This week I am celebrating my first complete year of running. Some of you will remember I missed 5 weeks in June after a fall injuring my knees (& my confidence 😫) and another few weeks when sick. Apart from that I’ve aimed for 3 x weekly and mostly managed 2x or 3x throughout the year.
I started recording on Strava just after I graduated Couchto5k & since then have clocked up over 500k. There’s more to add from tech failure days, well chuffed with that. The highlight of the year has to be my first 10k running the virtual Vitality London, such a memorable day.
I had intended setting some amazing running goals to round off my first year & also had thoughts about a mega cake eating/gin drinking blow out 😬 but after spending all month turning up on my yoga mat with Adriene’s BREATH 30 day yoga journey I chose something even I wasn’t expecting.
By tuning in and listening to my breath and my body much more I realised that I what I most needed was a HOLIDAY, a holiday from running.
At some point I remembered reading it was beneficial to just have a complete break from running from time to time. I’d already backed off from my HM plan & long runs for the previous 2 weeks due to some knee pain and replaced these runs with strengthening exercises so even more reason for time out. As if confirming my decision in yesterday’s yoga Adriene talked about ‘having the courage to rest’, not something I’ve not been very good at but....It’s time.
So I’ve had a lovely holiday this week, walking with Mr J by the sea, double yoga on run days with my regular yoga buddy Freddie the cat (aka Monkey) and generally just chilling out and having a rest. Oh yes and I did pop along to the BREATH pop up shop and treated myself to a couple of t shirts ( they are very nice).
The gremlins are sulking as they have had no one to nag 🤣🤣 They tried to tell me I’d lose fitness if I took a week off but I just laughed and said I might take 2 weeks and did I look worried? Nope, not anymore.
How lucky am I? I have ended the year with 2 new loves, Running 🏃♀️ & Yoga 🧘♀️ and I wonder what this year would have been like without them both! If by this time next year I have a double birthday, having completed another whole year of running and a whole year of daily yoga I will have so much air in my lungs I won’t even need running shoes 🤣
A huge thank you 🙏 to all of you, and a special hug 🤗 to those of you who have encouraged, enlightened or accompanied me on what has been an incredible running year.
Keep running folks, but if and when you really need a rest, be brave and enjoy 😊
Great post, congratulations on your 1st runniversary. What a brave thing to do, might try taking a break soon myself. Happy and safe running whenever you decide to come back.
Thanks H-G, definitely worth taking a break, I realised how easy it is to just keep setting the next goal without even considering planning in breaks, a Winter time annual break is going on my plan now, enjoy yours when it comes 🤗
Lovely post Mrs Jorge xx Sometimes rest is best 😊 🤗.
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Thank you Delly, I’m learning slowly, pace and rest is as important as pushing ourselves, Running is a good teacher 🤗
Congratulations on your runniversary🎉🥳I really must try harder to get into yoga. I'm a total novice and really not flexible at all. I always struggle to follow along and ultimately get discouraged and give up.
Enjoy the rest of your rest 😁 however long you decide it will be. I'm sure you will come back all the stronger for it
Thanks Birdlady, I think you’d find yoga a great balance and strengthening tool for your running. This month Ive found a good bag of stiff places to work on, maybe Adriene’s beginners sessions would be good to try, I found the BREATH series quite challenging at times and couldn’t always keep up but I have done a lot of classes over the decades. Or maybe find a few short ones that you like and do them for a while, little and often is good. I’ve decided I’m going to have 2 weeks break and start again with some early morning runs, hopefully then my battery will be fully charged. 🤗
Hey JorgeRuns.... that’s such an inspiring post. What a wonderful achievement for you this year. You have definitely brought some sunshine into what seems to be a grey & dismal time for many.
I think most of us on this forum have joy & positivity in our lives due to a (often a new-found) love of running. Your words give me, and I’m sure many others, the encouragement to carry on.
I’m so looking forward to the Virtual London 10k in the spring. I still haven’t completed 10k yet, but have that goal to focus on.
Congrats on your runiversary and here’s to many more 🥳😍🥳😍🥳
Thanks very much 58soon, yes do keep going, I know you’ve had some setbacks and are keen to progress but taking your time to get to your 10k and really listening to and looking after yourself is in itself a great accomplishment. 😊 I’m feeling a bit nervous about going to London, not knowing how risky things will feel by then but I really want to be there, it may be the first time running alongside others and it would be great to meet you and some of our VRB’s. I want to be in London early June anyway as my first grandson will be arriving 👶 (so exciting) 🤗🙏
I couldn't think of anything more exciting than meeting & running with some of our VRBs from this forum! I've never run with anyone else (I only started in May last year). But who knows whether it will be possible in May.
Actually, I've just thought of something more exciting than that..... your first grandson..... amazing! Do you already have a grand-daughter or is this your first grand-child?
Me too, I started running partly for the social side! Mr J came along with me to get me going for the first part of C25K and I was able to run once with my sister in law who came to stay nearby in the Summer and had herself just graduated from C25K, apart from that it’s me, myself and I and the gremlins 🤣. I have 2 step sons which we don’t have very much contact with (Mr J’s grandchildren) but it will be my first grandchild, I can’t wait to meet him 😊
Happy Runniversary JorgeRuns and happy holiday rest time 😉We all need to stop sometime and think what we really need and obviously the lovely YWA helped you do just that.
Thanks dijep, yes YWA has certainly helped me to see more clearly, I’ve always been a terror to myself with my goal setting and high expectations, worse than any gremlin 🤣 From now on I’m going to plan the rest and breaks in, not just the miles. 🤗
Congratulations on your runniversary! 🎊🎉🎈🍾🥂 It sounds like you have really come into your own over this past year - knowing when to push and when to rest. I am sure you will sally forth into year 2 with maany more achievements to come. That HM will be yours with us all cheering on the sidelines!!!! Go you!!!!
Thanks very much Fionamags, I’ve learnt so much this year and feel like I’ve only just started which is very exciting. I don’t know if I will reach the HM but if I don’t that feels OK too, it’s really good to feel so much more mellow. And if I do manage to get there I will be ecstatic 😁🤗
Congrats on your 1st runniversary jorgeRuns! (Mine is next weekend ☺️) That's a lovely post from you again and sounds like you're enjoying your rest time and you are totally in charge of those gremlins!!! Happy running days ahead for you again soon and we already have some little clumps of snowdrops out around here - spring is coming 😀
Thanks Runjilly, yes lots of signs of Spring in the garden today, we have snowdrops too, such a joy to see aren’t they. Fantastic that you’ve nearly done a whole year too, I wonder how you will celebrate, enjoy whatever you decide 🤗
Happy anniversary !!! I like the idea of a holiday ! I mean a real one 😞 but since we turned our worlds inside out I see how taking a holiday from running could be a good thing, in the same league as ‘be kind to yourself, recognise your achievement, and chill !’. I think I’m about to go on a bit of enforced holiday - minor calf pull earlier this week and I tried a gentle jog yesterday but alas, not yet ready. I’ve paused my half marathon plan and went for looong walk in the rain today - 18km. I think I can take a week off at least. Hurrah ! You inspired me. I think I’ll go on a virtual holiday to the Maldives. Hmmmm 😎🏝🍹
Thanks Juliet, oh yes me too, a real holiday, wouldn’t that be wonderful, ...my Running holiday though is turning out to be strangely refreshing, I’m going to take 2 weeks and I’m sure with your calf injury a week or two would be so good for you too. Enjoy those lovely long walks around the Maldives, quite a good idea to think of a virtual holiday somewhere I’ve never been and take some walks, I might try that next week, thanks for the tip 🙏🤗
Congratulations on your runniversary, and a great post, sounds like you've had an eventfull year. 👏I've only been running 5 months, but feel like a short break is needed, with a few extra aches, and niggles, your post has certainly made me think! 🤔
Thanks Peter, it’s a strange thing but all year unless I couldn’t run it didn’t occur to me have a break, even though I’d read it was a good idea. I have hint it takes longer than we think sometimes for the body to adjust to running regularly, especially if we are continually trying to increase the distance so yes, sounds like a perfect time for you to take a half way pause and reflect break, enjoy if you do 🤗
Congratulations on your Runniversary Jorge, and well done you. Adriene is lovely and she is right, a week off is just what you need sometimes and it won’t do you any harm at all.
Don’t forget to post your journey on C25k to let the newbies know what is possible.
Thanks Gail, I’m sure you will, I’ve just been reading your latest posts, wow, so interesting, it didn’t occur to me to actually learn how to run from someone who knows, I could probably do with understanding a lot more about my technique. I love the breath work in yoga and it definitely translates well into find a nice comfy running pace. I’ve used a heart rate monitor a lot and if I keep my heart rate steady around 130/140 my breathing gets into a very nice 4 strides in and 4 strides out. Our cat is a rescue and we’ve had him 2 years now, he’s a sweetie 🤗
It’s been great fun. My tutor insists it’s less about learning a technique than an approach within which to find your own bespoke better form and flow. Interesting what you say about HR. Working via breath just approaches the same thing from the other direction. I bet our Brest snd HR are nicely supported by feline companions too! (You know, that special cat stroking rhythm...)
Congratulations on your runniversary what a year you have had. It’s great when we give ourselves permission and listen to our body and yes a rest is
important I took a rest recently and felt and ready with added vim and vigour as I started running again. I too have loved doing YWA and shall continue turning up on the mat too.
Thanks Over62, that’s good to hear you benefitted from a break recently, YWA, such a great find, I’ve loved BREATH so much I’m going to do it all over again 🤣🤗
Happy runniversary. That is such an inspiring post, so self assured and confident. I’ve just started YWA too and am going to continue. I am definitely having a rest day tomorrow after RED January but haven’t set any goals for February. If you want something a little way in the future, a bunch of us have registered for the real, actually in London Vitality on 31 May. Have to have something to look forward to, even if it isn’t guaranteed to happen 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
Thanks Sandie, I don’t always feel so confident but I’m getting there. I’ve read some of your RED January posts, amazing what you’ e done. I’d like to think I’ll have a go at running everyday for a month, I’m not there yet though!I’m all in for the vitality London, I signed up as soon as I finished my virtual one, I sooooo hope it goes ahead and some of us can meet up there. 🤗
Congratulations on your 1 year runniversary! I was forced to ignore mine on January 4th because of a combination of icy pavements and a dodgy hip, but you're absolutely right about the need for an occasional break.
Thanks PandaCory, the conditions out there have certainly been challenging this Winter, a good time for a break, ..congratulations on your 1st year of running too, certainly worth acknowledging somehow....I hope your hip is improving and you have a rewarding 2nd year 🤗
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