Hello. I have not been writing this blog much. But then, I haven't been running much.

Today, I was planning to spent a good while on my exercise bike. But I was doing lots of other stuff (work-related), and I decided I didn't feel like it. I have been wearing a FitBit for ages, and it says your target is 8,000 steps a day, although I usually aim for 10,000 (and quite often go higher, sometimes much higher – the last two days, I went into London, which was the first time I actually had actually been to my new office – I started the job a few months ago, and it has all been working from home. But on Thursday and Friday, I had to get to the office, which is quite a way from the station – I easily hit 15,000 steps on those days!). Anyway, today, since I wasn't going to ride my bike, I was quite a long way short of my step-target. So I decided to go for a walk. I dithered about where to go. Then I suddenly thought "Why don't I run it?"

My youngest daughter, QTKT, is now a keen runner. She goes out several times a week, just for half-an-hour, and she is really into it. So, I thought "Well, if she can do it, so can I!" My eldest daughter had been to the gym, and Mr Flump had been out for a run. (I never think “Well, if he can do it, so can I!”, because he is a different class of runner to me. Even when I was a regular runner, we never ran together - he has run a marathon in half the speed I managed!) I couldn’t let the rest of the family exercise, while I just sat on my butt all day, could I?

I used to be a keen (but slow!) runner. In 2005, I had an accident, and received a 'Traumatic Brain Injury', which means I have poor balance, poor coordination (I have awful handwriting!), and poor eye-sight. I am officially registered as blind, although I can see well enough for most things (although certainly not to drive!). When I am looking straight forward, I see just a blur of everything to the right, although if I actually look towards the right, I can see everything over there. Brain injuries are weird. (Twice I have run (well, got round, anyway!) the London Marathon, raising money for Headway, a charity that support people with brain injuries).

Since my marathon getting-round days (and running-blog-writing days!), though, my hip has started causing me problems. That is why I got my exercise bike (as my eyesight means that there is no way I can ride a real bike!). So, I haven’t run much for ages.

Anyway, I went for my 'run', this afternoon/evening. I have only done a few runs, over the last few months, so I was taking it *very* east. I thought I would run (well, jog - I was never fast, but now I am *very* slow!) for thirty seconds, then walk for a while. In fact, I was counting *very* slowly whenever I was running, and often I just decided to run to the next corner, or that red car, or that tree. So, I was often running (slowly!) for an awful lot more than thirty seconds. Then I would walk (and breathe very hard!), but just for a short while.

I only went for ten minutes, and then turned round. And I was really pleased with myself. But knackered!

Now, how will my right hip feel, tomorrow?