Ten weeks ago, I couldn’t even run for two minutes. I’m a teacher turned author, not a runner. There’s no way I’d wear tight lycra and run in the streets!
Now, because of the encouragement from the amazing ‘Mums on the Run’ coaches and my running buddies, I have completed the Couch to 5K Challenge. I may not have been the fastest in my group (probably the slowest) but what an amazing feeling to cross the finish line — friends were cheering and random strangers were high-fiving and shouting praise!
There were many times I doubted that I would finish the programme. When my legs threatened to give way, my couch would keep up a running commentary: “You can do it, keep going, I’m proud of you!” So I followed the sea of trainers, leggings and bobbing heads through drizzle, thunderstorms, and bright glaring sunshine. As a team we spurred each other on to reach that lamppost, cross that bridge and run a minute longer than last week.
Writing, like running, needs dedication and hard graft. Mental focus and concentration are key, whether you are putting one foot after another, or writing another chapter of a novel. Ideas may flow and fingers flash over the keys, but the next time you stare at the computer screen, your mind may go blank. It’s like sustaining an injury and having physio to get back on track.
If I’m stuck with writer’s block, getting out into the fresh air makes me feel more alive and brings a new perspective. Treading soft earth along riverside paths helps me notice new details in the hedgerows and fields. I marvel at the rich colour of a field of poppies or a flock of birds rising up in a wave from a cornfield and try to capture the images in my imagination.
There are more stories I am keen to write and characters I want to create. It’s always a thrill when I read lovely comments about my novel and I’m very grateful to anyone who takes the time to post a review on Amazon. I couldn’t have completed Kiss of the Tsunami without the encouragement of Penguin Random House Writers’ Academy and Chicken House Publishing. Now I need to keep working to finish my next book, just as a runner needs to put in the miles. Step by step… word by word… day by day.