24th April 2019 I heard about C25K for the first time. And so the journey began.
I've always ran a bit here and there, but not for a long while and after Willow fell over it a few times he persuaded me to sell my treadmill. He did the same with my bike too 🤣🤣🤣 after one particularly painful night when the bike took him down and then leaped on top of him he declared that with no outside storage the bedroom wasn't big enough for treadmills, bikes and us!!!
Anyway.. ..that first run was an eye opener, I sounded like a sick steam train, whistling and wheezing, he was bent double with his hands on his knees gasping for breath .
On 26th April I left work telling everyone I was going for a run! By the time I'd driven the whole mile home I'd decided maybe not today, maybe tomorrow, I walked in the door and with a hug, kiss and cup of tea he said "you can drink your tea while you change". In the early days he was so much more enthusiastic than me.
Over time we learned to slow down and by run 3 week 9 our slow was faster than our fast was in the beginning .
The trials and tribulations of life were interspersed with the all important runs, milestones, 5k, 10k and eventually 10 miles.
Last year my world collapsed, the support I received here totally overwhelmed me. I tried to run and couldn't, on top of everything I'd caught COVID! And am certain it left some lung damage this time around because my runs got slower and shorter with more and more walk breaks.
Enter the wonderful Jools2020 with the suggestion to slow right down, run to heartrate zones and over the last 3 months I've built distance albeit at slower than walking pace but slowly I feel I'm becoming stronger again and don't take walk breaks on longer runs.
Thank you all my very special VRB's and those I've met at various parkruns and of course The New Forest last September.
I doubt without this forum I'd have kept running and kept smiling.
I won't be back on the forum today because I'm off for a long drive to look at a couple of bungalows, one of which hopefully will become my new home 😄
Run happy or rest well, 😄 xx
Written by
SueAppleRun
Graduate10
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oh my gosh I have a huge lump in my throat reading this - your journey has been amazing and so inspiring. There are always up and downs in life but you have kept going throughout it all. I’m on a bit of a comeback at the moment and am looking at dipping by toe in the Bridge - I think you have just persuaded me to go for it!
I really hope you find your forever bungalow today too! 🤞🏼
it has always been a joy to have you on this forum and sharing with us all of your journeys. You are a true inspiration SueAppleRun.Thank you for sharing.
🍏Sue I am in bits as I read your post this morning! I used to LOVE your posts about your adventures with Willow & so looked forward to them! Along with Tim & others you were SO encouraging to me in my early days & were part of the reason I hung in there! I am still learning from you! Your huge loss and how you have turned it round into something beautiful and positive by continuing to find new and different ways to be you! Your incredible comeback to running, your gentle answers & encouragement on the forums inspire me. Now there is an exciting adventure ahead… the possibility of a new home 🏡 aSueApple Bungalow!! I am sure we are in for lots of stories and beautiful photographs! Sue please keep running & keep smiling! You are a treasure on our forums! Xxxx
What an incredible journey you have been on and you have come through it. It brings a lump to my throat. Here’s to the future and good luck house hunting, a new step forward. X
Beautiful, deeply moving and inspiring journey. How you've turned pain around to inspire others - including myself - is at least as impressive as the running itself. Thank you. ❤️
Happy Runniversary! Your posts have always been an inspiration to me, SueAppleRun ! Our running “intensity” flexes as we get older and we adapt it to different situations, and long may that continue,
There was a moment in time in my 4 year runnjng journey where I thought I’d never be able to build up to longer distances again. I thought, my body might just not be up for it.
But it was posts like yours, that demonstrated the slow but gritty perseverance that helped me through the tough patches.
Running intensity ebbs and flows, and long may that continue for all of us. It certainly doesn’t get boring!
A very happy Runniversary, and may you find a new home with plenty of running routes right from its doorstep!
Woohoooo SueAppleRun what a lovely post and I love the picture. The sun starting to break over the clouds is really powerful. You run your way, at your pace and with your goals. Wishing you well in every step 😊
Absolutely love this post. A very happy runniversary to you. You’ve come so far with so many happy and sad times, and running has been there for it all. So lucky to have you here as a massive inspiration ❤️
Wishing you masses of luck finding your new home ❤️
You’ve done so well to get through the challenges of the past few years, especially the loss of Willow. I’m so glad the forum has helped you to keep smiling, at least sometimes, and that you’ve kept posting for your virtual and real friends and neighbours on here. I hope you will find great running locations and supportive friends and neighbours in a lovely new bungalow home.. l will look forward to reading about how you get on with your search.
Hope the home search goes well and Happy happy Runniversary to you...
Oh my, what a journey you have had. I remember when you and Willow began...and all that has gone in between now and then, so so much has changed, but you have come through with strength and determination.
You are an integral part of this forum, and I and we, wish you many more happy runs here. x Thank you for being here.
Ahh, happy runniversary SAR. Such a tumult of memories to process there. But what a lot of amazing things you have achieved, and five years on you are still one very determined runner. Willow would be so very proud of you - as are all your lovely VRBs. As someone special once said, keep running, keep smiling 🥰
Congratulations on your Runniversary. You have had quite a journey and you are always a source of inspiration to many if us. Your encouragement has kept me going at times. I hope you find your dream home today x
Thank you for that lovely post. How honest, moving and inspiring . You write so well. Congratulations on all those runs !
I hope that you either found the home that you know you would be happy in or you felt certain that neither was for you. It takes viewing a few places to get a good idea of what you really are looking for. I also hope that when you find it there is a good running route nearby. Good searching if yesterday did not find the answer immediately.
Happy Runniversary for yesterday. Almost exactly a year after me! I have followed your running journey from the start and it was so lovely to run with you last summer. Good luck with the bungalow hunting. Does this mean new running routes await discovery? xx
Like others here, I loved your posts because of the tender way you wrote about Willow - and how tender he was with you. Lovely, mellow, loving posts - thank you.
Happy runniversary Sue. You’ve had one heck of a time of it, but you’ve soldiered on, inspiring others along the way. ❤️
Mudita11 said you were hoping to run Somerdale Pavilion (Curly Wurly) at some point. Is that still a possibility before you move? Let me know if so; it’s so much fun? 🤞
Happy Runniversary, Sue! A lovely write up from you. Looking at the above posts, you’ve been busy inspiring many people on the forum - including me, so here’s to continuing to inspire each other with our running! xx
I've been reading your posts since I started running in 2020 by which time you were a seasoned runner! I have always found your posts positive and inspiring even in those dark days last year. I hope you find the bungalow you are looking for to act as your starting point for the next 5 years of 🏃♀️
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Start to run - treadmill
It’s all about running today. Me and some ultras.
Cool start but beautiful finish