What a year it has been for my running. Starting out on 11.11.19, I never thought I'd fall in love with running and what it brings.
We were short at work for a 4 person team to run the Hull Marathon in 2020 (subsequently cancelled) and they needed someone for a 5 mile leg so I said, 'I'll do it' and from that November afternoon I went home, looked up how to start running and saw C25k. Now I can run that Marathon on my own. I've had all the ups and downs running brings but I never use the word failure, rather what worked well and what could/can I do differently?
I'm pretty humble by nature but reaching certain milestones along the way has been heartening.
I still consider myself a novice runner and love learning from others. People on the forum make it what it is. Looking on here to support others and be genuinely interested in them is a big thing for me.
I think my biggest achievement is being consistent. I've not ever not wanted to go out there and haven't lacked motivation. It's part of me now.
There is so much advice out there but I do what works for me and run by feel and try and run relaxed. If I go out thinking 5 but do 15 it's ok, if I fancy 10 and stop at 7 it's ok too. All my runs have been invaluable in where I am now. When I lace up and go I enter my world for a while. No stress, pressure, comparisons or anxieties. I run because I want to, for me and for my soul.
I hope you all feel a similar joy to me. I run on my own, nearly always without music or sound and the mindful aspect of running draws me in. I can go fairly far or fairly fast if I like but all that matters is that I go. I don't look at any run as good or bad but rather as an experience.
Love this quote, 'I write a story everytime I run. The road is my pad, I am the pen and the running is the ink.'
Tonight after work I'll run my 5m loop around part of the Humber with a big smile.
If there was an award for the most improved rookie runner ever, in the whole wide world, it would be you GTFC! Seriously, C2M in a year? Unbelievable! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Not only that, you’re a thoroughly wonderful forum member too. Always encouraging, always friendly, and you take time to reply to everyone!
Your love of running and all that it does for you shines through in this post. Always positive. You are an inspiration to others and deserve the joy you receive each time you go out. Happy Runniversary!
Happy runniversary GTFC. Its absolutely amazing what you've achieved in a short space of time . You really have taken to running ' like a duck to water' as the saying goes.
Congratulations and I hope you have a great run today to celebrate 👏💪🥳🥳
Happy runniversary GT 🎊🎉🎈🏅 you’ve done an amazing amount in your year! Your joy of running shines through and I absolutely agree with everything you say.
I’m looking forward to see what the next year brings you and reading all about it.
What a wonderful post, you really are an encourager to inspire all every time you are on this fabulous forum. Fantastic attitude to where you want to be on your runs long or short. Congratulations on your running journey. Celebrate in style
Happy first Runniversary GTFC and what a year you have had, you are smashing it. 🥳🎊🎉🏅🏆🏃🏃♂️🏃♀️
And thank you for sharing your post but also for always being so positive about running, not only your own but everyone else's too, it really is infectious. Thank you too for being so encouraging and supportive, you have certainly helped me get out of the door on days when I just don't feel it and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
Congratulations on a truly phenomenal year and here's to many more. I certainly think you should have a glass (or 2) of red tonight when you return from your runniversary run 🍷🍷👏💪🎉🥳🎊
I really will!! It's my downfall!! 🍷👀. Thank you very much. Really appreciate this. I'd rather go than not go and wonder. The peace of mind it affords is wonderful.
Well done GTFC, that’s an amazing year you’ve had! 👏👏
Hopefully we can start running organised events again in 2021. That’s a whole new experience and one I really miss, particularly my Parkrun ‘fix’ every Saturday morning🏃♂️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♂️
That's so interesting and definitely something to look forward to for you. I've never ran a Parkrun or event before. Just on my own really. Still...never say never!
You are just going to love parkrun GTFC, I promise.
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Be careful GTFC ok I've only attended two or three with working silly shifts, from running in my own space to being thrown into a 314 strong crowd, it's a little hectic 🙄
Congratulations on your first anniversary of running, amazing what you have achieved in your first runniversary year, onwards and upwards to year 2. 😊 🏃🏾
With a wink and a smile, well said GTFC, today is the 11th of the 11th, so this morning I decided that I would run a 11K, which I did, during the run a walker shouted at me "you are doing well" I thanked him and continued my run, that comment made my run even better. 😊 🏃🏾
Thank you so much. You know, I felt just the same finishing a marathon as I do a 5 mile run. My enjoyment comes from the whole experience. Getting dressed for running, all the kit on and then that turn of the door handle because what's on the other side is for me to discover and I just love it. The run itself is my gift to myself 😃
You needn't be humble, you are brilliant! This is such a wonderful post, especially the obvious joy it gives you and the quote.
You give a lot if support to us on the forums which makes a big difference and is dearly appreciated!
Think I need to do an anniversary post but I think I started a year and 2 weeks ago! Older, slower and more creaky than you, but who would have thought I would still be progressing slowly a year on and have built running in as an essential part of my entire being!
Love this...'who would have thought I would still be progressing slowly a year on and have built running in as an essential part of my entire being!'...If I'm where you are in a year from now then I'll be made up. Love the use of the word 'essential' here. It's such a wonderful thing to be able to do 🙂
You have made such amazing progress over the last year. I agree that the beauty of solo running is being able to do what works for you and allowing you to experience the mindfulness that can come with running.
Happy Runniversary GTFC! What a year you've had, filled with so many milestones and a great attitude about it all. I like how it's not about always trying to be faster but just enjoying the run for what it is, however far it may be. I wonder if that is part of what brought your successes. Using HR training for myself now, I'm hoping to stop worrying so much about pace and see what comes of it.
Thank you. I've learned so much and always feel there's more out there to discover. Yes for me, mainly I enjoy starting my watch then running a bit to check it's working and I don't look at it until the end of the run. The HRR post from you and Delly Dot has been so beneficial!
Fantastic post GTFC!! You’ve are so amazing!! I absolutely agree with the run for yourself. I definitely enjoy all the inspiration and advice, it’s wonderful and motivating. And equally, I’m not that fussy about how the run goes, as long as I go. I just enjoy it and all it’s variety 😂!
You’ve had so many amazing achievements. Massive well done to you!! Happy runniversary! 🤩🤗❤️
Congratulations GTFC; all of that progress in 12 months is nothing short of amazing; and you still find time to say”well done “ to the rest of us. Fantastic; 👏👏👏👏👏👏🥂
I think cheekychipmunks puts it perfectly in reply. What an absolutely awesome runner you are and one of the best and most supportive forum members too. Here have another trophy 🏆 you deserve them both!!
Happy runniversary GTFC! You are an absolute inspiration and so supportive of everybody on the forum. I just love reading your posts; they are always so positive. Now, if only you supported a decent footy team 😂😂😂
Happy Runniversary. I can’t believe that you have only been running a year GTFC! You have done absolutely brilliantly in that time and you have also been a great support to many people on all the forums (or should I say fora?). Congratulations
Wow, what a post. Being a newbie to running I had no idea you have been doing it for just a year. I presumed from your amazing achievements you were a seasoned pro!!! Huge congratulations on your 1st runniversary and thank you for your support to us all on these wonderful forums, you are an inspiration.👍👍👏👏⭐️⭐️
Thank you so much. Still learning everyday. Consistency is the key to it all for me 🙂
Good job there GTFC 👍, inkpen, pad and a pot of ink, there's some fluent running poetry in them there legs....... An excellent journey through where you began, to where you've got to, BRAVO 🏆
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Thank you my man. Here's to another year hopefully!!
Great post, and what a journey you’ve had, it sounds like you’re a born natural when it comes to running, certainly an ambassador and an inspiration to what can be achieved when you put your mind to it. I’m grateful for your help and support and if you consider yourself a novice...I must be a newborn 👶 😂 ....keep running and keep posting 👍🏃♂️
Wow what a fantastic post, congratulations on a whole year of running. Thank you for all of your support on this forum, you have motivated me a lot too throughout this past year. Congratulations, you are a real runner!
Congratulations - that's an awesome achievement! I agree with you about the consistency - often the biggest hurdle is just getting out there & running, even though you may not feel like it (at least to start with), but it's part of my life now & I love being able to do it. Here's to lots more happy runs for you 🎉🎉🍾👏🏻👏🏻
Belated Happy Runniversary GTFC! What a great post and what a journey. The number of replies is a testament to your positive and encouraging contributions to us all on the forum 🙂
Wow what an great, inspiring, post to read. Amazing all you have achieved in a year, I see you have your Marathon badge, congratulations, your weekly stats are fantastic, wow 30 miles a week!!
Wow, brilliant. What an incredible achievement and to hear your love of running is inspirational. I love to run without music as well and I seem to get lost in my own head.
I never thought I would ever say this but I love running too!!!
A-M-A-ZING AWESOME INSPIRATIONAL what a great runner you are. Belated happy runniversary GTFC I too didnt realise that you had only been running for such a short length of time. Thank you for all your support over the past year I’m sure I would have floundered had you not been so enthusiastic And helpful. May you enjoy Many more years of happy running 🤸🏻🤸🏻🤸🏻🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️💥💥💥🏅🏅🏅🌈🌈🌈🎂🎂🎂and enjoy your glass of red 🍷
Thank you so much. Remember 'we're in this together' so we'll keep out there and keep smiling because running is something never to be taken for granted 😊😊😊
Well done you! Great post! I completely identify with your sentiments. Happily our ‘run art’ is now evident on our tracking apps so we have something to look at later!
Great post, and it's just amazing how far you have progressed with your running in 1 year. Like others I just assumed you had been running forever lol. 🤣
Your posts / replies are always very supportive and I enjoy reading them. 👍
Great post and just delightful to read. C2M - really is amazing! You’re such an inspiration and such a warm encourager. Great progress, great achievement, Dean of the Road 🕺🕺🏃🏻♂️🏃🏻♂️!
That’s a great post GTFC. It’s brilliant how much you love running- it must seem weird to think that just over a year ago this big part of your life didn’t even exist!! Ultra next?!! 😀
Could you be coming down with something? I've only been zone 3 training for 8 weeks so there's still plenty of little walks taking place as needed but around 2 weeks ago I felt great heading out but my HR was all over the place, really high within minutes and I gave up after 2.5K coz I was spending most of my time walking. Around 36 hours later I started with a heavy cold and think it was that...things are only now starting to settle so I can now run the majority again without my heart being dramatic!
If not, maybe your heart is telling you to have a few days rest 🤷♀️
Good luck getting things back to where they were 🤞
Yeah 😶 It just sky rockets after a mile. I’m running dead slow at 7 min ks, much slower than before, yet I’m in zone 4 and sometimes 5 and that’s with HRR! I can’t understand it. I’m hoping I’ve had coronavirus without knowing and I’ve got lingering after effects, but I don’t think that’s likely 😶
Edit - actually when I look back, it’s mid October when it all started going wrong.
That must be so blummin frustrating, I can only imagine!
I can sometimes run most of the time and others I feel I have to walk around a third, it's certainly challenging for me but as I said, I'm only 8 weeks in and I've read for some it can take up to 6 months to feel the full benefit.
I'll be really disappointed if it doesn't fully work for me as it takes such a lot of time and patience...I was back to HM before I started and now much more than 5-6K has me walking every 30 seconds. But as long as it works I know I can build up the stamina and distance again 🤞
I hope it sorts itself out for you, maybe being back in work is more of a change for your body that you realise...there's got to be some reason your hearts misbehaving when you were doing so amazingly?!
Thank you. I’m a teacher so it could well be that. I’m not sure. There’s got to be some explanation. It has taught my body to use fat for fuel though. I used to have 2-3 gels on a half marathon. Now I could do one without fuel, although I have one for the last 5-6 k. It’s weird. It ‘did’ work. I’ll see what happens 😶 Good luck to you too 😊
Belated happy anniversary to you GTFC I hope it was everything you wished for. Many thanks for all the support you give and you so deserve the rewards that running is bringing to you. Run happy 🏃♀️😁🤗
Happy belated runniversay GTFC, and thanks for the continued support and inspiration! I’m adopting your tactics, tracking my run but not focus on stats until Ive finished. I’m learning to enjoy running in the moment and have a rough distance goal. Your support is greatly appreciated, and your passion for running is infectious🏃🏽♀️🏅🎉 thank you
PS when do you count your runniversary? Is it from
The day you started C25K or graduated? Or first 5K or other lol. I’m noting all my dates but not sure when I started “running” if you know what I mean 🤷🏻♀️
I've only been looking on here very recently and only just stumbled across your wonderful post. Happy belated runniversary Hidden !
I didn't realise you were so new to running - I'm in awe of how far you have come on this journey in such a short time.
Your love of running shines through in everything you say. and your advice, unconditional support and encouragement of others is much appreciated by all.
It was you who taught me the importance of consistency - and this is what I have tried to achieve above all else. I've also more recently started to run by feel, letting my run evolve organically. Often now I only check my watch towards the end of a run, or sometimes not at all until afterwards. I think I've learned a lot about how to pace myself by doing this and I think I know now what my "comfy" pace is. Thank you for this!
I hope you had a good Christmas, wherever you were and whoever you managed to be with, and I wish you a very Happy New Year and many wonderful miles in 2021.
Thank you so much. I've just managed a really good end to the year. I set a 10k PB (51.55) last week and have gone over 1000 running miles for the year. My runs and routines don't change and I've kept it the same over Christmas. Just recently I've felt really comfy with my running and in fact with all my runs. The reason I'm saying this is that all those runs, all those 1%'s add up. Keep going, keep running, don't ever be disheartened by a run or performance because each one is as important. Just pop it in the cooking pot and keep simmering. Next year is your year for running with so many new memories to make. Keep on keeping on 🙂
Thanks for that. You are so right of course - in a way I think it's the bad runs that make us grow more as runners.I was just looking in my Garmin account and I've run a total of 393km since 7th August (when I got my watch) - that's ~245 miles. Not quite in your league, but I'm reasonably chuffed with that.
Congratulations on your 10k PB - that's a pretty impressive time 👏👏👏
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