I started running seriously back in January 2022, and since about 6 weeks ago I would never dream of actually running outside away from they safety of a treadmill. My anxiety of 'how others would see me' and the fear of people staring or heckling me whilst i struggled to drag my overweight body along was enough to keep me locked firmly inside a gym.
I know some people have fear of the gym as well, but for me it has never been an issue and was my safe space for a long time. It wasnt until around June this year that I started trying to get my 4 year old into running in an attempt to motivate myself. So I took her along to her first junior park run which she loved and we have been attending every sunday since.
Attending the park run and running around with my daughter, as well as getting to know some of the volunteers, i slowly started to get more comfortable with people seeing me running. As i slowly realised that nobody actually cared what i was doing and no one was particularly interested in me at all, that is when a switch went off inside me. I promised myself I would start attending the saturday 5k parkrun. And i have to admit, it did take a couple of weeks of false starts to actually turn up. But eventually I beat my anxiety and got out the door a few weeks ago and attended my local parkrun's 500th event. I have no finished 3 parkrun's achieving a pb and closing in on a sub 30 min ( which is a massive deal for me considering back in January of 2022 I could barely run for 30 seconds)
Attending parkrun has now even motivated me to get out and do my training runs outside, and you know what, it feels great! I feel confident running outside and most of the time when i pass people I get a big smile and a nod of appreciation and the occasional good morning.
jumping on the tread for the occasional run now, and I wonder how I ever enjoyed doing this week in week out. There is such a massive difference between indoor and outdoor running and for me it was a bit of a shock how foreign it felt to my muscles when i first started outdoor.
This post has been longer than intended, but I guess what I'm getting at is this: yes the thought of going outside was scary at first, but my training and running has benefitted ten-fold. And not just my training, my confidence has had a boost and I have made some bew friends in the process.
This post is for anyone in a similar situation to me, if you are struggling to get outside, don't be so hard on yourself - people are more accepting than our brains make us believe. And once you get that bug for it, you will wish you had started sooner.
Written by
TormundsBeard
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Just wonderful! Took you a couple of weeks of false starts to run Parkrun? Took me a couple of years to pluck up courage to run with others. The gift of running is the best gift you can give yourself and especially your daughter.
Thank you for reading! And congratulations for overcoming the fear yourself! I see if as enjoy the journey, over the destination, and those struggles can only make us stronger!
🍏👏Well done to you for overcoming very real issues. This will encourage many who feel like you did! Thanks for sharing your story with us! Love that photo! What a cutie pie she is, and you are building fabulous memories and giving her the gift of running! Fantastic!
Such a brilliant and encouraging read. I started when you did-Jan last year. You’ve got so much to look back and be proud of and it’s wonderful that you’ve been able to start another phase of your running journey with venturing outdoors and enjoying parkruns.
I’m really excited to see where you go next! Thank you so much for sharing your story…so far! ❤️❤️❤️
I think most of us had anxiety about being seen outside trying to learn to run and were fearful of all sorts of things we perceived might/could/would happen I didn’t tell anyone 😎. My biggest fear was wearing Lycra run pants 😱.
I’m glad you found Parkrun It’s amazing isn’t it! Lovely that you can spend time with your daughter having fun in the great outdoors. There’s nothing finer 👌
Congratulations for getting out there. Your post is great and I am sure there will be a few people that read it and decide to try running outdoors too!
Running really shifts how one sees one body, doesn’t it! I am wearing vests now, colourful leggings and care much less then when I started 3 years ago about what other people think in regards to my running!
I do run only outside, but haven’t made it to Parkrun yet! 🤣
Hope running continues to inspire you both! It certainly has me!
Extremely well done and inspiring post. You’ve nailed it. There is something wonderful about parkrun. It is so inclusive. My local parkrun has everything from a super speedy 17 minute runner to a 1 hour walker. There is a guy who does it in a wheelchair and people who have special needs. Young children and runners and walkers in their 80’s. And no one cares. The support is the same for everyone.
I have done 147 parkruns now and they are the only reason why I’m still running. I’ve gone from 45 minutes to 25 minutes and back again. I don’t really care about pace so much anymore. I just enjoy getting out there and running in my own way. Enjoy the journey.
I've loved reading your post. And so good to hear that you are loving running, but especially getting outside! Nature is the best therapy!! It can be so difficult to get over the psychological barriers we place on ourselves and I'm sure your story will inspire others.
I live opposite the park and watched people in the park run run past my living room window for about 4 years before I plucked up the courage to give this a go myself!!! I was a total non runner then and now run 2-3 times a week.😊
Thats amazing to hear!! I love sharing my running journey, but I equally love hearing other peoples unique pathways into the sport. Thank your for reading and sharing and best of luck going forward - keep it up!
Well done I have never used a treadmill as I’m far too mean to pay gym fees and I am also lucky to live near the beach and some beautiful areas to run. I used to go out in the dark to ensure nobody could see me but after a while realised when I was out in daylight hours I barely noticed any runners and certainly wasn’t judging them other than applauding their efforts so I now trot off in the sunshine and don’t care what anyone thinks. Still haven’t done a park run but that’s because I’m never up in time which is a whole other issues!
Such a good post, anxiety can be such a limiting force upon us to truly live our lives. I was so similar only going running at 6am in winter & 5 in summer to avoid people. But they don’t care! They have their own things going on. Yesterday I ran at lunch time, loads of people about & it was a thrill. Thank you for a great post
A great post from you. As a fellow anxiety sufferer I’m always keen to read success stories of others and how they are dealing with their anxieties!
I think that concern about what others think of us when they see us running is a very common one. I so wanted to wear Lycra shorts and sleeveless tops when I started running. I’m nearly 70 and thought no way would people want to see my legs! I wore the shorts, but only at 5am when I thought no one could see me.Like you, I discovered that nobody cared, or even noticed. What they see is someone out running, trying to keep fit. It was still only after a year of running that I managed to wear a vest top! Now, I don’t care what I wear or who sees me. It’s liberating 😊
Anxiety about going to park run lasted for almost 3 years. I have managed it now and just loved it. I’d like to make it a regular thing, but I’ve just been busy 😊. I know I won’t feel anxious next time I go. I’ve also joined a running club, so I’ve satisfied the need to run with others. I can’t even tell you what it felt like sitting in the car waiting for them the first time I went a couple of months ago! My heart rate was through the roof. So glad I did it though.
As with all my anxieties, once I overcome them I always wonder why on earth I was anxious in the first place!
Love the photos you’ve shared of you running with your daughter.
Fabulous post. I had false starts with running for slightly different reasons but this year I’ve also got into parkrun and am trying to clock up silly statistics with the 5k app to keep myself motivated. I am super impressed that your time is so fast so quickly - tips? I managed under der 32 once but am back to a ploddy 35 or so most weeks. Still - at least we’re out there, eh 🙂. Off to volunteer with set up at my local run shortly so I can run too. Enjoy if you’re going with your daughter today and thanks again for the lovely post.
Thanks for reading appreciated! Don't really have any tips just consistency i go 3-4 a week without fail and try to be mindful of my running form and cadence. Cadence drills have been good for improving my speed!
I will be going this morning also ! Have a good one !
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week3run1 ✅. 3 x 17 mins with 1 min walks. 
