After four years of silence, I have been spurred to start writing again after reading Murukami's What I talk about when I talk about running. When I started this blog it was mainly to record the highs and lows of training for a marathon. Once I was done with that, somehow, the everyday mundanity of my regular running just didn't require my regular comment.
Murukami's writing about running was very relatable (as my teenagers would have it). The highs and lows of being a regular runner, how your engagement with running changes over time, with age, with the business of living. It all made perfect sense to me.
Now, these days there are countless programmes like Couch to 5K to help guide the middle aged and unfit to get active safely in a graduated, scientifically developed programme. I however, just went back to what I knew and started running - five minutes every other day at first, then ten, then fifteen then twenty, until I was managing thirty to forty minutes four or five times a week. Before I knew it I was doing 5,10 and even fifteen mile runs, taking in the hilly terrain of my home town or the flat, urban, tourist-dodging running of inner London where I work
In the process I got very, very stiff and sore feet and legs and, to my total surprise, a really sore and achy back. I was almost certainly doing everything wrong, but I enjoyed it so I pushed through the pain! I mean, I really enjoyed it - many people run because they have to, but never really find it fits them. I was an addict from the get go. I loved running and could bore for hours on the subject if anyone was foolish enough to ask me about it. Yes, I also lost three stone (about forty pounds) in nine months, but while that was my initial motivation, in time it was the running itself that became its own reason.
It was a few more years before I discovered about building core strength and dispatched the back and upper body pain. During this time I tried minimalist shoes (barefoot or near barefoot running was in, despite the advice of several physios that I spoke to - will I never learn?) rather than the heavy duty, anti-pronation shoes that I had always used, and ended up with Achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis and a stress fracture that forced me to give up running for three months.
I had to work at finding the right shoes and the right exercises to strengthen joints, calves, core and upper body. It has taken me all of four years to finally get into an effective cardio and calisthenics routine each morning that builds heart, core and upper body strength.
When I started running it was with no accompaniment, but soon I acquired an MP3 player and began listening to talks and podcasts as I ran. I do use music if I need to do a threshold run or pace work, but for a long run or a gentle recovery, the spoken word is idea.
With the advent of smart phones I also began to track runs with GPS based apps, and so began to be able to work on pace and distance rather than just duration.
Another great discovery has been the local neighbourhood. I have found woodland trails, interesting pathways through previously unknown streets and housing estate, routes that have taken me to places of amazing beauty and remarkable solitude. Not just in the area in which I live, but also where I work in central London, where I discovered secret squares and gardens, eccentric alleyways and hidden backstreets seldom trod even by locals.
Running has changed me mentally - it has built confidence, helped me manage stress better, improved concentration, energy and focus. It has also made me arrogant and overconfident at times. I believe I am faster and look better in my running gear than I am. I have discovered an acronym for men like me - mamils - middle aged men in lycra. Running, sadly has also turned out to be a symptom of my mid life crisis.
So, I get snooty about 'slow, fat tourists' in London, especially as I run around the Thames. I am not always being the most considerate of runners to those who don't keep their eyes out on the Southbank for the myriad runners streaming back and forth during lunch hour. It is one outlet for my middle aged grumpiness.
Finally, it has changed me physically. I lost three stone in nine months, but also, once I had overcome pains and injuries, I have found my posture improved, I have gained in general strength and stamina and have generally slept more soundly. I seldom come down with colds or any other bugs, and my diabetes has remained under control without the need for medication.
Granted, the weight loss and control of my blood sugar has also been down to diet - cutting down on refined sugar, increasing fruit and vegetables and decreasing processed food and red meat. But running has made the greatest difference.
So, why do I run? Because I enjoy it, and it has good side effects (and some bad ones that I can live with). Why do we do anything for any other reason?
Murukami's writing about running was very relatable (as my teenagers would have it). The highs and lows of being a regular runner, how your engagement with running changes over time, with age, with the business of living. It all made perfect sense to me.
How did I start?
In my late twenties I started running, partly because my then girlfriend was a runner and it seemed a good way to spend time with her and partly because (as she regularly pointed out) it was becoming apparent that I was getting rather portly. The relationship with the girlfriend didn't last, but the relationship with running kept going for several years, entering a couple of half marathons and seriously training for the London Marathon - which I failed to run due to a trapped nerve that left my right calf in pain and unable to bear weight for a couple of weeks. It was then that I discovered the wisdom of physiotherapists, who warned me that while it takes months to get heart and muscles fit for a race, it takes years to strengthen joints to take that amount of pounding. So, armed with some new exercises to strengthen my back, I started to train in earnest for a deferred place the following year, but I started dating the woman who was to become my wife and somehow, running dropped off my radar. By now I was in my early thirties, and for the next decade I just got busier with work and family, fatter and less physically active.Starting over
It wasn't until I hit my early forties and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes that I suddenly realised it was time to dust off the old running shoes and shorts and hit the pavement again.Now, these days there are countless programmes like Couch to 5K to help guide the middle aged and unfit to get active safely in a graduated, scientifically developed programme. I however, just went back to what I knew and started running - five minutes every other day at first, then ten, then fifteen then twenty, until I was managing thirty to forty minutes four or five times a week. Before I knew it I was doing 5,10 and even fifteen mile runs, taking in the hilly terrain of my home town or the flat, urban, tourist-dodging running of inner London where I work
In the process I got very, very stiff and sore feet and legs and, to my total surprise, a really sore and achy back. I was almost certainly doing everything wrong, but I enjoyed it so I pushed through the pain! I mean, I really enjoyed it - many people run because they have to, but never really find it fits them. I was an addict from the get go. I loved running and could bore for hours on the subject if anyone was foolish enough to ask me about it. Yes, I also lost three stone (about forty pounds) in nine months, but while that was my initial motivation, in time it was the running itself that became its own reason.
It was a few more years before I discovered about building core strength and dispatched the back and upper body pain. During this time I tried minimalist shoes (barefoot or near barefoot running was in, despite the advice of several physios that I spoke to - will I never learn?) rather than the heavy duty, anti-pronation shoes that I had always used, and ended up with Achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis and a stress fracture that forced me to give up running for three months.
I had to work at finding the right shoes and the right exercises to strengthen joints, calves, core and upper body. It has taken me all of four years to finally get into an effective cardio and calisthenics routine each morning that builds heart, core and upper body strength.
When I started running it was with no accompaniment, but soon I acquired an MP3 player and began listening to talks and podcasts as I ran. I do use music if I need to do a threshold run or pace work, but for a long run or a gentle recovery, the spoken word is idea.
With the advent of smart phones I also began to track runs with GPS based apps, and so began to be able to work on pace and distance rather than just duration.
Why do I still run?
Here is where Murukami and I both agree. The joy of the run is the solitude. I soon realised that, apart from the endorphin high at the end of a run, the greatest pleasure of running was simply being able to take an hour or even half an hour out of a busy day to simply be alone. I could listen to music, to audiobooks and podcasts, or just the sound of the birds. I have learnt a lot about science, history, film and current affairs during these excursions. Running with others can be fun, and you can push each other and encourage each other, but the solo run is my sine qua non.Another great discovery has been the local neighbourhood. I have found woodland trails, interesting pathways through previously unknown streets and housing estate, routes that have taken me to places of amazing beauty and remarkable solitude. Not just in the area in which I live, but also where I work in central London, where I discovered secret squares and gardens, eccentric alleyways and hidden backstreets seldom trod even by locals.
Running has changed me mentally - it has built confidence, helped me manage stress better, improved concentration, energy and focus. It has also made me arrogant and overconfident at times. I believe I am faster and look better in my running gear than I am. I have discovered an acronym for men like me - mamils - middle aged men in lycra. Running, sadly has also turned out to be a symptom of my mid life crisis.
So, I get snooty about 'slow, fat tourists' in London, especially as I run around the Thames. I am not always being the most considerate of runners to those who don't keep their eyes out on the Southbank for the myriad runners streaming back and forth during lunch hour. It is one outlet for my middle aged grumpiness.
Finally, it has changed me physically. I lost three stone in nine months, but also, once I had overcome pains and injuries, I have found my posture improved, I have gained in general strength and stamina and have generally slept more soundly. I seldom come down with colds or any other bugs, and my diabetes has remained under control without the need for medication.
Granted, the weight loss and control of my blood sugar has also been down to diet - cutting down on refined sugar, increasing fruit and vegetables and decreasing processed food and red meat. But running has made the greatest difference.
So, why do I run? Because I enjoy it, and it has good side effects (and some bad ones that I can live with). Why do we do anything for any other reason?
