Running 10km: the beginning

Taking part in an organised run has always been something I'd love to achieve. I've always admired those hardy folks who take part in the London Marathon, pounding the city's streets for miles and miles, smiling and waving, exhausted but elated. It's an experience of a lifetime, I am sure (if you ignore the chafing and blisters).

I am in no way even near enough considering the London Marathon. However, as I briefly mentioned in my 2015 resolutions post, last summer I found out that a Half Marathon and 10km race were being hosted locally, and thought it was the perfect opportunity to actually do something about my desire (or lack thereof) to run. So, I signed up for the ABP Southampton 10km race.

A few months later and I have started to integrate frequent runs into my lifestyle and am slowly but surely making progress bit by bit. I never really enjoyed running before, but the more I go out the better I feel afterwards. Not only do I feel positive for training for something significant, but boy, is it a great stress buster!

I technically started training back in October, but managed a miserable five runs between then and Christmas - I blame the poor weather and busy time of year (birthdays and Christmas events completely took over my time). Obviously the break has pushed me back a little, but I have been running regularly for three weeks now and it's starting to become nicely integrated into my daily life.

I'm by no means an expert - I end up huffing and puffing and my face turns beetroot red, but its an enjoyable challenge, and one I'm determined to complete!

In order to train myself properly and to build my stamina, I've decided to train using the NHS Couch to 5km podcast programme. This encourages interval training - so running and walking for set times on repeat, focused on stamina rather than speed, building up week by week.

I've just started the Week 3 exercise (I told you I was behind!) and am absolutely loving it so far - it's been so easy to use for a novice like myself. The podcast contains everything you need to keep you going - music as you run and walk, and tips along the way. You're also given encouragement, and told when to stop and start running, so you don't have to keep checking your watch and timing yourself. I'll be using their 5km+ programme once I'm good enough!

Half of the problem with motivation is the worry of not knowing what you're doing - for me it is anyway, but the podcast and my tracking app (I use the Nike+ app to track my routes and progress) make sure all I have to do is get out of bed and out of the door two or three times a week.

I'm also looking forward to better weather and lighter evenings, as the winter can be so un-motivational, and often the last thing I want to do is head to the gym straight after work to pound the treadmill for forty minutes...

Motivation is also coming from the donations which are starting to come through - I've decided to run for charity, and I've picked Mind - the mental health charity. Mental health is a topic close to my heart. Did you know 1 in 4 people experience mental health issues in the UK? Chances are, you know somebody dealing with anxiety, depression, eating disorders, PTSD or other issues. I want to support Mind in all the fabulous work they do dispelling myths and stigmas about Mental Health problems, and providing care and help for those who need it.

I'd like to document my running progress on my blog, so hopefully I'll be keeping you up-to-date with my training and how I am finding it as a novice! I'm considering monthly updates until the big day at the end of April, so I will hopefully keep this up.

If you're interested in donating, you can visit my personal fundraising page, and even if you're not, please do take the time to find out more about the work Mind do.

If you've ever taken part in a 10km or Half Marathon run before and have any tips, please leave them in the comments below - I'd love to hear them!

Wish me luck!