Run Jimmy RUN!!

Last week I managed to do a personal record of 3 posts. I said on the Sunday that this might not always be the case, and this week proves that. However, officer, the reason for this was due to Netflix dropping 2 shows on me. The first was Altered Carbon season 2. I have still (at the time of writing) not finished it but HOLY BALLS its good. I enjoyed Joel Kinnamon in the title role, but Anthony Mackie has done well. I know he is a good actor but wow. I did feel a bit bummed when I heard Joel wasn’t returning, but the premise of the show is VERY clever from a production point. Actors can’t be demanding with money as they can easily be replaced, and it will fit into the story for the character to have a different sleeve. ANYWAYS, this blog isn’t about that show, although, I could probably do a post about it … but will have to see. Going back to my shows, the second show Netflix dropped on me was F1: Drive to Survive. I quite enjoy watching F1 and this behind the scenes show is good. But again, this blog post is about running … good luck to anyone reading this before the “read more” section. I draw you in with tv shows and BOOM … it’s a running post.

So, lets get into the meaty part (or veggie part if you’re Vegan/Vegetarian) of the blog. I was a little unsure of what to write a blog about this week. Its been one of those weeks where its been dark, miserable, and wet outside and just cold and sucky. So, inspiration and motivation has wavered a bit. I’ve just wanted to come home and watch tv with a brew. Even racking my brain wanting to write a blog has resulted in my inspiration going. I don’t want to just write for the sake of writing (even though it is in my resolutions) and it be a shit post, just to have content going out.

I’ve had a few ideas of posts that were a bit meh, but I can think about them further and maybe do them later. This post, as mentioned above, is about running. With getting Apple News+ now, I get magazines delivered to my phone when they’re released. I’ve always been a fan of workout and running mags so it makes sense to get all I can. I started to read a new one this week, and at the beginning of this one, there was a “what’s your best run” section. It asked some famous runners what their best runs were, and it got me thinking to my best one.

As I’ve wanted to get back into running more, I thought why not look back on it and relive it here with all you. First, I will do a little background into my history with running. As a child, I was fat. When I got to high school, the weight piled on and I was always overweight. So, doing any long distance running or endurance running was a nightmare. I HATED the bleep test, I hated cross country, all of it. So, all through high school and college I was fat, hated exercise. In 2012, I made a new year resolution to learn how to drive (bear with me here). I achieved that with flying colours. Had about 10ish lessons, passed first time, it was all good. That felt good. To set myself a goal and achieve it was awesome, so running off that success I decided in 2013 to do more, and one of those was to lose weight. It took time but it worked. I picked up the gym and running as I’ve always wanted to do it. I started to do it using apps like couch to 5k and I eventually was able to run and sort of enjoyed doing it.

In 2013, I started to watch a show called “Fat; the fight of my life” and it had a celebrity trainer called Jessie Pavelka (who seems like a really cool guy and the trainer I would want if I have that kind of money). In this show, he helped severely obese people change their lifestyles and lose weight. A part of this process was to sign them up to an event to show them how far they have come along. That spoke to me, so from then I thought about events I could do as a way to work towards something and show how far I’ve come. The first event I thought about was the Great Manchester Run, which is a 10K run through the city of Manchester. It was a nice distance that wasn’t too much and felt achievable. So, I signed up for that and started to train for it.

The first time I ran it, I decided to do it for charity, and I chose Diabetes UK. I didn’t raise a great deal, but every little helps, right? My main focus was to be able to run it. I did the training, was able to run the distance, and the day came. Now look at this sexy mofo;

At the time I had lost around 3 or 4 stone in weight (42-56lbs) and was feeling good. The run was alright, it was VERY hot that day and I struggled, I set off too fast and walked some of the course. I finished with this time;

For my first officially timed run it wasn’t bad, especially considering I walked part of the route too.

After this I was hooked. I wanted to improve my time, run another and keep it up. Not long after, I signed up for the 2015 Great Manchester Run and enlisted the help of a family friend (who used to run competitively) to help me improve. My speed increased, my distance and form improved, and I felt unstoppable and found some amazing routes to run around my hometown.

I must touch on my worst run here as it came before my best run.  I remember it was about a 10k run, maybe more, but id set off and it looked like it was going to rain so I took my reflective waterproof coat with me. It was only a thin thing, so it wasn’t too bad. So, the run started out ok, I was plodding along, not breaking any records or anything, but I was going. I remember getting over halfway and the sun came out. If any of you know those waterproof coats, when it gets sunny there is hardly any breathing in the fabric. I was SWEATING, and it stayed between my clothes and coat and just felt awful, and this was constantly on my mind. Usually id be able to take it off whilst running and carry on but with everything playing in my head I just stopped. I wasn’t out of breath but just annoyed. The coat came off and I was moody. I just wanted to be home there and then and was just pissed off. I persevered and carried on, and I think it started to rain on and off so that made things worse. I eventually got home and that was my worst run.

To move onto my favourite run. It was my second great Manchester run. I had set a 10k record in my previous race and beat that record (according to the Nike running app) whilst training, so I had a guide into the time I would achieve. This time I decided not to run for a charity as going around asking for the sponsors after the last one was a complete BALLACHE. I hated it. So, this time I just wanted to run for me. A bit selfish I guess but there we have it. I got placed in a faster group than my sister (who also signed up for both with me) so I went away first. Got to the starting area, did the warmups and then it was go time.

With these races, you have a chip given to you in your starter pack (with your race number and information) that you attach to your laces and it clocks you crossing the start and finish line for your official time. Your number is so you can see the pictures taken of you and track yourself on the times website (as many people could have the same name). I started my Nike app (was a few years before I got an apple watch), turned on my playlist and went for it. I started off in good time, made VERY good progress and tried not to start off too fast and strong and spread out the pace. It was going excellent. I was loving every minute of it, wasn’t stopping for nobody. Grabbed some water and handed it around to other runners who missed it. I kept pushing, kept going. My headphones let me know my pace and timing (through the Nike app) and I was making great time.

On the last 1K I went for it, I saw the finish line and picked my opponent to try and beat (didn’t know them but they were in front of me and I had to beat them (was just a random) so I did one last push. Around this time, I got my photo taken (I didn’t know as I don’t wear glasses when running and I can’t see shit without them … well I can see shit but its blurry shit). Here is that picture, its actually screen shot from the website so if the owners are ok, I stole it, but haven’t changed it so the watermarks are still there. I’m the one in the flash top, obviously, what nerd who runs WOULDN’T have a flash shirt to race in? Duh.

Now the reason why this was my favourite race is because everything went excellent. My pace was constant, my speed was good, and it turns out, I broke my 10k record. Which I haven’t broken to this day, but there’s more about that later. I had friends and family there and it was amazing. A sub hour 10k, which I was ECSTATIC about, and it was perfect. Here is my Nike app showing it;

 (I should add, there is a little discrepancy with the timings as one is done from start to finish, and the other is done from when i press go to when i press stop)

Now the reason why I haven’t beaten that time since is because I fell out of love with running after the race. I wanted to have time off doing the runs as they were expensive and a full day for the whole family, which is a good thing, but I didn’t want to drag them all up to the city to be bored there waiting. Also, at this point, I was maybe doing 4 or 5 runs a week and there are only so many times I can do routes without them getting boring. I was going through the motions so; I wanted some time off it all. Have some lie ins, and not have to work out. That was a mistake. The weight slowly crept back on, my mental health deteriorated slightly which made it worse and I wasn’t in a good place.

Thankfully I was able to manage my MH and I’m in a much better place now and starting the running again. It’s sucky right now though as I’m struggling with 5Ks but I’m old and my knees aren’t what they used to be. Plus, I’ve had a few sedentary years so it’s a process to build it up again. This was the run I did the morning of writing this piece. As you can see its nothing to rave about, but it’s a work in progress. I’m getting there. 

I was even considering signing up for a more local 10K race that’s cheaper and in my hometown, but it would give me 10 weeks to prepare, and I cant guarantee the weather at the moment (thanks global warming) and I want to avoid the gym with COVID-19 going around. I’m not paranoid about it, but going to an indoor gym, where people might not wash their hands, wipe down machines, breathe heavy with millions of germs floating around, doesn’t sound too appealing right now. So, I’m hopefully going to build up the running, buy new shoes, and be set for the 10K next year, whilst looking DAMN good in my under armour gear (not sponsored … but if UA are reading this and want to toss me a bone … I will LITERALLY run to your headquarters to sign that contract).

So, there we have it. That was my best and worse runs and a little history of me health. Good init?

If you’re a runner, what have been your favourite runs?

What have been your worst runs?

Do any amateur runners have any future goals?

Let me know in the comments.

Thank you for reading, and if you like what I write and want more, it would be awesome for you to sign up for alerts, comment and just let me know on here or twitter or whatever.

See you next time, SAME RUN BLOG, SAME RUN CHANNEL.