Middle age running

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Running reflects life in many ways. One of these is the way we mature as we go along. As a teenager I was impetuous and constantly on the lookout for the next new experience, often fixing my eyes on the destination and neglecting to appreciate the journey.

As I have reached – dare I say it – middle age, I have begun to see the importance of living in the moment and finding joy in the little things. I’ve begun to appreciate that the journey is as, if not more, enjoyable than the destination.

And so it is with running. When I first started 6 years ago I was fresh and, in terms of my running experiences, a teenager. My goal was to achieve a Personal Best every time I ran. I chased a quicker parkrun PB every week, straining every sinew to shave a few seconds off my record. In doing so I managed a time I would never have thought I was capable of, but I can’t say I remember many of those runs.

Once I had reached a plateau in this area I started to run further. Half marathons, marathons and eventually Ultra Marathons pushed my limits again, this time for stamina rather than speed. This culminated in a 70 two-day event running around the Isle of Wight.

Now I seem to have discovered a new joy in running that doesn’t involve goals and destinations. Instead I head out with little or no aim other than to run and have fun. Trail running has been great for this. Living where I do there are many beautiful trails to run along the North Downs or beside the coast. You can deviate from the path and explore new places, get lost and not care, expect to be in one place and end up somewhere completely different.

I’ve realised that running with others can be more fun than running alone and that you can meet some fascinating people along the way. I now lift my eyes and look around rather than spending my time working out splits and checking my Garmin. I’m not so rigid or focussed in a negative way.

Sure I still like the occasional challenge but for me running is an experience rather than a result.

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