Now I’ve never been good at running, especially long
distance due to being more of a sprinter. Anything over 3 minutes would give me
the puffs, my legs would ache and I’d get cotton mouth.
I’ve always been envious of those who can run the distance
without breaking a sweat, it looks so therapeutic and if I’m having a bad day
I’d love to be able to run my worries away.
Due to living very close to a scenic walk which stretches
over 4 miles I thought I’d try my luck at this running malarkey one final time
and try and make the grade. I can honestly say after giving this another shot I
now look forward to my runs and have seen great improvements in my speed and
also my stamina.
Don’t get me wrong this has been no easy task! I initially
started off just running for 3 minutes, and 3 minutes back. I was knackered
after this but I’d then increase my time slightly the next time I went out.
This slowly built up my stamina and it has gradually become easier. I currently
run 1.1 miles which is still early days but yesterday I had my own personal
success in completing this under 12 minutes. I was very proud of this as I read
on a running forum that this is a reasonable time for a
beginner. I’m also considering signing up to a half marathon to give me even
more motivation to keep going with this.
There are a number of things that helped me get up to speed.
Firstly I highly recommend the phone app ‘Strava’. This not only measures you
time, distance, average speed and heart rate but you can also view your run on
Maps and add a photo after each run. As well as this you can set yourself mini
goals and send your friends ‘Kudos’ which really helps to keep you Motivated
(thanks Dana!)
I also recommend taking a trip to Primark and having a look
at their sportswear. Currently they have a very good range and at a reasonable
price. I can personally vouch for the women’s cropped sport tops which so
comfortable and they support you without having to wear a bra. They also come
in a range of bright colours so definitely worth a look see.