We chatted the whole way and before we knew it, we’d run 10km. In week 3, a friend invited me to Abergavenny to run along the Monmouthshire-Brecon Canal. So I tried to mix up my runs as much as I could, and threw in some trail runs. But running the same route over and over would be pretty dull. I live in Cardiff and knew that most of my runs would be around the city’s parks and river trails. But then, I only had myself (and alcohol) to blame. I’d had a few sherbets the night before and trudged 10km with a hangover. Both times, I got absolutely soaked.īut day 20, a drab and soggy Saturday, wins the prize for toughest slog. On day 15 I ran twice, in the morning and evening, due to running club commitments. On day 8, I took a wrong turn and got choked by car fumes for 2 miles. To be fair, it wasn’t all sunshine and laughs. Small gestures like these from a fellow runner or dog walker make a big difference, and lift my spirits every time. I’d always get a pretty vigorous nod, wave or ‘morning’, and felt like I’d stumbled on a secret ‘good morning’ club. Why stop at 10km if the sun’s shining? And I discovered early morning folk are a friendly bunch. Some mornings were so glorious I just kept running. Yes, who knew running 31 days in a row could be so enjoyable? I loved how peaceful it was running early morning, which became my preferred time. So it wasn’t as hard as I thought it’d be.
I guess I’ve programmed myself to wake up and run. A month after I completed the challenge, I’m still running every day except Saturdays, which I take off to relax. I’d wake up, think ‘Right, let’s get the kit on’ and head out without questioning it. But after 10 days or so, it was becoming a habit. To be honest, it was a shock to the system.
At first, I relied on willpower and my 5.45am wake up call to get out of bed and go for a run. As the challenge wore on, I felt stronger and stronger. Would it push me too far? But it was the opposite. It wasn’t as tough as I thought it’d be.īefore I started, I was worried I’d be tired and grouchy running every day. I was feeling a bit skint – who isn’t these days - and setting my own challenge wouldn’t cost me a penny.ġ.
I love taking part in official, organised running events but they’re not cheap. I like having a target to aim for, being motivated, and above all, feeling ‘busy’. Running definitely helps, but from experience, setting goals and challenges works well for me too. Like other runners who’ve posted on here, I’ve had ups and downs with my mental health. I had no idea how this was going to pan out. So, for the first (and possibly last) time in my life, I came up with my own hashtag: #run10kadayinmay.
10k a day in May? Hmmm, it had a bit of a ring to it. I checked my diary and May looked like a goer. I decided to set myself a personal challenge: to run at least 10km every day for a month.
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