and the chips were lukewarm, but it was only a fiver, and more importantly, it filled a hole
After being fed and watered, it was time to head for home. By this point I'd been wandering for nearly 3 hours, and was starting to get a little tired.
Seeing all the queues though, and I decided I'd rather walk in the fresh air than wait around for a hot, stuffy bus to get home.
There's a fair in Lincoln apparently... dunno what its like, I've never been...
(a night at the fair has never appealed to me!)
And as I made my way home, I chose the easier shorter route of walking along the main road, which skirts around the edge of South Common
Trousers and Shirts
Shorts and T-shirts
So yeah... it tunred into a longer walk than expected, but I still enjoyed it. The distance was useful in terms of building up my endurance, the weather was glorious, AND I (eventually) managed to buy everything I needed.
Now its time to put my feet up for a little bit, and then later this evening I can sort all those items out and put them away in my wardrobe. Another job ticked off in preparation for my new job, and I'm really looking forward to starting it :-)
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