I started running

As someone who has been anti-cardio-but-especially-running over the past few years, I surprised myself when I said “OK” to my parents’ recent offer to go on a run.

I’m back home in the beautiful, open, green space of Sheffield and have been absolutely craving to go outside more. Was running my way of getting out of the apartment to just be outside? Yeah, totally. 🌳

It was like that at first for sure — any excuse to get outside!

But as I showed up every week, I started to actually enjoy it. The first run was horrible as expected. According to my Apple Watch, my cardio fitness levels is “below average” which initially surprised me but after analysing my exercise regime with little to no cardio it’s clear that my endurance isn’t great.

I love my strength training and yoga 5 days a week, but the added variety of exercising outside has helped greatly with my mental health and overall well-being.

I’m also obsessed with progress.

The feeling of a step forward in the right direction no matter how small is what gets me up in the morning! Over the past month or so, I’ve noticed:

• 🏃🏻‍♀️ speed increase
• 🥵 feeling winded no longer happens after a minute of running
• ✨run for longer
• ❤️ faster recovery times
• 📈 overall cardio fitness levels improve!

Whenever I pick up a new hobby, I tend to do ridiculous amounts of research onto it. I’m sure I’m not alone in this 😂

What is the best gear I can wear? Is there anything that can make running feel better or more convenient? How can I breathe better to maximise endurance? How can I run up/down a hill safely? How prevent injury?

I learned a lot over the last few weeks! It’s been awesome applying the research and information to myself, making mental notes on what works for me and my body.

If you’re getting started, a video that helped me and was extremely informative was this one by Natacha Océane.

On Instagram, I’ve been asked about gear I ended up getting, so here’s a list:

• 👟 Women’s UA HOVR™ Sonic 4 Colorshift Running Shoes | Under Armour UK
• 👖 Fast and Free HR Tight 28” | Lululemon UK
• 🧥 UnderArmour jacket (no longer sold)
• 🧥 Black Adidas jacket (this was given to me and is quite old, I don’t think they’re being sold anymore)
• 🎽 Swiftly Tech LS 2.0 Race | Short Sleeves | Lululemon UK*

*Underneath I also like to wear whatever sports bra I first pick up from my many sports bras 😂

I’ve also been using Strava to track my workouts, alongside my trusty Apple Watch.

I plan on keeping this up over the next few months not only to chase after progress but also just to be out there in the big wide world. I almost forgot how amazing it is out there!

No game, no screen or whatever else entertains us inside can beat it.