Erika Hughes tells us about her achievements as a participant in this year’s Couch to 5k and 5k Plus groups:
As a whole, I’ve never been able to stick to anything properly! I’ve tried running multiple times over the past few years – jogging around the block and giving up after a couple of minutes because giving up was easier than pushing through. All I really needed was a little push to see what my body was capable of.
I joined the Waverley Harriers ‘Couch To 5k’ group after my mum suggested we join together to improve our fitness. What started out as a difficult 1 minute run/2 minute walk (wishing for the whistle to blow so that I could stop!) suddenly became a two minute run, a five minute run, a ten minute run as the weeks rolled by.
Erika at Windsor ladies 10k, after the 5k plus sessions.
The non-stop encouragement from Kate and the members of Waverley Harriers was exceptional, and just what I needed. I even am managing to include hills in my local running routes – without complaining quite as much haha! My body is capable of so much more than I could have ever imagined, and I couldn’t be prouder of myself. Being able to cross a 5km and then a 10km timed race off my bucket list has been amazing – half marathon here I come!!