On 31 January, I had to do what I (should’ve) trained for! I was challenged by Mr Tinley to do a 5K run, which he also ran with his family. It was supposed to be a couch to 5K programme, but I was confident in myself that I’d do fine on the day. Was I right?
My route (shown in the picture) took me around Cannon Hill Park and my local area (Moseley), giving me a chance to get out after days of making excuses and missing fitness sessions. It was a lovely day, and I managed to do it in a respectable time of just over 30 minutes. I did this with my brothers, and they both beat me with timings of 25 and 23 minutes respectively! Although it was a challenge, myself and Mr Tinley both got very similar times (bit of a coincidence to be honest), and we were both proud, not only of ourselves, but of each other, because, let’s just say, fitness wasn’t our thing!
What it’s made me realise however is just how “healthy” I am: so I’ve decided to implement some much needed changes to my weekly schedule: I now go cycling three times a week, as well as at least one HIIT session over the weekend – this could be anything from online workouts to running, like the 5K.
Those in Gifford will know that (with the help of Mrs Charlesworth-Jones), I’ve managed to get a 5K challenge out to the House, but I’d like to extend the offer to anyone in the school/extended community to take part in this. It’s essentially a 5K challenge to complete by the end of this month, but I want to encourage everyone to do what they feel comfortable with; it doesn’t have to specifically be 5K – it could be more or less. If you are going to give it a go, go with a family member or friend: believe it or not, I felt even more motivated when I saw my brothers (both younger) more than half a mile ahead of me, and I think with these types of activities, motivation is the key to not only doing well, but enjoying the process as you do it!
The news of my challenge with Mr Tinley spread like wildfire, so I’d like everyone to spread this as far as possible: in all fairness, I was never the fitness-crazy type, but I think – especially during the current circumstances – it’s vital that we all get out there and enjoy a little fresh air, as well as activities like running, cycling and the like, not only to improve our physical wellbeing, but our emotional, social and (in some cases) spiritual wellbeing. A lot of people feel that they are happier when they look back and see progress made, and I think the best progress anyone could ever make is measured against themselves!
If you’d like to get involved directly with the challenge I’ve set, you can email me on my school email, and when you carry out your run (or whatever it is you choose to do), make sure to send me proof via some sort of digital tracking: I recommend Strava, but it’s entirely up to you how you go about it.
I’d once again like to thank Mrs Charlesworth-Jones and Mr Tinley for encouraging me with this challenge (and the original one), and I look forward to seeing what you guys can do!
