How lock down has helped me fall back in love with ‘The Long Run’

I fell out of love with ‘The Long Run’ whilst training for the Cardiff Half last year. I put a lot of pressure on myself to try to achieve a time which, in all honesty, was unreachable given my fitness level.

It meant that long runs were a chore and I was often disappointed with the time I took to cover the miles. I completed the half but fell apart at about 7 miles as I’d mis-paced the early miles. The half wasn’t the first time it had either…and so the mental block began.

What’s different now?

Mostly that my long runs are about exploring where I live as opposed to training for a race. It’s taken the pressure off as I don’t ‘have’ to run the miles, I’m doing it for the love of running, and for a bit of adventure.

I feel like a child running again. It’s joyful.

I’ve found green spaces that I didn’t know existed in a city I’ve lived in for close to 18 years, and they at right on my doorstep. It’s amazing what running whilst trying to avoid people can lead to.

I’ve definitely noticed that I prefer to run in green open spaces rather than on the roads. There’s so much to look at, I feel more uplifted and, if it’s not too strange to say, rested.

I feel more rested mentally, which right now is so important given we’re working at home with two small children also requiring our attention.

Here’s a couple of the places I’ve found whilst on my adventures.