Runners Gateway

This Wasn’t What I Expected From Running

2026-04-15T06:15:00-04:00

Hi ,

I didn’t start running to change my whole life.

I just wanted to get a bit fitter.

Maybe you’re in the same place.

A bit low on energy.

Not feeling great in yourself.

Just knowing something needs to change.

That’s how it starts for many of us.

But what I didn’t expect was this…

Running started to change more than my fitness.

Not in a big, dramatic way. Just small shifts.

I started keeping promises to myself.

Even something as simple as going for a walk when I said I would.

My head felt clearer after a session.

Even slow ones. Even messy ones.

And over time, I felt a bit more capable.

A bit more like I was moving forward again.

That’s the part nobody really talks about.

Running isn’t just about fitness.

It’s a way back to yourself.

And you don’t need to run far, or fast, or even run much at all to feel that.

Walking counts.

Starting small counts.

Starting again counts.

If you want to go a bit deeper into this, I’ve written more here:

👉 Running Gave Me More Than Fitness

cheers

Gary

Runners Gateway

https://www.myruncard.com/u/nmmfg

Parcel Locker 10145 08540
40 Crompton Road
ROCKINGHAM WA 6168
AUSTRALIA

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You’re Closer Than You Think

2026-03-31T20:00:25-04:00

Hi ,

I’m close to the end of Walk Run Achieve.

And if I’m honest, the last couple of weeks haven’t gone how I expected.

I’ve been tired. Sore. Then unwell. The kind of unwell where even thinking about a run feels like too much. So the running has dropped off, right at the point where I was meant to be finishing.

It’s a strange place to be.

So close… and yet it feels like things have slipped.

The first thought is obvious.

“I’ve messed this up.”

Part of me wanted to push through and just get the 5k done. Another part wondered if I should go back to the start and do it properly.

But when I stepped back, something else became clear.

I’ve already built something.

Over the past couple of months, I’ve been consistent. I’ve spent time on my feet. I’ve reconnected with running in a way that simply wasn’t there at the start of the year.

That doesn’t disappear because a couple of weeks went sideways.

And maybe this is the real shift.

Not forcing a perfect finish… but learning how to keep going when things aren’t perfect.

So instead of pushing harder or starting again, I’m simplifying it.

Just turning up. Running regularly. Getting back to parkrun. Letting things build from here, without pressure.

I wrote a bit more about this because I have a feeling this is a moment a lot of people hit… but don’t necessarily talk about.

👉 What If You're Doing Better Than You Think?

cheers

Gary

Runners Gateway

https://www.myruncard.com/u/nmmfg

Parcel Locker 10145 08540
40 Crompton Road
ROCKINGHAM WA 6168
AUSTRALIA

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Last Weekend Reminded Me Of Something

2026-03-18T20:00:24-04:00

Hi ,

Last weekend I walked a parkrun I hadn’t officially done before.

No pressure. No pace to chase.

Just a quiet morning by the river, a quick hello before the start, and then a long catch-up over coffee afterwards with a friend I first met through running more than ten years ago.

And it reminded me of something simple.

Running isn’t just about running.

I wrote a short piece about it here:

https://runnersgateway.com/why-running-matters-to-me

If you’ve ever lost touch with what you enjoy about running, this might resonate.

cheers

Gary

Runners Gateway

https://www.myruncard.com/u/nmmfg

Parcel Locker 10145 08540
40 Crompton Road
ROCKINGHAM WA 6168
AUSTRALIA

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There’s Room For Every Pace

2026-03-03T19:00:10-05:00

Hi ,

Last week, we talked about slow runners belonging.

About walking counting.

About back-of-the-pack courage.

About removing quiet judgement from running culture.

And rightly so.

But a few people gently raised something important.

Sometimes, when we push back against gatekeeping, the pendulum swings.

Slow runners get celebrated.

Fast runners get quieter.

That’s not the goal.

Runners Gateway was never meant to be a counter-club.

It was meant to be a home.

Fast runners belong here too.

Speed isn’t the problem.

Hierarchy is the problem.

The idea that pace equals worth is the problem.

Many fast runners are passionate about the sport. They stay to cheer. They share advice. They remember what it felt like to start.

We don’t need to lift one group by lowering another.

Belonging isn’t scarce.

Different paces.

Same ground.

If you’re fast, you belong.

If you’re steady, you belong.

If you’re walking today, you belong.

No ladder.

No backlash.

No ranking system.

Just runners.

If you want to be part of a space where identity comes before performance, the community is here.

Every pace. Every story.

cheers

Gary

Runners Gateway

https://www.myruncard.com/u/nmmfg

Parcel Locker 10145 08540
40 Crompton Road
ROCKINGHAM WA 6168
AUSTRALIA

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So You Walked It Then?

2026-02-24T19:00:11-05:00

Hi ,

You’ve probably seen it.

Someone shares their time.

And someone replies:

“So you walked it then?”

It’s said as a joke.

But it lands.

Especially if you’re already unsure.

Especially if you’re starting again.

Especially if that “slow” pace took everything you had.

Here’s what matters:

Pace is data.

Effort is personal.

A time that feels easy to one runner can be threshold effort for another. Injury. Age. Weight. Stress. Sleep. Mental health. Life. It all contributes.

Competitive running is valid.

Chasing times is valid.

But so is run-walking.

So is rebuilding.

So is simply showing up.

If it felt hard, it was real.

If you moved forward on your own two feet, it counted.

If you’ve ever felt dismissed because of your pace, you belong here. Not later. Not when you’re faster. Now.

I wrote something a little deeper about this and the quiet ladder that sometimes creeps into running culture.

You can read it here:

🔗 https://runnersgateway.com/so-you-walked-it-then/

Different kinds of runners. Equal footing.

cheers

Gary

Runners Gateway

https://www.myruncard.com/u/nmmfg

Parcel Locker 10145 08540
40 Crompton Road
ROCKINGHAM WA 6168
AUSTRALIA

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You Don’t Look Like a Runner?

2026-02-18T00:58:31-05:00

Hi ,

Before my first running event, the 2012 edition of the Fremantle 10km fun run, I nearly didn’t go.

Not because of the distance.

Because I was convinced I’d turn up and feel completely out of place.

In my head, runners were faster, fitter, more athletic looking. I didn’t see myself in that picture at all.

What I actually found was something very different.

A huge mix of ordinary people. Every shape. Every size. Every pace. Walkers. Joggers. Nervous first timers. Smiling regulars.

That day quietly changed how I saw running.

If you’ve ever thought, “Everyone else looks like a runner. I don’t,” please hear this:

Absolutely everyone belongs.

I’ve written a short piece about that feeling and why it doesn’t mean you’re not a runner.

You can read it here.

And if you’re still feeling unsure, start small. Walking counts. You don’t have to look the part to begin!

cheers

Gary

Runners Gateway

https://www.myruncard.com/u/nmmfg

Parcel Locker 10145 08540
40 Crompton Road
ROCKINGHAM WA 6168
AUSTRALIA

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I built something small for runners

2026-02-13T19:00:07-05:00

Hi ,

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been quietly building something.

It’s simple.

A clean running profile you can share anywhere.

No feed. No noise. No algorithm.

Just:

Your photo

Your story

Your running identity

It’s called MyRunCard.

It’s not a big launch.

It’s just a useful tool.

If you’d like to try it, you can create yours here:

myruncard.com

If it’s helpful, great.

If not, no pressure.

I’d love your thoughts.

Gary

Runners Gateway

https://www.myruncard.com/u/nmmfg

Parcel Locker 10145 08540
40 Crompton Road
ROCKINGHAM WA 6168
AUSTRALIA

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Is Your Best Behind You?

2026-02-11T23:32:10-05:00

Hi ,

Lately, I’ve been sitting with a question I never expected to ask.

What if my best running is behind me?

I don’t mean it dramatically. Just honestly. I’ve looked back at years where I ran marathons, chased times, and surprised myself with what my body could do. And then I look at now. Slower. Shorter. More careful. Less certain.

Maybe you’ve had that moment too.

Not comparing yourself to others. Comparing yourself to you.

Injury. Illness. Burnout. Life. Age. Sometimes it’s not one big thing, just a quiet accumulation that changes how running feels. And with that can come a deeper worry.

If I’m not who I was… do I still count?

Here’s what I’m learning, slowly.

Running was never just about pace. It was about showing up when it would’ve been easier not to. About clearing my head. About feeling like myself, even when everything else felt messy.

Those things haven’t gone anywhere.

If your runs are shorter now, they still count.

If walking has replaced running some days, that still counts.

If your only goal is consistency, not improvement, that still counts.

What counts changes. That doesn’t mean it disappears.

You don’t have to chase your past to honour it. You don’t have to prove you’re still worthy of calling yourself a runner. And you don’t have to decide what the future looks like right now.

You just have to keep showing up in the way that fits your life today.

I wrote a longer piece about this. Not with answers, but with permission.

If this question has been sitting quietly with you too, you might find something familiar in it.

You can read it here.

cheers

Gary

Runners Gateway

p.s. check out my fancy new profile at https://www.myruncard.com/u/nmmfg

Parcel Locker 10145 08540
40 Crompton Road
ROCKINGHAM WA 6168
AUSTRALIA

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You Don’t Have To Do This Alone

2026-02-03T19:00:14-05:00

Hi ,

Running often gets portrayed as being hard. The breathing. The legs. The effort.

But for many people, that’s not what makes things fall apart.

What really makes it hard is doing it alone.

Starting quietly. Questioning yourself privately. Wondering if everyone else has this figured out while you’re struggling to stay consistent. And when life gets busy, as it always does, it becomes easier to stop than to keep going.

Not because you didn’t care.

But because carrying it alone is heavy.

When you’re new, or starting again, doubts get louder without support. Am I doing this right? Is it meant to feel this hard? What if I fall behind again?

Community doesn’t fix everything. But it does something important.

It reminds you that pauses are normal.

That walking counts.

That returning is part of the journey.

At Runners Gateway, progress isn’t compared. It’s shared.

You don’t earn your place here by being confident or consistent. You belong first. Everything else grows from there. You can read without posting. Join without committing. Show up imperfectly, or just quietly.

This week, we’re hosting our first virtual coffee catch-up. It’s simple, relaxed, and human. Join if you like. Skip it if you don’t. Either way, you’re still part of this.

Because the goal isn’t attendance.

It’s connection.

If you’ve been trying to do this on your own, consider this your reminder.

You don’t have to.

Runners Gateway is here when you’re ready.

Gary

Runners Gateway

Parcel Locker 10145 08540
40 Crompton Road
ROCKINGHAM WA 6168
AUSTRALIA

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If Running Feels Too Much, Read This!

2026-01-28T19:00:20-05:00

Hi ,

If you’ve spent any time on social media lately, you’ve probably seen it.

“How do I start running?”

It’s a genuine question. And a brave one. But it’s also a hard question to answer properly, because it assumes everyone is starting from the same place.

They’re not.

Some people are in their 20s. Some are in their 50s. Some have never exercised. Some are carrying extra weight. Some are coming back after injury, burnout, or years away. The body, the confidence, and the starting point are different every single time.

That’s why the most honest answer often surprises people.

You don’t start running by running.

For most ordinary people, especially those who feel unfit, unsure, or out of practice, the smartest place to begin is walking.

Walking gives your body time to adapt. Muscles, bones, tendons, and joints all need gradual exposure to load. Walking builds that foundation quietly, without overwhelming your system or your confidence.

It also gives your mind a chance to settle. There’s less pressure. Less fear of getting it wrong. Less comparison. You start to move again without feeling like you’ve signed up to prove anything.

From there, walking naturally becomes walk-run. Short, gentle jogs mixed into your walks. Nothing dramatic. Nothing rushed. Just small moments of running that grow when your body is ready.

And then, over time, those moments link together.

This is not about being cautious for the sake of it. It’s about being patient enough to stay in the game.

If you’re asking how to start running, here are three things worth remembering:

• Walking counts. Always.

• Slow progress is still progress.

• Your body adapts best when you give it time.

At Runners Gateway, we see this every day. People who thought running wasn’t for them slowly rebuild trust with their bodies by starting smaller than they expected.

If that sounds like you, you’re not behind. You’re right where you need to be.

If you’d like a calm, judgement-free place to begin, you’ll find heaps of support waiting for you inside the free Runners Gateway community.

Gary

Runners Gateway

Parcel Locker 10145 08540
40 Crompton Road
ROCKINGHAM WA 6168
AUSTRALIA

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