The beginning....

Miles I am supposed to run: 4

Miles I actually ran: 0 (It looked like it was going to rain...)

Glasses of wine consumed: 2 (off to a good start)

Most people look at me, and assume that I must be a natural runner. It must be easy for me. I'm slim,  I'm relatively fit, and I'm not very good at sitting still.

This is not true.

How did I become a runner? I'm not sure. When I started secondary school, I remember having to do cross country every year. I was appalled at the idea of having to run round the entire playing fields, so used to walk as S.L.O.W.L.Y. as possible, just to make a point. I grew up in the North of Scotland, so the weather was usually freezing. I would insist on doing this wearing just my P.E. kit, and I'd usually end up frozen, which just made me hate running even more. I'm still not sure what point I was making.

I decided to make my first attempt at running when I was a post graduate student. I had no money for gym membership, but I felt that I should do something to get fit, so I decided to run. I'd seen other people do it, and it looked pretty easy, so I thought why not? I bought a pair of plimsoles for £5 from town, dug out an ancient pair of legging and a baggy t-shirt, and off I went...around the graveyard across the road, where I was fairly confident nobody would see me. It was horrific. I doubt I even managed to run 1km.

It was a few years before I decided to venture out again. I had started a my first grown up job, moved to a new city, and all my new housemates were on a health kick. So I felt I should join in. I started off by going to the gym after work, but I found this boring, and I decided to give running another go. I bought proper trainers this time. At the start it would take me 30 minutes to run/walk 3km, and I felt completely broken at the end of it. Not a quitter, I kept going, and slowly I actually started to enjoy running. I found it a really helpful way to manage stress, and keep a little bit of my crazy under control! I slowly started to notice that I was feeling calmer, and more able to deal with the difficult situations that were often thrown my way at work.

I have since moved to London, joined a running club, and completed my second half marathon at the end of May this year.

I decided to start keeping a blog of my runs so that my family and friends can see that I'm no more of a natural runner than them. Anyone can run. I'm not special. I don't bound off like a gazelle every time I lace up my trainers, run 20 miles, and come back looking like I've just been for a gentle stroll in the park. I wanted to use this blog to document my running highs and lows, and hopefully give anyone who bothers to read it a few helpful pointers on what to do if you want to run, and probably a lot more on what not to do!