A story about a runner

I'd like to tell you a story about a very good friend of mine, who recently bagged her first 5K run, because I want people (and her) to know how amazing she is.

I met Katherine back in 2009, where she was part of a business networking group I joined when I set up Cassy & Co. The whole group were very welcoming, but Katherine stood out as someone who was always happy, helpful, friendly and confident. And funny, she's so bloody funny! She helped me no end with my business, as well as being a great friend. The kind of friend that listens and nods when I go on about running, swimming, and cycling. Katherine had never shown an interest in actually doing any of these things, but one day she announced to me that she wanted to be able to swim "like Michaela Strachan". Having never seen Michaela swim (apparently she was on Splash!), I took Katherine at her word that it was effortless front crawl, and that it was her destiny to be equally good at swimming. Ok, she might not have used the word "destiny", but she was pretty much a mermaid in waiting.

I am always eager to help in any way I can when people want to start being more active, because I know how much it enhances your life when you start to achieve physically when you never thought you could. Like myself, Katherine didn't have a very positive outlook on exercise, probably because of PE at school, where kids are/were forced to take part in sports days and cross country races with no prior training whatsoever, forever (for some) ruining that person's want for fitness. So much emphasis is placed on being the best, and being picked first for a team. Or not being picked last, perhaps. When I went to school I was often picked last (unless my friend was doing the picking), and it didn't do much for my confidence. But exercising is not something that should be a chore, or a confidence beater. Quite the opposite! After all, it keeps us healthy! We know that dogs need exercise, we know that horses need exercise, yet we don't exercise ourselves. We're strange creatures, us humans.

Anyway, I digress... I offered to help Katherine in her quest for Strachan-like swim skills and she joined me as a guest at David Lloyds for her first lesson. It turns out that I don't know that much about teaching swimming, despite being able to swim myself and watching various instructional videos on You Tube. Apparently it's a bit more complicated than that. I tried to convince Katherine to join up so we could spend more time on it, but after weighing up the pros and cons she decided that a ridiculously over-priced monthly membership was not for her. I should learn a thing or two...

She told me that I'd just have to teach her to run instead.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing! In fact, I think I made her repeat it 76 times before I believed it. She'd never shown any interest in running, in fact it was quite the opposite, so I was a little sceptical with regards to her dedication, but it was unwavering.

I soon discovered that this amazing woman was terrified! Terrified of running the first session in her Couch to 5K training plan, which consisted of a 5-min warmup, followed by 1 min running/1.5 min walking (x8). After some "I can't"/"yes you can"/"no I can't"/"yes you can" toing and froing, she got through the first session in style, although her calves quickly tightened up during the next few sessions and Katherine's confidence plummeted. After the most amusing visit to a running shop I have ever experienced ("oh my goodness, it's like walking on clouds!!") and plenty of stretching, she was back on it. But each time the run-time went up, the "I can't"s came out. And each time she proved that she could, in fact, do it. I told her that we'd be laughing at 3 mins of running when she completed her first 5K, which, of course, she was terrified of doing.

And laugh we did, because 10 weeks after beginning her plan (a couple of weeks of illness slowed progress), Katherine joined 100 or so other runners at Rushcliffe Parkrun, and completed her first 5K in just under 38 mins. Of course, it wouldn't have been right without some drama, and the lack of tunes caused that. Next time, don't panic, just check the volume.

Afterwards, Katherine told me that she feels like she's been a passenger in my plan to turn her into a runner, but she took every stride herself, even pushing herself to a sprint finish.

Now, I know that there are loads of people who do the Couch to 5K running plan, and plenty of my friends have, with great success, but Katherine's personal journey overcoming doubt and increasing her self belief was extra inspiring. From a gilet-and-brick-trainer-wearing self doubter, to a Lycra-and-Asics-wearing 5K runner in just over 2 months is pretty awesome. Onwards and upwards, my friend!

 

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