I am *so* not a runner... at all

So, I've been thinking about starting running for a while now because while the aikido is great for fitness, you reach a plateau and after that point it doesn't really improve your fitness much. Gyms are expensive and there's not a lot of choice besides that. So I've looked around and talked to my bro and his wife who run regularly.

I went for my first run this afternoon and aside from the conclusion that I am definitely not a runner I reached several others:

1. I need to buy a decent pair of running shoes, 10yr old trainers *really* don't cut it.

2. I have 2 speeds, fast walking and fast running, I really can't maintain a light jog at all, half the time I run on toes, half the time it's heels and I can't keep a pace that's entirely happy with either. I am also, unsurprisingly, quite heavy on my feet when I run heel-first, but at least part of that's being quite heavy generally, which I'm trying to improve, but part of it's just me. Given that I have a brother who has pins in his foot now as a result of stress fracture from too much ladder-climbing... I'm not as flat-footed as he is, but the trait's there and I'd rather avoid the pins, thanks.

3. I didn't get a stitch or have the whole gasping for breath thing, and half an hour or so later I feel more or less fine, which I guess is probably due to aikido. Although I did get a brief tightness in my calf - not a cramp, but it sort of wanted to be (probably couldn't find the energy either) and I'm blaming that on the shoes. I did get a mild twinge centre of my chest the first time I upped the speed to a jog, but since I was neither out of breath nor was my heartrate particularly high or hard and it eased off when I dropped back to a walk and didn't happen again, I think it's probably muscle tension knocking on from the muscle tightness I've had across my back and shoulders this last week as a result of the combination of work stress and doing a mind-numbing, but urgent job that meant several days with hours of not moving from in front of a computer :( It didn't happen on the later bursts of speed anyway.

4. I probably shouldn't have opted to do it straight after a stressful week at work on a hot, windy day when I had a headache, but I know how easy it is to put it off and put it off and never actually do it. I admit I didn't quite manage all of the last 2 bursts of jogging, but I did keep moving, so I'll count it as half a win. I shall also be drinking a lot this evening as I'm pretty sure I dehydrated a lot.

5. I've kind of set myself the challenge of doing it, but I suspect I will be following the programme at a slower pace - I don't know that I can do 3 runs a week, with rest days and aikido, it just doesn't fit. I might just manage 2 or even 1, I'm not sure what the critical maintenance frequency is, but I think as long as I don't drop it entirely it should still help.

6. It would be better if I had someone to run with, but there's no-one around and I don't want to join a club as that then limits the times/days and would probably clash with aikido anyway, knowing my luck.

7. Having done this first run, I think I shall consult again with my brother and his wife and probably one of the aikido guys who I know runs and is also heavily built (and I don't mean that as a euphemism for fat).

Also, I need to make some dinner now, but I can't be bothered...