I want to let you into a little secret. Or maybe it’s not so secret if you dabble on Instagram.
I’m a runner. I run.
Words I never thought I’d say. And if I’m honest, words that if you have known me for a while would make you guffaw out loud exclaiming, “What? You!”
I’m still not sure if it’s a mid-life crisis or whether it’s my ageing body trying desperately to cling to the last sliver of health I have left, but it’s happening.
I started running late last year, and have grown to love it. Weirdly.
This is the girl who would cut across the fields on cross-country runs at school, then wait near the end of the course until a few class mates trotted past before nipping out to join them on the home straight. This is the girl who absolutely always came last in the sprint. This is the girl who is a swimmer. I don’t do running. Well, I didn’t.
It took three months to build up to running 5kms, and although it was hard it was incredibly satisfying to reach that magic 5km mark.
I now run that distance regularly, and last week completed my first 11km run as part of the Salomon Trail Running Series, and it was bloody fantastic.
I had been training for it, running the trails along the Merri Creek and through Yarra Bend Park. During the week the trails are quiet, and it’s easy to get lost in the rhythm of the pace. Mountain bikers whizz by, other runners sometimes too, but mostly it’s just me and the sounds of nature and my footfalls.
If you want to escape life for a while, I suggest you find a trail near you and go exploring.
Whether you run or not is entirely up to you.