Hi! I’m Linda, Co-founder of Start Running Stay Running, and I am championing better mental and physical health through daily movement!
A new beginning
At the start of the pandemic in March 2020, I lost my freelance work overnight which while devastating, gave me some time to reflect on what it was I really wanted to do with my career. I started to see many more people posting on social media about starting their running journey and asking questions about how to begin.
Like me, many had lost access to the gym and found themselves running to keep up their exercise. I have been running for years but would always find myself getting injured due to my haphazard approach and experiencing injuries. It was on a run that I had a lightbulb moment and found what I wanted to find a way to educate, motivate and celebrate those people that were new to running and create a community of like-minded people.
Running is complicated!
When I first started running many years ago, it was hard to find information primarily for the new runner. At first you think it’s just a case of putting on your trainers and going out, but you soon realise there is a lot more to it! While there was so much information and support out there, a lot of it is overwhelming and geared towards people with more experience. It can be quite offputting. With so many friends suddenly asking about how to start running, I decided that I could set up a community geared towards the new runner with coaches on board to answer questions and advise. I approached a team of specialists to make up a coaching team and co-founded ‘Start Running Stay Running’ with a local Personal Trainer (PT) in June last year.
My running story
I took up running in 2010, a year after my second child was born as a way of getting time to myself. Having returned to work after maternity leave and having a couple of runs under my belt, I was entered into the Bristol 10k as part of a team by my employer. This is where I got the running bug and discovered the mental and physical benefits of hitting the road.
Running has been there for me in good times and bad. In 2016, I lost my mum to ovarian cancer and found great solace in running. After suffering from anxiety and depression at age 19, I knew the benefits of running for mental health and I was determined not to fall into that black hole. I would do a lot of thinking and soul searching on those runs. Being out there, just me and the road, helped me to deal with my grief.
The Secret Sauce
Despite running for over 10 years, I found I was always getting injured and spending out on treatments. It wasn’t until I joined my local gym and started to work on my strength, that I realised that this was a big part of keeping my injuries at bay. When I got back into running at the start of Covid, I found that the work in the gym had paid off and I was quickly able to get back into the running groove.
This was the secret sauce I had been missing when I started running all those years ago. Now I am working with a team of coaches, including a mindset and nutrition coach alongside PTs, a Sports Therapist and of course, a Run Coach to create a safe and supportive community for new and returning runners. I’m excited to be here to share tips and insights into making changes to your routine and help you get out there and run – or walk, for better physical and mental health.
Let’s take it a step at a time
This past year has been so difficult for many of us, both mentally and physically and we shouldn’t beat ourselves up over how we’ve handled the pandemic. Making small changes in our daily routine, a little at a time can have a big effect on our overall health. Making movement part of your day can provide many health benefits and that is what I am passionate about promoting and celebrating.
Linda Co-founded Start Running Stay Running in June 2020. Along with a free Facebook Community, Linda also runs a coach-led VIP membership and provides motivation to move with virtual run challenges – where you can walk or run for amazing medals and also have the opportunity to raise money for charity!
Linda will be writing a regular column for The Sussex Newspaper starting from next month.