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My Running Journey - Part 1 - Being Honest

So, i have a confession to make, i am terrible at running, and whilst i don't mean LITERALLY terrible at the action of running (whilst it may be true I'm not a great runner) what i actually mean is that I'm struggling to actually start and stick to running, and i have accepted the fact that the reason this is the case, is because i am making excuses. I think i have finally accepted and owned up to that fact.


This series, will hopefully follow my journey in to my running, I'm hoping that by documenting it weekly i will have another reason to continue, whilst i shouldn't need one, it might be whats needed.


Now, i need to add some context and elaborate a little bit on the fact i am not a complete Potato, but, it is starting to annoy me that in my head i can easily visualise the approach, the time required and the effort it'll take to actually begin, but I'm struggling to take that first step. My son made it sound so simple, "Just Run", and it is literally that simple... remove the expectation, remove the ideas of where it might take me and what it might lead to, and just run.


With that out of the way, let me tell you what i DO do at the moment. I play football with some guys once or twice a week, it is not ultra competitive, but it is also not easy, it requires effort and the level is reasonably good. Its a mix of people both alot older and alot younger than me so the expectation is just to put in the effort and do you best, below are 2 recent Strava Shots of my most recent efforts:


We play for an hour on an 8 a side pitch and i typically try to warm up for 5-10 minutes before the game begins, important to avoid injuries as you get older... That being said, my average distance covered per match over the last 8 months is 6.5km, I'm sure the Top Speed is not accurate, but the heart rate zones appear pretty consistent; generally, i feel like I'm one of the top runners in terms of distance during our games and i don't feel completely destroyed at the end of it, a little achey due to the impact of the sport, but not completely out of gas.


Football Tracking
Football Tracking

Football Tracking
Football Tracking

So, given that i am not a complete slob, i do exercise at least once a week, why not add another 1 or 2 days of running until i get in the groove of making it a habit? Thats where my excuses come in: to tired to run before work, to tired to run after work, to many hills where i live (which is horribly true) etc etc etc


Below i have added my last 2 recorded runs, i aimed for 3km, and did put a solid effort, and again, given that i have no flat surfaces where i live (on the side of a valley) i am happy with the effort. I fantasise about living in a flat area so that i can run more easily, but again, its just another excuse used to prevent me from getting up and getting busy NOW.


Running Efforts Strava
Running Efforts Strava

Running Efforts Strava
Running Efforts Strava

The sad thing about the 2 above runs is this. September 2022 and April 2023. These are the dates of both of those efforts, and i havn't made another attempt since.


So this is where i make the change, today will be the first run of many, and i will document and update the journey every week, (likely on a Monday) with my progress, problems faced, goals reached, and excuses avoided. I am not setting any goals for time, distance, or competition; i am just going to run.


Week 0 Distance Covered: 0km

Week 0 Number of Runs: 0

Week 0 Body Weight: 93.32 KG


Look forward to updating you soon.




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