Sunday 26 February 2012

Full Circle

My first blog is dedicated to the wonderful running community of Twitterland. I’ve been inspired so much recently by you people – not just by the man-machines who run extraordinary distances every day at a ridiculous pace, who I respect enormously, but also by those who have been and are currently facing difficulties, but who keep on running and sharing. Or if they can’t run, they continue to support and inspire others until they are fit again to don trainers and hit the outdoors. This goes out to you – you know who you are!

But this is my story. Or should I say, my *running* story so far, which began with Wilmslow Half Marathon at the end of March 2011. I was a mere spectator at the time. Witnessing my first race in support of my wife who was running her first race, and I was totally hooked from that day. 

Within a week I‘d signed up for two half marathons (Newark in August & ‘Run to the Beat’ in London in September) and Chester Marathon at the beginning of October 2011. I began training in earnest. I ran Newark in August in just under 2 hours, but I made hard work of it. ‘Run to the Beat’ was better and I finished with a *new PB* of about 1:53. Then my knees started troubling me. I visited a physio who thought my knee tendons were just not keeping up with my fitness and prescribed some exercises involving a plank of wood and some stairs! I’ve been doing them ever since. It was too late for the marathon though. I basically ran out of time – I just couldn’t get the mileage up.

November, December and January were then a struggle. I just couldn’t get going again. This month though I’ve really found my running mojo again and this is down to you guys in Twitterland. I know it’s cheesy, but I’m inspired and I’m enjoying it more than ever.

As it happens, my brother was due to run his first half marathon this year and he picked … yep, you guessed it … Wilmslow. He’s injured and so last week he offered me his place. It’s only a month away, but I ran 8 miles off road this morning. I’m really enjoying running again and I think I can do it.

I really feel like I’ve come full circle. I’ve decided that this year is going to be about unfinished business. I’m going to run Wilmslow to get *back in the game* and then all being well, I’m going to aim for Chester Marathon again. With your support Twitterland, I know I can do it.

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