All posts tagged: lockdown

Nature’s Treats: Running in Lockdown

Autumn running is certainly serving me up some treats at the moment. We’ve had endless rain in the NW of England but in between there have been some real gems of a day. After rain, the air is clear, the autumn colours seem even more vibrant and there’s that lovely chill in the air which is just perfect for running. I’m trying to run more consistently, every day if I can, but I’ve dropped my distances to make this doable and kinder on my body. I’ve been doing this since mid September and I can already notice a difference. I feel fitter and stronger and I’m definitely benefitting from a more regular endorphin boost. I’ve also found it easier to fit in my runs. Just aiming for 30 minutes on most days makes it more realistic for me. I can run early before work, in a lunch break or at the end of the day. Consistency really is turning out to be key. I was thoroughly spoiled by Mother Nature this week. I had to …

Running Towards the Future

Published by Dr Juliet McGrattan

‘How are you?’ seems to be the most common way to open a conversation at the moment. For runners this is often followed by, ‘How’s your running?’ Many people have been running more frequently during our time of lockdown, using it to keep their mental health in check and add routine to the days. Others have been running less, either because it feels like one pressure too many or they’re key workers and are just too tired and busy. Whichever it is, lockdown has certainly been a time for us to reflect on our running. Whether it’s how much we love it, why we aren’t enjoying it or how much we miss it. I wrote recently about my lockdown running but this has lead me on to thinking about what I can take forward as a positive to use in my future running. What have I learnt? What have I enjoyed? How is my running going to look in the future? Here are my own personal running reflections and how I intend to use them …

My Lockdown Running

Published by Dr Juliet McGrattan

I’ve never been more grateful to love running than right now. Since I began running 12 years ago, it’s always been there for me, through thick and thin, happy and sad. A lifeline to cling on to, a power source, a release. Running has helped me in so many ways. Now, when our backs are up against the wall with the Covid-19 pandemic, running is still there and thankfully we are still allowed to do it! I’ve been reflecting on if and how my relationship with running has changed during lockdown. Here’s what I’ve discovered lockdown running to be so far: A Leveller – The possibility that the government might ban me from going for a run has certainly made me consider how awful it would be to lose this privilege. I’ve always tried to maintain a gratitude for my ability to run but this has really brought it home. It’s made me thankful, made me consider others who can’t run and truly helped me to enjoy every second of every run. A Reminder – …