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.
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.
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.
Sorry, I've got to run. 