14/06/2026
🏃♀️ Today I got up and went for a run… and I managed a full 5K without walking a single step.
To many people, that might not seem like a huge achievement. You might even assume that, as a personal trainer, running comes naturally to me.
The reality is very different.
Last year I took part in the Hastings Half Marathon and struggled my way around the course with a swollen ankle and painful knees.
The year before that, I completed the same event while limping through the entire second half, experiencing agony with every step due to a major flare-up of my Ankylosing Spondylitis, which caused severe pain in my lower back.
Every time I’ve attempted running, I’ve battled pain, swelling, and setbacks caused by long-term health conditions. And every time, I’ve come away feeling disappointed.
In fact, I haven’t run a single step since last year’s half marathon.
I’ve spent months putting it off, making excuses, and convincing myself I couldn’t do it. Even this morning, as I stepped out of the door, I was telling myself the pain would come back and stop me.
But I took the first step.
Then the next.
At first, I told myself it didn’t matter how far I got. But as the run went on, I changed the story I was telling myself.
Instead of focusing on all the reasons I couldn’t do it, I focused on the reasons I could.
I thought about why I wanted to do it.
I thought about my clients.
I thought about my kids.
And I wanted to be able to show them that a long-term condition doesn’t have to mean you stop doing the things you love.
Yes, listen to your body. Yes, stop if you need to.
But don’t let fear write the ending before you’ve even started.
Tell yourself a different story this time.
You might surprise yourself.