Andi Herbert

Twelve Weeks to Go: Finding My Way Back into a Running Routine

With 12 weeks to go until the Race to Remember, it feels like the right time to pause, take stock and begin again.

Training over the summer has not gone quite as I had hoped. Between work commitments, running club committee responsibilities, a family holiday, visiting family and a pesky head cold, I have found it extremely difficult to establish any regular, consistent running.

I have also been managing a recurrent hamstring problem which decided to flare up again. The reality is that I rarely run completely free from physical niggles. I am constantly having to manage difficulties with my left hip, leg and foot, adapting my training and trying to work out when to push on and when to ease back.

Last weekend, I completed a 30-mile ultra. It was supposed to be my rematch with a race that had not gone well for me two years previously. On that occasion, I had just returned from a two-week holiday abroad, during which I had been unable to train. I arrived at the start line undertrained and unprepared.

This year was supposed to be different. Sadly, it wasn’t to be.

Once again, my training had been inconsistent and my weekly mileage too low. On the day itself, I also made some poor decisions about hydration and fuelling, particularly before the race and during its early stages. It was extremely hot, and I found the whole event incredibly difficult. I completed it, but it was far from the rematch I had imagined.

It has made me think about the constant balancing act between running, work, family life and everything else that competes for our time and energy.

Making time for my family has been important, and I would not want that to be any different. However, I have also felt rather burnt out in other areas of my life and have recognised that I need to step back from some things and reconsider how I use my time and energy.

Running is not simply another demand on my time. It plays an important part in supporting both my physical and mental health. It gives me space, helps me manage stress and allows me to feel strong and connected to myself. I also want to look after my body well enough to continue running into older age, not simply lurch from one event to another while constantly exhausted or injured.

And so, with 12 weeks to go until the Race to Remember, I am pressing the reset button.

As of yesterday, I am determined to re-establish a consistent routine and work steadily towards this incredibly important run. The Race to Remember is a 76km journey from Aldershot to Portsmouth, raising money for Combat Stress and honouring the courage and sacrifice of our Armed Forces veterans. It means a great deal to me personally, and I want to arrive at the start line knowing that I have prepared for it with the care and commitment it deserves.

I have never blogged before, but I am going to make an effort to share regular updates, both through blogging and vlogging, as I work towards the race. I want to be honest about the training: the progress, the setbacks, the physical niggles, the competing demands and the days when motivation is difficult to find.

In my work as a clinical psychologist, I help people work towards meaningful goals, develop more helpful patterns in their lives and find a healthier balance between the different demands placed upon them.

It is important that I practise what I preach.

This is not about suddenly training perfectly. It is about creating consistency, making conscious choices and continuing to return to something that matters, even when things have not gone according to plan.

Twelve weeks to go. Time to begin again.

Support my Race to Remember

This year I will be taking part in Race to Remember to raise vital funds for life-changing mental health treatment for veterans.

Combat Stress is the UK's leading charity for veterans' mental health. For over a century, they've helped former servicemen and women deal with issues like trauma, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Today, they provide support to veterans from every service and every conflict.

I’m taking on Race to Remember to help take vital steps towards ensuring veterans can get the support they need.

Thank you so much for your support.