It says something about how 2016 is going that it has taken me a full month before I write about running in 2015!

Anyway, 2015 has to go down as poor year of running for me. I ran less often, ran shorter distances when I ran and generally ran slower. I completed no significant milestones nor managed any personal bests. As a result I put on weight and although adding 6kg can hardly be described as ballooning up in weight, I noticed the extra baggage and I didn’t like it. It was a frustrating year.

The whole year seemed beset by a lack of consistency. I would run well and get a niggling injury. I would start running and get a bad cold (usually lovingly shared with me by members of my family). I would start running again and hit a busy patch where finding consistent times to run eluded me. Join the local club session, get stuck with meetings or work that I can’t shift. Then rinse and repeat that cycle for a whole year. Like I said, frustrating.

Tough, down years though are not completely wasted. I learnt a number of things.

1. I still love running. Even short runs on a circuit I do a hundred times is a pleasure. Being outside, being away from screens, away from noise, letting my thoughts & feelings tumble out and returning sweaty, thirsty & more at peace is a good feeling. When I don’t run, I miss it.
2. Exercise is good for me. Now I know this shouldn’t be news to anyone, but sometimes you need reminders that stretching your legs, lungs, body ends up giving you more energy. My self-confidence and self-esteem goes up when I’m running regularly. I feel better, I work better, I’m more relaxed.
3. Races are motivation. Having some races to look forward to, some challenge ahead is useful  motivation when it seems just too easy to run 5k instead of 10k or 10k instead of 15k. Without a challenge I  just let myself off the hook too easily.
4. Perseverance is crucial. Every runner learns how to persevere – running engages you in a huge mental battle & developing perseverance is essential when you’re tired and just wanting to stop. But persevering with running itself has taught me not to give up and last year for the first time in a long time, I felt like giving up after infection, after injury, after cold, after injury plagued my running year. This is good for you, you love this, don’t give up.

I made a few adjustments at the end of the year to kickstart my running in 2016. I bought a TomTom Runner GPS watch so I could run without my phone (which I always found a nuisance) but still track my runs.

I pre-signed up to more 10k races to give me something to look forward to and I will probably sign up to a one or two half-marathons to stretch me, although I don’t think I’m in any hurry to try my hand at marathons again.

I looked at some routes to give me some variety. And it all went well until a heavy cold was shared with me by my son at the end of January to knock me off running for a week or more. Running is quite hard when you can’t breathe properly! But I can’t wait to get back out again.