It’s my two year runniversary today

Two years ago today, at the age of 70, on a dark windy evening in hilly Chipping Norton, I wheezed, panted and generally struggled my way through week 1 run 1 of couch to 5k. I staggered home, my face a mixture of lurid red and white, sides heaving, head spinning. It was a triumph for me as serious injuries to my left leg had brought my running to a halt in my late teens, and it was 50 years before a change in medical opinion meant I was able to start running again.

It’s been an amazing two years. The support from these forums has made a huge difference to me. I’ve done things I never dreamed I would do, culminating in completing Oxford half marathon this month; and being able to share the stages and bounce ideas and experiences off my friends here, has made the journey much richer. Especially this year when we’ve had a major town to town house move, a death in the family, Alzheimer’s in the family and also terminal cancer in the family, the loss of a beloved cat and the other one slipping gradually downhill towards death. Running has kept me up, enthused and connected with life.

The photo montage shows just a few of the wonderful experiences I’ve had.

I shall share this across Marathon and Race, Bridge to 10k and c25k, mainly to encourage others on the path - which has been one of my main reasons for all my posts. C25k people, public races are not obligatory: most of my runs are for fun, many off road taking photos, so if that’s your aim too, it’s a very satisfying route to take.

Not sure how this got tagged with gastroentorostomy - what even is that??!!

[LeeU Graduate]

Great post, great achievement.

[Hidden in reply to LeeU]

Thank you x

[Couchpotato2 Graduate]

haha, good tag???

A wonderful read and I was surprised to see your age, you always seem so full of beans so clearly running is good for a positive and active life I am so pleased you started this journey 2 years ago, it cant have been easy but you have achieved so much now and you look so happy in all the photos. Happy 2nd Birthday!

[Hidden in reply to Couchpotato2]

Thank you. Running is my passion xx

[SueAppleRun Graduate]

What a great post congratulations on your 2 yr runniversary you are an inspiration to us all

[Hidden in reply to SueAppleRun]

Thank you. Keep on running😊❤️

[Annieapple Graduate]

Love both your montage & inspiring post! Feel for you in those multiple losses and sadnesses. How amazing that your passion for life is also your solace in time of need! Running truly adds something very special to our lives! Thanks for sharing & we pray that your adventures keep you going for many more decades! 💐🏃‍♀️🥰

[Hidden in reply to Annieapple]

Thank you so much 😊❤️ I intend to still be running when I’m 100, if I haven’t fallen off my perch by then! 😂

[Annieapple Graduate in reply to Hidden]

🤣✅

[Katnap Graduate]

🎉👏👏👏🎉

Awesome! I got the impression you had been running for donkeys years!

Maybe the word heaving attracted the gastro tag...?

🐱 Katnap 🐱

[Hidden in reply to Katnap]

It FEELS like years 😂😂😂😂

Abi says the tag is to do with Alzheimer’s xx

[Katnap Graduate in reply to Hidden]

I bow to Abu's superior knowledge!

And to your amazing progress!

🐧🐧

I couldn't find the emoticon for bowing so a couple of stooping penguins will have to suffice! 😅

[Hidden in reply to Katnap]

That made me literally laugh out loud. Penguins it is then- and thank you! At my age, if I bow I generally topple over 🤪

[DeterminedSilver Graduate]

Wow ! Lovely post . Gives me hope to do and achieve more as I am 70 too .

What a lot you have endured but i’m Sure your running has helped enormously to counter it a bit .

Inspiring 👏🏻🏆🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️💪

[Hidden in reply to DeterminedSilver]

Keep going, I’m heading for 73 now and still going strong. A man of 71 won one of the recent marathons (phew, lots of ones in that sentence!). Running is a gift that keeps giving. It’s certainly helped me through this year xx

[Hidden in reply to DeterminedSilver]

Wow, and just read your profile and that you just graduated! Well done, and with phybro- that’s awesome xx

[Buddy34 Graduate]

Congratulations FlickM3, I had read your post on the marathon forum . You are amazing . Many more happy running years ahead of you. 😊😊😊

[Hidden in reply to Buddy34]

Thank you 😊 I would like to do a marathon but I don’t know if my knee would hold up xx

[Buddy34 Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Would you consider the training for a marathon just to see?😊

[Hidden in reply to Buddy34]

It wouldn’t really work that way if I did hr training again, as it was time not distance based. I’m chasing up getting an MRI on my knee on the advice of my doctor, and see if they can do anything.

[Buddy34 Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Good luck with getting an mri and hope you get your knee sorted 😊

[Hidden in reply to Buddy34]

Thank you. If not, I shall just keep running on it as running has strengthened it

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

Happy Runniversary my dear Flick...an inspiration to us all...xxxx

[Hidden in reply to Oldfloss]

Thank you. You’re one heck of an inspiration yourself Ms Not Snail xxx

[Wenderwoo Graduate]

Super post, so inspirational!

[Hidden in reply to Wenderwoo]

Thank you xx

[Fabulous450 Graduate]

Aah what a lovely post Flick!!🤗 You have been a tremendous inspiration! And being so bright and colourful when you’ve experienced many challenges, makes you even more incredible in my eyes!! Congratulations on the 2 year Runniversary of an outstanding VRB! 🤩🤗❤️

[Hidden in reply to Fabulous450]

Thank you lovely. You’re very inspiring yourself - and colourful. Long may you keep posting xx 💋

[Fabulous450 Graduate in reply to Hidden]

🤗 You too Flick! 😍❤️

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

You are a great advert for C25K, Hidden

Keep running, keep smiling.

[Hidden in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thank you 😊 I intend to do both for the foreseeable future x

[Hidden in reply to IannodaTruffe]

PS: it was the great support on this specific forum that kept me going in those early days, when I was stressing about running three minutes without stopping! 😊

[Clairecandothis Graduate]

Flick your writing! 'Enthused and connected to life' ❤ You have just put into words why most of us run but so much more beautifully than I could! Happy 2 years day! (Or happy 2 years and 1 day....) I honestly thought you had been running longer!

A tough year but you ran your way through it. Xxx

[Hidden in reply to Clairecandothis]

Thank you Claire 😊❤️ The key to writing is to write as you would speak, put down what you feel. Anyway, your marathon report was a brilliant piece of writing.

Honestly, it feels like much more than two years. Running keeps me sane 😀 xxx

[Clairecandothis Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Thank you.

Me too! Most definitely 😁😁 xx

[Getfitok Graduate]

You are a total inspiration 😊

[Hidden in reply to Getfitok]

Thank you very much 😊❤️

[Oldgal68 Graduate]

Hi Hidden

Well done on your HMarathon, I’ve been lurking around and following your achievements over the past while and silently cheering you on, so very well done. You are a real influencer and as I turn 70 soon I have been heartened to keep going by your experiences. Sunday week I will be attempting a self-navigated walking trail half marathon and even though I worked through C25K and Bridge to 10K I now find that I don’t have the necessary running breath. Buuuut, I can Jeff/walk forever, so if my running days are curtailed slightly, the desire to get out there in nature and move certainly isn’t, and what else certainly isn’t is the certainty that what you and other senior runners can achieve is up for grabs. Keep doing what you’re doing Flick and let us know what’s possible.

[Hidden]

Thank you!

Nothing wrong with jeffing! Breathing can be a problem for me too, which is one reason I can run fast but not for long. I find an inhaler before I go out helps, and it’s better in summer. Getting out in nature is what it’s all about , and my favourite runs are always off road. I love races at Blenheim because they combine a race with amazing scenery and wildlife xxx

[DrBunny]

My goodness, what an inspirational post, thank you for sharing this! After dealing with shin splints I needed a bit of a push to go back out, and your post did just that!

[Hidden in reply to DrBunny]

I’m really glad if I helped you get back out there. Thank you. I used to get mild shin splints when I ran hills all the time - not bad enough to stop me running but painful sometimes. Hope yours are ok now.