08/06/2026
The last time I trained consistently for running was the first week of February. After that, injury dictated the agenda. There were a couple of races and the occasional parkrun, but no real running training as I tried to manage the problem.
I was determined to get to the start line of Hyrox on 22 March and, despite the injury, I got there. More importantly, I absolutely loved it. It was tough, challenging and completely different to anything I’d done before, and it opened my eyes to a different side of fitness.
Afterwards, I stepped away from running and focused on rehab, strength work and the things I could do rather than the things I couldn’t.
I kept cycling and swimming, raced a series of 2-up time trials, spent more time in the gym than ever before and watched my swim times improve dramatically. It wasn’t the year I’d planned, but it’s probably made me a more rounded athlete.
Two weeks ago, I completed the 100-mile challenge. Despite barely running for months, it was reassuring to discover that the endurance built over years was still there. Different challenge, different pace, but every bit as rewarding.
Looking back, the last few months haven’t really been about injury. They’ve been about adaptation. Finding new goals, enjoying different disciplines and discovering strengths I might otherwise have ignored.
I love swimming. I love cycling. I love the gym. I loved Hyrox.
But I’ve realised how much I’ve missed running too. Not the sessions or the targets. Just the simple act of putting on a pair of trainers and heading out of the door.
For the first time in a long while, that feels like it’s getting closer again.
