This week marks a milestone in my running life…I hope.

I’ve been running since around 2008 (on and off, with a number of false starts, but more of that in future posts). After some really tangible progress, especially in 2017, more recently I have seriously lost my mojo.

After battling, unsuccessfully, with running for more than 18 months, I was starting to wonder if it was worth abandoning it altogether. I planned new training program after training program, read books including Christopher McDougall’s Born to Run and Scott Durek’s Eat and Run as well as researching and trying things like yoga, stretching techniques and strength training. Yet nothing worked. Nothing restored the love and joy I once had for running and I was becoming increasingly frustrated as I couldn’t pinpoint why.

Recently though, I’ve stepped back. I’ve been on holiday and gained a little perspective and I’ve come to a realisation. I confirmed it by going out for a run actually! The realisation was that I was running beyond my means. To make sense of this, here is what I think has happened over time:

• In 2017 I was running well, completing half marathons in sub 1hr50mins;
• A half marathon was my ultimate goal, I have no desire to run a marathon;
• As I achieved my goal, I started to lose motivation a little and over the winter of 2017/18 I ran less and less;
• I lost fitness but every time I started to run again I came in at a level that was too high;
• I developed an injury (plantar fasciitis) as I was running too far for my capabilities without the stretching discipline I had displayed previously;
• I then entered a vicious circle of starting a new training programme which was pitched too high, not achieving and therefore failing to carry on;
• As a result of the high demands I was making of my body, I wasn’t getting the buzz I normally get from running and negativity took over.
• Negative dialogue and thoughts about running took over and it became a chore I started to dread.

At the core of all of this was arrogance. I was too arrogant to accept that I wasn’t at the level I needed to be at for the training programmes I was using. What I should have done was pitch it a little lower.

So having come to this realisation I went for a run, but I did a run/walk session, covering just 2.5 miles and running no more than 2 minutes at a time…and I loved every second! I got the buzz I used to get and more importantly, I looked forward to my next run! Who knew?!

So this week I start a new training programme – a Couch to 5K plan. The last time I did one of these was at least a decade ago and initially I was a bit embarrassed, a little unsure, worrying I was taking it too easy. But humility has overcome arrogance and I’m going to stick with it in the quest for progress. Proper progress that pays something back.

Where are you up to in your running journey? Can you relate to my experience? I’d love to hear about it.