What does running mean to you?

 So… very simply… what does running mean to you? Let me know either here at the bottom or on Twitter @stevenbwfc1 

What does running mean to you?

Running can mean many things to many people. It can change over time too. My story is no different. 

When I was at school, maybe 11/12 years of age, the dreaded school cross country filled me with dread however I gradually started to enjoy the grim determination required to get round the course. Soon enough I had become one of the best in my year group. 

Then university hit and the more pints I drank, the more I forgot about my old friend running. Sadly, the longer I forgot about running, the more weight I gained. 

In my third year, approaching obesity, I made my peace with running and signed up for the Sheffield Half Marathon. This was to be the best decision I made. The pounds fell off, my mind became focused and my confidence finally soared. 

Inexplicably however, I forgot about running again- going out sporadically over a period of a few years. Being in the workplace and living my life got in the way again. I steeled myself and joined a running club. 

Next followed my running golden years. After only a few months, my body had been transformed into a peak fitness running machine and I was eager to see just how far I could push myself. At this point, running meant distance, pace, races, PBs and constantly striving to be the best I could be. 

This level of commitment and enthusiasm was always going to be difficult to maintain. After injuries and a change of career I am more about simply enjoying my running and as long as I’m actually getting out and running- I’m happy. Maybe I’ll enter more races in the future though- who knows? 

Runstreak Day 4!

The running geek’s runstreak has reached day 4! 

Follow me on Twitter @stevenbwfc1

 I am really trying to take advantage of the six week summer break to make some head way towards my challenge of walking or running 1000 miles in the year of 2022.  

I have so far managed to do 549 miles so far and we are just into August, which means I have nigh on 5 months to do 451 miles. This equates to approximately 3 miles per day. 

This is the reason I’m trying to get ahead now because from September to December, trying to squeeze in 3 miles per day will be a tough feat. 

As for my embryonic runstreak, I am up to day 4. Doesn’t sound much but I’m glad to be running on a daily basis- sometimes 2 or 3 times daily as I jog behind my little boy who is like lightning on his balance bike! 

Here he is above on the aforementioned balance bike! I’m wondering how long it will be before he is on a full pedal bike?! 

Here are some wild fruits I managed to photograph on my run

Training vest is… GONE

So if you have read my previous two posts you’ll know my trials and tribulations with my training vest! 

Basically it restricts my breathing on my runs- so much so that I’ve had to stop 3 or 4 times whilst only doing a short three mile run… not good! 

So, the only option I felt that was open to me was to run au naturelle- or simply without the vest. 

This presents a couple of problems. How do I carry my phone? How do I carry my key? 

The answer was simple, yet not ideal. I put my phone in my pocket… but it was jingling about everywhere which was annoying. Then I simply had to hold my key. Again annoying. 

As for the vestless run- yes my breathing WAS easier, but it was still tough! Maybe I have to accept that I need to work on my fitness a little more! 

So where one problem is solved- the running vest is permanently ditched… another problem of what to do with my possessions presents itself! 

Will I ever win?! 

This is a picture I took on my run. It’s my car 🚗 

Should I give up my TRAINING VEST???

 Ok- now I need some genuine advice! Comments highly welcome at the bottom of this post! 

So I recently received a training vest- I asked for it- for a present on Fathers Day… 

Here I am, pleased as punch with my present! It was great! It could easily carry my phone and keys without having to worry about me losing them. 

All was going fine until I noticed something on todays run. It was only a slow 5k, but I had to stop about 4 or 5 times as I simply couldn’t continue. 

The same happened the day before too. 

As I spluttered along I began to consider this. Yes I’m a bit overweight and slightly unfit but I should have been able to get round a flat, slow 5k. 

No. Or not without pain. 

A thought suddenly occurred to me. Maybe my training vest was too tight, and therefore was impeding my breathing? It seemed to make sense as the oxygen simply wasn’t getting to my muscles at all. 

Upon my return, I shared my experience on Facebook to ask whether other people had experienced anything similar. Turns out that they had! 

I think I am going to go au naturelle when I next run- to see whether it is any easier- or just me talking clap trap! The jury is out! 

Running is tough… in summer

 I still haul my hefty bulk around my housing estate, trying to delude myself that I am actually a runner still. 

However the harsh reality that I see in the reflections of car doors befits a more fitting state of affairs. I may very well be a runner, but in reality, I’m a fat, slow runner. 

If the 2014 me, altogether more svelte, could see me now, he’s have a heart attack for sure. 

I have today hauled my aforementioned bulk around the estate for a paltry 2 miles- and that dear reader was a struggle too! 

I could lie and say the summer humidity held me back like a rope tied to a car… but I know the real story. 

Anyway, on the positive- an angle I do prefer to take- I have managed to hugely cut down on my alcohol intake this year and have in fact gone without it for 8 days now. Plus I’m actually writing this blog, again a positive. However, the biggest positive is that I am still getting out there and running reasonably regularly- despite the toughest of it! 

The ups and downs of my running journey continue! 

Happy running Father’s Day!

 Happy Father’s Day to all of the runners out there! Been a bit of a mixed one so far- yesterday I was suffering from a stomach bug and spent the entire day in bed, and alas today my wife is suffering a similar fate. 

Despite this I got some really good presents- a running gilet and a phone carrier vest that I’ve been wanting for a while. I used to have one of those sleeves to put my phone in, but after a while it kept sliding down my arm. So I am definitely looking forward to using this new piece of kit. 

Also I am glad to receive my running gilet. I was running in a smarter, not for sports one that turned out to be difficult to wash. Running in a gilet does make me feel secure which I really like. 

Have a great day everyone! 

JEFFING?! The answer to your prayers…

 Well, simply put, if you are struggling to find form due to injuries then JEFFING could well be the answer to your prayers! 

I had almost given up completely on running. I’d gained weight, struggled with injuries and felt a shadow of my former self. 

Then a colleague told me about Jeffing. 

What’s that? I asked- having already given up running in my head. 

Well you simply do interval training… I’d done intervals before and I remember them being terrifically painful. 

I think she gleaned as much from my face.

Oh no- they’re not like regular intervals- 500 fast then 100 slow. No you simply run for thirty seconds, then walk for thirty and repeat this for as long as you are running for- it’s been a godsend to me! 

I was still sceptical but agreed to give it a go. So there I was running for 30, walking for 30 and I continued this for approximately 15 minutes. To be honest, I was a convert right away. My calves are a real hotspot for me so the walk period gave them a chance for recovery- so I was able to go further and for longer. I played about with the lengths of time I ran for- sometimes I ran for 1 minute then walked for a minute, sometimes 2 minutes. Everything felt great.

In terms of cardiovascular health, my heart rate was constantly increasing and decreasing- which I am led to believe improves your cv health. For me though, the normal pressure I feel to not ‘give up’ by stopping was completely removed- the idea is to stop! This enabled me to actually enjoy my run without blowing through my backside desperately trying to keep going. 

I would normally be completely done in after only a 30 minute 3 miler- such are the depths that I have fallen. However, doing jeffing allowed me, as an injury prone runner to complete 4.5 miles in 50 minutes. Yes it wasn’t as strenuous as a normal run, but it will allow me to build my fitness and strength back up. I will definitely be doing this type of run more often than not as I look to return to the times I used to do 10 years ago. 

I would recommend this exercise- especially for those looking to get over injuries or people who need to shift some weight. It’s not for everyone but it is certainly worth a try.