A Pot Noodle, a Slower Parkrun and a Little More Progress
There are probably more conventional ways to demonstrate progress on a fitness journey than running around dressed as a Pot Noodle, but that’s exactly what I found myself doing this morning. And, rather unexpectedly, it turned out to be quite a meaningful part of another enjoyable Saturday morning at parkrun.
Over the last couple of months, I’ve written quite a lot about improving my running, achieving personal bests and gradually rediscovering some of the fitness and confidence that I’d lost over the years. It’s been incredibly encouraging to see the numbers moving in the right direction, particularly as I remember a time recently when simply completing 5km felt like a considerable achievement. The temptation, of course, is to keep pushing, keep trying to improve and see just how much quicker I can get.
This morning, however, I decided to do something a little different. Rather than chasing another time, I deliberately set out to run at an easier effort. I wanted to see how comfortable I could make the 5km feel, rather than how quickly I could cover it. There wasn’t a particular time in mind, just an opportunity to get some mileage into my legs and enjoy being out running.
And I really did enjoy it.
The pace felt comfortable, my breathing was controlled and I genuinely felt as though I could have held a conversation as I went around. That’s quite a change from some of my earlier efforts, where a significant amount of concentration was required simply to keep moving and maintain whatever pace I’d managed to establish. There was something rather satisfying about covering the distance without feeling that I was constantly having to work harder to reach the finish.
My trainer did offer a useful reality check afterwards, though. While I described it as an easy run, the feedback was that it wasn’t really an easy run at all, just easier than my previous efforts. There’s an important distinction there, and one I’m still learning to appreciate. What feels comparatively comfortable doesn’t necessarily mean the effort is genuinely low, particularly when I’m still rebuilding my aerobic fitness.
It’s something I want to work on as my running develops. I’ve spent a lot of time recently celebrating getting quicker, but learning to run slower and more consistently is probably just as important if I’m going to start extending my distances without constantly exhausting myself. I’m increasingly confident that I can run further, but that doesn’t mean every run needs to be a test of how far or how fast I can go. Sometimes the most useful thing I can do is deliberately hold back.
Which brings me back to the Pot Noodle.
Years ago, when I was running and cycling much more regularly, I became quite fond of Foska’s rather unconventional sports clothing. They produced some brilliant ridiculous designs, and I accumulated a few over the years. When they announced that they were ceasing trading, I had a look to see what was left and decided to buy one final running top. The only one available in their largest size was a Pot Noodle design.
I bought it anyway, on delivery it didn’t fit so went in the drawer, like quite a few items of sporting clothing I’ve accumulated over the years, it ended up being put away rather than worn.
This morning, I wore it to parkrun.
That might not sound particularly significant, especially when the end result was a rather large bloke running around with Pot Noodle Bombay Bad Boy written across his chest, but internally I was genuinely proud. It wasn’t about the design or attracting attention. It was about being able to put on something that hadn’t fitted me and head out for a run in it.
I’ve written previously about how clothing has affected my confidence, particularly with cycling, and how difficult it can be to find suitable sportswear when you’re carrying considerably more weight than you’d like. There’s a strange relationship between clothing and self-confidence. The numbers on the scales might be changing, but it’s not always easy to appreciate what that means in everyday life. Pulling an old top out of the cupboard and discovering that it now fits is a rather more tangible reminder that something is working.
It also made me smile. A few months ago, I was still quite conscious of how I looked when running in public. Today I deliberately went out dressed as a Pot Noodle. That probably says something about the change in confidence as well as the change in size.
There are other bits of running and cycling clothing tucked away that I haven’t been able to wear for years. Some are considerably more colourful than others, and I’m looking forward to gradually rediscovering them as my size continues to reduce. The weather will inevitably dictate some of those choices over the coming months, but there’s something quite motivating about having a wardrobe of old kit that might eventually become useful again.
I wasn’t the only one making progress this morning, either. My daughter came along and ran her parkrun at a more relaxed pace than she normally would. She’s considerably quicker than me, and after some of her recent performances she’s demonstrated just how much she’s capable of when she pushes herself. Today wasn’t about that for her, though. She ran a remarkably consistent 5km, and in doing so moved another step closer to her 50th parkrun.
She’s hoping to reach that milestone by Christmas, which I think is a brilliant target. It’s not about running a particular time or beating somebody else, but about consistently turning up and taking part. Each Saturday gets her a little closer, and it’s lovely to see her working towards something that rewards commitment rather than outright speed.
It also gives me a very good reason to keep making Saturday mornings about parkrun for the remainder of the year. I’m beginning to feel confident enough to start stretching my own running distances again, and there’s certainly an attraction to heading out for longer runs as my fitness improves. But parkrun has become a valuable part of our routine, and supporting her towards that milestone matters more than squeezing a few additional kilometres into a Saturday morning.
Despite the weather, we both came away having achieved something. She added another parkrun towards her milestone and demonstrated some lovely consistent pacing. I got another 5km into my legs, experienced what running at a deliberately slower pace feels like and, perhaps most importantly, thoroughly enjoyed myself.
Neither of us needed a personal best for the morning to be worthwhile.
I’m still very much motivated by improving my fitness and I certainly haven’t lost interest in running quicker. There are distances I’d like to return to, times I’d like to improve and plenty of work still to do. But I’m beginning to understand that those outcomes will come from making running something I can enjoy and repeat consistently, rather than treating every outing as an opportunity to prove something.
A few months ago, my focus was often on getting through a run. More recently, it’s been about discovering how quickly I can run again. This morning was a reminder that there’s another dimension to progress: being comfortable enough to enjoy the experience without worrying too much about the result.
And if that experience happens to involve dressing as a Pot Noodle, then so much the better.
I have no idea which ridiculous item of clothing will make its next appearance, but I rather like the fact that I’m beginning to have a choice again.
