70 and started Park Run and doing Couch to 5K

by Annie
(Herefordshire, UK)

I started running ( really walk jog) a few years ago then life just got busy and I stopped. This year as I turned 70 I decided to start again. I thought about park run and thought I had better be able to run 5k before I go. Then I thought that is going to take ages so I just went. I walked most of the course but I was the fastest for my age group, as I was the only one. Park run is such a supportive community and cheer everyone on as they approach the end. I am very slow and near the very back end but I do it. I have also volunteered a few times which is good fun as I can cheer the runners as I know how much it helps me when I am crawling around the run.

I am now doing couch to 5k and got as far as 3 weeks but then had a gap as my daughter had twins so I needed to help out - my son has triplets plus one, my 2 daughters have 1 + twins so I have 10 under 3.75 years so you can see why I need to be able to run around. I decided to start again so back on week 1. I try and get out 3 times a week, Saturday park run then 2 other days. There is a beautiful small nature reserve nearby, each loop is about 1.5k so at the moment I do 2 loops plus distance from car park to entrance so about 4 k in total. It has the great advantage it is flat but I know I need to do hills sometime but at the moment I am just trying to run for longer than 1 minute!

I spend 3 days a week with my grandchildren, 1 day each family so the the day is spent in the car getting there then crawling around the floor or reading stories so I have to get out when I have days at home. So far these days have been dry but not sure how I will cope if it is wet. I used to worry what people would think of an overweight old lady out jogging very very slowly but realised I don't care. I am going faster than someone sitting down. It will make me fitter to enjoy activities with my grandchildren and I feel SO good when I finish.