Getting Back Into Running

​I have to admit, I had taken a hiatus from running for the past couple of years. I was NEVER an Ultra Runner, or even a Marathon runner (I have been put to shame by both of my sisters who are well into double figures in the number of marathons they have completed) but I have always got out and hit the pavement 2-3 times a week for the past couple of decades.Along with my wife, Breige, we have been running on the streets of Tokyo where we lived for 7 years. We have run on the sands of Waikiki Beach in Hawaii, in the heat of Abu Dhabi and Dubai which was also our temporary home … well, anyway, you get the picture.

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Upon moving to Belfast in 2016, I pulled my running shoes on, and over the months I acclimatised to the weather here - I even completed the Belfast Half Marathon in 2018 (I aimed for sub two hours, and my time was 2 hours and 1 minute, which was especially galling).

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But a couple of years ago I joined a new gym, got into a bit of boxing for cardio, and the running fell away. So, this summer, I changed gym, and I decided it was time to get back into running.I dusted off my gear and headed for a 2km kids park run at Waterworks, with my 8 year-old son, Hugo. It was really hard (for me, not Hugo who flew around no problem), I had underestimated how much you can lose in stamina. I then went to the adult 5km Park Run at Ormeau Park, and struggled and huffed and puffed my way round, as I was overtaken by people who were quite a bit older than I am.But I kept turning up every week, and this is the thing. I kept showing up and pushing myself, and going out during the week for a 6km run too. After about 4-5 runs, it started to feel a lot easier.Now a few months later, I am out 3-4 times a week and I have started doing interval sprinting in the last 1.5 kms, feeling great doing it.

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Needless to say, I am not as young as I once was. At the age of 50, the stretching before and after is key to feeling good and recovering quickly from running (or any exercise, really).Luckily, I have Breige as my wife, it is also very handy that she owns and runs Urban Soul Yoga and can help with a professional yoga stretch to help with running recovery, and I can bounce out of bed a couple of days later ready to go again.

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To anyone finding running a challenge, my advice is this: keep showing up, keep pushing yourself, and make sure you stretch!

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Matt Godfrey

Come and join us for a 7am sociable run, every Thursday. Meet outside Urban Soul Yoga at 6.55am, 71a Malone Road, Belfast. BT9 6SB. You can register on urbansoulyoga.co.uk under "Courses".