The Jogging Journalist: Peanuts and puddles

Community news reporting calls for journalists to step into a community and hear its heartbeat, record the daily struggles and joys of the residents. To take things up a notch, Berea Mail journalist, Danica Hansen has decided to take part in Stella Athletic Club’s Couch to 10km Challenge. Watch her journey unfold in the diary of The Jogging Journalist. Today we bring you the fourth post in the series.

“DON’T worry about the rain, it’s my time to shine!”

This is what I told myself as water ran down my face into my eyes during our training session on Tuesday.

That’s right the seasonal weather might be cooling down, but the challenge is heating up! And like the rest of the Couch to 10km crew, my newfound dedication to running training knows no bounds.

ALSO READ: The Jogging Journalist: Training with technique

That’s why the searing pain of a raw blister on the arch of my right foot did not deter me from joining Tuesday’s practice. (No, my idea to use my petrol allowance for new shoes did not fly).

While the odd ache or pain is to be expected at this point, I realised the importance of ‘the afternoon snack’ during a sudden sugar low that struck mid hill. And this promoted me to pitch up to Tuesday’s training with a pocketful of peanuts to get me through the hour, but I digress. It’s still a little tough to talk about it, but the sugar low hit me last week Thursday and it was a bad day to be off my game.

ALSO READ: The Jogging Journalist: Feel the burn

Couch Dave Beattie lead us in a run/walk to Howard Avenue where we tackled our first hill repeats. Yes, I said hill repeats -it’s where you run up a hill and then you run down the same hill only to run back up again. 

It defies all instincts and leaves one’s muscles a little sore, but hey, no pain no gain right?

That’s what I’ll be telling myself in next week’s training, I have a feeling it’s going to be even more grueling.  

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