The last time I was asked this, it was with some concern by my Mother. She saw me tired and achey after a marathon training run, and I think she was genuinely bemused by why I would put myself through such a slog.
She knew that I liked to raise money for charity, but she’d not seen the actual physical effort that the training for such an event would require.
Rather than give one of my stock answers
‘To stop me killing
my kids/To try to get rid of my baby belly/To prepare for a zombie invasion’
I
took the time to think of the real reasons why I run.
Of course fitness is one
of the reasons. Running burns more calories per minute than almost any other
exercise, plus it's free. What’s not to love? It’s also brilliant for managing
stress.
After a difficult day with my kids or at work, the freedom of heading
out into the countryside with either just my thoughts or a banging soundtrack,
eases away all those jaw clenching stress niggles in no time. It’s a time to
either let my mind wander, focusing on worries and teasing out a solution, or
to switch off entirely, focusing only on my breathing or the next track on my
ipod.
Healthwise, as a Coeliac, it’s very important to do weight-bearing
exercise to strengthen my bones as I’m at high risk of Osteoporosis. I have
already managed to increase my bone density from a very low level up to normal
through running, and that’s a pretty good reason to keep it up.
However the real reason why I run was brought home to me the
other day when I was relaxing with my kids in front of the tv. An advert for a
sportswear company came on, and it was showing a woman exercising in different
weathers, places and at different times of the day. It was asking if you were
the type of person who wanted to be ready for anything. All my kids turned to
me and shouted ‘That’s you Mummy! You run in the rain, you go even when it’s
cold and dark, you are just like that!’
Ignoring the fact that they are the
marketing company’s dream audience, and that I am nothing like the glamorous
slim model on the tv, I was thrilled that they noticed.
 |
| That's you Mummy! |
They see me running, and
they think it’s normal. How great is that? They’ve often come to support me at
events, but being pretty typical kids they haven’t always shown a great
interest, and the lure of a lunch out generally has to be used to bribe them to
come! They did give me a massive cheer at my marathon last year though, and
that was the best boost ever when I was feeling exhausted. At least now I know
that they are growing up with my running (and their Dad’s, when he occasionally
joins in) being a normal part of life.
They’re not the sportiest kids in the world, but I’m hoping
that by setting them this example they will grow up wanting to join in, wanting
to enjoy sports and wanting to look after their bodies to keep them healthy and
strong. My eldest has already started joining me on the occasional parkrun and
has done a few 2-3k events, and he was thrilled to realise how much he had progressed
when he was finally picked for some running events at his school sports day
this year.
He’s not the fastest in his year, but he’s out there, giving it a
go, and that’s the most important thing. I don’t mind what they do. It doesn’t
have to be running, it can be whatever sport brings them joy, fun, fitness and
friends.
In a nutshell, I realised that’s why I run. To not only be
fit for my family, and to be able to manage my family life without killing
anyone, but mainly in the hope of inspiring them to also want to incorporate
exercise into their lives as a normal part of their day. So…why do you
run?
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