A lot of my class participants and personal training clients always ask me why I run if I teach so many classes and exercise is my job, well here’s my story.
I started running in 2005 because I wanted to be a firefighter and you had to get to level 9.4 on the bleep test and I couldn’t. This led to me doing the Bupa Manchester 10k in 2005 and 2006, I never ended up applying for the fire service.
I stopped running in 2007 when I went self employed as a freelance group exercise instructor, I was teaching 27 high intensity classes a week and didn’t have the energy to run as well. In 2009 after qualifying to teach pilates I dropped a lot of the high intensity classes for pilates classes.
In 2012 turning 30 I was feeling less fit and had no personal fitness goals, I was doing fitness for everybody else but myself, so I signed up for Horwich duathlon and later on in the year Newport duathlon. After doing the duathlons I found I preferred running to cycling and set myself some goals and returned to training for 10ks. Since 2013 I have ran the Salford 10k 3 times, the we love Manchester 10k twice, Arley Hall Cheshire 10k 4 times, the Birchwood 10k, Wilmslow Half marathon (despite saying Id never run half) and Cheshire half marathon. I still teach 19 classes a week, 11 of which are pilates, so struggle to fit in training runs during the week when Im working.
Last year my training was much more consistent and I really enjoyed running, and it showed in my race times. I realised that if I didn’t run I would feel irritable and disappointed with myself for not getting out for a run, I began to see running as my time, for my fitness and for me. The exercise I do during the week is for my class participants, its not my session its theirs, this isn’t to say I don’t work hard along side them I do, I ache like hell by friday, but fundamentally its for them not me, running is for me.
Today I ran Salford 10k, normally before a race I’m nervous, I put pressure on myself for a good time, for another PB and Ive a fear of coming last. But today with insufficient training due to a dodgy hip and waking up feeling like crap I knew my time wasn’t going to be great, so for the first time ever I ran with no expectation, no pressure on myself and the realisation that I have nothing to prove to anybody, I didn’t get a PB but I finished with a good time and a very sore hip, but I enjoyed it.
But most importantly today I realised I run for me.
The post Why I run appeared first on Variety Fitness .