Running is hard

Running can be hard.

We’ve all been there. Some runs you don’t want to. Some runs you can’t. Some runs you just want to jack it all in and give up. Some runs you question why are you even running. Some runs, you have the best day of your life. Some runs you smile from ear to ear. Some runs you buzz off of for weeks to come. Some runs are memory runs - runs that you remember forever.

I felt all of this on Sunday at Brighton Half Marathon.

We were having such a good run, enjoying the crowds, getting shot at by water pistols… ahem… , seeing so many pals in the crowds and through the course, all feeling strong, all sharing the positive vibes, all pounding the streets with the same heartbeat.

Then my knee went funky.

My first thought was ok what do I need to do to get to the end - we can sort the bendy thing out later. But the pain was pretty, let’s say bad, and I had to stop start, just to keep going.

We sent forth the others, my long term RunPal by my side.

I felt I was letting her down.

I know she will be (and of course was!) the first to say don’t worry about it, and I recall something she said immediately that day along the lines of “don’t worry about times, we’ll just get over the line together.”

But, you still don’t feel all that great when you’ve paused your pals progress, when you know they could carry on.

But, I couldn’t be more grateful for her incredible support through those last few miles. She didn’t have to do it, but she did.

Working together, as we have so often done in the past, the stubborn mind took over. “Manage this for 2 more miles and we’ll get it done.” The positive words from one of my bestest pals got me through.

Then we saw another pal up ahead, that many of you know and adore. I thought if I can reach him, we can make it to the end.

I hadn’t realised he was struggling too, he looked so strong when we saw him out on the course earlier, but alas, we joined forces and the energiser bunny that is Nikki was filling the air with positivity for us both.

It kept me going to keep him going, to keep going with her. It kept me going to get through this with my pals.

And we did. We did get through it, together.

And that feeling crossing the line, so perfectly caught on video, is everything to me what RunPals stands for.

Where oh where is this rambling post going I hear you, dear reader ask?

We don’t all have to be best friends, but surrounding yourself with good people, people that support you. That lift you. That you lift in return. People that share the good times, the hard times and the finish lines. People that you respect.

After all, isn’t that all that really matters?