Running Your Own Race


I was inspired to write a blog post after reading this article on running advice for beginners but not necessarily in the way you think. It has useful advice if you're starting running so it's worth a read.

The writer has been running for 4 years and recently completed a half marathon which is fantastic. She says something that I totally agree with ‘If you run, you are a runner.’ However, as a runner, sometimes reading articles about people who have gone from 'can't run, don't run, won't run' to running marathons can make you feel somewhat deflated.

I’ve been running for 2 years and it’s not been an easy journey. At a push, I can say that I don’t hate running as much as I used to. I’ve no plans to run anything that involves the word ‘marathon’, even the thought of signing up for a 5K run makes me feel a little uneasy even though I could probably do it quite comfortably.

I don’t like running with other people because I like to run at my own pace. I don’t set goals like 5K/10K runs because it’s enough for me that I’m running during the week. I don’t time every run because it doesn’t matter to me how long it takes for me to finish my route. 

I am an unambitious runner but the fact that I’m doing it is all that matters. My runs aren’t long, the route I do is about 2.5km and I’m happy with that. Sometimes I may do the route twice if I feel like pushing myself. 

Some of you may be thinking I am a pretty poor example of a runner but I’m actually quite pleased with my progress. Going from ‘running is for idiots’ to ‘wow, running is really hard and I really hate it’ and moving onto ‘I’m still doing it but I’m not going to like it’ has taken 2 years of dedication. 

The point is to do what works for you, don’t compare yourself to other runners and if you’re never going to run a marathon, that’s ok. The most important thing is ‘If you run, you are a runner.’ You never know, one day I might even do a 5k run but in the meantime, I'm ok with running 20 minutes 3 times a week. 

What kind of a runner are you?

Have you read my other blog post about running ‘Learning to walk before you run’? 

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