Amy Found Her Sanctuary In Running

Relative running ‘newbie’ Amy found a hobby that gave her a sense of purpose and boosted her mental health. 

Last year 24-year-old Amy Hubbuck from Llanelli set herself a huge challenge. 

Following wedge resection lung surgery, she not only had to walk before she could run, but also learn how to breathe again with reduced lung capacity. 

She gradually increased her mileage, slowly but surely, and set a sasaran for her 23rd year. She decided to complete 30 running events to mark Llanelli MIND’s 30^th year, while raising money for the cause that is close to her heart. 

“Running has become a sanctuary for me” says Amy. “Those hours spent on the road, trails and hills are the few times where I get to put all of my stresses, worries and anxieties aside and just focus on me.” 

Amy says running helps her sleep better, perform better and feel a lot more content. She adds: “My anxiety is managed in a much more productive manner thanks to lacing up my shoes.”

“I’ve never regretted a single run”

Having a challenge has been the perfect motivator for Amy. “I always had something in the near future, whether that was a race or a new distance, to keep me on track” she explains. “Setting a physical challenge meant that I was always unintentionally improving my fitness, so my main focus was mentally.” 

Thanks to those around her, she was surrounded by positivity and encouragement and adds: “ Even though I was running alone, I knew I always had endless support for the highs and lows.”

A routine kept Amy on track through the tough times, as she tells us: “you never know what life has around the corner, but when things got tough or stressful, I always had this challenge to keep me focussed and that wasn’t going to change.”  

So, what’s next for runner Amy on her mental and physical journey?  

“I’m still looking for ways where I can make my 24^th year just as exciting!”

Amy’s top tips

• Be prepared for setbacks and reassessing your goal. Just because things don’t go to plan doesn’t mean it’s the end of the road! I never expected to pick up so many injuries which would put the challenge on hold for 3.5 months. 
• Don’t be afraid to go outside your comfort zone! Going that extra mile (no pun intended) is always worth it as it’s never crowded! 
• Document the journey! I decided to journal, scrapbook and recorded little clips. When I was down, or lacking confidence, it reminded me why I was doing this challenge and now I have endless memories and a digital archive to show for it.  

Amy Found Her Sanctuary In Running 2017-08-14T12:11:00-07:00 Rating: 4.5 Posted By: angkrate