Monday, June 27, 2011

Juneathon 2011 Day 25: Hard work

2011 Streak Day 176/365: Run - 4.42 miles, Time - 42min 48sec, Weather -  clouds and sun


After 5 days of low level activity I thought it was time to try a run but I think I ought to have been a bit more cautious. Two or three miles would have been fine. But no - I decided I wanted to run by the canal and so set out on a loop that if completed would have been about 5.5 miles. At the time the canal seemed a good idea - by the water, a chance to watch the swans but as you can see from the stats I didn’t finish. I stopped about a mile from home and walked.
All along my legs had felt weak. I could keep them circling but there was no power and any uphill left me struggling. I kept going for a fair time (it helps that canals are mostly flat) but after four and a half miles I ran out of heart (or energy, if you are being kind) and decided I had had enough.
At the moment I don’t feel quite right but I am sure it will pass. 
In the evening we went to a fundraiser for our local emergency night shelter and it made me realise that any complaints about being a little sub-par are totally, totally trivial. The thing that surprised me was that the organisation wants to start a food bank because it is seeing an increasing number of people who have housing but are struggling to feed themselves. Apparently there are people in Hemel who are starving and the problem is growing.
I hardly know what to say or think. I am just shocked.

2 comments:

sue said...

that is shocking. I always think of Hemel Hemstead as being in the more affluent area of the UK. It's hard to know what to say, there should be enough wealth in this country to at least supply everyone with food warmth and shelter.

Take it easy if you are not 100%, I've been in a similar position and struggled on, but had to give in to it. Just recently I've started again, and so far all going well. So a longer rest may be the answer?

Highway Kind said...

The thing is that Hemel is in one of the affluent areas of the country but being a New Town it is still in but not of the area. So it has poverty but I was still very shocked