‘I found a community spirit’
KATE COLLINGTON, 46, lives in Hertfordshire and took up running in lockdown.
‘Since leaving school, I never exercised regularly. I just never found the time. I worked hard and played hard in my 20s, climbing the career ladder and enjoying going out with friends. At 23, I met my husband and we had two children, and after that I had no time at all. Yes, I’d walk our dog, but for decades I never broke a sweat.
Then we went into lockdown and everything changed. Suddenly
I had an extra hour a day gifted to me – the hour it took me to commute into work. I knew how easily it could be swallowed up so I decided to grab it for myself.
My husband ran regularly, and I decided I’d give it a go. It seemed straight forward. I could just step outside my door and go for it. So I downloaded the Couch to 5k app and set off. Initially, it was hard. The first week, you had to run for 60 seconds. I could barely manage 30. It really showed me how unfit I was.
Yet, no matter how gruelling I found it, by the time I got home, I felt like I’d achieved something. I loved having a goal, however small, to work towards.
Soon, people started noticing my efforts. “You’re doing something different,” some of my fellow dog walkers commented. “Good for you!” Beaming proudly, I’d explain that I was just starting and they all seemed impressed.
Gradually, I found myself able to go a little bit further, a little bit faster. On the day I managed five minutes without stopping, I literally jumped in the air and shouted with glee. “You seem very pleased with yourself,” a passing couple remarked. When I explained, it sounded like such a small
achievement, but they nodded enthusiastically and congratulated me like I’d completed a marathon.
On the days I didn’t run, everyone would stop me, keen to check I was OK and that I hadn’t given up.
In September 2020, I read about the Marsden Marathon online, running 26 miles over 26 days in aid of The Royal Marsden Hospital. And all of my supporters were right behind me, sponsoring me £1,000. They did the same when I did the 10k Vitality Run for the British Heart Foundation, and then again when I completed a half marathon for Young Lives vs Cancer in April this year.
I didn’t start running to lose weight and I haven’t. But I feel more toned, fitter – generally healthier. And I discovered the real sense of community spirit. Those things mean far more to me than losing a few pounds.’