Inspiration x a million

So my promise of keeping up with blogging is going well...for now. How long it will last I don't know!!

This weekend was boring. In fact when I say the highlight of my weekend was baking a cake and going for a run that shows just how boring it was.

Like many people this weekend I was up pretty early on Sunday morning to watch the coverage of the London Marathon. This event is something which has never really interested me before, why anyone would want to run 26.2 miles was beyond me and generally I thought being hungover in bed was a less horrific option then pounding the streets of the capital. This year however I thought very different.

I was excited to watch the marathon. I was keen to see the elite athletes in action and be totally amazed at how they breeze round in astounding times but most of all I couldn't wait to see the "normal" people taking on the challenge of a lifetime and witnessing the sense of pride amongst the runners and spectators for this immense event. I have put the word normal in quotation marks because I feel these people are so much more than normal. Running is not easy, whether you have a natural talent for it or not, it is not an easy thing to do so anyone that does not run as their profession is a hero in my book for signing up to such an incredible physical challenge. Everyone running yesterday had their own reasons for doing so and ultimately it's that purpose which got them to the finish line. Charities are the big winners of events like the London Marathon but I believe that everyone that took part yesterday is a winner. Whether they did it in 3hours or 7hours. Those people have done something that is seemingly impossible to so many others.

I would love to one day be able to do a marathon. Who knows if I ever could do it but after watching the coverage yesterday I found myself wanting to do it and believing that if I put the work in I could do it! Maybe I should just take a risk and enter the ballot when it opens next Monday? What do you think?

Ultimately I found yesterdays events inspiring and it made me proud to be a runner. My run yesterday was nothing in comparison to the marathon runners we saw yesterday but I was motivated to go out and that motivation definitely came from watching BBC1 for the majority of yesterday.

To everyone that ran yesterday...you're a hero! xxx

The Blog is Back!

Blogging has certainly taken a back seat with me recently. I have about 1 reader so to you Jenni, I am very sorry about this. You pretty much know everything I've been up to anyway!

So, for anyone that might read this blog and have a vague interest in my running adventure I will endeavour to update you now.

I last blogged at around the start of March and two key events have taken place since then...

1. I did the 10K :)
2. I turned a year older :(

I won't go in to detail about turning a year older. I am a huge embarrassment to all that know me and I will forever regret getting "that drunk" on my 25th birthday. What I will go into detail about is the 10k and how things have followed since that point.

I briefly mentioned in my last blog post that I was really struggling with my confidence at running and my belief in being able to do the 10K. Well this didn't really improve ahead of the 10K itself. I carried on running and kept my weekly workout schedules largely the same even in the week of the 10K itself. Some people told me to take the week of the 10K off but I thought different. My logic being that I would be doing as much as I usually do if I wasn't running the 10K and I was never doing the 10K as a race anyway, to me it was another run. Anyway...

The morning of the 10K arrived and I had actually slept pretty well. I was up early to take on some breakfast and get kitted up (new pink t-shirt was a necessity). The weather looked a bit dodgy but the main thing was it was dry so I wasn't worried. So at 9am my running buddy arrived to pick me up and off we went to Don Valley.

Registration was easy and organised. We picked up and rocked (if I do say so myself) our bright yellow University of Sheffield race t-shirts, pinned our numbers on and attached the all important chip to the shoe! All going well except for one thing...a big yellow ball in the sky!!!!

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for a bit of sun and nice weather but I prefer this when I am positioned in a beer garden with a pitcher of Pimms for company, not when I am about to run my first 10K!!! By the time the run started temperatures had soared. I know it sounds silly but I have only been running since January so anything warmer than 10c was going to be a shock as I just haven't been able to prepare for this and I don't cope with heat well if I have to do more than sit in previously mentioned beer garden.

Anyway, there wasn't time to dwell on the arrival of summer I had 10k to take on. Off I went. I had a strong start and first lap round Don Valley was good and the hills (gentle inclines?!?!?! Hmmmm I don't think so!) were OK. The course was 3 laps in total and I did start to waiver. I kept going though and eventually crossed that finish line. In my joy of crossing that finish line I forgot to look at the giant clock to see what time I had completed so thought I would check when results went online from the chips. After all, I was more pleased I had got round regardless of time! Only one problem with checking my time...my chip didn't register so I have no recorded time! As far as the race organisers are concerned I am still running the damn thing! Oh well, as I say I am proud of the fact I did it and from my own estimates and others who were waiting for me I reckon 1hour 10 is a good estimate.

After the run I decided to not rest and relax but to partake in a sport I truly excel at...shopping and once I was showered and changed I hit Meadowhall...on the hottest day of the year so far. Oh well!

So since the 10k I have continued to run. I haven't done more than 5k but I have run around 3 times a week to keep me ticking over and running on my mind. Sadly my running buddy has had to take a break due to injury so I have done more on the treadmill than the roads.

Although I have been continuing to exercise regularly my eating habits have not been as good as I would usually like to have them. It's no excuse but I certainly blame my birthday, Easter and a little trip away for sending me well and truly off the rails. I am getting back to normal gradually now but there is still a bit too much chocolate passing my lips than there should be...tastes yummy though!

Last week I decided to give something new a go and went along to a Run England running group. To say I was nervous was an understatement!!! All day I couldn't think of anything else! Off I went last Wednesday with my friend from work who is a regular at the group and once I got into it and got the hang of interval training I had a great time and will certainly go back! Sadly I couldn't go this week as I was supposed to be working late. Annoyingly that was cancelled at the last minute but all was not lost as I took on the role of budget personal trainer (and a very bad one at that) and took my housemate into the park for some interval training. She's still walking and talking to me so hopefully my attempt at being a PT wasn't too bad. It was also throwing it down with rain so we deserve extra brownie points!!

www.weheartit.com

Now I am well aware this post has been way too long so Jenni if you are still reading you deserve a medal! I will just round off with a few thoughts  and plans for the future of me and running.

I will continue to run, even if sometimes I just manage 5k on the treadmill or the running group. I will still go. I love the feeling of feeling proud of myself that I can run...this time last year this was impossible in my mind.

I love exercise. If I can't go spinning I get moody...who'd have thought it! Certainly not me or my family as they regularly tell me.

I feel motivated. I have been reading some books about running and talking to the leader of the running group about how to progress. I feel that I can do this. Next year I would like to run a half marathon. I did secure a place on one this year to see if I would be ready but I won't be and that's just fine because in the meantime I plan on getting a couple more 10ks under my belt.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this challenge and it has been a challenge. Nothing about it has been easy but that's part of the fun I suppose!

Hopefully I can also keep this little bit of the Internet up to date as well...as boring as it may be!

xxxx