Sunday 22 November 2015

Why Run?!


Feel Strong

The first thing I spluttered when I finished a marathon was ‘that was the hardest thing I’ve ever done’ and I meant it. I’m not a person who regularly pushes myself to extremes and the physical exhaustion of completing a 26.2 mile run made me feel awful and euphoric in equal measure. William James touched on this feeling when he wrote, ’Beyond the very extreme of fatique and distress, we may find amounts of ease and power we never dreamed ourselves to own.’ In a day and age when women constantly scrutinise their bodies, I don’t think I’d ever felt more proud of mine, not because of how it looked, but because it willingly carried me through a whole marathon.


Love Food

I’m definitely not a person who likes to say no to a second portion or a delicious desert. I absolutely love trying new food and don’t want to let worries about my waistline get in the way. On average running burns around 100 calories per mile, and it also keeps your metabolism elevated for hours after your workout. This means that you’re still burning calories while you’re sat on the sofa binging on the latest Netflix series. Winner. Also, if you take long distance running seriously then you can carb-load pre race to increase the amount of fuel stored in your muscles. I mean who doesn’t like the sound of loading themselves with carbs?!



Clear Head

I always feel better after going for a run. If my mind is whirring with restless thoughts then running will undoubtedly clear it. A paragraph from Running with the Kenyans sums this up perfectly, ‘running is like getting drunk in reverse. With drinking, it feels great at first, but then you start feeling awful. With running, you feel awful first, but then, after you finish, you feel great. That sounds like a much better deal.’

It's Free

I don’t run in the gym, and this is partly because I don’t want to spend my spare pennies on membership, and mostly because I prefer to pound the streets of London or head to a beautiful green park. It’s lovely to see what's going on beyond four walls. When I was marathon training I ran repeatedly round Richmond Park with my friend and got acquainted with the (slightly unnerving) deer. I love running because you don’t have to spend a fortune on doing it. With the equivalent of two months’ gym membership you can get trainers, leggings, a sports bra, a top, blister proof socks and you’re good to go!

If you’d like some tips on how I started running you can check out my video here or ask any questions in the comments section. 





What I’m wearing...

New Balance Minimus Trainers I'm trying these over shorter distances as they have minimal support

Garmin Forerunner Watch

Shock Absorber Bra

H&M Leggings (similar)

Does anyone else run? What do you love about it?

4 comments:

  1. I love running but I've fallen out of it recently, I'm trying to get back into it- reading this has definitely given me the urge to go for a run after work tonight so thank you!

    Sian xx Cakey Dreamer

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    1. That's brilliant! Good luck on your run this evening, it's so chilly!

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  2. Going running was actually my only new year's resolution for 2015 - didn't work out. Such an inspiring post, and I'm definitely going to try my best for next year now!

    Franzi xx http://franzilgilbert.blogspot.de

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    1. You can definitely do it for 2016! Sign up to a race :) wishing you lots of luck!

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