Another 31 days completed, so how did it go?

What is it?

So for those of you who don’t know, RED January traditionally means run every day in the month of January. I’ve been taking part since 2019 and I absolutely love the challenge.

As it’s grown in popularity, it has evolved to realistic exercise daily in January. What’s important here is understanding your body and what your capable of. So this could be going for a walk, finishing that DIY task you’ve been putting off or trying a completely new sport!

For me, I know I can run at least 2 miles a day. This is my 5th year of completing the challenge and it’s achievable to me. Some say I should do at least 5k, but again this is a personal challenge. I know I have a 2 mile loop I can run on the days I really don’t want to run. It works. I want to enjoy running, not hate it!

How did it go?

Well, I completed it! So that’s a definite win.

But, it didn’t go to plan as much as I’d like. Normally with RED, I use it to start the year to get my speed and endurance up. I definitely got the miles in, 114.8 in fact. My average in the previous few months was between 80-90 miles. So not bad!

The plan was to go for it at parkrun, sprint it off at track and cruise on some long runs. The weather, however, had other plans. It has been awful. Wind, rain, snow and ice. So I’ve lacked the speedwork that I wanted to get in.

I also got ill, the week of my 10k race Meltham 10k!

It was a challenge. When it came to race day, I had to reframe and manage my expectations. Yes, I could have pushed myself and felt awful afterwards but I knew I wouldn’t have got the time I wanted. So I chose to relax and enjoy it. The weather for the event was great, first time ever I think! I chatted to fellow runners and we all laughed at how crazy we are. There was cake at the end. An obvious highlight.

If anything, this month has been a test of mental resilience. I am made of tough stuff!

Reflection on previous years

I’ve mentioned this before and it is something I’m still working on but I can’t help looking back at my past self and achievements. I just don’t seem to be as quick!

But, then I remembered.

I used to run up to the top of a hill, pause my phone, have a minute or two breather then carry on.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, it obviously didn’t have a negative impact as I was still hitting race times that are currently a distant memory.

But it was nice to gain some gold Strava bling on some really awful segments up hill. It reminds me I’m just getting started, rebuilding that foundation.

I’m also recovering a lot more quickly. I remember the first time I did RED, I couldn’t walk down the stairs after week 1!

The most important thing is to take stretching/yoga seriously. It is just important as the run. I’ve felt tired some days but that’s just part of life really!

What’s next?

I have Mad Dog 10k on Sunday at sunny Southport. I don’t know what to expect. Due to weather and illness I haven’t done as much speedwork and hard efforts as I would have liked. I’m looking forward to running with friends and running somewhere different.

I do have an A, B, C plan in mind. I’m going to try my best but if needs be, I want to be realistic and enjoy myself. As long as I beat my Meltham time last week I’ll be happy… ha ha!

Speed will be my focus in February. Quality speed sessions and longer endurance runs rather than the quantity of runs!

I’ve got plenty of time until my marathon at the end of September, I need to keep reminding myself I need to be patient. Being a runner can be difficult when you know what you’re capable of, but it’s not a quick overnight fix. I look at elite runners such as Eilish McColgan and Jake Wightman who have been recovering from injuries. It’s their full time job to be a runner yet they still face lengthy setbacks. I just do this sport for fun – ha!

I will keep going.