Newbie to this running malarky! by abbylovescakes

OK.  So I am NOT a fitness fanatic.  Far from it.  I used to be healthy and exercise but recently I have really got into a rut.  My boyfriend and I moved in together in September and since then I have eaten rubbish and sat around watching the TV on my days off.  I have put on nearly a stone and a half, and lost all motivation to do exercise.  I didn't realise how bad things had got until I was weighed at a Nurses appointment.  The slender girl I had always been now was right on the edge of being overweight.  Something had to change.

I decided I needed to get fit, lose some weight and get some energy.  I always seemed to be exhausted, even if I'd done nothing.  Although I'm on my feet all day at work (I'm an ICU Nurse) I had little in the way of stamina.  A friend of mine from work was running the London Marathon.  I was so jealous - why couldn't I be that fit and dedicated?  We chatted loads about how she first got into running, and she really encouraged me to have a go.  Could I try it?

I bought myself some running shoes and a sports bra and decided to give it a go.  The first run I went out for I pushed myself way too hard.  I was only out for 30 mins but tried to alternate between running and walking.  I didn't bother to warm up and warm down.  Consequently I could hardly walk for 5 days afterwards.  I was shocked and disgusted at how unfit I'd become!  Now was the time I'd probably give up and admit that I was unfit and this wasn't going to change.

I then thought that perhaps if I entered the Race For Life in the summer I might get motivated.  I looked for a date but none of them were suitable for me.  That's when I came across the Run 10k for Cancer Research UK.  A 10k run in October.  I'd have 6 months to train.  In a moment of probable madness, I entered.

So now I have to get fit, and learn how to run!  I'm trying to be sensible about how far and how often I run.  I'm following a training plan which builds me up gradually and hope that by October I'll be able to at least be able to run part of the 10k!  In this blog I plan to write about how my training is going, and hopefully in a few months I can look back and see how far I've come! 

Races entered -

August 8th 2009 - Big Fun Run 5k for Bowel Cancer UK - 36mins

September 27th 2009 - Run Preston Workplace Challenge 5k

October 19th 2009 - Run 10k for Cancer Research UK

January 9th 2010 - Great Winter Run 5k