Hadeel

Image: Hadeel, on her run to Stoke Park.

I got into running after gaining weight in the first lockdown.  I decided I had to lose the weight and running was my only option as all the gyms were still closed.

I made a routine and decided that I would run home on Mondays and Wednesdays, after dropping my son off at nursey on the bus. If that didn’t work because I had college in the morning, I would run to his nursery and get the bus home with him.

I really like views where I am, there is so much nature that makes me feel relaxed and stress free. I feel like I’m flying running over the bridge on the motorway. During the summer holidays I had to stop as I needed to care for my son and had no childcare, but I felt really tired all the time. I tried YouTube home workouts, but it was not the same as getting outside.

After a run I sometimes I have to sit on the floor to recover until my energy returns, but afterwards I always feel happy and proud that I’ve done something.

My tips to anyone thinking of starting would be to start small, 10 or 15 minutes. Even in the winter, I don’t feel cold when I’m running.