Are you a runner? Training for a race? Getting some more fresh air? Trying to lose weight?
Do you want to start running, but you're looking for the right motivation? Please let me attempt to help you out/be your motivation.
I love running, I also hate running but I mainly love running. It's the best! I'm so super passionate about exercise in general, my colleagues are probably sick of me talking about it, but if it helps motivate at least one person we're on to a winner! I love inspiring people to make changes in their lives, to live healthier lifestyles. I haven't got one of those great inspiring stories, like I used to weight 20 stone and now I weight 10 stone. I just love trying different challenges. That's all there is to it. I'm lucky that I come from an exercise-mad family. My parents are both keen runners (mum more than dad) and they both play tennis, in fact we all can play tennis (but after playing for years I'm personally quite sick of it) and my brother is an awesome hockey player and lucky for him is as skinny as a rake. We both played plenty of team sports growing up; tennis, hockey, volleyball, cricket and I did every type of dancing under the sun. So I guess it was just part of everyday life for us.
Back to the nitty gritty of running after indulging in a little background sharing.
I first started joining my mum running as a cyclist, for something to do during the long school holidays. She then encouraged me to run with her to keep fit for all my sports. We started off with a gentle 10 minute. I say gentle sarcastically, at the time I saw it as punishment, I couldn't breath and I felt like my chest would explode so I suggested to mum I may have asma of at least a form of sport's asma. She told my dad and they found it hilarious and described it as 'unfit'! The cheek of them, me unfit! No way! Turns out their description of my self-diagnosed 'sport's asma was legit. But it wasn't until a few years later I started indulging in slightly longer than 10minute runs but I wasn't really that motivated.
Then I joined uni and in my third year I went on my placement year and moved to London for a while. My housemates (found on spareroom.com) were weird and I didn't fancy all evening watching tv in my room, so I started running properly and signed up for my first half marathon (Bracknell 2012) as motivation. I lived in Richmond, so I got the pleasure of running along the Thames, to Kew, and around the park. I was spoilt for choice and I only realise now just how lucky I was.
Finally the time came to run the half marathon and it's safe to say I was a nervous wreck but I was in the safe hands of my mum and dad and boyfriend who were running it too. Dad and Nath left us to it, being the competitive ones but my mum was a real gem she stuck by my side the whole way. When I wanted to walk, she would let me walk until the next lamp post then I had to run again. It was tough, in fact it was horrific. Although I had been running a lot my legs hadn't experienced that kind of distance, and after attempting to sprint up a ridiculous hill I well and truly hit the wall. This was around mile 8 and I can picture the moment even today, 4 years later. But being a trouper I carried on through the pain and jelly legs. The 11th mile I think I walked the entire mile but for the 12th I got this extra burst of energy, also known as adrenaline and managed to run the whole way even getting in a sprint for the last stretch. I finished in 2 hours and 13 minutes and couldn't even pick my foot up off the ground onto a bucket for a Marshall to take off my chip. I also didn't mention the weather conditions, in one word; horrendous. Torrential rain, tons of mud, wind and it was pretty cold, so that can't have helped! The walk back to the car was the longest 10 minutes ever and I couldn't walk for days afterwards. I hated running in that moment and for a few weeks after (I deserved a break, right?).
But a year later I signed up again and signed up Nath much to his disgust! I vowed to do more distance prior to the race and get a better time. The conditions were far more favourable for the Bath Half Marathon (which I think I may have done a blog about previously) AND I combined it with charity by raising money for Guide Dogs for the Blind (the company I worked for at the time) AND I got a better time of 2 hours 6 minutes.
Still not quite the goal (minus 2 hours) but I was getting better! Then the year of PBs arrived! I signed up for a few races; first being the Putney and Fulham Riverside Half Marathon which I absolutely nailed with 1 hour 55 minutes and I wasn't even stiff the next day and I could walk straight after (thank you Kayla - blog to follow shortly about Kayla). Then the Bracknell again, slower this time but still not bad, 1 hour, 58 minutes and it was a family affair again!
I think you can tell I'm totally addicted, each time you just want to better yourself. The below pictures were from my first half marathon this year, the Wokingham. Working in London and having a mega commute means time is currently of the essence, I try to fit running in whether it's before work, to work, lunchtimes or weekends. However I unfortunately didn't get in enough distance training, so I completed this in 2 hours 3 minutes, I wasn't disappointed as it left plenty more room for improvement. Next race; April 10th Putney and Fulham Half Marathon!
Set yourself easy goals, start with 10 minute runs and build up to 20, then 39 then an hour and before you know it, it will be a breeze and then you can start working on speed. I try and mix it up a do a couple of interval training sessions a week (2 minutes normal speed and 1 minute speed) which really help!
With Spring arriving this weekend and Summer on the horizon get out there and enjoy it rather than being cooped up in the gym all the time!
Xoxo
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