anthony galvin

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As a teenager I did a bit of running, school cross country and the odd local road race. But running wasn’t really a stand alone activity. It was part of other sports that I enjoyed. As an adult I’d run a 10k and 5k in the early 2000s. Without any real training or routine.

Fast forward to 2025. Post pandemic. Mostly remote working. Rural living and a winter sat by the fire or working at the kitchen table. 20 years on from my last organised running event it dawned on me that I had become sedentary. Dog walks aside I hardly moved from my desk some days.

In the past this would have meant a burst of cycling activity, but for a variety of reasons at the start of the year I’ve ended up between bikes.

So I’ve started running. Not far. Not fast. Not on Strava, though I’m logging my runs with my watch. Grabbing 40 mins in the middle of the day to get out and slowly plod along the local roads.

Initially just a few kilometres but building some more endurance. With the odd Park run thrown in as a check point of improvement. I’m late to the joys of Park Run - the community sprint and camarardare has become a welcome addition to my Saturday routine.

And then this weekend, a 10k through the streets of Oxford with over 5000 other runners, joggers and plodders. The sun was out, and so were the supporters. The time was slow. But that’s not really the point. At the start of the year I could hardly imagine running for a bus and on Sunday I ran for just over an hour without stopping. Onwards…