I’ve always been an active person. Playing rugby, weightlifting and pushing myself through some of the toughest CrossFit workouts known to mankind. Despite this, long distance running was a physical activity I avoided.
Every time I ran, I faced a mental challenge that no other sport I’ve taken part in created; I would doubt my ability to run the speed or distance needed.
Any little niggle or pain would be magnified, and throughout any long distance running that I’d take part in, my brain would be saying things like “why are you doing this?”, “you could be spending this time doing something better”, “your legs are hurting”.
I’m sure many of us have been through similar experiences, where our mind tries to trick us into thinking we’re weaker than what we actually are. It can be extremely difficult to overcome these thoughts.
When I found I could run The Great North Run for Movember, I snapped up the opportunity in a heartbeat as a way to overcome my mental running demons. I would be making a promise to Movember and every person who would donate to me, that I would tackle these challenges and complete the half-marathon for them.
Training myself to go the distance
Having never trained for any distance over 5km, I knew I needed to create a plan that would give me enough time to go from hating running, to enjoying it enough to run 21.1km.
I gave myself 14 weeks.
For training, I used the Nike Run Club Half-Marathon programme. It consists of 42 running sessions, which helped me prepare in different ways:
- 14 recovery runs — got me used to running at a steady pace for long periods of time.
- 14 sprint sessions — helped me improve the speed at which I was running.
- 14 long distance runs — helped me go from running 5km to 21.1km.
The 14 weeks of training flew by. There were points I wanted to throw the towel in. Other times, I enjoyed it so much that I was thinking about booking another marathon.
My family, friends and those who’d donated were my main source of motivation. It kept me pushing through the sessions, despite how tough some of them were.
Styling out for comfort
Within these sessions, I was able to work out how I like to run. I like to start my runs at a slow pace and build. I like wearing running vests to keep me cool, a sweatband and cap to soak up the sweat, a running belt with water, and gels to keep hydrated.
After listening to different podcasts, playlists, and radio stations whilst running, Radio 1 Dance became my go to, as the fast beats kept me going.
That’s how I like to run, but everyone’s different and we all find comfort in different ways.
This is an extremely important point to remember if you’re supporting someone through a tough time. People like support in different ways, and you need to check the support you’re providing them is right for them. Movember has a bunch of useful resources to help you provide support to those who need it.
And finally... The big day
The big day arrived. It was time to smash 21.1km of tarmac.
Before the race began, there was a warm-up in our allocated Movember area. It was a funny experience to be part of 60,000 people, all huddled closely together in the blistering heat, spreading limbs wide, trying not to hit one another.
Then the race started. The Red Arrows flew over, Mo Farah kicked off his final competitive race, and people began their journey to the finishing line.
From start to finish the route barely went downhill. But the thousands of supporters who flocked the streets to cheer us on kept me going.
The supporters handed out oranges and sweets. They hosed us down with water and children held their arms out waiting for a high-five. Every high-five I gave, was like getting a mushroom power-up in Mario.
As I got to the final 5km, the pain started to set into my legs, and the route began its biggest ascent.
Before my training, my brain would’ve told me that I should stop. But this time, my brain said “you’ve got this”. This change in mindset proved to me that if you make a good plan and stick to it, anything is possible.
As I came up to the finishing line, I was so relieved that 14 weeks of dedication had resulted in completing my first half-marathon in just under 2hours 10minutes. My arms went up in the air, my fingers pointed to the sky, and as I crossed the finishing line, the Red Arrows flew over once again.
I’d like to thank Movember for providing me with the opportunity to take on this challenge, and for those who are reading this, remember you are capable of anything as long as you put your mind to it and stay dedicated.
Find out how you can join one of Movember's challenge events in 2024.