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?