Learning to Tri as an adult: Running - Jen & Sahar's stories

The final of our "Learning to Tri as an adult" series - and next we have two more inspiring stories from Jen and Sahar who learnt to run as adults.

Jen's Journey: How learning to run transformed Jen's life

When Jen moved to a new area of the UK just before the 2020 lockdown, finding a sense of community was tough. Tennis and the gym didn’t weren't quite right but then she saw a Facebook post for a local Ladies Beginners Running Group.

It offered a 15-week course leading to a 5K, and something about the group made her believe she could actually do it.

Nervous but determined, Jen turned up on the first day without even being officially signed up. She almost talked herself out of it and didn't think running was for her, not feeling like she had the right body or ability. But she reminded herself why she wanted to go and gave it a try.

That first session was only 90-second runs, but much to her surprise, it felt manageable, and even actually quite enjoyable. Talking to someone the whole time helped her to ease her nerves, and slowly, with consistency, Jen built both her confidence and her stamina.

Jen didn't find it it. Physical aches in her hips and back made it tempting to stop, and mentally, she had to battle doubts every step of the way. But she kept showing up and eventually finished the 5K.

Having learned to swim the year before, she soon started to wonder whether she could take a on a triathlon next.

Running transformed how Jen saw herself. It gave her a sense of capability that stretched beyond sport. It made her feel like if she could run a 5K, she could take on anything. It changed how she ate, trained and approached the big challenges in life.

Her message to others?

"It’s never too late to learn something new or challenge your body and mind. If nothing else, do it for the incredible community. You'll meet women who support you, cheer for you, and become lifelong friends. There’s no body type, age, or background that disqualifies you from running or triathlon. Just start, you absolutely belong here.”

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Sahar's Story: Using running to overcome her mental health challenges

Sahar first took up running to lose weight. She wasn't passionate about it and wasn’t fast, but she stuck with it until a knee injury forced her to stop. That’s when she realised something surprising, that she actually missed it.

Years later, a colleague encouraged her to sign up for a local 10K. She hadn’t trained and hadn’t run in five years. She cried mid-race. Her legs hurt, was near the back, and couldn’t believe how unfit she'd become. But the pacers cheered her on, and she did cross the finish line. That moment brought back old feelings of wanting to do a triathlon, something she once joked she’d beat her personal trainer at someday.

So, she started again. It was a long and slow process but when she crossed the finish line of her first triathlon, it was amazing.

When Sahar began running, she weighed 124kg and felt like she didn’t belong. She says she didn’t look like a runner and she thought people would laugh at her for even trying, but she kept showing up.

Sahar’s biggest battles weren’t physical. Between 2017 and 2023, she struggled with burnout and difficult periods of severe depression. Running didn't fix this overnight but something shifted when she completed her first sprint distance triathlon.

At her first Olympic-distance triathlon, she panicked mid-river, thinking that she wasn't a swimmer. But she also had the realisation that she was swimming so that made her a swimmer. The same realisation came when running. She thought she wasn't a runner but here she was running up a hill, so maybe she was a hill runner. Each finish line and each training session proved she was more than she believed.

Running changed how she carries herself, she no longer sees herself as someone trying to get fit but rather an athlete in progress.

Her advice to others thinking of starting:

"It's never too late. That’s your fear and insecurities talking. I won’t lie, it’s hard. But the human body can do almost anything once your mind stops saying you can’t. Just start. Step by step. You’ll be shocked at what you’re capable of."

Whether it’s your first 5K or your first triathlon, Women in Tri UK is here to support you every step, stroke, and pedal of the way. Inspired by Jen and Sahar's stories? Why not set your own challenge this year—and see just how far you can go? Join our community here.