Rookie Runners - share pains and gains

Good morning to all my running friends wherever you may be. I hope your latest runs have been great.

As this blog is about all of us sharing our pains and our gains of being a rookie runner, I would like to share some of my pains during my rookie years of running. As I told you earlier in the blog, I started running at the age of 40 and still run at the age of 51. My first months of running were very difficult as I was a 'lone' or 'solo' runner. I started out on this fantastic journey of self discipline and absolute solitude with two things in mind - to lose weight and to get fit!!!

Well, as I live in a coastal city in South Africa, the runs were fairly easy as there were minimal uphills, and to be able to run with the smell of the sea air is wonderfull, however, the leg pains, the burning chest and the fear that, just maybe I am not up to this, was so overpowering some days that I really thought I would not be able to do this. Please bear in mind that I was never an athlete thus my fears!!

However, the mind is stronger than the body, and my NEED and DESIRE to become fit and run a half marathon, was so great that I persevered and the feeling, when finishing my first 10K, was so exhilirating that the continuation of this magical sport became easier. Now, not ever will I make you believe that this is an easy sport but magical it is. Please remember that you and you alone, pick up your legs and put the one foot in front of the other, all by yourself. You are not dependant on anyone to make you run - This is how great this sport is, to be able to run 5k, 10k, 21k or even an ultra marathon all by yourself is beyond any words I can describe.

The pains we go through to be a rookie runner and to achieve the gains of being a great or even mediocre runner, as myself, is worth all the effort we put into this amazing, friendly and exhilirating sport.