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# Miracles do happen
- URL: https://www.mattrutherford.co.uk/miracles-do-happen/
- Published: 2018-09-14T13:57:30.000Z
- Updated: 2023-12-04T22:05:29.000Z
- Author: Matt
- Tags: Blog

I ran five kilometres this morning. Four months ago I couldn't run for a minute.

I used to visit the gym two or three times a week, repeat twenty or thirty minutes of cardio. Sure, I'd be sweaty and puffed out, but I couldn't ever run. In the end, I'd blame my knees or my ankles and stick with exercise that had no impact.

Then, this winter I decided that I wanted to do some walking - I headed down to a local stretch of river and would walk three or four kilometres listening to a podcast or audiobook. Every time I would be overtaken by healthy-looking joggers and cyclists.

![Eton_Dorney.jpg](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c2/2e/c22ecd6b-9412-4701-b914-97051141e207/content/images/content/v1/5eb28079e33bf71e528db6fe/1588762834135-LX8KO808UVTWQC591CPN/Eton_Dorney.jpg)

After completing some walking laps of [Dorney Lake](https://www.dorneylake.co.uk/?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk), I decided that I really wanted to run around it - but knowing how much I hated running, I needed a programme to get there.

Enter the NHS Couch to 5km programme - I started on June 8th, and graduated on 22nd August. I was short of the 5km, but it was within reach.

Now, I've ran around Dorney Lake on a 5km track a total of four times - slowly, but surely I plod my way round.

**To me, it's proof that miracles can happen...**

I did a few things to help me get there:

1. Held myself accountable - [a video diary](https://www.instagram.com/matt.rutherford/?hl=en&ref=mattrutherford.co.uk), telling people I was on a journey made me accountable for my work.
2. Enrolled a cheer squad - one or two positive messages of support after each run was enough to lift my spirits.
3. Found the right tools - good shoes, good socks and some proper running tops made me feel like an athlete, even as I was learning.
4. Geeked out - [Strava ](https://www.strava.com/athletes/31986973?ref=mattrutherford.co.uk)and some decent Bluetooth headphones kept me amused and entertained.
5. Enjoyed it - one of the best pieces of advice was to look up and out and the world as I ran.

As I've said on more than one of my videos, if I can do it, you can too. Take a few steps, run for a minute and before you know it, you'll be running a five kilometre stretch.