4 April 2024
Paul’s Half Marathon journey
A Sheffield Mutual team, which consists of employees, friends and family will be donning their running shoes and taking on the Sheffield Half Marathon on Sunday 7th April. Paul Galloway, Chief Operating Officer has decided to take on the challenge and run the 13.1 mile course, raising money for Weston Park Cancer Charity.
Embracing the challenge
In my journey through fitness, running has never been my preferred activity – more of a must do activity such as running away or chasing a ball or bus. Childhood memories of dreaded PE lessons and forced cross country runs still haunt me. However, here I am on an incredibly cold Sunday morning in January by Manvers Lake, about to embark on day one, week one of the ‘Couch to 5K’ plan. This marks the beginning of my 12-week venture, training for the Sheffield Mutual Sheffield Half Marathon in April 2024. What did I get myself into?
Paul, Dawn, Oli, Will and Jamie are running the Sheffield Mutual Sheffield Half Marathon for Team Sheffield Mutual
The motivation to participate stemmed from Sheffield Mutual's sponsorship of this event and the 10K in September 2024. Eager to support a number of great causes and promote this fantastic organisation, I took the plunge.
The initial run of the ‘Couch to 5K’, more accurately described as walk, jog, walk, repeat for 28 minutes, kicked off with a pleasant 5-minute walk. My choice of shoes held up well, but I foresee the need for better equipment as the big day approaches. The voice guiding me wisely suggested maintaining a "reasonable pace" during the first jog – a lesson quickly learned after an overzealous 60 seconds. By the second jog, I settled into a sustainable pace, navigating the scenic yet occasionally rocky and muddy terrain. Road running practice is undoubtedly in my future.
Surprisingly, I found day one fun and far more manageable than anticipated. The days spent running after a bus seem to have bestowed upon me a foundation of fitness. Whether this baseline continues to support me remains uncertain, but based on day one, I'm eager to embrace the challenge ahead.
If you would like to donate, head over to the team’s fundraising page here.
Jamie Bellamy and Dawn Webb presenting the sponsorship of the Sheffield Mutual Sheffield Half Marathon