I always tell people that I hate running. It’s not my sport, I’ve always been a swimmer, but I’m determined to be a better runner. Coincidentally, I’m not a big fan of lockdown either. It’s not easy, like most I’ve always loved (and taken for granted) the freedom to travel and visit family or friends, but when lockdown began, I decided I would strive to find a silver lining in it… somewhere.
Like many, I decided to set some fitness goals. Could this be the perfect time to finally improve my running? At first my goal was to work on my 5k time. Probably quite a few of my classmates would testify to the fact that I’ve been banging on about this since the beginning of the academic year, trying to convince everyone to come to Parkrun with me on a Saturday morning (with a caveat that all abilities are welcome and regardless, they’re certain to be faster than me).
So, I set off, alternating between coastal path runs and inland, single-track road runs, equipped with new trainers and a cautiously optimistic attitude. Maybe I could get my 5k time down to 30 minutes? Could this really be that hard? I learned pretty quickly that some of the rolling farmland hills in Fife are not for the faint-hearted, and many can only be ascended at a fast walk. The flipside is that the downhill sections are extremely enjoyable. As I ran down my favourite descent, around six weeks into the lockdown, I realised that I was incredibly grateful for the wind blowing in my hair and the beautiful view across the Firth of Forth towards the south. I thought to myself that this is what birds must feel like, darting through the sky without a care, floating on the breeze and enjoying the picturesque vistas that stretch out below them. Lockdown was getting to me, but I felt lucky to be able to get out into the countryside and bask in nature (even if I was wheezing in the gutter on those steep hills).
I kicked things up a notch, deciding to set myself the goal of running 100km in May. Why, you ask? Aside from the obvious, that 100 “kay” rhymes nicely with May, I guess I felt I needed a new challenge, or at least another challenge to distract from the trials and tribulations of virtual learning. May was intense, I think I felt through every emotion toward running (and lockdown) – from deep hatred to content, to looking forward to running and feeling extremely appreciative of being able to adventure through the local landscapes despite the pandemic. There were no cheering crowds to applaud me on my final run on the 31st of May, just some local ponies with a bemused look… presumably thinking, “She’d get there faster if she rode a horse!” I completed my goal, although my 5km time hasn’t decreased much (definitely blaming the hills).
I’m not disappointed though – I ultimately realised It doesn’t really matter how far or how fast you go, as long as you go. The same is true of our experiences in lockdown – with its phasing out we are hopefully not too far from a return to some semblance of normality (whatever that is) – for each of us to have made it this far with our own wins and losses, missed or accomplished goals, is an achievement in itself. It doesn’t matter if you threw yourself into experimenting with baking sourdough, picked up an old hobby, or simply took the extra time afforded in lockdown to relax as best you could when you weren’t studying, what’s important is the keeping going.
I’ve heard studying medicine and becoming a doctor described as a marathon, not a sprint – when I think about lockdown, I see it has been a marathon too. Our minds may be tired from studying, filled with emotions, and my ankle sore from all the running, but we’ve made it to the end of the academic year. Our marathon will continue with both expected and unforeseen challenges, and we’ll continue to adapt and learn – let’s be proud of the journey so far, whatever our pace.
Oh, and my silver lining? Lockdown made me love running.