Double Figures!

Four weeks today and my journey to the Great North Run will be complete! I cannot believe how quickly time is flying by! My training is really in full swing now and I can honestly say that running has taken over my life!

Last Saturday I ran 9.1 miles, I got up early because I was meeting Rach at lunch time and needed to ensure I would be back (we were going for cupcakes so I obviously didn’t want to be late!) It was a difficult run, the rain during the first half being a combination of light relief keeping me cool and a challenge trying to see out of my glasses! I was so proud when I got home and had completed my longest run to date!

On Monday I went to running group and we were doing 800m repetitions. I found it particularly difficult as I was becoming out of breath much quicker than usual. I also had a bad cough which probably wasn’t helping! I still managed to do all of the 800m reps at a consistent speed though, and we all ran well.

On Wednesday I was due to go out for a 4 mile run. My cough had become chesty and although I felt well in myself, I didn’t feel up to running. I was disappointed and disheartened to miss a run in my training plan but I thought a rest day would be better, rather than risk making my chest even worse.

Yesterday was my first 10 mile run. I set my alarm early and got up and had porridge for breakfast. I was coughing a little bit and I had cramp in my left calf. It looked damp outside and I wasn’t sure if I should go running due to my cough. After an hour or so thinking about it I finally decided to go out and just see how I felt. I arranged with my mam that if I felt poorly I would phone her and she would come and pick me up. Knowing I had this option made me feel happier about going out, though I knew I would have to be pretty poorly to take her up on her offer. I set off on my favourite route towards Sheepwash, hoping I could complete my 10 miles. “I CAN DO THIS” I thought to myself as I left the house.

I started off steady and was happy to find that my cough seemed fine. I tried to keep my mind occupied with thoughts about anything but running as I find the time passes quicker this way. The first few miles were a lot easier than I expected and I felt that having a few days rest probably made me stronger. At about 5 miles I called into a shop and bought a Lucozade sport. I didn’t drink it all but it was just the energy boost I needed.

Lovely View
 

At 8.5 miles I really felt I was struggling but I just kept telling myself I could do it. I’d ran this far so I wasn’t going to give up now. At 9.5 miles my chest began to feel a little tight and I was glad I was almost home. My knees were hurting and my calves were heavy but I was determined to continue. I arrived home exactly on 10miles (my feet are good at leading the way!)

As I was stretching outside, before going into the house, I felt a tear escape my eye and roll down my cheek. I felt extremely emotional that I actually ran 10 miles. My first run in double figures and the first time I ran for more than two hours (2 hours 11 minutes). I have never felt so proud and I am so glad I decided to go out for my run!

My 10 mile run

 

If I felt that emotional after a 10 mile run on my own I cannot imagine how I will feel 4 weeks today upon completing the Great North Run. I am running for a very worthwhile cause, close to my heart. Aphasia is a life changing condition, affecting all aspects of communication. NETA support individuals and their families, in the North East, with Aphasia and make a positive difference to their lives. If you can help me raise money for them you can donate here (every penny counts).

Thank you so much for joining in my journey so far. I still cannot believe I ran 10 miles yesterday! My legs believe it. My legs believe it very much! My Great North Run number arrived this week – it really is happening! I’m excited that I will be in the same zone as Joanne and Rachael, as well as some of my running friends. Four weeks to go!

A Day to Remember...

It had been what felt like ages since I’d last done a Parkrun, so last Saturday I decided to do South Shields, for a number of reasons:

1.       My big sister was off work and was also running

2.       I wanted to try for a sub 30 personal best

3.       Colin, Parkrun director, was running in a wedding dress ahead of his marriage to the lovely Sam

I woke up bright and early and was excited to be doing a Parkrun. I love the course at South Shields and I love it even more when Joanne does it too. Joanne hasn’t been running much recently due to working a lot so she said she wasn’t aiming for a pb this time, just a gentle run round the course.

Me with my sister Joanne

Before it began the blushing bride (groom) arrived in (his) her wedding dress and I went and took a photo. I was mighty impressed he was doing a Parkrun in a dress – I can only just manage it in my running clothes!

Colin before the run

Joanne and I started off together and it was lovely that we were running alongside each other, as Joanne is usually faster than me and I don’t try and keep up. Back in December when I did my first South Shields Parkrun, Joanne ran with me (slowly for her) to keep me company and support me round. I came last with a time of 39:40 which was a new pb for me! That day, it was Joanne that got me round the route so it was lovely that on Saturday we were running along together. I am so proud of the progress I’ve made in the last 9 months and Joanne is one of the reasons I started running in the first place.

I was chatting to her along the way - and commenting how I couldn’t believe, that even in a wedding dress, Colin was still miles in front of us! At the first mile my Garmin beeped and told me that it had taken 10.14. I knew that I needed to stop chatting and run faster or I wouldn’t get my much desired sub 30 personal best! We both picked up the pace and having Joanne alongside me kept me going. My legs were getting heavy and the sea mist was holding the heat in the air, making it a bit too warm to run. I was so impressed that our second mile was my fastest yet (9.36!). Joanne was beginning to struggle with her breathing as she hasn’t been running much and was running faster than planned. I began to go ahead of her, but felt bad about leaving her behind. As soon as she saw I was slowing down to keep running with her, she told me to just keep running, so that I could get my pb. She’s a lovely big sister!

The last mile was difficult but I kept going as I was determined to get a pb (and hopefully a sub 30). Once I was on the final stretch I began to increase my pace. I felt sick and my legs hurt and I didn’t know if I could keep going. I wasn’t sure if I was going to manage a personal best but I just kept putting one foot in front of the other.

 

Once I crossed the finish line I stopped my Garmin and had mixed feelings about the numbers I saw. At 30:20 it was a personal best by 8 seconds!!

But it wasn’t the sub 30 I was hoping for...

I could see Joanne approaching the finishing stretch and went to cheer her on. There was something really special about seeing her cross the finish line and I was proud to be there cheering her on. I’ve never finished before Joanne so it was nice to support her instead of the other way round.

I told her I got a pb but not as good as I was hoping for, and she was really pleased for me. I no longer felt sick and I’d had time to think about the run and I realised that I should be really proud of myself. When I started running my aim was to run. Nothing more than that. But each time I have made progress over the last few months it has just made me want to get even better.

I knew I shouldn’t feel bad about running 5k in 30:20 as back in December that was a time I could only have dreamed of running it in! I think this is a perfect example of how it is important to look at how far we have come, not just how far we have to go. My coach Steve is always telling me this.

I got my pacing a bit wrong on Saturday and I know that I ran the first mile too slowly for a sub 30. But I ran it with my big sister and I enjoyed it. After having time to think about it I am really pleased with my time and I’ve realised that the time it takes isn’t the most important thing. It is getting out there and running, enjoying it along the way (as much as it can be enjoyable!). I couldn’t think of anything better than running with my big sister, and if that means that I missed out on a sub 30, then that’s ok because there’ll be lots more times to run and it’s something to improve on next time! I don’t get to run with Joanne every time I go out.

After the run I congratulated Colin for his big day (in awe of the fact he still ran superfast in a dress!)

Joanne and I then went back to her house for a cup of tea, before I headed off to buy some much needed new trainers! I was very excited and I never thought I would be excited about buying running things!!

Thanks for reading and joining me in my journey to the Great North Run for the North East Trust for Aphasia.

There was a young runner who swallowed a fly...

It’s been another busy few weeks (with lots of running of course!) and I’ve been meaning to blog for a while again but this is the first chance I’ve had! My training plan is going well and I can’t believe there’s only 8 weeks to go until the big day!

Last Saturday I had a brilliant session at the track with Dynamics Personal Fitness. Celia and I both worked together really well and although it was a hard session, I was smiling all day long from my achievements! We were doing 200m repetitions of the track, maintaining a certain pace (aiming for 2.26 which we did well, and even improved by 30 seconds on the last repetition!)

Me, Celia
At the track

After the Lambton 10k I had a blood blister on my left shoulder where the strap of bra had obviously been rubbing. I’ve been meaning to get properly fitted for a sports bra for a while as I knew the one I had wasn’t perfect. The shoulder ‘injury’ was the push I needed to get one fitted properly. I went to Sadie the Bra Lady last Saturday and she sorted me out. Whoever said that running was a cheap form of exercise, obviously wasn’t a woman! Not helped of course by me needing to buy a white one and a black one, to ensure I have a suitable one according to the top I am wearing!

I went to London last weekend to visit my cousin Kirsty and I wasn’t planning to take my trainers as I didn’t think I would have time to go for a run. Not wanting to rule it out completely, last minute I decided to pack my running things ‘Just in case!’

On Sunday night we went to the pub and I had a couple of ciders, so when I went to bed on Sunday night I decided it was unlikely that I would be running on Monday morning. I got up the next day, running the last thing on my mind until I saw my trainers. I couldn’t really be bothered but Kirsty and her boyfriend asked me if I was going to go running so I began to think about it again. About two hours of deliberating later I finally got ready and headed out the door for a quick run. I ran to Hampstead Heath, about half a mile from Kirsty’s house, for a nice run around the park.

 

It was a warm morning and I was struggling a bit but I was enjoying being out in the fresh air. Hampstead Heath is quite hilly and every time I turned a corner there seemed to be another one! I just took it easy and tried to enjoy it. I never thought I would go out for an enjoyable run. At the top of one the hills I could see the running track below and I could see a beautiful view of London. It literally took my breath away…coupled with the fact that I had just ran up a hill which was probably the main cause of my breathlessness! Looking at the view I could see the London Eye and I had to stop to take a photo. It made me think of one of my favourite quotes:

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away”

I was so happy that I decided to go out for a run (4 miles) as it was an overall enjoyable experience and I wouldn’t have been out that early if I hadn’t decided to go running. It was also the first run in my new bra and I realised that I should have bought a better one much sooner (to any women runners that haven’t been measured for one, I’d recommend it!)

Kirsty and I did lots of walking on Tuesday (and we went back to Hampstead Heath) so by the time I got home on Tuesday night my legs were aching!

On Thursday I went to the strengthening and conditioning session with Dynamics Personal Fitness, in Cramlington. This was a brilliant session working on core strength. I feel like I get a lot out of these sessions and it is greatly improving my running. I was impressed with my ability to do sit-ups and press ups as these are exercises I used to avoid. By Friday afternoon I could feel my muscles aching and this was even worse by Saturday morning…just goes to show how little some of my muscles are used, but also how much good it is doing.

My training plan for Friday was an easy 3 mile run. I’d been looking forward to getting out after work and was raring to go when I got in. I got ready and went out as soon as I got home (with the view that the sooner I get out, the sooner I could come home and have something nice to eat!)

I decided to just run from my house, round the lake at the QE2 then home. It was a warm evening and I foolishly wore my long running bottoms. I also had different running socks on to what I usually wear and after a mile I could feel they were quite tight. My legs were heavy and my feet were hot and beginning to swell; I couldn’t wait to get home. I then choked on a fly! A very unpleasant experience (for me as well as the fly!) I spent the next 5 minutes coughing and spluttering and subsequently stung my arm on a nettle! 2.8 miles later I arrived home with very uncomfortable legs, a sore throat and an itchy arm. I got straight into a cold bath, which is normally torture but was actually rather pleasant on my aching legs. Needless to say, what started out as a pleasant 3 mile run, turned into one of my least enjoyable runs to date! But I can’t expect all of my runs to be a success; in fact it still surprises me that any of them are!

Thank you for joining me in my journey to the Great North Run.

Coming soon…..My First Great North 10k

 

Running Rewards!

I’ve done quite a bit of running since the last time I wrote. It’s difficult to find time to run AND write but I am determined to record as much of my journey to the Great North Run as possible!

I’ve been feeling a bit lost with running over recent weeks, literally just taking it from one run to the next and not really sure what I should be doing and when. I’m starting a 10 week training plan with my coach on Monday and I think this will be a great help! I still don’t think it has sunk in that it’s only 10 weeks until I am running an actual half marathon! I know that with hard work I will do it, as this time last year I couldn’t even run at all! That said, it doesn’t make it any less scary or daunting!

I’ve been going to quite a few running sessions in Cramlington (Dynamics Personal Fitness) and I am really enjoying the social aspect of running too. I’ve made some new friends and everyone is so supportive that it makes even the difficult sessions that little bit easier.

I went to a track session at Whitley Bay a couple of Saturdays ago with Dynamics and although difficult, I really enjoyed it. I couldn’t make it last Saturday as I was working but I was excited to come home to my first ever copy of Woman’s Running (and it was free too!)

 

 

On Monday I went to training with Rachael. I picked her up from work and we got ready at my house. I didn’t have any Lucozade Sport for after the session, so we called into the shop on our way. The chocolate muffins at the till were calling out our names and we bought them as post-run treats! All the way through the session we were running for cake! (not the healthiest post-run snack, but a well-earned treat!)

 

I am particularly ‘enjoying’ the strengthening and conditioning sessions on a Thursday evening. (You may notice my use of inverted commas for enjoying – I use this term loosely as they are really hard sessions!) They always make me feel like I’ve done a good workout though and I can usually feel it for a couple of days after, therefore I know they are doing me good! This also highlights, how little used a large number of my muscles are!

On Thursday evening the session was challenging again and it was purposely more difficult than the previous weeks. When Steve told us he wanted us to do some press ups, my heart sank. I’ve never been able to do them but I was determined to give it a go as I never used to be able to run. Steve demonstrated, and although I found it difficult I was able to do ‘an almost press-up’. I did the next ones using my knees as a lever and although they were still difficult, I was proud that I was getting better at them. We ran for 200m between each set and by the third set of press-ups my arms were shaking. We did a variety of other exercises, all of which were equally challenging and I was proud of myself for doing it. They are all things I once would have said ‘I can’t do’ – which just goes to show that anything is possible if you try! The session ended with hill sprints which were really hard – but no pain no gain!

I was expecting to ache yesterday morning, and was really pleased that I was feeling fine. I shouldn’t have been so confident though, because as the day went on I started aching more and more! I’m aching a lot today – Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness has definitely kicked in! My sides, and the front of my shoulders are particularly achy, which shows that the press-ups obviously did something! :)

During the session on Thursday we were talking about generally being fit and healthy, running and weight loss. I mentioned that I started running as a way of controlling my weight and that I’ve dropped a dress size, without altering my diet very much. Five years ago I lost a stone and a half with slimming world but began to put some of this back on last year. I hadn’t been weighed for a while but at Steve’s suggestion on Thursday I just got weighed today and I was pleasantly surprised to see that I have lost half a stone since I took up running! And I haven’t had to stop eating chocolate and cake!

Most of the running I have been doing recently has been at Cramlington with the running group but I did go out on my own for a 5 mile run last week. I intended it to be longer but it was so warm that I cut the route shorter! I still had to walk some of it but I was proud that I did it (with a couple of hills thrown in too!)

 

A few months ago I signed up for the Lambton 10k and later found out that it’s a very hilly run (this serves me right for booking it without checking such a thing!) I wasn’t too concerned as ‘it’s still ages away’ and I got my brother in law to sign up too! Time passes by so quickly and I cannot believe that it’s actually tomorrow! I am also excited that the run is on the Lambton Estate, where The Paradise was filmed (not the most logical reason for booking a run though!) :)

I am using it as a training session rather than a race, as it’s terrain I’ve not ran previously and I can’t compare it to my previous 10k as they are so different. Two weeks tomorrow is the Great North 10k and I am hoping for a pb for that. My best friend, Rachael and her boyfriend Karl are coming to cheer us on and a number of the girls from running are doing it also so it should be a good day out! And hopefully I can still walk on Monday (just as well it’s scheduled as a day of rest!)

Thanks again for reading! :-)

My first bit of bling!

It’s 4 days since I completed the Sunderland 10k and I still can’t stop grinning. You may think this is because it was easy or just a walk in the park…but this is not the case! The main reason I can’t stop grinning is because I still find it hard to believe that I actually did it! I ran 6.2 miles. 10 whole kilometres. I think it’s only really just starting to sink in that I am a runner. I know I’ve been a runner for a while now, but this time last year I still thought my sister, Joanne, and best friend, Rachael were a bit mad for running!  And I’ve thought this about my brother-in-law for years! Now I think I may be just as mad as they are!

Saturday night was my Grandad’s surprise 90^th birthday party. This meant no alcohol for me, ahead of the 10k on Sunday. Joanne, Craig and Rachael were also running so I wasn’t the only one not drinking. I spent quite a while debating what the best soft drink would be too. I had two cans of diet coke but felt this may keep me awake all night. So I spent the rest of the evening drinking orange squash! :-) How rock’n’roll!

Me, Rach and Joanne - (sober!) at Grandad's party

I was concerned that the late night would affect my running but there was little I could do about it. I was so excited after the party that it was well after 1am before I got to sleep. Now, usually I need lots of sleep in order to function properly and I had my alarm set for 7am! I feared this may be too little sleep for the run but decided I just had to try and enjoy it as best as could.

I had porridge with Nutella in for breakfast with a glass of water. I picked Rachael (and her boyfriend Karl) up at 8am and we went through to South Shields to Joanne and Craig’s house. Craig attached my chip to my trainer and Joanne pinned my bib onto my top. I’m sure I could have done this myself but felt I needed the expert support of those that have done this before!

Craig drove us all to Sunderland and we parked near the Stadium of Light. On our way to the stadium I ate a banana to keep my energy levels topped up. I was feeling very tired but I was pretty excited for my first race. We were all wearing black bin bags to keep us warm before we started running. I entertained them all greatly whilst trying to manoeuvre my way into the bag!

We were there in plenty time so Karl took some photos of us with Rachael’s camera (we took our bin bags off first!). Karl then said goodbye to us as we got ready to start and he went to take some photos. I began feeling tired and hungry (not a good combination before running) but there wasn’t anything I could do by this point. We saw Joanne’s friend Sam and stood with her waiting for the run to start.

 

 

Prior to Sunday, in my head I was aiming for about 1 hour 15 minutes. As I felt so tired and hungry before I started running I decided that I really didn’t mind how long it took me to finish as long as I did it (though I was still hoping for less than 1hour30). I started off nice and slow and tried to enjoy it. Just after the start, I saw Karl and waved.

It was quite a humid day and I was beginning to wish I’d put my vest on instead of my long sleeve top. I was glad of a drink of water from the drinks station but the pouches were somewhat challenging to get a drink from! Anyone else that ran on Sunday will know what I mean! I had a mouthful of water, but didn’t want to drink anymore (or indeed risk choking!) in case I got a stitch.

Further into the run, my legs were beginning to feel pretty heavy and my feet started to get numb (this hasn’t happened for a long time). It was advertised as a flat course, but it certainly wasn’t flat. I found this quite difficult but I was determined to keep going.

Some of the spectators and the marshals were absolutely brilliant, using my name (from my bib) to cheer me on and give me much needed motivation! Thank you to each and every one!

Just as I was feeling close to giving up I saw that some people were handing out ice pops next to a water station. I got a red one from a little girl and I never thought I would feel so grateful for someone giving me something so simple. The cool ice pop was just what I needed and it kept me going for the next km.

As I was running through Roker Park, with great difficulty, a child shouted “girl in the pink top, well done!” This really made me smile and kept me going that little bit further. Thank you to everyone who was supporting – you are all superstars!!!

There were a number of times during the last 3km that I felt close to tears. I was too hot, my legs were aching, my knee began to hurt and I couldn’t feel my feet. Every time someone smiled, cheered or said well done, it gave me the motivation to just keep going.  Near the end I saw Callum from the Great North Run Beer Tent Group, which spurred me on a bit more!

I kept thinking about the wonderful members of the North East Trust for Aphasia and how inspirational they are. The 10k is part of my GNR training and I am determined to do well and raise valuable funds for NETA. (www.justgiving.com/jollyjulie - if you can spare a pound or two it would be greatly appreciated). Thinking of why I am doing this made me determined to continue running and get to the end. I couldn’t wait to see Joanne, Craig and Rachael’s smiling faces.

I really struggled during the last 1.5km.  People around me were beginning to struggle too and we kept motivating each other. I saw the 800m to go sign and felt a bit happier that it wasn’t much further. That was the longest 800m of my life. I saw John Iley who I follow on twitter. I recognised him from his Heel and Toe Charity T-shirt. We were both struggling towards the end and helped motivate each other. I was so close to tears by this point that I needed to just focus on getting to the end.

I didn’t think I was ever going to find the finish. And then there was another hill. I ran. And I ran. And I ran. I crossed the finish line, and the relief almost made me cry. Then I spotted Karl with the camera so I smiled for a photo! If he hadn’t been there I do think I’d have been in tears, as I didn’t know if I’d ever get the feeling back in my feet! I congratulated John on finishing and told him I recognised him from twitter.

I couldn’t wait to see Joanne, Craig and Rachael, but I wasn’t entirely sure where they were. I just kept walking. I suddenly saw my sister’s face and she rushed to give me a hug. She asked me if I was ok and I quickly responded with ‘no’. I still felt really emotional but I was slowly beginning to get the feeling back in my feet. I hugged and congratulated Craig and Rach too and we made our way into the stadium so that I could get my t-shirt and medal. I was soon ok again, and the Lucozade and cereal bar helped me regain some energy!

 

I was absolutely delighted that I completed my first ever 10k in 1hour19 minutes! I am super impressed with myself that I actually ran all this time without stopping (for the first time ever!). We waited for Sam to finish, then cheered her fiancé Colin in the half marathon.

I was so proud wearing my t-shirt and medal and really felt a huge sense of achievement. Even though I’d been close to tears and found the route difficult I can’t wait to do it all again! I’m sure only fellow runners will understand what appears to be such a crazy thing to say.

 

Thank you so much to everyone who is supporting me during my Journey to the Great North Run. I didn’t imagine the running bug would ever catch me but it has. I still find running difficult but I am extremely proud of the improvement I’ve made over the last few months. My running coach, Steve has been brilliant with lots of advice and support, and I have lots of supportive friends and family.

Thank you to everyone who inspires me to run and if you made it this far, thanks for reading! Sorry it’s so long, if you haven’t already realised, I’m still feeling pretty excited and proud of myself for completing my first race! My next 10k is on 29^th June at Lambton. This is advertised as challenging and there are a lot of hills so no doubt it will be even more difficult than Sunderland! I do love a challenge and I guess that’s the only way to improve!

Well done to everyone who took part in the Sunderland 10k and half marathon on Sunday. You’re all amazing!

Another step closer...

Can't believe it's been a month since I last blogged! I've just been so busy (but am glad to say I've still been running!)

This is just a quick update as I don't want to miss a month as I'm going on holiday tomorrow and it will be March before we know it!

I've done a few Parkruns since I last blogged (Newcastle and South Shields) and have been steadily improving. A few weeks ago I did South Shields with my big sister, Joanne, and got a new pb of 35.31! I was ecstatic with this as it was more than two minutes faster that my previous pb two weeks earlier! It was lovely running with Joanne again and she stayed with me even though I am still slower than her (hopefully not for much longer....I can't wait for a bit of sibling rivalry! Haha).

Me with Joanne after the parkrun

Yummy cake!

After the run we went bought cake and drank tea at Joanne's house, which was a lovely ending to a nice run. The weather was lovely, unlike last Saturday when I competed Newcastle parkrun in a torrential down pour! I went to Newcastle on my own and it was definitely the worst run I've ever done, as I couldn't see out of my glasses and kept running through puddles! I got soaked to the skin and was so cold! However, I am so proud that I didn't let the rain put me off, and even though I didn't get a pb I got up out of bed on a Saturday morning when I could have easily turned my alarm off and gone back to sleep!

Running with Dynamic Running Fitness has also been going really well. I've been doing some speed work and on Monday we increased my distance to 6km! I was really proud of this, as not only was it the longest distance I've ran, there was also speed work in the middle of it. This was an especially proud moment as when I return from my holiday I will be moving up a group! I no longer need to be in the Couch to 5K group as I have now reached that target! Next stop Sunderland 10k in May! My friend Rachael has joined the next group so I am looking forward to running with her there!

Monday's running effort!

Steve has been fantastic! There's no way I would have made so much progress over the last 5 months without his brilliant coaching. He is starting a new Couch to 5K group on March 31st for more beginners and I definitely recommend it to anyone thinking of trying running! I never thought I'd love running so much! If you are interested contact Steve (http://www.dynamicrunningfitness.com) to secure your place in the group before it fills up!

I now have my place in the Great North Run and will be running for the North East Trust for Aphasia. I am really excited (though the thought of running 13.1 miles does still terrify me!)

Well I'm off to check that I have everything sorted for my holiday tomorrow... And I am of course taking my trainers! (Who would have thought I'd ever say that?!)

No More Couch Potato!

This morning when I went into the office my colleague said she'd seen my new blog and asked if I had heard of the Couch Potato to 5K podcast. I hadn't. So when I got home I downloaded it to and was keen to try it out with my brand new trainers.

I've felt a bit poorly today (think its hay fever!) and when it came to feeling motivated to go out for a jog, I didn't feel motivated at all. I decided to go out and see how I felt as I didn't want to sit in the house feeling sorry for myself!

I'm so glad I decided to go out as it made me feel energised and I am proud of myself for being out for 30 minutes. Last weeks attempt (with no real idea of what I was doing) was 15 minutes.

I enjoyed listening to the podcast. After my 5 minute warm up walk, the first minute of jogging felt like it was never going to end! Surprisingly the jogging got easier rather than more difficult, though I was glad to hear the podcast lady say that I had completed my final minute of jogging and could do my cool down walk!

I was impressed with my new trainers, so glad I got properly fitted. I am looking forward to getting out again soon! The music on the podcast kept me motivated too and run keeper told me I did 1.94 miles (much better than the half a mile I did last week!) I definitely feel like I had a workout this evening and felt energised after.

I would never have described myself as a couch potato as I am not a lazy person, however I know that I do (did!) not fit enough exercise into my life. I am pretty excited and proud of myself that I am already doing so well. No more couch potato!

Here's a photo from my jog tonight (on the way home)! Such a beautiful sky. It made me feel so happy to have chosen to go out and get some exercise and fresh air, and take in the beauty of the world!