A vast proportion of my Christmas list, such as it was, was taken up with running paraphernalia, in the hope that it would aid my transformation from a girl a doesn’t have a Scooby, to someone who at least looks the part of a marathon runner. The end result? All the gear, and, when it comes to running said marathon, still very little bloody idea!
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When the Virgin Money London Marathon starts to get real…
It’s been a while since I last had the time to update, but quite a lot has happened. Or at least, quite a lot has happened in my running life.
Most significantly, over the last two weeks, I have officially started my marathon training plan, but more on that later, as I have another important marathon update.
The London Marathon has been my ambition, ever since I started running, however I told myself, I’d only push to do it when I found a charity I cared about passionately enough that I could support a cause I really believed in and have an incentive to properly motivate me for the training.
A Saturday first – Parkrun; early morning fun in the sun!
Saturday morning marked a first for me in several ways. Not only was I out of bed by 7.45am on a weekend, but I also attended my very first Parkrun, up at Hampstead Heath.
For those of you unfamiliar with Parkrun (if indeed such people still exist!) Parkrun is a “movement” manned by volunteers which organises free 5km park runs (…runs in the park…) at 9am on a Saturday morning, up and down the UK and around the world.
To marathon or not to marathon? : The method behind the madness & my decision to run London 2017.
So, I have some big news! After failing to get a ballot place for the second year running for the 2017 London marathon, I may, (or may not) on something of a whim, have signed myself up for a charity place through UNICEF. I am running the London Marathon 2017! Having volunteered at charity cheer…
Oxford Half Marathon; New leggings, new attitude and a new personal best!
My first week of (f)unemployment took me to the New Forest for a few days of walking, cycling and harassing wild horses. Culminating, last Sunday, with the Oxford half marathon. Oxford appealed to me for two reasons, firstly because back in 2010 I lived there for a period of 3 months, but secondly and more importantly, because the Oxford half takes place on the same day as London Royal Parks Half Marathon.
Stampede London Zoo 10k: What not to do 7 days after walking 62 miles.
At some point over summer, I made a rash and not-entirely-well-thought-out decision to sign up for London Zoo’s Stampede 10k, which took place on Sunday 17th September – 7 days after my 100km charity walk. As I admitted in my last post, I had considerably underestimated what an epic challenge this 22hr 58minute 100km struggle would be.
How to walk 100km in 24 hours, and live to tell the tale…
In a moment of madness 6 months ago, my boyfriend and I signed up for the Thames Path Challenge on the 10th September; a 100km charity walk from Putney to Henley, that most people aim to complete within 24 hours. 10 days prior to this, my boyfriend fell off a climbing wall and badly sprained his ankle, and I was forced to accept that if I was going to be undertaking this epic challenge, I would be undertaking it alone.
Hiking, Climbing & Riding: A Bank Holiday Weekend in Snowdonia!
This post comes under the “incorporating a number of my other hobbies and interests” part of my blog. I’m hoping people won’t mind if I stray from talking solely about running on occasion to talk about outdoor pursuits, other sports, or any activity-based trips that I have been on.
10 reasons running makes me happy
1. Endorphins. This is the the primary reason running makes me so happy. I mean, it’s scientific fact. Running gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy and people generally are a fan of things which make them feel good, right? Seriously though, running massively improves my mood, particularly if I’m in a bad one.
The anxious runner
Whilst a certain amount of stress is a natural part of every day life, I’ve always been something of a excessive worrier. Despite the fact that I was pretty young when I first came to acknowledge that I probably do worry somewhat more than is normal, or indeed, healthy, it was only last year that I was actually diagnosed with anxiety.
6 ways to rediscover your motivation and fall back in love with running
From time to time everyone struggles for motivation, from the newest runner training for their first 5 or 10km, to the seasoned ultra-marathoner, and everyone in between. Perhaps particularly everyone in between. For me, a lack of motivation tends to often tie in with lack of time.
Running: The struggle is real
Last weekend I ran a half marathon. Except ran isn’t really the right word for what I did for more than half of it. I hopped, limped, shuffled, hobbled and dragged myself around the final 11km, exhausting every last ounce of my physical and mental energy in the process.
Sorry, I've got to run. 