It’s just gone 5am, I switch the alarm off, get out of bed, kit on, tie my laces and head out the door to my happy place – going for a run. I don’t do this every day though. I have a rest day on a Monday and go out later at the weekends.

Running is more than just a run for me. It’s not about being fast or good, it’s what it does for me. Let me tell you why I run.

Running energises me. Going out early in the morning helps me think through the first thing on my to do list so that by the time I get home, I have a plan and feel ready to start the day. Having that plan allows me to get that first task done in a fraction of the time it would normally take. This morning, my run inspired me to write and share this post rather than have the idea and not share it.

It was even better in the summer when I was able to witness the sunrise too. Being able to appreciate your surroundings, visit the places that are special to you, where there are great views make the experience much more meaningful.

“It’s not the view but what you see”

Creative space

Running is my creative space. It’s where I have the space to think through ideas for growing my business and where I’ve made important decisions like quitting my studio and moving my business online so I can help more people anywhere to achieve their goals. Running through some woods inspired me to decide to start planting trees for each person I work with to help save the planet.

It’s where I think through ideas for blog posts (like this one) and videos. I often shoot videos while I run because the idea is fresh in my head and also because I’ll likely have forgotten about it by the time I get home!

Therapy

Running is a great way to solve problems and deal with stress. In order to do this effectively, we need to get away from the situation, switch off our conscious mind and let our unconscious mind help us. The unconscious mind is where all our emotions are stored and when we’re away from everything, we can think through things more logically and come up with a better solution.

Running was very powerful for me in processing the loss of both my parents a few years back. It allowed me the space to express my feelings and explore all the things that were in my head. I found a positive way of dealing with it in actually ‘chatting’ to them out loud as if they were with me, thanking them for everything they’d done for me and sharing my news with them. I now look forward to these chats every Sunday on my long run and it feels nice to still have that connection.

Discover

Above all else, running has enabled me to discover things I can do that I previously didn’t believe possible for me. Indeed, my whole journey in fitness began when I ran the London Marathon as a way to do something about my health and overcome back spasms I had been suffering. Completing the marathon gave me the desire to go and help others achieve amazing things like I had just done.

You never know what you’re capable of until you try.

Running gave me the perfect way to remember my Dad by when I ran all 4 races at the Edinburgh Marathon Festival (5km, 10km, Half Marathon, Marathon) in the same weekend in 2014 as part of a bigger fundraiser for Macmillan in his memory.

You CAN do it too

The great thing is, you CAN do it too. Everyone can do it, if they want. It doesn’t matter how old, how fit/unfit, fast/slow you are, all you need is the desire to start. The easy way to get started is to think about how you want it to feel while you run then go practice it. I always recommend to go and make it feel comfortable, no matter how slow it feels. 

The best runs happen when you relax, switch off, think about something else and just let it flow. You come up with the best ideas, come back feeling refreshed and energised and you’ve done some exercise without thinking about it!

Do you run? Would you like to be able to run and make it feel enjoyable? Perhaps I can help.