“Oh that’s really great, I couldn’t run a mile”

& the story of my first run.

Here’s my problem with this humble sentence, a mile is actually a pretty far run for anyone just starting out. 3.1 miles makes up a 5k, and anyone who does run can tell you that that’s a tricky balance of speed and endurance, and they would be totally knackered after finishing one.

I too would have used this phrase in the past, because, of course, it was true, but I also couldn’t run 1km/0.66mile, or 800 meters (half a mile). Oh, I couldn’t run 400 meters either.

I thought I’d run you through the stats of my first run. Anyone who knows me knows that data analysis is my passion (sad), so here goes.

Distance along the X axis and heart rate up the Y, this graph shows that I stopped running every 0.25miles (400m), up to a total distance of 1.25 miles (2km) on my first serious run. You’ll just have to trust me that my heart rate peaked 4 times at 196 beats per minute, interestingly the exact highest heart rate a 24 year old should be able to hit. This means I was pushing my body as hard as I possibly could, and let me tell you, it did not feel good.

If this sounds pretty tragic to you, then great, you’re already a better runner than I was. If this sounds particularly familiar, then I have some great news. 200 meters, 400, 800, 1km, 1 mile are all milestones that you get to run through if / when you ever decide to give running a go. And let me tell you, the first time I ran a mile without stopping, it was probably the happiest I’ve been on this whole journey.

If 200 meters feels like a very long way (it is) running through the start line of any run is still a huge achievement in my books, sometimes it takes a whole lot to get there.