14 WEEKS TO GO!!

So this is it, my first blog and my commitment (to myself) to train for and run 10K on 4th June 2012. 

Who am I & why am I writing ? Well, I'm Avril and  a year ago I was a very different me! I was dangerously overweight and found it difficult just to walk up the stairs. Fed up of this amongst other things, such as not being able to wear nice clothes etc, I finally realised that help was never going to come to me, I needed to go do something about my weight myself. So I did just that, I joined a weight loss group, and slowly got off my ass and started walking! A year on, I have lost over a hundred pound, and not only can I walk, I can walk very fast, I can dance and I can skip up the stairs two and three steps at a time! My weight  loss is still ongoing, but this blog isnt going to be about that, its going to be about the things that keep me motivated to keep up with the weight loss! I do promise when I have reached my target weight loss, I will share that story and some before and after photos! 

Once I started loosing weight, I started to enjoy walking. Oh how I used to hate it, I used to avoid walking any sort of long distance , long distance to me back then was more than 10 or 15 mins!! For a good 8/9 months walking was the perfect exercise for me, the weight really came off with it. The more weight I lost, the  more I wanted to walk, and the faster I done it! These days, a 2hour fast walk is about average for me. But I started to crave more exercise around 3  months ago, and I took up Zumba classes, which I absolutley love! In January this year, I decided it might be time to try turn the fast walk into a jog.. wow, after 2mins I realised walking fast had become too easy, I was SO out of breath after that first jogging attempt! But wanting to persist, I downloaded the Couch to 10K app for my iphone, and off I went. Needing to set myself a little challenge, I signed myself and 3 friends, and my parents up for a 5k Fun Run on Feburary 18th 2012. Gave myself just 6weeks to train for it. When the day came around, I surprised myself at jogging most of it in just over 38mins! The buzz i felt crossing that finish line was incredible and I decided there and then I was going to run the Dublin Womens Mini Marathon. Last year, when i started on my weight loss journey, i set myself a goal of walking the Dublin Womens Mini Marathon in around 2hours... I walked it in 1hour 50mins. This year the goal is to run it in around 60mins! Eek theres the commitment in writing, so I have to do it!!

Well, thats my backgroung, and the gist of why I am here writing this blog.. Once or Twice a week I am going to update my training progess ... maybe you'll get some inspiration yourself to get walking / running :) 

So here goes.... 

14 WEEKS TO GO!! 

Eek! 14 weeks from today to the race! Seems ages away right now, but I just know time will fly by and I will be crossing that starting line before I know it! My official marathon training started yesterday. Went out to the local park with my pals Lyn & Char! After some stretching and fast walking to warm up (very important!!) - we started off with a slowish jog. Picking a landmark ahead of us, we pushed ourselves to go a little farther each time,alternating Walking and jogging and speeding up. For our first training session we covered 4.1K in around 35mins, not too bad for our first day. We set ourselves a goal to run (with no breaks!!) at least 5k around the park in 7weeks time, on Easter Weekend. I know we can do it!! Even though my fitness levels are up, my legs were a little sore today! So at lunchtime in work, I put on my tracksuit and went for jog.. I do go for a lunch time walk at work maybe 2/3 times a week , but I havent really jogged it before! I really worked up such a hunger for my lunch!! I did feel much better though after stretching out again! I've not got much else to report today, but when I check in again in a few days, I will have done a full weeks training!!

Remmeber, if you are going to take up walking or jogging or running, its really important to go at your own pace and stretch out before and after!! I am not qualified trainer, just a girl wanting to push herself and share her journey, and If i can inspire just one person to get up and get moving themselves, well thats me happy :) (of course, crossing that finish line on June 4th in around 60mins will make for a very very happy Avril!!)

So come on, get your tracksuit and trainers on, stick to a healthy eating plan and come join my journey from 0 - 10K!! 

Oh and if like me you like to listening to your ipod when exercising, everytime I update my blog I'm going to post my 'running track of the week' :) 

First on the list...

1) Energy 52 - Cafe Del Mar ! Great tune to run to!! 

Av xx