Guest Blog Post: Our running expert, Louise from mumswhorun Hitchin…

One of the things I love most about running is its simplicity, its purity; look at any young child in full flight – be it in a playground, a park, even around the house – and observe their natural inclination to run. They do it without thought, without inhibition – they are simply following their instincts and in so doing displaying a zest for life that most of us adults can only wonder at.

Who can say why or when exactly most of us stop running – unless it’s for a bus, to get to the front of a queue or to get away from danger! – never to start again? The point is that once we reach adulthood to run or not to run is a conscious choice, and most of us choose not to. Slowly but surely this develops into a firmly held belief that we can’t run – it is just too hard, too punishing, too exhausting. Despite this, I am convinced that within all of us, however deeply buried, there is a potential runner.

I suspect that one of the main reasons why people are put off by running is essentially this: it is a sport requiring no essential equipment, gadgets or technical knowledge; once you get going you have only your own body (and mind) to rely on and your successes and failures are your sole responsibility. Yet, perversely, this is the very thing that most dedicated runners find so appealing!

Another thing to bear in mind is that, as with anything that requires quite a bit of effort and will-power, there will be days when you just don’t feel like going for a run: the weather might be grim, you might feel your time could be better spent elsewhere, or maybe you just feel tired. Persevere, however, and you will soon realise that the benefits of your session – however hard and however brief it might be – far outweigh the drawbacks. Experienced runners will tell you that they rarely, if ever, regret afterwards having gone out – whether it’s just the effect of the fresh air and the time out from the regular stresses and strains, who knows, who cares?! The fact is you will feel better afterwards than you did before.

Anyone who has been bitten by the running bug and has progressed to running far and often might – on a good day – make it look easy, but remember that every runner, at some stage, started out a non-runner. We all have to start somewhere. And no doubt about it, it is hard to begin with – but after the first few sessions, so long as you don’t push yourself too hard too soon, you should begin to feel the benefits both mentally and physically.

Put simply, remember this: the trials of running – getting out there in the first place, then the run itself – might be difficult to overcome, but the completion of each and every session counts as a personal triumph.

If you live in Hitchin and want to unleash the runner within you, mumswhorun can help you get started! Call 07952 789427 or email mumswhorun@talktalk.net

Louise – mumswhorun

Tags: running