The aches and pains worth it

LAST weekend I completed my first ever 5km race when I took part in The Echo Women’s Mini Marathon. I’m writing this the morning after and while I’m over the moon I completed a challenge I set for myself back in July, I’m full of aches and pains!

I had been training for the run since mid-July by going out for a run with no real plan twice a week, while also keeping up with pilates and weights in the gym. The gym is where I feel most comfortable, and running was - and still is to a certain degree - definitely outside of my comfort zone.

I’m a relatively fit person, I’m a qualified personal trainer, and I’m willing to try any (and have tried most) sports at some point in my life.

I did run when I was younger as part of an athletics club – as I mentioned in a column a couple of months ago – but I was always built for power and not distance. 100m or 200m races were where I excelled. Anything longer and I’d feel like my lungs were on fire and like I’d never be able to breathe again. The issue with that is, I could go out and play a full football match no problem – so it must have all been in my head!

Before I set myself this 5km running goal recently, I had tried and failed to get back into running a few times. When gyms closed during the pandemic, I attempted to run in fits and starts. Some days it would go ok, and then other days it wouldn’t. I became frustrated and gave up on it. In hindsight, I think I was trying to run too fast. You see people running five minute kilometers and expect that from the word go - that’s not how it works!

But, with the shorter 5km route for The Echo Women’s Mini Marathon, it wasn’t too daunting an aim. It also helped me to focus in training by having a goal to work towards. I also roped in one of my friends - Sarah Ryan (pictured) - to do the run with me.

In this instance, training certainly was not a linear process, and I ended up having physio on my foot ten days before the race – but thankfully everything fell into the place for the day of the race.

I also decided I would use the opportunity to raise money for charity – I chose The Rainbow Club Cork Centre for Autism.

It also provided me with plenty motivation. I had asked people to donate, so I had to actually run the race. No turning back.

Now, I was not aiming for an outrageous time, nor was I expecting miracles, I just wanted to finish without keeling over!

The buzz around the start line the morning of the race was electric, with some of the elite runners distinguishable in running singlets, as well as groups of friends together chatting, alongside some groups of men in dresses taking part too, all getting into the spirit of the day.

There were speeches and warm ups and before we knew it, the race had begun.

The first kilometre I think I got lost in the day and started a little too quickly. I had been training around the seven minute a km mark, and at one point I looked at the pace on my watch and it was at 5:43 per km. I forced myself to slow right down. It’s hard to let people pass you by, but I knew if I kept running at that pace, having not trained at it ever, I’d be in a heap after 3km and would end up crawling to the finish line.

I also always run alone, so running with so many people around me was unusual. I wasn’t sure if I should be keeping up with people or allowing them to pass me by.

Either way, I managed to make it to the end in one piece. I had initially set myself a target to finish somewhere around 35-36 minutes, and I managed it in 34:23 despite the challenges of the last couple of weeks, so I am delighted.

It’s double the time it took the winners’ to finish, but the main thing is there was plenty money raised for charity, and I made it to the end!

I’ll definitely go again next year and try to beat my time. And for anyone who has ever thought about running or walking the race, but just never has – you should aim for next year too.