In the summer of 2013, I decided to take up running. I decided to run to the train station nearest my house and back again in a 5k loop, and somehow I just did it. After that I started to find other trails and routes, and got to the stage where I was running between 3 and 7 kilometers five days a week. It wasn't a massive distance, but I really loved it. I could feel myself getting stronger and faster, running 7k no longer felt like I was pushing myself.
However, as the summer went on and life got in the way, I found myself running less and less until I barely ran at all. I decided that when I got to Kent, that I would start once more.
So I brought all my running kit to university and picked up a flyer for the athletics club at freshers fair and eagerly went along to the first session. I optimistically set out with the intermediate runners and started flagging about half way round. I was tired, probably hungover, and just couldn't be bothered. I ended up walking back home and never going again.
After Christmas I decided that I really did want to run, bought some expensive running shoes that corrected my flat feet and some new sports clothes as an encouragement to get back into it. The first months were cold, so I found myself going to classes instead, pilates and yoga, and put my running shoes to one side.
I stayed a low-level gym member for the rest of the year and all of last year, going through phases of attending lots of classes and phases of never going, even occasionally using the gym itself and running on the treadmill. The only time I ran outside was when I got really angry or upset.
Because of the hills this year, I never expected to do any running. I didn't bring my running shoes or socks or my arm strap. But when I was trying to find clubs to join, I immediately thought about running. Adam had an amazing time running the Berlin half with the athletics society last year, and was incredibly encouraging when I mentioned it to him. I went to walmart and bought a pair of $10 trainers, as pictured above, that look like something a ten year old would wear and a pair of bright purple running shorts and signed up. I was only looking for a place to meet people and socialise, I wasn't originally interested in racing, but when I went to the information session and saw that the women's races were only 6k, I figured that this was actually something that I could do.
I ran with them for the first time today, the first time I have properly ran in years, and it was hard. I only ran just over 3 miles, but it was exhausting. I ended up running behind everyone else because I kept getting stuck at traffic crossings, but it was actually nice because I could run at my own pace without trying to copy others. I did stop and walk on about three occasions, but never very long, just to recharge.
It's going to be difficult to bring myself up to the level of the rest of the club and to get to the stage where I don't need to stop and start anymore. But I've done it before, and I'll do it again.
The club seems so nice, everyone is friendly and they participate in both fun runs and more serious competitions, they even volunteer at the Runner's World festival which takes place in Bethlehem. I'm looking forward to getting back in shape with the support of a community. I'm used to running on my own, I'm used to plugging in my music and ignoring everyone around me. But today I noticed how friendly other runners are, not just the people who came running with the club, but the locals who were using the same paths. There was a grin-and-bare-it camaraderie between people with sweat dripping down their faces as they pounded the pavement. An instant connection between the crazy people running out in the heat. I want to be a part of the running community, I want to run alongside people and enjoy it as a group.
And I want to feel fit again, to feel healthier. I am not someone who easily loses weight so there really isn't any point being focused on my size, I would give up pretty easily if I ran to try and look skinnier because it's not going to happen. I am never going to be skinny, my legs are naturally stocky and my face is naturally round, no matter if I run once or five times a week, this is not going to change. Through running I hope to learn to love my body more, not because I feel more attractive but because I love seeing what my body can achieve. I want to feel strong.
It's early days yet and my track record of sticking with exercise routines for a prolonged period is pretty awful. But I want to be an active member of the club, I want to compete in races and see my personal best getting faster and faster, I want to run again. Hopefully this year I will, hills and all. Now lets just see how I feel 6.30am Monday morning.
