One year on, a year of fun, fitness & friends

I felt it was about time I wrote a new post, as I haven't for months, and also because today is the 1st anniversary, of my 1st run in my 1st ever pair of running shoes. 


That year has flown by, and I can't believe that this time last year, I'd never even run 5K, and I never, ever thought I'd call myself a runner and be comfortable, delighted in fact, to be called a runner by others. 


The reason I bought my 1st pair of running shoes, wasn't because I wanted to be a runner, and I really had no desire at all to run regularly, or to run long distances. At the time, I just thought I should have some "proper" shoes, if I was going to have any chance of getting through the triathlon that I'd signed up. That triathlon, the Broxtowe Sprint was to be my big challenge after losing 5st earlier last year, and was suddenly only 4 weeks away and my very limited, painful, running training had all been done in squash shoes!


My first pair of running shoes were Asics Gel Kayano 17s, which I chose after researching online, and I thought they were just what I needed to get me through the scary 5K that I'd have to somehow have to stagger through at the end of the triathlon. 


Since that first run: http://runkeeper.com/user/MikeW30/activity/46109016 which was just over a mile long, I've managed to run another 2,070 miles, to complete my 1st triathlon, 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon, and I've run at least 5K every day, for the past 255 days. 


I've also been lucky enough to try lots of other running shoes, including 2 free pairs, one of which, the Saucony Kinvara TR, aren't even launched yet. I don't want to talk about shoes though, or distances, or races, or PBs, but about why I enjoy running so much, and why I don't plan to stop any time soon. 

For me, the love I've found for running over the past 10 months or so (I didn't start to enjoy it as soon as got my running shoes, one day a few weeks later, something just "clicked"), comes down to fun, fitness, family & friends. 



Fun
Over the past few months, running has gone from being something I never thought I'd be any good at, and never really enjoyed, to a major part of my life, that I can't imagine being without.

I can't imagine being without it because for me, running has become really good fun - it's taken me to many new places, I've discovered footpaths almost on my doorstep that I never knew existed, and beautiful scenery in many parts of the country that I would never have been to, or noticed in years gone by. 

FitnessRunning has also helped my fitness, and although this time last year I was probably fitter than I'd ever been, I'm now feeling fitter than ever pretty much every month, and every time I don't think I can improve any more, I somehow seem to be able to.

I've no idea how much longer I'll be able to keep getting faster or going further, but I do know that I'm already a lot fitter than I ever thought I could be, and I'm feeling so, so much better as a result. 


Family & Friends
The most important aspect of my new love for running isn't the fun, or the fitness though, it's the new friends I've made through running, and the friends, family & neighbours I've grown closer to thanks to running.

I won't try to name everyone here, but I do know that without the constant support of my parents (who also take part in parkrun regularly now, something they'd never have imagined doing a year ago), there's no way I could have run as much as I have.  My sons James and Kieran, who have done amazingly with their running, and my brilliant other half Sarah, who's now training for her first half marathon, (having never run a mile before last December), have made everything so much easier and more enjoyable too, as running with them is amongst my favourite things to do.

My regular training partners Ellie & Stu (Captain America) and Andy Next Door, have also been a crucial in keeping running fun for me, as I enjoy running with others so much more than training solo. 


Tonight, on the anniversary of my 1st, 1 mile run in a pair of running shoes, I ran a 10K race, with 2 friends: Rob who I met through parkrun, and David, who I met through Twitter, and ran a time (44 mins 15 secs), that I never thought I possibly could when I first ran that distance last October.

I wasn't bothered about the time tonight though, it was the experience: running with friends, taking pictures, thanking the marshals and supporters that I enjoyed. That's what I'm looking forward to over the next few weeks and months as well, when I'll be running my first Ultra Marathon (the very scary High Peak 40) with Twitter running friends Matt and Andrew, my next marathon in Chester with Simon & Chris, and Sarah's first half marathon (the Robin Hood). 


Tomorrow morning, I'm back at Colwick parkrun for my 27th run there (and my 33rd parkrun i in total since I started last November : http://www.parkrun.org.uk/athleteresultshistory?athleteNumber=205486 ), and I'll be meeting a new friend, Martin, and running with him for the first time. I'm sure that first run of my 2nd year of running will be just as enjoyable as all the others over the last few months, and I'm really excited to see what the next year will bring, the people I'll meet and family and friends I'll run with.

Hopefully I'll be able to write a few more, and some shorter blog posts too :)