How Did I Get Here? Complete Beginner to Half Marathon

 Running was never something I enjoyed at school. I used to loathe sports day, I used to loathe when our PE teachers made us run around the whole school playing field... twice! But right now I'm training for a half marathon!

I started running last year, but it only lasted around 3 months, when work got busy for me I stopped. I'm determined this won't happen this year. Well, it can't happen as this year I'm currently signed up for two 5K races, a mile race and a half marathon!

At the end of last year my aunt was doing quite a lot of running, and then my friends at work were too, and I felt unfit. I mean I'm not incredibly unfit or anything (in fact my Garmin watch tells me I have the VO2 max of a 20 year old!), but I felt I could do more. I work at a zoo... I love zoos and when I saw there was a 5K run happening at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, I couldn't wait to get signed up! So at the start of this year I decided to take on the Couch to 5K challenge. I downloaded the app and off I went.

And then I found virtual races... Game changer!! I can do Couch to 5k AND sign up for virtual races and track my progress and get medals at the end of it. That was all the incentive I needed and away I've been. 3 weeks in to Couch to 5K I signed up for the Great North Run, so I bought my first pair of "proper" running trainers realising that what I'd been running in were nothing more than fashion trainers!

Couch to 5K hasn't always been easy... especially when I've been faced with my family joking about my running. But that said so far I've seen such an improvement in my fitness.

At the time of writing this I am half way through week 6 of Couch to 5K... I'd have been further if the rain hadn't been so relentless this week. I braved my first rainy run this morning... it was not fun. Usually I see loads of people out walking on my running route... today I saw 2 dog walkers and 1 brave fisherman! And in just 3 days time I'm going to be taking on my first 5K event at the Surrey Half Marathon.

So I'll leave this post there for today, but pleased to meet you and can't wait to complete some more MedalMad challenges!