The Running Diaries: A Glimpse into the Hidden World of the Running Craze Plaguing social media.
Social media, people love it or loathe it. People are obsessed or confused by it. People influence or observe. It’s no secret that social media is the hot spot for trends. But what social media could not predict, would be the flux of eager influences promoting running. In both new and captivating ways.
Mid 2023 saw the rise of young and inspiring so called running influencers. Among the frenzy is Lucy Georgia, a rising star in the fitness community. With her highly engaged audience across both TikTok and Instagram she continues to inspire and motivate her followers, spreading her message of self-care, perseverance, and personal growth. Lucy’s’ passions and connected community have allowed her to collaborate with a number of brands and provided the opportunity to create her own run club.
Success doesn’t come easily, Lucy spills her secrets for motivation, encouragement and most importantly running. To fully understand someone’s story the best place to start is their beginning. Growing up, it was evident to Lucy that her P.E lessons in secondary school were not exactly the place for encouragement, as she argues “there was always an underlying competition between girls,” Which left her feeling intimidated. Naturally like all teens Lucy struggled with confidence whilst growing up and “the P.E locker rooms were not the place to solve that” she says.
Confidence was something Lucy always wanted, but seemed she could never find or even know how to have it in the first place. Until she discovered the power of running, which she claims, “changed her perspective and life entirely.” Running has become her fixation and passion, completing not one but two marathons throughout both London and Australia. Which continues to surprise Lucy as “last April I couldn’t even finish a couch to 5K” she exclaims.
“Nothing feels as gratifying as the post-run high.”
-Lucy O’Rourke
Here are Lucy’s exclusive tips and tricks for inspiring both herself and others in her community to keep running. Running to a destination motivates her to run more, “because there is an end in sight, rather than aimless running” she says. Being a born and bred Londoner, Lucy will continue to rave about the stunning skyline, especially the immaculate views from Greenwich Park when drenched in sunlight throughout the early morning haze. Running and especially where you run to can be a very personal thing, particularly for Lucy, who produces a series on her social media account where she runs to and rates her favourite sandwich shops throughout the big city. “Running to good food may not hurt anyone, but it definitely motivates them and myself” Lucy says.
Being an influencer, Lucy confesses to having a small but notable addiction to her phone, but she argues that “there is nothing wrong with a little bit of screen time, as long as it’s a healthy and well moderated addition.” However, spending time outside is both beneficial for anyone’s mental and physical health. Growing up in London wasn’t exactly smooth sailing for Lucy, as the city can be an overwhelming place for any teen and “you don’t know what surrounds you, until you start exploring that is, but I know from experience there’s so much wonder to be found ” London is the city of secrets and hidden green spaces perfect for runs.
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