There’s lots of talk about what we need to take forward into the new normal so I thought I’d share a bit of my own personal experience as a contribution - I hope it’s of interest to at least some others.

 

The story starts on 17th March a week before lockdown started. We, at Energize had to start working from home as there had been a suspected case of Covid-19 in the building where we worked. So, I decided that I would use the time I would have been driving to work to go for a run. Just a quick 30mins but I quite enjoyed it and so decided to do it for the rest of the week too. I didn’t know then what would unfold in terms of the pandemic but I did start to experience that lockdown working practice of sitting at and working from my kitchen table for the rest of the day and the run first thing certainly helped me to combat that.

 

I normally run a bit at the weekend and just carried on into week 2. And then of course Monday 23rd March when PM Mr Johnson told us the frankly quite frightening lockdown news. I’m sure like many I was very concerned that night about the health of the nation and humanity. But something also gave me hope and I realised it was the once a day opportunity to go outside and exercise. My daily run was saved - and inside I knew this was critical - to my mental health as much as my physical wellbeing.

 

So, I carried on running - every morning I got up at 7am and a new routine formed - which laid the foundations for my working day. Run - stretch - 8 min yoga - porridge - shower - dressed. And so, I kept going - running just over the equivalent of a marathon every week - plodding along not really worrying about time or pace just keeping going.

 

Inevitably I’ve had a couple of niggly injuries and days when it’s been a real slog but I’ve also enjoyed truly exhilarating times when my running has felt almost effortless and entirely natural - like I read about in Born to Run (great book by the way). I’ve passed many a milestone along the way ticking off weeks and months (and a couples of weeks ago a quarter of a year had passed by since I started) - the most number of days I’ve ever run consecutively before is 14 when on a two week holiday after the London Olympics.

 

And today (Wed 24th June) I reached the 100-day milestone - and I’ve decided that’s probably enough. My ankles and calfs have been not too good for the last two weeks and I know that at 54 I probably need to have a rest day every now and again - and perhaps use my bike a bit more as an alternative.

 

But I’m not going back - I’ve proved to myself the importance of the daily exercise - and how much I need this to be able to enjoy the rest of my life - working or otherwise. So this is one of my take forwards - something that I aim to carry forward into the new normal and if I can help share this with others too then I aim to do this (which is helpful because it’s also my job).

 

P.S. It’s not about running it’s about getting out - and enjoying moving in the outdoors.

 

P.P.S. Tomorrow I’m planning to go for a ride on my bike!!

 

P.P.P.S. The pics are me at the end of the 100th run - I mix of elation and exhaustion.