The last post was really positive and I was enjoying seeing some improvements in my running. But of course life I very rarely as simple as that! I’m lucky that I’m very rarely ill, I don’t suffer from colds often. Three weeks ago I was away with work, had had a very busy day out on a shoot, lots of talking and outside all day. I wasn’t feeling particularly great anyway (TOTM) but the day after the shoot I woke up with a very croaky voice and a tight chest which wasn’t helped by a cancelled train and several hours in a cold train station! I kind of just put it down to the busy day before and the fact that I was pretty tired at the end of the week. Unfortunately it didn’t just disappear. At first I sounded much worse than I felt, but after a week or so the cough started – at which point I took a week off running. I have been away every week, so travelling quite a bit, busy days – probably hasn’t helped, but then neither did taking the time off running. So this week I decided to run again. First one wasn’t pretty, lots of coughing ! I’ve actually run the last 5 days in a row – but only pretty short runs. I * think * that the cough is getting a little bit better, however a sore throat seems to be developing now. It’s been three weeks and I’m officially fed up! So this needs to disappear before next week…
But, last nights run took me over an important milestone. I’ve been logging all of my miles pretty much since I started running and last nights run took the total miles to over 5000. 5000 miles!! that my feet have carried me. From someone who found running for just 1 minute at the beginning nearly impossible this is an achievement I am really proud of.
I’m also reading a book about running – ‘Outrunning the Demons – Phil Hewitt’, a ‘collection of stories about runners who have run through unimaginable adversity’. Some of the stories in the book are heartbreaking and I cannot imagine how those individuals have found the strength to keep going – but like all of us, you just have to. This book, along with some conversations I’ve had recently about my running, really got me thinking about what running means to me, what it has done for me.
When I started this blog, these are the things I mentioned that running had helped me deal with at that point:
- Being forced to move house when my ex had an affair and wouldn’t move out and then the following divorce.
- The death from cancer of two close family members and now the fight my dad is having against this cruel disease.
- My son being bitten by a dog and having surgery on his ear.
- Moving house again!
I wrote this in 2015. I’m pleased to say life has been a bit kinder over the last few years, but I still use running to deal with the emotions and stresses of life.
Work has changed dramatically. Back in 2015 I was working part time, two different roles for a web based company. Since then my role has changed 5 times! Including going full time, and then the last one the big leap of changing companies and taking on a role new to me (and this was the most positive move). Whilst I’m much more engaged in the role that I’m doing now, these few years have been a massive change in focus for me – moving from being a mum that took jobs that were convenient and fit in with the family, to actually focusing on me and what I needed from work.
So what does running mean for me:
- personal achievement
- self confidence
- stress relief
- friends
- fitness
I might take each of these in turn for a future blog post to explore how I feel that running impacts each thing. What do you think?
a mile run 
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