I've finally done it, week 9 done and dusted and then a gruelling park run in Bristol to top it off. That was back in November and the busy December schedule makes it feel so long ago.
I started running in late 2011, no plan, no Laura, just running. It wasn't so bad and I had to learn to add in some warm down time and not beat myself up for walking bits (ha). I completed a 5k with my friend, another novice, for charity and that was that for running for the rest of the year.
2012 - my year, I'd just got engaged, my weight loss was going well despite leaving ww and I found myself wanting to run again. I was told about the podcasts and thought I should give it a go, how hard could it be? afterall I'd done a 5k a few months before......oh how quickly fitness can decline. I started around March 2012 and took each week as it came, moving on each week, I got to week 8 before life took over, I was doing a show and working full time on top and although I tried to fit in early morning runs as well my body shut down after about 15 min. Still week 8 I was proud, and thought I could continue in the Summer. I spent my summer in the heat of upstate New York. I was realistic and took myself back to week 5 owing to the sheer heat. I managed 4 or 5 regular runs in the first 3 weeks of me being out there and then my colleague broke her foot .....I then had a lot more work to do and was working 18hour days......I still wasn't put off and thought I could run on my days off but then another set back, pneumonia, not at all fun and I only took 2 days off work with it. No running for me for the rest of the trip.
4 weeks and one nasty cough finally over I was back in the UK. I started again. From the beginning, it was the only way I could face it, like before, one week at a time. I sped up the programme slightly by doing 2 x wk1, 2, 3 & 4 and then completing week 5 onwards as normal. I got to week 7 before I was getting distracted again, or finding an excuse, it was cold and dark and wet by the time I got home from work and that is all too easy to use as an excuse for not running. So I changed my environment, I joined a Gym just for the purpose of running. I have a key that goes in the treadmill and then it starts automatically and I have it set to the correct timings. I got to week 9 and 1 week after that I went to visit my friend in Bristol. Ashton Park is not an easy run when you're not used to gravelly hills and it was a cold wet November morning as well. We warmed up and off we went. My feet were soaked and frozen and as a result pain went shooting up into both my calves during the first incline - its not something I usually suffer with and it was agony, I had to walk a big chunk of the uphill. But downhill was running all the way and it was so much better, my friend thinks I only walked maximum of 1k of it, she is a little generous there but we were both running it for the first time and even with the painful walking sections we finished in 38 min. I was happy with that and happy to be in the warm at the end.
I am sorry to say that I havent really done any running since then (gym membership is free until January so there isnt any guilt there) but after getting a brilliant christmas present of a graduate tshirt I am looking forward to getting back on track in the New Year. I have signed on to the Bristol 10k in May which gives me a target and I'm assured it is not as hilly as the Park Run!
Now to get my graduate badge