Run, Iceni, Run – The Beginning
Back in 2018, after a turbulent few months on a personal level, I knew I needed to do something for me.
It may sound selfish, but for so long, everything I had done was for other people. I had let myself go considerably and was working long days, drinking too much caffeine and eating far too much sugar. A friend of mine had been nagging me for years to try running, so I finally relented.
I was pretty clueless. Everyone tells you that running is for anyone. At that moment in time, it felt like a lie. I just wore normal Nike trainers and baggy tracksuit bottoms, and put one foot in front of the other. At that moment in time, I had no idea what gait analysis was and I certainly never envisaged slipping my legs into anything lycra (more on this in a future blog post)! However, being the stubborn person I am (if you know me, I bet you’re nodding right now!), I threw myself out of the door again and ran. Then I repeated that again and again and again.
My very first run – 9th January 2018
When nothing has really gone your way for a while, it can be difficult to see the positives. But, I was able to see that I was doing ok at this running lark. In fact, I was enjoying it. I could see the progress I was making with regard to the time it took me to do three laps of the local park (just over 3 miles, so a 5km route) and also the changes in my body too. I was becoming fitter and leaner. As a teenage boy, I played basketball on a regular basis and the endorphins I get from running remind me of those days. Perhaps, it could be a midlife crisis! Nah, I have just found something I love doing. It may seem like running is an escape, and in some ways, it could be, but mainly, it’s helped me to rediscover myself.
Current status: in a relationship with Running
Blog by Colin Jeffery (Owner/Director of Iceni Magazine)
