Run Grateful

by Mollie Millington | Nov 26, 2020 | running

2021 has been a tough one for runners.  Not only were our races cancelled, but we also were limited as to when and where we could run with our friends.  We are usually a social bunch so many of us have struggled with our training.  I know some people who have switched disciplines while others have learned to love solo runs.  A few local races, such as those with Run Through, have gone ahead which have refreshed\ our medal collections.

For me, running is about meeting new people and challenging myself mentally and physically.  When I got an invite to take part in a new running movement called Run Grateful, I was so excited to take part.  Their launch event took place in on a track near London over 24 hours.  Founder Mark White started Run Grateful in the spring as a personal challenge, which then turned virtual and finally in-person in September.  His life is very centred around gratitude, ever since his journey to sobriety started 18 years ago.  Mark’s experience during the start of the Covid-19 pandemic helped him to develop a focus on affirmations of goodness through gratitude running.  And now he is telling the world all about it.

Our 24 hour event saw 20 people gather to run a marathon (26.2 miles) over the course of a day.  We started on a Saturday morning at 10am with a 5K and continued at the top of every hour (with an American style countdown by yours truly) with an additional mile (1600 metres or four laps around the track).  For me, lack of sleep was my biggest concern going in to the event, along with too many miles too quickly.  I was halfway through my marathon training plan at this point and not ready to run a full marathon yet.  Not sleeping wasn’t something I could really help, due to the nature of the challenge.  While there was a large tent available for everyone to share, I decided to bring my own small tent so I would have a quiet place to rest.  Yes, this was an antisocial choice, but my brain doesn’t function without sleep.  I am not sure I even slept at all in the end as the interval between miles was short.  To avoid getting injured, I chose to walk every other mile as part of my strategy to finish.

If I was running the mile, it would take me about 10 minutes to complete it (some of the faster folks were finishing in 5-6 minutes).  If walking, it took about 20 minutes.  This left me between 40-50 minutes to eat, stretch, chat, and/or use the bathroom (which was a short walk away from the track).  While it was light out, we all sat on the track in between miles, getting to know each other better and how we found out about Run Grateful.  As the event progressed, we took turns at the start of each mile to introduce ourselves, how we got into running and what we are grateful for.  Unfortunately, it started raining later in the night, so we moved into tents.  As expected, the night-time was the hardest, both physically and mentally.  We were tired.  Some people had developed injuries.  It was wet and cold.  As we lined up on the start line (which was on the far side of the track), the smiles started to emerge again as the Red Bull kicked in.  We always started off together, which was wonderful.  While running was the best way to achieve longer rest periods, I also enjoyed walking with others as it gave us a chance to chat and get to know each other better.  I knew we would all end up friends because who else would sign up to do this aside from people like me?

In between miles, we also had some speakers that Mark invited to talk to us about breathe work, take us through a proper warm up, teach a yoga class, and discuss talking therapy.  Mark even had a counsellor join us for the majority of the event.  As you work through the physical and mental work of running alongside a gratitude practice, there was a chance that many different emotions would emerge.  Mark wanted to make sure we would have support there if we needed it.

You can watch the official Run Grateful video that shows you what it was like to be there for the 24 hour challenge.  Some of the runners share their experiences with gratitude and how it plays a role in in their daily lives as they overcame personal challenges.  Gratitude is something I dip in and out of.  For a while, I kept a journal where each night I would write down what I was grateful for.  I also make an effort to show people how much I appreciate them.  Gratitude also helps me keep things in perspective when I am having a bad day.  For example, our shower had a leak and had to be replaced.  While it is frustrating not having a shower, I am grateful to still have a toilet and running water.  Many people in the world don’t.  Easy, right?

Want to get involved?

Run Grateful is holding events in December and January.  The first is a December run streak.  Run one mile every day in December and dedicate each mile to something or someone you are grateful for.  Share your runs on social media using the hashtag #rungrateful and tagging @1gratefulrun on Instagram.  Even better, join me on Instagram every weekday morning in December at 6am for a virtual run club.  Via Instagram Live, we will run our one mile together, taking 10-15 minutes to gather our thoughts for the day, radiate out positive vibes of gratitude, and start the day energized.  I need a bit of motivation right now post-marathon and am grateful that Run Grateful is letting me use their platform to share my love of running.

If a run streak is too much for you to commit to right now, join the movement over the weekend of 2-3 January 2021 by running one grateful mile.  Register for a custom race bib you can print out at home and take part in this global movement.

Do you have a gratitude practice?  Seeing that it is Thanksgiving, leave a comment below and let me know what you are grateful for.

Photos by Ed Kirwan and team.  Thanks to Run Grateful for inviting me to take part in their launch event.