Rachel Smallbone - Gloucestershire Community Health NHS Trust

My running journey couch to 30 minutes … I didn’t think I could do it, but I did …

So let’s start with a little bit about me. My name is Rachel and I am a Mental Health Occupational Therapist working for a new team recently started to support people on discharge from hospital. I’ve been working as an OT for ten years now and it’s a job I absolutely love and feel so passionate about, a big part of my job involves motivating and encouraging people to achieve their goals and helping them to re-gain self belief and confidence in themselves, the people I work with often face challenges on a daily basis so graded exposure is an approach we use regularly to increase resilience and enhance their recovery. I’m a positive person and I always see the good in everything, so empowering people is a skill that comes naturally to me and equally one that brings complete job satisfaction!  Anyway that’s enough about me let’s talk running, so where do I start?  

As a child I never enjoyed running and I would always try and avoid any form of running at school to the extent of hiding during cross country with friends and rejoining for the last Lap, I’ve tried running several times as an adult but never enjoyed it, that aside I love other forms of exercise and like to keep fit, I’m a keen walker and will happily walk miles, I enjoy badminton, swimming, HIIT classes and I regularly use the gym.  Couch to 30 minutes … when this programme was first mentioned to me It was an absolute NOooooo, I kept saying I love walking but can’t run and would never manage 30 minutes, well my colleagues were persistent and didn’t give up, i eventually agreed but some how I managed to talk myself out of it again, one more attempt by colleagues and I was a YES but all I was thinking was what have I agreed to and I will ever do this?

 

Week 1... On went my pink jacket and off I went feeling anxious and worried, all that was going through my mind was could I back out?, well I didn’t and I turned up. I had such a warm and welcoming response from the group that my nerves disappeared and I completely smashed it, the hard bit was over and week one was in the bag! 

 

I’m not going to lie every week was a challenge and I continued to think I would never run for long periods of time but I kept at it and pushed myself even on the hardest of days, my confidence grew as did my self belief and each run became easier, I was that determined to complete the programme that on the days I couldn’t make the group I made up my running in my own time and I did this in the gym on the treadmill, now this is an achievement in itself as its something I’ve never done before! Fast forward eight weeks and here we are … week nine, graduation and thirty minutes of non stop running complete and I couldn’t have achieved this without the group by my side and the belief in myself, plus it’s true the programme really does work so I guess I had my own graded exposure!

 

So this isn’t the end for me it’s only just the beginning, I’ve finally fallen in love with running and can now say it brings me enjoyment, I’ve achieved something I never believed was possible, I feel immensely proud of myself and my asthma is the best it’s ever been!  I can’t ever imagine being a marathon runner but you can never say never … but for now my goal for the year is to run 5km non stop and complete race for life.

 

So If you are thinking about running but have doubts, come along, give it a go and have fun, honestly you won’t be disappointed and there are no expectations!  We all look forward to supporting your personal journeys with you! and finally a  

Big thank you to the Health & Hustle group "you are all fab"