Learning to run: part 3

I’ve been learning to run for a few months now. It’s been sporadic until these last few weeks. I did a couple on holiday last summer, started couch to 5km in September (still haven’t finished), got a cold and stopped then did a few more in December.

• Learning to run: part 2
• Learning to run: part 1

Then over Christmas my parents talked about doing RED January for MIND. I’m apparently rather competitive and so I’ve sort of joined in. I’m taking a day off on Sundays to make sure it doesn’t interfere with spending time with the kids.

Now I’ve definitely got the running bug.

So far this month I’ve run just over 75km, mostly at 8am after checking work email and dealing with urgent things but before the day really gets started. This week though, something’s clicked. Monday to Wednesday it was cold and foggy and I just did shorter loops. But yesterday I went a bit further and it felt ok.

Today I challenged myself; a new unknown route, further and hillier. I walked up the huge steep hill from school after drop off and started from the top, down the main road and then off into some narrow lanes round back towards school. I got back to the car at 4.7km and so carried on into the estate, turned around and came back to stretch it to 5km.

I checked my time on Strava and WOW!! 29.09mins. I did a little dance, caught my breath and drove home to call my mum in excitement. My private goal had been to do Park Run again and to do it in under 30mins. Today I did the distance and even a 5min kilometre and 8.47min mile! I’m thrilled and so proud that (so far) I’m sticking at it.

To see how I got this far see part 4.