Knowing when the best time is to quit!

 I am going to try and keep this as brief as possible, I've written a book all about my running, so if you want a more in-depth history then you can get my book, 'Running in Daddy's footsteps' on Amazon, my author name on there is Deborah Wright. This blog is all about knowing when the right time is to quit something for the benefit of your future health.

I've written a blog about giving up the booze, which I did nearly four-years ago, this isn't about that, but it is about stopping something else for the benefit of my health.

Here it is........it's a shocker..........

I've given up running marathons! 

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS, over ONE HUNDRED MARATHONS and I am now taking a step away from long distance endurance events.

BUT RUNNING IS GOOD FOR YOU EH?

Yes of course it is, and I highly endorse running as the best exercise ever for me, I'm just cutting it shorter now for my health.

I won't be writing down all the stats, it would bore non-runners and the information is out there for all to read courtesy of Loughborough University. Here it is, running and training for lots of marathons, can actually be bad for your heart long-term.

This is from a study done at Loughborough, and they are the oracle in all things health and fitness as far as I am concerned. There are other professionals out there who agree with this too, and you have to listen to the facts if you want to be fit and healthy lifelong.

Look it up, do your research too, I may add, that I didn't want to read it and I didn't want it to be true, because that meant I would eventually have to make this decision. I LOVE RUNNING! But I also want to live a long, full and healthy life. You have to make a decision at some point. I gave up road running long distance about three years ago, sticking to trail running. It's much gentler on the joints, less impact so less injury as you age. I'm not old! I'm almost 50 at the time of writing this, but I have accumulated a lot of miles and time exercising over the years and that adds up.

The people you mainly see running into their 70's and 80's started a lot later, or have fantastic genetics, or new knees, hearts and hips! I want to be able to go off for a 10km run off road, look at the sea and the woods, de-stress and come back un-injured.

WHY NOW? No time like the present as they say! Finish on a high, I can still run very well, my last marathon I did in December 2023, just on my own on the coastpath, it wasn't too hard, but what was the point? To say I've done another one? I have absolutely nothing to prove anymore. I've done the marathons, got the medals and t shirts. I've done Ultras, I did the 103 miler, I've done The Forces March 6 times and once virtually on the coastpath clocking in two ultras at the time. What more can I do? My body will no longer respect me, if I do not respect my body. I'm a peri-menopausal lady who has done extreme loads of exercise for years and something has to give.

I'm not stopping running, god forbid! But I am doing it for the views, for fun and for my mental health. Running should not be something that makes your body stress. I sort of wish I had read more about the effects of long distance running earlier, but actually, no harm done, but I do think if I'd have kept on, especially with the road running, that I would be needing all my joints replaced at some point in the future.

QUESTION TO YOU.........have you been thinking about your own health? Are you doing something that may be detrimental to your future health? Have you been considering quitting?

It's a weird one isn't it really? I'm giving up long-distance running, most people quit things like smoking and drinking because of health risks, they don't usually give up a form of exercise. But I have given up drinking alcohol, I've given up sugar. This is the next step for me to good health.

WE ONLY HAVE ONE BODY! We have to respect it, to ensure that we are doing all we can to keep ourselves fit and well. The NHS won't be about to look after us forever, and to be honest, is it doing all it can to help  us now? Not in my experience, I hear weekly horror stories from my clients about how they are not getting the treatment they need. But if we looked after ourselves with the care we should be taking, we wouldn't really need the doctor anyway. 

HERE IS WHERE I COME IN.

Do YOU want to make a healthy life choice?

Do you need nutrition advice?

Do you want to quit booze or smoking?

Do you want to start exercising?

I CAN HELP!

With plans available for ALL THINGS health and wellness, I reckon we can get you on track, and because I have quit unhealthy things, I understand how difficult it is to do it.

If you want professional support, then I am here for you.

NOW I can confess, that looking at the photos I've posted on this blog, and actually looking through  running photos to find these, I am nostalgic, and also sad that I won't be running a marathon again. BUT I also know it is the best decision for me, the healthy choice. Now it's your turn.