Mary is addicted to running

Hi, I am Mary Holba and 100th Cotswold Allrunners member.

So where did it all begin.  Well, I didn’t start running until I was 43 years of age.  Yes, I’d done other things of course, hiking, cycling, tennis and gym work! 

Then one day I found myself sitting in a café with a friend who was in the recovery stages of a long illness and she asked me if I would train with her for the Stroud Half Marathon, it was January and the half marathon seemed too long off to worry about so I agreed.

   Motivation  

To my surprise my friend kept me on a training schedule and I soon realised she was serious.

Unfortunately she did not run the Stroud Half Marathon due to an injury sustained whilst training so I ran it alone but by then the damage was done!

     Running had got to me    

Running had got to me and I have since that time never wanted to stop.

Since then there have been testing times and injuries, but at the back of my mind I’ve always been driven by that pleasurable freedom that running provides.

 running and the achievement of covering distance

However, 18 months ago I sustained an injury to my lower back, which meant that it was nearly a year before I could run again. After this, my shambling attempts at building up distances beyond 3 miles led to feelings of futility and loneliness.

   “Cotswold Allrunners did not seem excessively competitive 
 but encouraged everyone to move on from where they were” 

In November 2009 I plucked up the courage and searched for running clubs in the area and found Cotswold Allrunners.

I rang the Cotswold Allrunners coach and explained my situation and I was very grateful when he didn’t laugh, but encouraged me to join one of the intermediate training groups. As I felt they didn’t seem excessively competitive, but encouraged everyone to move on from where they were, I felt this was appropriate for me..

    Anxious about being at the back all the time
  Actually found comfortable in the group  

So, I went along and even though I was slightly anxious about whether I was going to be at the back of the running group all the time, I  actually I found I fitted into the group comfortably.  Other members of Cotswold Allrunners were friendly and happy to chat, it was so good to have other people to run with. Simon has been very encouraging too, particularly on the big hills which I have strategically avoided over the last 6 years.

In the last 2 months my energy levels have improved, my winter low mood has lifted and I feel better about myself.

I can even get up a medium sized hill as well now and this proved so when I  had great fun on Rudolph’s Rampage and won my age group, being reassured that I was not the only one in that category.

Also as Cotswold Allrunners 100th member I was made a fuss of and given a free running jacket.

  What more could a woman want?!! 

So what are my aims for the future?

Well I would like to try some 10k races and maybe see if I can improve my Stroud Half Marathon time.  I’ve also agreed to become a Higgy’s Hero and see if I can raise some money for Multiple Sclerosis. Looking forward to 2010.

Mary Holba, Cotswold AllRunners 100th member