Sorry for the play on words in the title, I am not saying I am fat or trying to fat shame myself. Just trying to be funny. I have talked about my running before, but wanted to tell a little about my running journey, which I know has inspired others to get running. Before I begin I am not trying to preach that running is the best thing for everyone. It’s not, but I do think that keeping fit and health is important.
As usual I digress, maybe one day I will keep on topic … but maybe not. So my running journey began in April 2004. It was exactly one year after the birth of my second daughter and I had finally stopped breastfeeding, though that was not really relevant. I had since the birth of my first daughter had a personal trainer, Jan, who had been getting me fitter and stronger through cross-trainer and core exercise. I am not sure why we decided to go out running, but I think it began with “Let’s run a marathon” so one day we went out for a run. We ran for 13 minutes and probably covered about a mile. It seemed like an amazing achievement and I was quite proud of myself. The running training then began in earnest and each session we ran further and then faster and we were doing really well. Our first actual running race was a 5K race in Birmingham and as far as I remember we managed a respectable 30 minutes.
I went from strength to strength and it didn’t take long before I was running quicker than my fitness trainer. In her defence she is not a natural runner and was also some what shorter than me. By the time we got to the London Marathon in April 2005 I was not running with Jan any more and I completed it in 4:18:32. Of course, by this time I had the bug and just wanted to see how fast I could get.
To help me with this I decided to join a running club and getting some coaching. So just after the April marathon I joined Momentum Sports coaching programme and became part of Kingston Athletics Running Club. I trained hard over the next year competing in various different races with my running times getting faster and faster. Eventually I achieved a 22 minute 5K in Hyde Park and 1:40 half-marathon in Milton Keynes and at the Abingdon Marathon I ran a 3:40 marathon. In April 2007 I returned to London hoping for a 3:30 marathon but with a very slow start (first mile in 11 minutes) due to the sheer number of runners I had to be happy with 3:45:46. Now at this time I was looking for a good for age time to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Looking at the website it said I need sub 3:45, so thought that I had just missed out. However, I just went and had a look at the London Marathon records and it states that I did qualify for the Boston Marathon. Not sure how I feel, amazed that I qualified, gutted I never actually raced it.
Two weeks after running this London Marathon, I ran a local 10K race and was so pleased with my 44 minutes and being placed 3rd female. I was at this point 2 and half years away from turning 40 and decided to run 40 marathons and half marathons before I was 40 and I wasn’t including any I had ran before the London 2007 one. This was in aid of the NSPCC to raise money.
However, as with many peoples running journeys things start going wrong. I started getting a niggling pain in my left shin. Thinking it was shin splints I visited my sports physiotherapist. After many months of little joy I went a saw a specialist. I was still running on my injury though was also cycling, which is basically extremely dangerous as I have a habit of falling off. I had x-rays and MRIs and eventually on the last day of the school year I dropped the girls off at school and went to my specialist for the results. He sat me down and slapped an air cast on to my leg, gave me some crutches and said 6 weeks of no load bearing. Apparently I had a severe to critical stress fracture that was about to shatter. He said I must have a high pain threshold.
Eventually I was able to run again and by then only had 18 months in which to complete my goal. Two weeks before my 40th birthday I completed my 40th half-marathon with friends and family to cheer me on. The only issue was I struggled to get back to form. Niggles continued to occur and after we moved to Somerset in 2009 I could never get back into my stride. I had to have surgery on both my feet in December 2010 so not surprising that my marathon in 2011 was 4:35. I seemed to go from running to injury to running to injury in a downward spiral.
In 2018 I thought that my running journey had ended when I fell from my horse and broke my back in two places. After years of disappointment this was the final nail in the coffin. However, my story doesn’t end there. The following year at Easter time hubby and I were down in Padstow and we decided to go for a walk along the coastal path. It was beautiful and exhilarating if slow. But we walked about 3 miles and it felt good. In June I managed to get myself along the 10 mile charity walk with others from work and hubby. I was so pleased with myself I decided well if I can’t run I will walk.
Then COVID hit. The only thing we could do was go out and exercise, so we did. Loads of it. Once restrictions eased we were walking 15-20 miles a day and all the years of weight that had started to pile on gradually went. After six or so months of walking I wondered whether I dare run. Was I going to be disappointed and was I being foolish, but one day at the end of August I dragged on my running shoes and went for a plod. I ran 2.28 miles in 21 minutes 25 seconds in a pace of 9:23/mile and it felt good. At this point I could only hope.
Since then I have continued to improve, I listen to the niggles and so far (I am now touching wood), all has been OK. I have managed to get my 5K time down to sub 24, my 10K time to 49 minutes, my half-marathon to 1:53 and marathon to 4:24. I have a running coach again, Momentum Sports again, and this weekend saw me compete in the British Masters 10K Road. Basically competitions for those over 35 and want to compete. Can I get back to sub-4 hour marathon, maybe though my back is not overly happy with the long distances, which is why I am sticking to the shorter distances at the moment. However, just had a look and after August this year I would need to be running a 4:05 marathon to compete in the Boston Marathon, so just maybe …
Here is me ringing the PB bell at the British Masters 10K race.
So I started off saying I wasn’t going to try and persuade you to run. However, I would say do something to keep fit and health. It is really good for you as a woman to keep your bones health and exercise helps. Not to talk about doom and gloom but exercise is also great for your mental health and menopause. Whatever you like and enjoy do it. Find time for you. I think as a working mother and wife I often forget that it is just was important to give yourself time for you. For me running is my escape and it helps me in many ways. I know it is not for everyone, but you don’t have to be fast just do something.
Thanks
Lois
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