Last year I started running - well, jogging if I'm honest. I went from being someone who didn't see the point of running for the sake of it - though I enjoyed running after a ball in a game of hockey - to loving the freedom, and the feeling of fitness and well being it gives you. In these "rookie runner" posts, I'll share the lessons I learn during my mission to complete my first half marathon this September to raise money for Brain Tumour Research, and pass on the advice I get from my friends and supporters.
I hadn't appreciated just how much running was down to mental attitude. Some days I feel as if I can run for miles, and on others, I can barely make it to the end of the road. In my quest to complete a half marathon (20 km), I have managed to reach 14 km in the past couple of weeks, but last night was a definite struggle and I only managed 2.
Running is definitely as much of a mental activity as physical - if not more so. How you're feeling in your head seems to significantly affect your attitude to running.
A milestone for me was completing a full lap around a local nature
reserve and reservoir. I had been using this natural running track to
increase my distance from 0 to my first target of 5 km, but was struggling to get my head
around completing the full 3.3 km without breaking into a
walk. I was complaining to a friend, also a keen runner, that I "just
couldn't do it, and that I'd never make 5 km at this rate." "Of course
you can do it!" he replied. And you know what? That afternoon I did. I overcame my mental blocks and completed the lap, running all
the way. After all, he had faith in my ability, so why didn't I? I was spurred on by the thought of telling him that I'd done it. I felt so elated afterwards that I can honestly say, I've never
looked back.
If I'm facing challenges in other aspects of life, then I either feel determined to get out there in the fresh air, put one foot in front of the other, and appreciate the clarity of thought that I get from exercising, or I feel totally demotivated. If the latter, then I follow the advice of my good friend and running buddy, Ali, put my trainers on and go out for a walk. "You just never know, the walk may become a jog." Either way, I usually feel better for making the effort, even if, as I did last night, I only manage 2 km and then walk the rest of the way home.
Coming next: How to increase your distance further, the importance of good shoes, and some top tips for post-run recovery.
I am raising money for Brain Tumour Research. You can make donations at: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ianwhitebtr
Did
you know brain tumours kill more people under the age of 40 than any
other cancer yet research is significantly underfunded? To find out more
about this devastating condition and help raise funds for vital
research, visit the Brain Tumour Research charity website.
Kathryn White is a published freelance writer and owner / director of Cathean Ltd, providing medical writing and equestrian journalism / copywriting services to pharmaceutical,
healthcare and equestrian businesses across the world. Cathean Ltd: harnessing word power and working in partnership with our clients to deliver written excellence!
