to think outside the box, and use the world as my gym. Then by chance one autumn night, unable to sleep, I dug out my trainers and headed out on the streets. No watch, phone, GPS; I just shut the door and went for it. It turned out darkness and concrete were the perfect combination to, literally, keep me on my toes.
Everything was different in the dark. I’ d ran at night before, but not in an urban setting and the palpable calmness only on offer after nightfall suited me. For once it wasn’ t about finding a pace I could manage and then maintaining it. It was about going as fast I could in the space dictated by the landscape and then adjusting to whatever was around the corner. When you can’ t see too far ahead, things appear to fly by at a remarkable pace. You have no choice but to be in the moment, and it was this that set me free. Obstacles are a-plenty and can be swerved or embraced. Jumping over benches, climbing railings and running along walls all add to the fun and intensify demands on the body. felt more akin to a hamster wheel than a liberating, stress-relieving antidote to modern-day living. And I felt like I’ d fall off if I looked to either side. Back in the fresh air, Parkruns offered me the chance to be a runner without taking things too seriously, but I wasn’ t often free on a Saturday morning, and when I was the lie-in was far more appealing. Adventure races caught my eye, offering a dynamic distraction to the fact I was running, but after careful consideration I decided a hundred pounds to experience what was essentially a cross between a kid’ s soft-play and a wet Glastonbury Festival wasn’ t for me.
I started performing calisthenic workouts mid-run, in a local skate park and kids playground. It broke up the monotony and inspired me
I wouldn’ t go so far to label it Parkour or Freerunning. There are no back-flips or acrobatics, but it does share the ethos of overcoming obstacles in an urban setting without restraint.
Why not encourage yourself and your clients to change it up? A fresh environment can breathe life into a stagnant mindset and offer a new perspective on things now customary. You don’ t need to be a slave to the stopwatch or have a master plan. Just run.
Ronny Terry is a personal trainer and fitness writer based in South West England www. switchfituk. co. uk
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