Episode 9 I Beat Boxhill copertina

Episode 9 I Beat Boxhill

Episode 9 I Beat Boxhill

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Episode SummaryA few years ago, I struggled to walk up Box Hill.This weekend, I completed a half marathon there.Not perfectly. Not gracefully. Not entirely on the correct route.The official race was 21km with around 610m of climbing. Thanks to a few navigational adventures, I accidentally turned it into about 24km with roughly 800m of elevation gain according to Strava.But somewhere between the hills, the cramps, the walking breaks, and getting lost, I was reminded of something important:Success does not always look the way we imagine it will.Sometimes it looks like slowing down. Sometimes it looks like walking. Sometimes it looks like changing your approach halfway through.And sometimes it looks like finishing your own race rather than chasing somebody else’s.In This EpisodeFrom Struggling Up a Hill to Running a Half MarathonA few years ago, climbing Box Hill left me breathless.I remember watching my children run ahead while I struggled behind, wondering if this was simply what getting older felt like.That experience forced me to ask some uncomfortable questions:* Was this really my fitness level now?* Was I willing to accept that?* Did I want to wait for a health scare before taking my health seriously?Those questions became the beginning of a completely different journey.Starting with One MinuteIn January, I started Couch to 5K.Not because I suddenly became a runner.Because I wasn’t one.I started exactly where many people start:* Run for one minute* Walk for one minute* Recover* RepeatOne minute sounds incredibly short until you’re trying to run for the whole thing.Over time those minutes became longer.Then came 5K.Then Run Club.Then 10K.And eventually I created a much bigger problem for myself:Signing up for the Box Hill Half Marathon.The Reality of Race DayBefore race day, I had visions of running through the Surrey countryside looking strong, powerful, and slightly inspirational.Reality had other plans.There were hills.Then more hills.Then hills that felt personally designed to test my commitment to humanity.My original plan involved run-walk intervals.But once those climbs appeared, walking wasn’t a weakness.Walking was the strategy.And later, when cramps hit during the final 5K, walking became necessary.The race reminded me of something I think we often forget:There is a difference between giving up and adapting.Getting Lost Counts as Extra Training... Right?The official distance was approximately 21 kilometres.I managed around 24.Apparently I became so distracted by the scenery that I occasionally treated route markers as helpful suggestions rather than instructions.I was busy noticing:* The trees* The views* The landscape* The atmosphereIt’s a lovely way to experience a race.Less effective if you’re trying to stay on course.Still, I finished.With a medal.And a reminder to pay more attention.The Moment That Stayed With MeAt one point somebody shouted something along the lines of:“They’re long gone, hon.”And honestly?They were.I could see they were.The faster runners had disappeared into the distance long before.But I realised something important:I wasn’t racing them.I was racing the version of me who once couldn’t walk up that hill.That’s a very different race.Comparison and InspirationOne of the biggest lessons from Box Hill had nothing to do with running.It had to do with comparison.Throughout the race I saw runners who were faster than me.There was one woman in particular who seemed effortlessly comfortable at a pace I would love to reach one day.And for once, my reaction wasn’t:“I need to beat her.”It was:“I’d love to run alongside her one day.”That shift matters.Inspiration doesn’t always have to become competition.Sometimes somebody else’s progress can simply become evidence of what might be possible.Why Would Anyone Do This?During the race, a young woman climbing one of the hills asked:“Why would you do this to yourself?”At the time I was too out of breath to answer properly.Now I can.Because I don’t want to decide in advance what my future is.I don’t want to assume there are experiences I can no longer have because of my age.I don’t want to stop climbing hills because one hill felt difficult.I want to keep exploring.I want to keep being curious.I want to keep saying yes to experiences that allow me to fully participate in my life.What Walking Taught MeThis episode isn’t really about running.It’s about walking.Because walking gets treated as though it’s what happens when running isn’t possible.But walking got me around that course.Walking got me up hills.Walking helped me recover.Walking allowed me to keep going.Walking gave me time to notice where I was.Walking was not the failure.Walking was part of the achievement.What Box Hill Really Taught MeI didn’t beat Box Hill by running every step.I beat Box Hill by continuing.I beat it by adapting.I beat it by listening to my body.I beat it by accepting being a beginner.I beat it by ...
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