![\"Richard](\"https:\/\/irun.wales\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Richard-Hookins-new.png\")
<\/p>\nMy older brother Warren has been a keen runner since school. He was always asking me to run. Telling me how great it was. He was visiting our family in May 2012 and he was signed up for a local race…. The Cardiff Bay 5.He only asked me to enter the day before. I thought ‘why not!?’ and turned up for my first ever race totally on a whim and before I knew it I was on the start line! I didn’t even have proper running shoes, I hadn’t done any running prior but I was up for the challenge. It was a moment that changed my life forever! The weather was horrendous with very heavy rain and strong winds. We were completely soaked before the race had started, but it was a new experience and I was intrigued. The race started, I remember the adrenaline buzzing through my body! I battled through the elements to finish in 37.03. I set myself the target of finishing the 5 miles in 40 mins so overall I was very happy, and from that moment on you could say I was hooked!<\/p>\n
Running had satisfied my competitive streak. I continued to train and entered more races. I also joined my local running club. I dropped 2st of weight and went from a complete beginner to Penarth and Dinas Club champion in only 3 years. Towards the end of 2015 things were going great. I broke a longstanding P&D club record for a hilly 5-mile time trial (29mins), finished a few races in podium positions and had a successful cross country season. I won the Penarth and Dinas Club Championship and was named as most improved club runner for a 2nd time in 3 years. I was also asked to run for the South Wales XC team at Builth Wells where our team won the event receiving gold medals. My running was going from strength to strength and I couldn’t be happier.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
5k 16.55
\n10k 35.39
\nHalf Marathon 1.18.37
\nMarathon 2.53.00<\/p>\n
So it\u2019s the start of the 2016 running season and it\u2019s not a good start to the year! I\u2019ve been diagnosed with a stress related bone injury on my right tibia. I haven’t run for the whole of January and I\u2019ve been told by my sports physicist that I can’t return to running until March the 9th. All in all, its 3 months out. Over 2 months total rest from running and weight bearing activities then a few weeks active recovery following a run\/walk program. Very frustrating when I was running so well! Too many races towards the end of 2015 have taken their toll. It\u2019s a lesson learnt the hard way. Training too hard, racing too often and not giving your body enough quality rest will land you in trouble. When I return from injury as soon as my body can handle more miles ill start some serious training and try my best to reach PB form. The first 6 months of this year is already a write-off. 2016 is looking like a rest and recovery year. Defending my club championship title will be a huge challenge with so much time off already this year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
My First Race My older brother Warren has been a keen runner since school. He was always asking me to run. Telling me how great it was. He was visiting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3268,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n