Running is 80% mentality and 20% physical. It started miraculously. For me anyway! A cold, February Sunday morning in 2015 I put my trainers on.
Looking back, it wasn’t that random. A close, dear friend died. I knew she’d have given anything to have the blessing of a body that worked. Lucky, very lucky me. So just bloody well get on with it.
Couch to 5k podcast downloaded: run one, week one, walk 5 minutes, run 1 minute, I could hardly breath. But something kept me going (I’ve been told I am quietly stubborn). Fast forward 5 weeks I can run 20 minutes non-stop and I’m Rocky!! I found the incredible HealthUnlocked online forum and was absorbing other peoples’ advice and reassurances. The C25K ‘graduate badge’ only awarded once you’d completed all 27 runs was calling, pride it seems is also a trait of mine. True happiness was only a few runs away, getting the badge meant belonging to the running world. And I do! 5 years on, I run every week, on holidays, Christmas Days, my trainers and me in glorious places giving me a new perspective on where I am, what I’m capable of.
Then, I went and tipped up one lovely sunny June evening in 2019 at a running group. Had I known I’d run over 9k that night, I absolutely 100% wouldn’t have gone. But over an hour later, with a group of strangers all egging me on, all nattering and enjoying themselves, it worked a treat! I’ve since done a 10k race and loved it. Me!!
I’m even more delighted and proud that team TLC are runners. It seems it rubs off on people. They’ve also completed C25k, you’ll see them running round Liverpool on a regular basis; they’re the ones who look good and run! It’s become a bit of a thing, we’re now looking at helping other people get fitter as part of Lifeology and GiveGetGo, watch out for a TLC Running Group and join in. You’re all welcome. You can do it too!