Walking is fabulous - in fact, it's my favourite! Running doesn't allow for me to grab my notebook every five minutes to write about everything I'm seeing!
Yay!!! A brilliant epistle! We were there with you the whole way. Ah Rebecca. Superb. Happy, happy sigh. Sending heaps of hugs and cheers and excitement. And yes Iām still exercising happily and briskly thanks to you! šššš¤š¤š¤š„³š„³š„³
Thanks, Beth!!!! And yes - I felt all of the Jog log šš» gang were right there with me all the way! I'm so glad you're keeping going - you're amazing!!! š
You're so kind, Mark - thank you so much! I'm so glad that Jim was there to take those shots! š¤£
Please report to BGB that my new Omnipod was absolutely brilliant - I'd had it for two weeks at the time of the race, so still pretty new. It's making such a difference not having to carry quite so much hardware around with me than I used to, especially when I'm getting active like this. My little Pod is much more wearable for running than a socking great tubed pump! š
Thanks, Prue - I'm so glad you came with me for the ride! That pic of me looking at my parents really makes me laugh when I look at it - it was such a lovely surprise! It's a shame that neither of them had made it into the shot, but never mind!
About feeling sore: after the adrenaline had worn off my legs and shoulders did feel rather tired, but to my enormous surprise I wasn't even stiff the next day. Looking back at 2019, when I wasn't fit at all and had done zero training, well, I had trouble getting up and down the stairs for DAYS! š¤£ Not this time, thankfully.
Yay!! šš»šš»šš» I share in your accomplishment! Love the pictures!
I am just getting in from my 1.15 mile walkabout. Nine months ago today my body took a tumble resulting in an accidental hip replacement. I applaud anyoneās first step into making themselves feel accomplished. I donāt know that running is going to be in my storybook of life, but I do run vicariously in stories like yours. Thank you for taking me along on your 5k! š«¶š¼š
Yay for your walkabout! And gosh - today's a big milestone for you and your hip - I'm so sorry that that happened to you. It's great to hear that you're back on your feet. š
It was lovely having you follow my story, Camille - thank you for your support!
I'm really pleased to report that my new pump (tubeless, stick-on) is sooooooooo much more comfortable to run with than my old tubed pump. I'd been worried about upgrading, but four weeks on I absolutely love it, and I was heartened that I had such a good experience with it while I was running! I saw a couple of other people with the same pump at race number pick-up - they'd both actually put really big stickers on theirs to keep them secure, which is something that hadn't occurred to me. Still, mine stayed stuck, so all was well! š¤£
FABULOUS! I can feel every step and your pride jumps off the page. Quite tightly fantastic achievement on the road & on the page šš»šš»šššš
What a fun experience -- I enjoyed reading about it! I also loved the word differentiation for caravan. I makes me want to write a poem about a caravan of caravans. š¤
What a magnificent story! What great photos! I found this thrilling. I had no idea of your running experience in the past. I am so proud to know you, Rebecca. Not being a runner myself, I can't share your athletic exhilaration, however, one point you made really struck me: "This exhilaration isnāt limited to just running in company, or even restricted only to physical activity: you can tune in to similar feelings singing in a choir, performing on stage in an ensemble of fellow actors, or participating at book club. .... the small, independent parts played by us as individuals make up a bigger entity.....people circulate together to give the heart of life a purpose to beat." And, you know, this is exactly how I feel being on substack , being accepted by and sharing with a small cell of writers I have grown to admire so much! I feel elevated! Thanks for another excellent post.
Oh Sharron, I absolutely love that you've said all of this - thank you so much!
My previous running experience wasn't terribly long-lived, but I remember how much I'd enjoyed it and I really, really wanted to feel that kind of exhilaration again. It was so great to have everyone who was reading the Jog log šš» with me for my journey to get some of my fitness back.
I'm a work in progress, but now I've accomplished edition 25 of the King's Head Canter - with a new pint glass to prove it! - I am certainly going to keep moving!
I'm so grateful for your support, Sharron. You're brilliant! š
I'm in tears! (happy of course) This was brilliant Rebecca! I love reading/sharing run stories. Thank you so much for sharing yours and the photos. You are glowing! You are an inspirationāwoohoo!! You did it!
Awwww, Julie!!! Thank you so, so much for inspiring me for every step of the way - I'm in danger of rebranding myself as 'a runner'.... and I have you to thank for that! š
Sep 9, 2023Ā·edited Sep 9, 2023Liked by Rebecca Holden
Hooray for Rebecca!! So many shared experiences and emotions that you write about. This especially touched me, "There is something exhilarating about being part of a crowd; being buoyed up ā carried, even ā by the shared strength of others." SO TRUE! Sheer joy to be able to experience that and identify with that experience with others. You are a true winner, in my book, on every front. Congrats!!!
Mary, thank you from the bottom of my heart! I laughed out loud about two thirds of the way into the race, when I heard a noise above me. 'YOU'RE JOKING!!!!!!' I said out loud, thinking of you and what you'd said about sending a helicopter, and looked up. Okay, so it wasn't *your* helicopter - in fact it was a light aircraft - but oh my goodness me, you were absolutely THERE!
I'd clean forgotten to tell you about it! But that 'helicopter' of yours definitely spurred me on!
As I said over on your Jog log, I congratulate you for doing such a great job and coming under my time. With everything you had to do to train, it all paid off.
Love the photos Jim took. He has quite the portfolio. Definitely a website I'll be returning to again to take a look at the other photos in his collection.
Now the question is, are you going to continue running races or was this just a one off?
Matt, you're so kind - and I'm so grateful to you for letting me know that you'd found the average time for a female beginner runner of my age to run a 5k - that was very motivating!
I'd set my heart on running Parkrun (Uckfield now has its own - previously I used to run at Eastbourne every Saturday) the Saturday after the race, but life sadly got in the way and I wasn't able to make it.
BUT.
I am aiming to head back to Parkrun soon, and while I'm there I might just talk to one of those Uckfield Runners about joining them again... Watch this space! š
Walking is fabulous - in fact, it's my favourite! Running doesn't allow for me to grab my notebook every five minutes to write about everything I'm seeing!
And thank you so much! š
Yay!!! A brilliant epistle! We were there with you the whole way. Ah Rebecca. Superb. Happy, happy sigh. Sending heaps of hugs and cheers and excitement. And yes Iām still exercising happily and briskly thanks to you! šššš¤š¤š¤š„³š„³š„³
Thanks, Beth!!!! And yes - I felt all of the Jog log šš» gang were right there with me all the way! I'm so glad you're keeping going - you're amazing!!! š
Okay, I MIGHT be shedding a happy tear. Maaaaybe. š„² This is fantastic, Rebecca, congrats!! Thanks for sharing the journey with us š
Awwww Bryn, THANK YOU! š
What a wonderful story, Rebecca, and a great set of photos, too. I love the pic of you raising the glass at the end!
You're so kind, Mark - thank you so much! I'm so glad that Jim was there to take those shots! š¤£
Please report to BGB that my new Omnipod was absolutely brilliant - I'd had it for two weeks at the time of the race, so still pretty new. It's making such a difference not having to carry quite so much hardware around with me than I used to, especially when I'm getting active like this. My little Pod is much more wearable for running than a socking great tubed pump! š
Hurrah!!!!!!
Go you! I think you're amazing!
I ran the race with you and love Jim's spontaneous pics of you, especially the one where you spot your parents.
Did you feel sore after? You seemed to show no pain, tiredness, nothing. I'm really really impressed!
Thanks, Prue - I'm so glad you came with me for the ride! That pic of me looking at my parents really makes me laugh when I look at it - it was such a lovely surprise! It's a shame that neither of them had made it into the shot, but never mind!
About feeling sore: after the adrenaline had worn off my legs and shoulders did feel rather tired, but to my enormous surprise I wasn't even stiff the next day. Looking back at 2019, when I wasn't fit at all and had done zero training, well, I had trouble getting up and down the stairs for DAYS! š¤£ Not this time, thankfully.
This is not an annual one-off, I'm sure.
I foresee the endorphin-need kicking in and before we know it, you'll be in the GB long-distance team.
š¤£ Prue, I appreciate this comment sooooooo much! I'll keep you posted on my call-up for the team! š
Yay!! šš»šš»šš» I share in your accomplishment! Love the pictures!
I am just getting in from my 1.15 mile walkabout. Nine months ago today my body took a tumble resulting in an accidental hip replacement. I applaud anyoneās first step into making themselves feel accomplished. I donāt know that running is going to be in my storybook of life, but I do run vicariously in stories like yours. Thank you for taking me along on your 5k! š«¶š¼š
Thank you so much, Gail!
Yay for your walkabout! And gosh - today's a big milestone for you and your hip - I'm so sorry that that happened to you. It's great to hear that you're back on your feet. š
Yay Rebecca! Congratulations! And also a special shout-out to Jim for snapping such excellent shots of you during your victory.
Awwww, thanks, Alison! Jim did a good job, didn't he? š I'll pass on your feedback - thank you!!! š
This was so much fun to read !! I am honored to have been a part of your running journey in this small wayš and yes, all of the best athletes do carry their pumps and other accessories with them- my fiancĆ©ās Type 1 friend is a regular race goer and biker and would attest.
It was lovely having you follow my story, Camille - thank you for your support!
I'm really pleased to report that my new pump (tubeless, stick-on) is sooooooooo much more comfortable to run with than my old tubed pump. I'd been worried about upgrading, but four weeks on I absolutely love it, and I was heartened that I had such a good experience with it while I was running! I saw a couple of other people with the same pump at race number pick-up - they'd both actually put really big stickers on theirs to keep them secure, which is something that hadn't occurred to me. Still, mine stayed stuck, so all was well! š¤£
Thatās wonderful! I donāt know if Iāve met anyone with a tubeless pump yet- super super neat.
It's soooooo cool, Camille! š https://www.omnipod.com/en-gb
FABULOUS! I can feel every step and your pride jumps off the page. Quite tightly fantastic achievement on the road & on the page šš»šš»šššš
Jo, it's so kind of you to say - very many thanks! š
It mustāve been so sweet to have your parents there! Iām sure that glass will symbolize this special day for a long time. š
It was such a lovely surprise, Erika! š And that glass is now in daily use - only it's got water in it at the moment, rather than beer! š¤£
I love that. I have an extensive mug collection mainly for drinking water from š
š¤£ Mugs are the BEST, aren't they? I'm pretty sure that every mug in my house has a story to tell - watch this space...!!! š¤£
On my bullet list of ideas for my newsletter it says ātalk about mug collectionā š
YESSSS!!!! Can't wait to read it!!!!!!
What a fun experience -- I enjoyed reading about it! I also loved the word differentiation for caravan. I makes me want to write a poem about a caravan of caravans. š¤
Thanks, Jen!! Ooooooh, a caravan of caravans! Brilliant (well, unless you're stuck behind them, either on a highway or a race route....!)! š¤£
What a magnificent story! What great photos! I found this thrilling. I had no idea of your running experience in the past. I am so proud to know you, Rebecca. Not being a runner myself, I can't share your athletic exhilaration, however, one point you made really struck me: "This exhilaration isnāt limited to just running in company, or even restricted only to physical activity: you can tune in to similar feelings singing in a choir, performing on stage in an ensemble of fellow actors, or participating at book club. .... the small, independent parts played by us as individuals make up a bigger entity.....people circulate together to give the heart of life a purpose to beat." And, you know, this is exactly how I feel being on substack , being accepted by and sharing with a small cell of writers I have grown to admire so much! I feel elevated! Thanks for another excellent post.
Oh Sharron, I absolutely love that you've said all of this - thank you so much!
My previous running experience wasn't terribly long-lived, but I remember how much I'd enjoyed it and I really, really wanted to feel that kind of exhilaration again. It was so great to have everyone who was reading the Jog log šš» with me for my journey to get some of my fitness back.
I'm a work in progress, but now I've accomplished edition 25 of the King's Head Canter - with a new pint glass to prove it! - I am certainly going to keep moving!
I'm so grateful for your support, Sharron. You're brilliant! š
What an uplifting story Rebecca! So nice that your parents turned out for you too!
Congratulations for accomplishing your goal.
Thanks, Jim - very much appreciated! My parents were amazing to have surprised me like that! ā„ļø
I'm in tears! (happy of course) This was brilliant Rebecca! I love reading/sharing run stories. Thank you so much for sharing yours and the photos. You are glowing! You are an inspirationāwoohoo!! You did it!
Awwww, Julie!!! Thank you so, so much for inspiring me for every step of the way - I'm in danger of rebranding myself as 'a runner'.... and I have you to thank for that! š
YES! I LOVE that....yes you are a runner indeed. Go!Go!Go!
š
Hooray for Rebecca!! So many shared experiences and emotions that you write about. This especially touched me, "There is something exhilarating about being part of a crowd; being buoyed up ā carried, even ā by the shared strength of others." SO TRUE! Sheer joy to be able to experience that and identify with that experience with others. You are a true winner, in my book, on every front. Congrats!!!
Mary, thank you from the bottom of my heart! I laughed out loud about two thirds of the way into the race, when I heard a noise above me. 'YOU'RE JOKING!!!!!!' I said out loud, thinking of you and what you'd said about sending a helicopter, and looked up. Okay, so it wasn't *your* helicopter - in fact it was a light aircraft - but oh my goodness me, you were absolutely THERE!
I'd clean forgotten to tell you about it! But that 'helicopter' of yours definitely spurred me on!
Major heart!!! You're welcome and I love the light aircraft. Yes, that was me. :-) So many congrats on your running accomplishment. So grand!!
ā„ļøā„ļøā„ļø
As I said over on your Jog log, I congratulate you for doing such a great job and coming under my time. With everything you had to do to train, it all paid off.
Love the photos Jim took. He has quite the portfolio. Definitely a website I'll be returning to again to take a look at the other photos in his collection.
Now the question is, are you going to continue running races or was this just a one off?
Matt, you're so kind - and I'm so grateful to you for letting me know that you'd found the average time for a female beginner runner of my age to run a 5k - that was very motivating!
I'd set my heart on running Parkrun (Uckfield now has its own - previously I used to run at Eastbourne every Saturday) the Saturday after the race, but life sadly got in the way and I wasn't able to make it.
BUT.
I am aiming to head back to Parkrun soon, and while I'm there I might just talk to one of those Uckfield Runners about joining them again... Watch this space! š