The Intuitive Runner…

 

…how it began!

 

Hello! So, I’ve pushed myself wayyyyy out of my comfort zone and I’ve signed up to run the Great North Run! Eek! The fact it’s for a wonderful charity like Self Help Africa is really helping spur me on with my training but also….. eek!

 

I’ve NEVER thought of running a half marathon before. So the first thing I did was delve into why I didn’t believe I could do it! Turns out, anytime I’ve trained for anything, I’ve planned every inch or it and well, the plan was unrealistic because I also have a life(!), and then I’ve labelled myself as a failure. I might have only been missing one or two planned sessions, or not being able to run for the entire, but I have always felt like it wasn’t good enough. My expectations for myself were too high. Or I was comparing myself to my amazing runner friends and not reaching anywhere near what they can achieve! And ultimately, I gave up.

 

Sound familiar? Read on!

 

So, now I know this, I’ve reached out to other intuitive trainers for advice, who confirmed the notion that YES! a half marathon can be achieved without a structured plan. And I started!

 

The 8 weeks to Park Run programme in January put me in good stead, as did learning to ‘Jeff’ my runs (basically walking and running together, so you allow yourself a rest when you need it) and I started with a few local miles, and I’ve actually started to improve, see progress and really improve! Now, I’ve decided to fit in one ‘longish’ run (literally how it’s labelled in my calendar weekly when I find a space for it) and one interval session whenever I have spare time- this is playing around with speed and just makes running a bit more enjoyable, varied and/or fun!

 

So far, I’m at around 3 miles comfortably, so I’ve got a long way to go to get to 13. But also, I’m ok with not running the whole thing, I’m putting zero pressure on myself and enjoying the process. I’m enjoying exploring my local area, being steeped in nature and enjoying the views, getting some sun and all of a sudden the enjoyment of running is coming back to me!

 

Watch this space as I keep you updated with my learnings of being an intuitive runner, and thanks for your support. It will certainly keep me going when I need to dig a bit deeper, please get in touch if you’re thinking of doing the same thing! I’d love to hear from you.

And if you can spare a £1, please click the image below to donate to my Just Giving Page and raise a little for this wonderful charity.

 

Jules xx