I started running at night, because I was embarrassed to do it during the day. I teach poetry and creative writing in east London, and I didn’t want the children to see me sweating in the street. I loved rediscovering the city at night: the light, the traffic, the type of people you see – it all changes.

I was 35 when I started (I’m 45 now) and my body wouldn’t do what I needed it to. I have children, and that was an added impetus to get myself together. Friends and colleagues began to say, “You’re a different person. What are you doing?” I was running four or five times a week, following training plans as well as making it up as I went along. Within months, I started to change physically. Over two years, I lost around three stone.

Running has bought a tremendous change to my life. It’s an amazing emotional and physical experience that’s hard to describe to people who haven’t done it. I often felt I didn’t have a role in the city as a young man, and running has given me more control. It has allowed me to leave my footprint and build a running community, Run Dem Crew, that brings together people from all walks of life.

When people first try running, they can get frustrated, but you improve quickly: from sitting on the sofa to completing a 5k can take five weeks, if you follow a plan. The best thing is you don’t need equipment; you can even do it barefoot.

It’s a basic primal movement. We run away from danger, we run towards people we love, we run for survival. Some people are better than others at first, but it’s not something to be scared of. Imagine if everyone could run for six miles; at that distance, you’re never really that far from home. But even if you can run for the bus without getting out of breath, that small achievement is something to be celebrated.

My weekend workout

Favourite place to run Olympic Park, London
Best snack Peanut butter on toast
Longest distance 200-mile relay race
Favourite time to run Between midnight and sunrise
Favourite distance and time Seven to eight miles over at least an hour

Five ways to get started: running

1 It’s worth investing in decent shoes, so get advice in the shop; how you run will depend on what you choose. And don’t buy the first trainers recommended – try lots.

2 When you first run, focus on enjoyment, not distance. Build up from 10 minutes or try a run/walk programme. Running and stopping for breaks is fine.

3 Most parts of the country now have a weekly 5k parkrun. That’s something to work towards when you’ve built up confidence.

4 Once you’ve done a 5k, sign up for a longer distance such as a 10k, but work towards it slowly. Don’t rush into anything longer, like a half or full marathon. Fall in love with running first and see where it takes you.

5 Keep a training diary, so you know how you’re progressing, and make a note of everything (sleep, weather) to see what influences you. Treat it like a school project: four months to get you from the sofa to a decent distance.

• Do you have a passion for exercise? Send your story to fitness@theguardian.com