Even when the country went into lockdown during the pandemic, I used my allocated one-hour of exercise a day to go on long walks. I loved it. My favourite time of the day was those walks where I listened to podcasts or my favourite songs on repeat.
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I stopped walking when the country returned to normal. And even though things were getting better in the world, I found myself in a rut. I had lost grandparents in the pandemic and was struggling with grief. My last year of university was taken over by lockdowns and I had been thrown into a world of work that was fully remote. I was still living with my parents.
Walking reminded me too much of feeling sad and trapped. I thought I would try something different. Maybe this would be my chance to run again – and enjoy it this time.
I downloaded the Couch to 5K app in 2021 and began my quest. Minute by minute, I got better at running. It forces you to go far slower than you feel like you can, and gradually build that up. I didn’t complete it in the time set out. I was running fewer than three times a week, making excuses because of the weather or how I was feeling. But eventually, I did it. And, surprising myself most of all, I loved it. I found joy in running.
By the end, I was running a 5K three times a week. I felt proud of myself for doing something sporty – and I had done it without anyone telling me I had to other than myself. Running got me out of my rut.
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That was almost four years ago, and I’ve tried to keep it up as a hobby, not always successfully. Months have gone by without me running, and I’ve found it particularly hard in winters, when the days are cold and the evenings dark. But I’ve also had weeks where I’ve run multiple times too. I have never regretted a run.
I stayed stuck at 5K for those years. I reached my quickest time last year but had never run much further. Running for any longer than half an hour felt too big a commitment and tricky to fit into my schedule, but I realised I was making excuses. I had the time if I made the time.
My goal last year was 10K. I used the Nike Run Club app, which is free and has a range of plans and guided runs, whether you are training for your first 5K or a marathon. The coaches can be very American but I found myself switching from eye rolls to repeating their positive affirmations by the end.
For me, the plan was six weeks. I would run five times a week, more than I had ever run in my life. It felt like a huge task, but the range of times (with some only being 15 minutes) made it easier to balance alongside other commitments.
And unlike my attempt at the Couch to 5K, this time I stuck to it. I ran five times a week for six weeks, through rain and shine. The clocks changed during those weeks, meaning that I was running in the dark in the evenings after work, and it got harder and colder.
But somehow, I found myself looking forward to those runs. It used to annoy me when people would say you feel better for exercising. Even more annoying is that those people were completely right. I felt the best I have ever felt, both physically and mentally.
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I had finally had my running epiphany.
The 10K was one of the best runs I had ever done. I managed it in my goal time of just under an hour. It’s no marathon, at a time when everyone seems to be completing a marathon, but for me that 10K is huge. I think that little girl who was picked last for the sports teams would be proud.
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