🌼Runnivesary week and a reflective gentle run🌼

I graduated C25k on the day after Boris' announced the first lockdown last March. I remember watching the PM's announcement that evening, with the country not sure what nature the restrictions would take, or whether we would still be permitted to exercise. I just had my graduation run to go. Having missed graduating the previous summer after being injured during week 9, I was desperate to do my final run, restrictions or not, and jokingly commented in my graduation post that I had planned to run in the woods, dressed as a tree if necessary. But in the end there was no need for disguise, outdoor exercise was still allowed.......

What a year it has been. I doubt I would have been so joking in my graduation post had I known exactly what lay ahead, the sorrow that would be faced by so many and the hardships that were to come.

I wasn't able to run on my runniversary day this week, but headed out this morning instead for what turned out to be a gentle, reflective run. I ran part of my route on woodland trails, where last year beautifully decorated wooden hearts bearing messages of hope and thanks to the NHS appeared on the trees during April. They really lifted my spirits at the time and I photographed them and shared them on the forum. Today I turned off at the top of this track to cut through to the country lane that takes me back towards home. It was a gentle run, just short of 4k.

I am so thankful to have had running, this forum and its wonderful members to keep coming back to during the past 12 months - you have all helped to keep me going ☺️🙏🏼. I have been posting less frequently lately, but I am still running, and hope to gradually build up to 10k again soon.

LEJOG has also kept me going and I have a few weeks of entries to catch up with, so I shall do that this evening as I chill out with a glass of wine.

Happy running everyone 🥰 D-d 🌼

[dijep Graduate10]

Congratulations on your graduation runniversary, you'll certainly never forget the date and the strange times that it began.Your run today sounds just what was needed to reflect and remember the past year

Enjoy the rest of your dayx

[Hidden in reply to dijep]

Thanks dijep. 🤗

[Timotea Graduate10]

Fantastic DD. Still on IC but doing lots of walking. See my physio hopefully for sign off this week and then will ease myself in. Did you do C25K to get back into it?

[Hidden in reply to Timotea]

Hi Timotea. Fingers crossed for the physio appt 🤞🏼. I redid C25k after my first injury as I was out for nearly 6 months. I have used some of the C25k runs each time I have had a spell on the IC, just to ease myself back in using run/walk intervals.

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate]

Happy Runniversary week, 😀

[Hidden in reply to SueAppleRun]

Thank you both xx

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10]

Congratulations on your C25K runniversary Delly-dot, yes indeed it has been some year for everyone but running has eased the stress for many, including you and me and others on this forum, enjoy your Lejog run and a well deserved glass of wine, onwards and upwards for another year of running for you.

[Hidden in reply to AlMorr]

Thank you Al, it has been some year.... cheers to you too 🍷😊

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

I do apologise, I looked at your original graduation post of last year and I don't see my congratulations to you, I don't know how I missed it as I usually congratulate every runner who have graduated, anyway a belated congratulations to you on graduating from C25K, a year late but better late than never. 🎓🎓🎓👍👍👍

[Hidden in reply to AlMorr]

How lovely, thank you Al 😊

[Fionamags Graduate10]

Happy runniversary my lovely VRB! You've been a great support to so many of us this past year so I'm so glad you've felt the positive energy coming back to you.

It certainly has been quite a year but here we are with some achievements to be proud of and I'm sure there will be more to come. I shall raise a glass of red stuff to you this evening as well - it would be rude not to! 😉😂 Here's to many more running years 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️🍾🍷🎊💃🥳🎉

[Hidden in reply to Fionamags]

Oh thank you Fionamags 😊. What a lovely reply. I’ve just read your Arthur’s Seat post and about to reply. Wow! Xx

[Sandraj39 Graduate10]

Happy Runniversary Hidden ! 🎉🙂 What a lovely, reflective post. Yes, we have all run our way through quite a year haven’t we? I remember the jokes about dressing up as a tree...and the beautiful hanging wooden hearts too. 💙🌈 So much sadness for so many.Things may still be uncertain but we have so much more hope for a brighter future now with the vaccine roll-out...and so many more miles to run. 🙏x

[Hidden in reply to Sandraj39]

Thank you Sandra for your lovely reply. Here’s to brighter days ahead 🌈 💕

[CBDB Graduate10]

Happy Runniversary! And enjoy those deliciously relaxed runs! The my certainly keep us sane in this crazy world!

[Hidden in reply to CBDB]

Thank you! 😊

[Lizcanrun Graduate10]

Happy runniversary! Glad you enjoyed your run!

[Hidden in reply to Lizcanrun]

Thank you 😊

[Beatlesforever Graduate10]

Many congratulations on your runniversary! 🎉🏃‍♀️ And what a year it's been. Like you, I'm so thankful to have my running and all the wonderful people on this forum.Lovely post and pic 🥰

[Hidden in reply to Beatlesforever]

There’s been times when running has been really hard and I have certainly suffered from days when I really couldn’t be bothered, but somehow this forum gets under your skin, works its magic and it has kept me running. 🤗

[Wenderwoo]

Lovely post DD, and congratulations x

[Hidden in reply to Wenderwoo]

Thank you Wenderwoo. So lovely to hear from you. I hope all is well with you 😊

[Scruff55 60minGraduate]

What a beautiful reflective post Dd. Thank you. And congratulations on your runniversary. You have helped support so many runners with your advice and wise words over the last year and what a year it has been for us all. Hopefully we will be careful now as we come out of lockdown and learn to enjoy our new found freedoms. But running has served us well this year and this forum has been so helpful. Many thanks to one and all 🙏🙏🙏

[Hidden in reply to Scruff55]

Thank you Scruff. I’m looking forward to running in the sunshine and warmer weather as we get into spring and summer. 😊

[Hareshaw-Granny Graduate10]

Lovely post DD, congratulations on your first runniversary. It’s been a saviour to us all this past year. Let’s hope it now gets better. Hopefully biome better weather to go with it. ☀️🤞

[Hidden in reply to Hareshaw-Granny]

Thank you 😊. Lovely weather is expected down here this week but I’m not sure what you (and my in-laws) are due on the west coast of Scotland......? Hopefully a little of the sunny stuff ☀️ ⛅️ will peek through.

[Hareshaw-Granny Graduate10 in reply to Hidden]

I wish, currently horizontal rain and yesterday was the typical 4 seasons in one day, even snow!!! 😱🤣

[58soon Graduate10]

Congratulations Delly-dot! It's wonderful what you've achieved over the past year. If it hadn't been for lockdown, I wouldn't have started running either! And not forgetting the encouragement from this forum 😀

[Hidden in reply to 58soon]

Thank you 😊. Enjoy your running too 😊

[mom24uk]

Well done Delly-Dot! Glad to see you're still running.

[Hidden in reply to mom24uk]

Hello again! I’ve just been reading that you are giving C25k another go - good for you! Lovely to have your family along with you on the journey too. That will be great for support and encouragement. Good luck 😊

[mom24uk in reply to Hidden]

Thank you! At least this time around I know I can do it! I just hope my joints can keep up

[Allbarron 60minGraduate]

Well done Delly-dot xx I remember your hesitation at crossing the bridge to 10k and here you are such an inspiration. Its been wonderful to be a small part of your journey and it warms my heart to see your love of running is still getting you out there. Your posts keep us going x

[Hidden in reply to Allbarron]

Oh Allbarron, you're making me all emotional - must be the wine I had with my dinner.... 🥰This forum, and all the wonderful people who contribute to it, have been a huge part of my running journey. I'm not running huge distances, sometimes I only manage a pootle, but I'm still going. I did tiptoe onto that bridge didn't I, in search of that first 10k..... and I got there. Hopefully I will run another one again with everyone's encouragement. It is so lovely to hear from you 🤗

[Allbarron 60minGraduate in reply to Hidden]

I'm sure you will run 10 k again but that's not important. You're a runner no matter how far or fast you go. Running has got you through a horrendous year. Be forever that little Mexican mouse! Arrrribba xx

[Hidden in reply to Allbarron]

🤣 🇲🇽🐭 xx