The one stop resource for women's running.

How I got into Running

Up until 2005 I held one simple belief about running and runners:
People that go out running must fall into one of two categories. Either they were born fit and are naturally great runners or they are totally mad!

At school I was not at all sporty. During cross country I ended up third from last out of 100 and dreaded school sports day every year. I was always one of the last few to be picked for school teams and rarely did any exercise outside of school. My passion for running all started with John

When I first met him in the autumn of 2004 he told me he was training for a half marathon. I listened intently as he told me about his training and the reasons why he enjoyed running. I found it very interesting but was adamant I would never be any good at it or enjoy it. 'I can't even run a mile!' I exclaimed.

In March I went with John to watch him run the Bath Half Marathon . I was very proud of him that day, particularly as his training had been hampered by injury, and that same morning he had cold-like symptoms and was considering calling the whole thing off. The atmosphere at Bath was amazing, and I guess I got the feeling then that I wanted a piece of the action myself.

One evening following the Bath Half we were out having a few drinks and discussing running. Due to excessive alcohol intake I cannot recall the exact details of the conversation, but I remember declaring I was going to enter and train for the Bristol Half Marathon. I decided to run in aid of Dorothy House, the charity that helped my Dad and my family during his illness.

In the cold light of the next morning, the realisation of what I had promised dawned on me. Having never run before many thoughts clouded my mind:

What if I can't run? What if I injury myself? How will I find time to train? What if I don't enjoy it? What if I have to run in the rain or cold? 13.1 miles is such a long way!

Despite the doubts I was determined to honour my promise and entered the race a few days later. In fact, I think the worries I had made me more persistent, as it seemed like such a huge challenge, that to complete it would be an amazing achievement.

The training started in April and I have been hooked ever since!
See How I Got Started for details of my first runs.

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