Lockdown -> 5k

In the early part of 2019 I found myself once again standing alongside a run route supporting various family members as they ran a 10k race in order to raise money for Cancer and decided it was time for me to take on the challenge as well.

We have all heard of Coach to 5k, the act of doing interval training to build yourself up from not running to being able to run a 5k without stopping. Its a great way to get into building up a habit of running while building up the stamina needed to do a longer distance.

I download an app on my phone and started to do the training which resulted in taking part in runthrough.co.uk's December run in Victoria park, London.

But Aaron this article says from Lockdown to 5k I can hear you shouting.

Well yes, this is true and that is because during lockdown. Like a huge part of the country. I locked myself away and put on a lot of weight; 3 stone in fact and did not carry on running or exercising.

So I decided to do something about it. Just over 3 months ago, I looked around my local area to see if their was any local running clubs I could join up to help motivate me once again with my fitness journey. I always find it very difficult keeping to a plan when I have to face it alone.

Luckily for me, literally just down the road from me was one of these groups called Beginners2Runners and they were just about to take on new runners to take part in there Beginners 2 5k course which would take place over 10 weeks.

Seemed like fate was telling me to sign up. So I did.

Here is me after my first day running with the group. It was tough, we took interval training around the local primary school playground and my shins where in pain for days after. But I came back almost for every session on Mondays and Thursdays (apart from a brief stint of being ill) and made it to the end. Something I did not think I would do.

Through-out the 10 weeks of training, I not only discovered a love for running I also found friends along the way that I love to catch up with each week during our runs and I was amazed at how much your body changes, from being able to only run 1 minute at a time to a full 40 minute run without stopping. Consistency is key in running and doing it twice a week helped a lot.

Here is me at graduation after completing our final 10 week 5k run.

For me the journey which started off just about loosing some Lockdown weight turned into something greater. Yes I have lost 1 stone since starting this but I have gained a lot more in my own mental health by taking the time out I need from sitting on a computer all day and reconnecting with the greater world around me.

So will I keep running, Yes is the answer and I have been still going twice a week and every Saturday if time persists. I even take part in my local 5k Park run. That means from the beginning of not being able to run at all I am now doing a minimum of 15k a week and I have plans to now train for a 10k that my Aunt has signed me up for in the new year.

I will keep blogging my experiences with running including my next post about my first go at a park run.

Happy running :)