How I learned to love running

I’ve run on and off (mostly off) for a number of years, but it’s never been an activity I did for enjoyment (hence the mostly off).

In my experience, people who enjoy running (like my husband James) are usually good at it.  After all, it’s basic human nature to enjoy doing things you are good at and I can see how freeing it must be to fly along the pavement or trail with relative ease.

This is what someone who is good at (and enjoys) running looks like

I on the other hand am not good at it running and it definitely doesn’t come naturally. I mean yes – I (like 99.9% of the human population) can put one foot in front of the other repeatedly but I generally can’t run without stopping for any reasonable length of either distance or time and I can categorically state that I can’t do it at speed – although I am perhaps “better” at running shuttles than distance running.

So I guess it’s pretty obvious why I’ve never liked running so the question is – what’s changed?

I wondered that too – it’s not like I suddenly got better at it – in fact I’m pretty sure I’m slower now than when I started running regularly just over a year ago. I could put it down to the fact that “I’m older now” (that’s my go to reasoning) but I’d say it’s probably just that I’m more chilled out.

I only tend to rush if a) it’s getting dark b) there is an intimidating stranger or c) I have to go through here ..

I can move pretty quick if I have too

Otherwise I just plod along and enjoy the experience.

Eureka! That’s it! I’ve just chilled the fuck out!

You see – running had always been something that I had to do, it was a means to an end.

When I was bodybuilding I ran to lose weight. After the babies, once again, I ran to lose weight. When I took up multi-sports I ran because it was a component of my chosen sport (although I will say out of the three disciplines running was my favorite – because it was the least likely to kill me). When took up crossfit, I ran because that’s what you do when you suck at shit and last year when I set myself a goal to run a half marathon, I ran because I’d told the world I was going to run a half marathon (and even I am not stupid enough not to train for an event of that distance).

I only ran because I had too.

Now I run because I want too and if I don’t want too then I simply without a shred of guilt don’t ..

Run happy (or like an aeroplane) whatever works for you.

Which perhaps is one reason I don’t enter races, because once again running would become  something that I  “had to do” and (even worse), I’d have to do with a tonne of other people .. (and we all know how much I like to share)  😉

I think I’ll just play it safe, chill out and enjoy the ride (or more accurately, run) ..

Till next time