Jayne Runs | My Running Story

This is the first in a series of posts aptly named 'Jayne Runs'. I thought it might be interesting to other people who are either thinking about getting into running or are already runners themselves. So my first post is a little introduction as how I got into running and my running history.

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When I was in school I was never really keen on running. I loved sports such as netball and hockey but I didn't really warm to the idea of being dragged out on a run. Especially when going to school in the North of England (I went to Keswick School for anyone wondering) means running in the wet and cold! I was 11 years old when I learnt to ride horses and I have been hooked ever since. I was lucky enough to grow up in a family with knowledge of horses and parents who were willing to cart me around every weekend to compete.

It was while I was in The Pony Club that I discovered the sport of Tetrathlon. Tetrathlon is a challenging multi disciplined sport which consists of running 1500m across country, riding a course of fences cross country, swimming as far as you can in 3 minutes and shooting an air pistol at a turning target. The Modern Pentathlon is the senior discipline to the Tetrathlon -- which you may have seen Samantha Murray winning the Olympic Silver Medal in recently.

So it was through training for Tetrathlons that I first found my love for running. My Dad took me out training in all weathers -- including hail and snow! I will admit I didn't always love it but as I got fitter and faster I begin to enjoy it. I felt better with myself during those awkward teenage years and I found a focus. I made it to The Pony Club National Tetrathlon Championships at the age of 18 which remains for me one of my greatest achievements.

I continued to run on and off throughout my 20s but I found it difficult to train without a goal and also keep motivated by myself. So when I turned 30 years old I decided that something had to change. I entered myself for Bath Half Marathon with the goal of completing the run and raising as much money as I could for the World Wildlife Fund (UK). I trained hard throughout the winter and spring and achieved my goal in March this year. In doing so I also rediscovered my love of running.

I love the feeling of fresh air on my face. Running not only keeps me in good shape, it also helps to clear my head and refocus my mind. Whenever I feel myself lagging I can still hear my Dads voice in my head telling me to lengthen my stride! Running is one of the best cardio exercises you can do and is an all over body workout. I'm really not one for being cooped up in a gym -- I just loves the outdoors!

I hope that you found this post interesting and maybe helpful. I use the Nike+ running app so you can see my updates on Twitter whenever I complete a run (I'm running about twice a week at the moment). Let me know if you're a runner or would like to get into running!