Ben<p>To all you proper <a href="https://beige.party/tags/runners" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>runners</span></a> out there, this will mean NOTHING, but I stepped up my Tuesday run to the 7k group tonight for the first time since injury and I, feel, terrific. I should probably explain the point of the distances is not necessarily how far they are but the time they're run in. So 5,6,7,8s and 9s are all run in the *same* time. So a 5 is easy, a 6 will challenge a little, 7 will push you, 8s are for fit people who regularly run and 9s are for world athletes. Enjoyed the 7 tonight but really felt it and don't think I could manage an 8 again yet. Lovely group. Newbies, oldbies, and some people I think I genuinely like. I'm entering a weird phase in the club where I seem to know and am friendly with quite a lot of people. I feel quite the social butterfly. I'm not keen on referring everything in my life back to ND, but have spent years developing methods of coping with social situations and whilst 1:1 requires some mental parkour, groups are easy. Name, personal fact (how is your young male child you're worried about / what happened with your charity you volunteer at / how is your cancer going), friendly face, DONE and..... next! I am partially joking for comic effect, but also not really, but don't tell anyone (including yourself). In short - it is a surprising and excellent way to push the boundaries of what you need as a slightly no longer totally young person, meeting new people, having a laugh, doing something good for yourself both mentally and physically. God I'm going on a bit. I should just say - did a run. 👍</p><p>Thanks for listening the end I love you bye </p><p>(I've had a couple of arseholes call me out on things here recently and so I should probably say that I do realise that cancer is bad - I run with two people who have cancer and we talk and joke about it - I have lost a few people to cancer and there is nothing worse than pearl-clutching/hand-wringing sadface piety. X) </p><p><a href="https://beige.party/tags/running" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>running</span></a></p>