THE LONELINESS OF THE SOCIAL-DISTANCING RUNNER

I want to confess something...I am not enjoying running. April 26 was exactly two years since I put one foot in front of the other and took the first tentative steps on my very own running journey. I’ve made no secret of how much I love the freedom running gives me. So for me to actually admit that I’m no longer enjoying it is a bitter pill to swallow. I’ve reduced my runs right down to the bare minimum – 5K once a week. In all honesty, I’m only doing that out of moral obligation and a fear that I’ll somehow regress back into a ‘non-runner’ if I don’t force (and I do mean ‘force’) myself out the door at least once a week. I’ve come to the realisation that it’s not the running itself that I’m not liking at the moment; it’s the lack of people to run with. I miss social running.

Kara Evans, via email