Written by Nicola Tordoff-Sohne
You might already be one and if not,
you certainly already know one . YES we’re
talking about those who are smitten
with running
MANY
people start running so they can
eat more cake and drink more wine whilst keeping
the muffin top in check! It’s a great calorie burner
but once the running bug bites, that reason soon
becomes secondary and you may find that running is the reason in itself. One day you realise that
you’re not running to get fit anymore, you’re getting
fit to run!
Speak to a runner and they all have their reasons for
running. Some say it’s a primal urge, believing that
this is what our bodies were designed to do - chase
down our dinner until we wore them out! Others
talk about the joy that running brings and link it to a
sense of childhood abandonment and freedom that
kicks in. When was the last time you burst into a run
out of pure excitement? Probably at aged 7 or 8! For
me it’s an opportunity to collect my thoughts and
connect with my body. I like the clarity and creativity that come from an oxygen flooded mind and the
post run glow of achievement and wellbeing.
If you’re new to, or still navigating your way around
a new city, what better way to explore the nooks
and crannies of your new stomping ground than by
lacing up your running shoes and hitting the city on
foot? If you’re new in town it’s the perfect way to
meet new people, improve language skills and blow
off some steam after work. Running is inexpensive,
doesn’t have the social stigma that’s attached to
some other sports, is open to everyone and unless you’ve moved to the South Pole you’d be hard
pressed not to find at least one running club in
your area.
Friends and runners Joanne and Rebecca started
running in Amsterdam for fitness and some quality
girl time and ended up successfully completing the
Paris half marathon following my training plan.
Joanne’s Half Marathon Story:
“My F rench friend Rebecca invited me along on
a run one day and I jokingly asked what we were
training for and she said “the Paris half marathon!” I
thought about it for a while and then thought ‘f*ck
it’ and signed up to do it too!
How I trained for it: We followed Nicola’s
training plan which started off with 3 short distance
runs per week, eventually adding a fourth longer
run of increasing distance. The plan also included
strength training focussed on building up the core
and supporting muscles to prevent injury.