Lately I’ve been standing in the ocean up to my thighs. My neighbours laugh at me but it’s all for a good cause.

Two summers ago I ran 100 runs in 100 days. It was inspired by a friend who mentioned that he was doing it. Sounded just crazy enough to tempt me. At the end I felt amazing. I had endless energy.

It was such a positive experience that I started again on Christmas day 2014. At the time of writing I am in the 70s.

I have a busy life with 3 young kids aged between 2 and 7 years. One of the things I like about running is I can go straight out the door and be into it. My rules are pretty flexible, but I am looking to do more than 20 minutes running; or more than 4kms. And when I say flexible I include things like playing spotlight with the kids for 90 minutes.

I have several go-to runs that give me some variety: a flat 5km – 11km, 2 hill variations, and a park across the road for agility and variable speed running. I reckon the variety is essential both mentally and physically.

My running is very conservative. The main issue is leg management. I find that my cardio fitness picks up quickly but my legs are often tight from the previous outing. So when running I am mindful of how I am feeling.

I have done lots of running before so move ok but am far from competitive. Instead I use it for my own mental health and as a health measure – I understand what I should be able to do and consider my health if I don’t feel well.

I reckon that small, regular sessions of exercise are a great way of getting really fit. If you take the ‘100’ challenge be patient. The benefits are 70 runs in and the hardest part is the first 3 weeks.

And don’t let the neighbours out you off.

 

Nick Conn