A year of running

This time last year, my wife and I had just completed our longest race.

This time last year, many Londoners started working from home.

What a year it has been, and a most dreadful year for many too. The pandemic has affected people around the world in many different ways. My wife and I have been in an extremely fortunate position. Whilst we had to observe social-distancing and lockdown rules like everyone else, unlike many, our world did not turn upside-down upon the arrival of Covid.

For me, free from my daily commute and social engagements, running has become a constant in my life, in the last 12 months. I am thankful I have been able to carry on with my hobby during the lockdowns in the UK, and I now feel it is time to reflect upon this experience.

Consistency, repetition and persistence

While there were no epic runs or virtual races (no backyard marathons) for me over the past 12 months, it was a year of consistency. I ended up running 5-6 days a week, totally 1674 miles (35%+ compared with 2019). At the start of the first lockdown, I did not set any specific target in mind. Waking up in the morning, going out for a 30-minute run before hours of zoom calls, just became a natural habit. It’s amazing how a bit of fresh (or cold!) air in the morning can do so much to get my mind ready and focused for the day ahead!

Of course, running along the same roads, around same parks in the neighbourhood day after day did get monotonous. Getting out of the house during those dark, cold winter morning was hard. However, going on longer runs at the weekend provided some variety, and rotating routes during the week also helped.

To break the monotony of running locally during lockdown, I did end up setting myself a few running challenges during the last 12 months. My attempt to climb 2000 feet every day for a week to raise money for Pembroke House provided a wonderful opportunity for self reflection. Ironically, since I had to run up and down the same slopes again and again for 7 days, this attempt to break the lockdown monotony actually ended up exposing me to an even bigger challenge — how not to get bored of running in small loops. The key, I discovered, was to learn to see beyond the monotony, and to see it as an art to master (in the case of my hill-running challenge, this meant running faster and more comfortably up and down the hill). The fact that one has the opportunity to be better at something is a blessing, and for me this is what brings purpose. I believe this is generally a good approach to various aspects of life, especially as one gains new perspective throughout the pandemic.

And honestly I can say that I still enjoy every run I go on.

Health

The need to stay physically and mentally healthy during these trying times has been well highlighted, and I cannot agree more.

However, here I want to focus on staying injury-free. I found that doing regular but shorter runs on varied terrain has really helped condition my body. Whereas before lockdown, I would not have often run two days in a row, these days my body rarely feels achy enough that I would worry about over-running.

Along with the time spent on my feet, I have also been able to spend more time stretching, foam rolling and working on body conditioning. There are plenty of exercises one can do conveniently at home, focusing on the lower body as well as the core. Yes, you do need to develop a daily habit in order to see benefits, but hopefully you can start to see how, as your strides become more efficient, and you are running with more confident, you are also less likely to pick up niggles.

Social connection

Although I don’t consider myself a very sociable runner, I have always enjoyed being part of a local running club, Runhead AC, and have made great friends through it. At a time of social isolation, even though I was not able to run with people, I have certainly felt the benefits of being able to see on Strava what friends were up to. Our common interest in running has helped reduce the sense of isolation, and the physical aspect of running reinforces that, even if we are doing it individually. For example, the virtual (and non-virtual) support I received when I was doing the climbing challenge was amazing, and much appreciated.

On the other hand, I also feel that the focus on running itself, as opposed to obsessing over PBs and races, means the community has developed a more open vibe, too.

Looking ahead

Of course, we all hope life will be back to normal soon. I am genuinely quite pleased to see that more people in my neighbourhood have taken up running last year. I hope this is one positive thing that comes out of the pandemic, in that more people are consciously adopting a more balanced and healthy lifestyle.