Running

As a kid, I just couldn’t sit still. When I wasn’t running, I was kicking a ball (and running after it). I loved sports. At 15, however, I suffered two detached retinas, and after a long operation to save my sight I was told by doctors to give up all strenuous physical activity for the foreseeable future. Pretty life-changing for a teenager who loved sport. Two decades went by reserved for drinking, university, study, drinking, smoking, eating, travelling, parties, drinking (did I already mention that?) working and little else. Certainly not running.

Now in my forties, and like so many other middle-aged women, exercise has made a come back in my life. Most notably running. Once again I’m falling in love with it. Here’s why…

Running belongs to us all. Old, young, male, female, rich, poor, fit or fat, running has no boundaries. Running doesn’t care if you’re fast or slow, run short or long distances or something in between. Running is yours to own, it’s whatever you want it to be.

Running is affordable. There aren’t many sports in the world that require nothing more than a t-shirt, a pair of shorts, a good pair of trainers. Everything else is a luxury. Almost everyone can kit themselves out with the latest branded reflective, sweat-wicking, trendy gear.

Running is freedom. It doesn’t require a ticket, a pitch, anyone or anything else. Day or night, in sunshine or rain on roads or through fields. It’s the ability to put your shoes on and two minutes later be on your merry way. Running opens your lungs, your eyes and your mind. It sets you free from the worries of the world, your stresses and strains. For as long and as hard as you want to go, running will take you there.

You get to discover new places. Running gets you out of the house, out of your comfort zone and the more you do it, the more likely you are to want to discover new places. See new parts of your own town or take on a remote mountain trail. With so many gadgets available these days we can plot and run our way across pretty much anywhere.

I love running because it keeps me fit and healthy. I definitely get fewer colds and illnesses.

Since I started running, I’ve definitely experienced and benefited from positive mental health factors. It helps me to think and be more creative. In fact, there isn’t a run that goes by when I don’t return home and need to scramble for a piece of paper or my phone so that I can write or record new ideas and thoughts.