This was my runniversary run. It may have been a day or two out, I wasn’t recording my runs then, so I’m not exactly sure. Whichever was the correct day, I decided that I was going to celebrate it today! I’ve had a two week break because of side effects from my second Pfizer jab, so I was definitely a bit sluggish this morning. No records broken here, but a sub 40 minute 5K to mark the occasion. I love the freshness of the early morning and the cool air on my skin. It felt good to be out there.
I started running for my mental health when my husband left me. Has it helped? For sure. It gave me a focus. I took it hard and still miss him every single day. Running helped me through the worst time of my life - alone and hurting, selling our home on my own and packing up the house alone to move in with my Dad and brother. I’m still standing - just! I keep asking myself “when am I going to be OK?” There’s still a lot to go through trying to secure a financial future for myself while not wanting any of this. There are still days where I don’t even want to get up in the morning, but through it all I’ve had my running and now have the support of my family.
I didn’t know whether I could even do C25K. Many times I ran on little to no sleep, but I persevered. During my consolidation runs I realised that I was never going to be fast, so stopped trying and decided to run slower for longer. No-one could have been more surprised than me when I ran for 60 minutes for the first time without being out of breath! Here are my achievements, all in 2020.
23/24 May Started C25K
24 July Graduation run
5 August First 5K
15 August First 60 minutes
5 September First 10K
3 October First 10 miles
12 December Half Marathon
I couldn’t have done this without the support of my forum buddies, encouraging me every step of the way! A few of them have left the forum now, but I still think of everyone who helped me and gave me advice, especially on the longer runs when I was building up to run a half marathon. I’m truly grateful for that advice.
I remember W5 R3. We were all so worried about it! After I completed it, someone on the forum (now left) said ‘I’m proud of you, Jools’. It was such a lovely thing to say. Perhaps I needed someone to be proud of me again.
Others have told me that I am an inspiration to them. I love that, I’ve never been an inspiration to anyone before!
Now that I’m settled here at my Dad’s, I’ll work hard to get back to my former fitness and hope to run another half marathon when I am fitter. So far, I’ve only managed a 10K here. There are hills and slopes to cope with, which I’m finding challenging after running in the Fens, but I’m getting there and there’s no rush.
Keep on running, my lovely VRBs! 🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️😊👍
Julia
Written by
Jools2020
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Hi Jools, You are an inspiration - and we love reading your posts! I too am looking forward to getting back out there, eventually 😀 So, congratulations, enjoy it all, go for it...every time - and thank you for being you! All Best, Joe👍
I always love your run reports and your achievements have certainly been inspirational to me. I’m so sorry that you’ve been having such a bad time but it’s brilliant that you have found ways to get through. You’re even more inspirational to me now 😊
Keep going and I’m sure we’ll both get back to the longer runs soon.
A very inspiring post from you Jools2020, congratulations on completing your 5K run anniversary, runiversary for us runners, lovely photo of the place where you run, a nice country road with hardly any traffic on it, unlike some busy bus route A roads that some runners have to run along.
I think we all remember where we ran, running R3W5 and R3W9, just yesterday I ran on the same route as my graduation run.
Good luck for your training to run another 10 miles and Half Marathon 🏃🏾 👍.
What a lovely post and a fantastic runniversary 5k. You are an inspiration and should be proud of how much you’ve achieved in a year. You can do running, you can do living too. Happy running 🤗
Well done what a year 2020 for running great achievement. You’ve had your running to get you through all the difficulties and you’ve done brill. Sorry to hear your about second jag side effects so hopefully all good now . Keep going 👏😊
Happy Runniversary! It is so great to read how running has helped through challenging times. I feel the same, although my challenges are different. But it is so great to see how it supports so many of our needs and how we can share this with others on theses forums!
Brilliant! Huge congratulations! 🎉🥳🍾🎁🎈
Progressing from not running to HM is such an amazing achievement! I am in awe!
I agree, it helps us no matter what we are going through! I am amazed that I ran a half marathon and enjoyed every step of the way. When I started the last km and found the strength to finish strong I even felt emotional because the run would soon be over!
Jools that's such a lovely, honest post. I'm sure lots of people on here will be able to relate to what you have said.Those running achievements are pretty impressive!!
I hope 2021 will be a better year for you.
Thanks for all of your supportive comments on this forum.
Thank you, Liz 😊 I appreciate it. This forum is so supportive. It’s helped me through some dark times just as much as the running and I’m glad to pass on anything that I’ve learned myself; that helps me, too 🥰
You've got quite a story Julia, and you've done so well to get to this point! 👏👏👏 i know how you've been through it, i wasnt around when you started your c25k, but know just how it must have helped you with everything else going on! Sorry to hear about your post vacine reaction, was wondering why you'd not run for a bit, got my 2nd jab on 7th june. I'm trying to get some runs in, but life keeping me prety busy, i'm swimming too, so hopefully keeping the fitness going.Anyway, keep going Julia, with time, things will feel better, take care
Thank you, Peter. I’m definitely better with family around me. You are an inspiration, too, with how you’ve turned your life around! That second vaccination knocked me for six, I wasn’t expecting it, but all is OK now. I wasn’t pushing it on the run today, especially when I saw I was running in Zone 5 halfway through the run! I had to pull back a bit 😊
Thank you and good advice! I think my actual runniversary date is tomorrow as Instructor57 and I worked out we’d started on the same day; but it was sunny this morning and I wanted to run 😊
Wow! What an inspiring read Jools - you have been through so much and I have loved following your journey on here. You have also always been so supportive to others and I am sure you will run those longer distances again - they seemed to come quite naturally to you. Take care of you...and keep on running!🏃🏽♀️🙂x
That's some journey you've been on Julia, this was a really inspiring post to read. It shows your inner strength to have achieved all that you have done and all during a time of massive upheaval in your life. Lovely the sun popped out for the runniversary pic too 🙂
You are such a runspiration! Happy runniversary 🏃♀️.Looking forward to reading many more of your posts as you rebuild your distance over hills instead of on the flat.
Building on last year's strength both in your running and everything else that you have coped with.
Runspiration is a brilliant word isn't it.I can't take the credit for it unfortunately. I think ot was Comfortnotspeed I first saw referring to "runspo" _ I just wrote it in full.(I did tell them I was going to steal their word so I hope they don't mind!)🙂
Happy RunAnniversary to the most amazing, inspiring, strong, gorgeous half Marathon running friend ⭐️🌈🦄⭐️🌈🦄⭐️🌈🦄👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
You truly are such an inspiration, you have achieved so much personally and with your amazing running achievements⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ totally blown away by them local legend!!!. You should be incredibly proud of yourself 🌈🦄🌈🦄🌈🦄🌈🦄🌈🦄🌈🦄🌈🦄🌈🦄🌈🦄I feel so proud of you, I can honestly say you have always been such a total inspiration to me and have motivated and supported me so much , I think you are amazing and you have plenty of happy times and exciting new experiences to look forward too 🌈🌈🌈🦄You give so much to this forum and we are all so lucky to have you as our running friend. Hope you are treating yourself to something lovely to celebrate your special running anniversary, you certainly deserve it 💕💕💕💕💕💕Take care Wonder Woman 💪💪⭐️⭐️🏃🏻♀️🏃🏻♀️🥰🥰 always makes me giggle when you speed up when you see someone you know (so me) and still look gorgeous, when looking in the mirror before going out for your run, he he he always gives me a giggle thinking of that ☺️☺️☺️ and you.
Thank you so much, Rebecca, for your lovely words! I do appreciate your support too and your messages checking if I’m OK. 😊
I celebrated by having my hair done! I’ve found a reasonably priced visiting hairdresser, a friend of my brother and she came this afternoon. I may have persuaded her to start C25K! 😊 She cut my hair very nicely so next time I run I will smile as I check my gorgeousness in the mirror! 🥰
I still speed up if I meet another runner, even though I don’t know any round here. I can’t seem to help it.
Aww that is an absolute pleasure Julia, honestly you truly do inspire me so much.
Yaay fantastic that you have found another hair dresser and celebrated by getting your hair done, you will be looking even more gorgeous now, if that can be possible.
To have run a half marathon when you were going through such a difficult time is truly amazing. Take care of yourself and I hope you continue to find happiness from your running and in the rest of your life too. xx
Oh Jools that’s so lovely to read, it’s been quite a journey but you’ve been strong and you’ve found running helps such a lot. I love your posts and always look out for them Keep running keep posting, this forum is a wonderful place to keep up with our virtual friends
Well done and thank you so much for your reports and photos... so detailed I often feel like I'm travelling along the path with you through the ups and downs. Your acknowledgement of longer slower runs rather than speed encouraged me to do the same and I've had many good runs fired up by your words! And after everything 2020 threw at you, you now have hills to contend with.... wow my admiration grows apace! This running 'thing' is so good for us in so many different ways. Am obliged to cycle currently as my only permitted escape from the IC (due to dodgy knee) but haven't had any sort of 'buzz' from it (so far) - making me even more desperate to run again!!
Onwards and upwards - go you!! 👏 Keep running🏃♀️, smiling 😀😃😃 .... and posting - please!
Oh, thank you. I’m happy to hear that I’ve helped you! It took me a number of weeks pushing myself too hard before I realised that there was, for me, an alternative running path that I could follow and still succeed. I hope that you are soon able to run again, it’s no fun being on the IC. I’ll certainly keep posting. Take care 😊🏃♀️👍
Thank you, BF. I know that you’re having tough times, too and not running quite as much. Running helps us all through these times. I agree with your sentiment of a better 2021! Take care xx
Congratulations Julia. Happy Runniversary! Gosh, you've been on a roller coaster haven't you and are coming through stronger and, no doubt, wiser. You should be really proud of yourself.
I think one of the reasons this forum is so helpful is because we all have our reasons to run (some more than others) but we all understand the importance of running to our physical and mental health. And we can always offer sympathy and encouragement.
Here's to the next 5 years - may they see you more settled and running even stronger 😊
Hi JoolsIt was difficult reading your post through my tears!
So pleased that running has helped you through such an awful period in your life. It's true that when nothing else is right, a run - even a short one - helps us in so many ways.
As others have already said, you're inspirational.
Another single parent here, although my ex left 5 years ago now
Life after separation/divorce is a bit like C25K, first you do the baby steps, the "one minute" stuff - you feed the children, you wash the clothes, moving, and only the stuff that really needs to be done. As with C25K, it's the first "runs" that are the hardest.
Then you start on weeks 2-4, finding your routine, new shops, new organisation, maybe new route to work
Then comes week 5 - something big will come up, something you're not sure you can handle on your own, something that previously your ex may have done, or just a life situation that you feel ill-equipped to handle. But you trust in yourself and you do it - you feel so happy, - you did your 20 mins!
Then week 6, back to routine, but a bit more sure of yourself following your week 5 success, then the next crisis, where you doubt yourself again but manage anyway.
Then weeks 7-9 when you graduate - you realise how far you have come. Things that used to worry you before are now less daunting. You know that you still have some growing to do, but you realise that you CAN do it and you have done it.
I wish you well on your life journey and your running journey.
Thank you, backintime . This makes a lot of sense and it sounds like a tough journey you’ve been on. Those stages are very good and I really appreciate you taking the time to post. I’m going to study them more later when I have time. I’m sorry that you’ve been through such difficult times. I’m full of admiration for you. Maybe we’re all stronger than we think. xx
Oh, don't feel sorry for me - I was trying to encourage you - you can do it! Post divorce, post C25K - whatever - you are much, much stronger than you think!
Well done, just flipping, flipping well done. A similar thing happened with my marriage, and it is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to deal with. I’m very proud of you - and look at that list of amazing runs you’ve done! You’ve inspired me to try for 10 miles at some point in the future 😃! All the best 👍👏🏼👍🏃♀️👍👏🏼🏃♀️.
Thank you so much! And I’m happy to have inspired you! You’ve done 10K, you can do 10 miles. Of course you can. 10 miles is a wonderful distance. (Then, of course, you can’t run for 10 miles without thinking about the possibility of a half marathon) 😊 🏃♀️👍
What a lovely post. I continue to be surprised and a little humbled by some of the posts here. It seems to me that whilst you have had a really tough time you are bouncing back. Quite inspiring. Well done you!
Thank you johnm12. Overall I am bouncing back. Some days are hard. Hopefully I’ll get there eventually 😊. In the meantime, there’s running and there are hills.
What an inspiration! Indeed, not to flatter you.. but indeed am proud of your achievements! Your running is a natural antidepressant! So keep on it... things have a way of falling into place.. sometimes... congratulations!
Thank you 🥰 yes, running is definitely an antidepressant. If I could run for a few hours every day I could even dispense with the medication and counselling, I’m sure of it!! 😊 Here’s hoping for the ‘falling into place’ bit. Sometime soon would be good. I’m ready, bring it on!
Happy runniversary to you...I’m so glad that running has helped you so much with your ups and downs in life.
May you keep on finding joy with your running, and I’m sure it won’t be long until you’ve built up your fitness and heading for another HM. Those hills will help! 😂⛰
Wow to you! What an incredible amount you have achieved at such a difficult time in your life. Wow and double wow! Many congratulations! Just amazing! 🍾🥂👏🎉🏃🏻♀️🏅
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