First run after a week off

Well just completed my first run for just over a week, I say completed in the most loosest of terms.
Not quite sure what was wrong with me over the past week, but it was possibly fatigue, not experienced anything like it, putting it down to working night shifts and not sleeping properly, sufficed to say, running want very high on the agenda as even walking was an effort.
Anyway, today I felt somewhat better, still tired but I'm still on nights but sleeping a little better and thought I better at least attempt a run otherwise I'll be back at square one.
Well square one is pretty much where I felt I was, it was an awful run, had to stop and walk every 3 minutes it seemed, just could not get into any kind of rhythm!
I understand I wouldn't be where I left off just over a week ago but wow!
A friend of mine did suggest I should be thankful I'm back out there running again after being layed up for the week, he has a point. I just don't like back tracking, but I suppose back tracking is not a bad thing if it allows me to meet my goals.
I know its just a blip and I'll be back to running good very soon, just sick of being tired!!! Lol

First run in new shoes

Well that was awesome, felt a bit strange to start off with as they are so much lighter than my saucony shoes I've been using, and it was hard keeping my pace down, I was speeding up without even realising it.
I ran relatively early in the park, it was really quiet, the sun was shining and I felt good. It was a bit strange not hearing the prompts from the Get running app so I had to time myself using my heart rate monitor.
However when my 30 mins were up I'd set a new personal best on my 5k! Happy days!
My runs this week are all 30 mins but next week the time starts to get a little longer:)
Apart from the running, my dad and step mother came to visit and we took a drive out to Stratford upon Avon, nice run, nice weekend, and a few beers too:)

Brand new running shoes

I thought as a present to myself for completing the Get running program i would treat myself to a new pair of running shoes.
Although i haven't run in them yet i did wear them round the house for a while and to walk to the shop :) and i must say it feels like walking on air!
My first run in them will hopefully be tomorrow morning, however i have family coming to visit for the weekend and a few beers will be drunk tonight;) so....i will see how i feel in the morning.

Last Get running run :)

This morning, after a night shift at work, I completed the Get running couch to 5k running app. Really, I should have started this blog nine Weeks ago when I actually took up running but I didn't think of it until day ago. I think however that most people reading this will be aware of a couch to 5k program, how it takes you from alternating walking with a minute or so of running, and builds you up to running 30 minutes continuously, or 5k, which is pretty much what can be done in 30 minutes. So, this morning I kicked off my work clothes and got into my running gear and headed over to my local park, which is pretty much the five minute warm up away:)
I've always found the first 20 minutes to be the hardest, that's when my legs are always aching and I have thoughts of stopping, but after that period I tend to get into it, find a comfortable pace and feel I could carry on for hours. No different this morning, so I'm thinking that's how its always gonna be. No problem, I can handle a mere 20 minutes of discomfort.
The park though, early in the morning, is quite a refreshing place to run. Hardly anyone around, and away from the hustle and bustle of the city coming to life around me. I ran my 30 minutes and felt jubilant I'd completed the program, but also a little sad because Get running really is an awesome app, it somehow felt as if I had someone running with me, guiding me along the way. Maybe running without the app will seem a little strange to start, but having got this far quitting would be pretty silly:)
So now, in the meantime, I've downloaded a 10k program which I will follow for a few Weeks until my half marathon training starts. That should keep me busy:)
I couldn't however, have gotten this far without the Get running app, so I have to say a huge thank you to the creators. Without it I would have probably have pushed myself too hard, become injured, then quit...but I didn't, so thank you.

Wales May 2013

Just sharing one of my most memorable runs whilst on holiday on the Cardigan coast in Wales last month. Views like this make running even more inspiring:) If I remember rightly, this was week 5 of the Get running program.

Couch to 5k

Well this is a new venture for me, I've never written a blog before so if it starts off crap then bear with me:)
So, I've started running after a few years of not really much exercise, I tried running about three years ago but I over did it and gave up at pretty much the first hurdle. I have a few friends who run competitively and never quite got the attraction, I suppose it was those years in the army when I HAD to do it.
And then,I found a copy of runners world magazine at work, started to read it and thought to myself 'i might give this running lark another shot'. After looking on the app store for a couch to 5k program I came across one called Get running, the difference between this and other apps was it used a 'human' voice and was a lot more user friendly, and included a form to share running experiences with other people who were starting their running story.
That was two months ago and now I have only one more run to go and I've completed the program, it is by far the best app and would recommend it to any one who is thinking about starting running.
So now, having almost reached my 5k milestone its onwards and upwards, because I signed up to run the Birmingham half marathon in October, and then the work really starts! By writing this blog I hope I can encourage any one reading to start running, because any body can do it, if done properly :) And by writing this then hopefully it will give me the motivation to carry on and see where this journey will take me.