Half Marathon Butterflies

In a couple of weeks I’m doing my first half marathon.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t shitting myself a bit. I’ve done the hard work and think I’m as prepared as I can be, but there’s still a little niggling of self-doubt.

It seems like only yesterday I was counting lamp posts when I was running, trying to push myself so I could run three lamp posts, then five, then ten, then half way between Putney and Hammersmith Bridges along the tow path, and then finally I made it between the bridges in one go.

I thought I was going to vomit at the end but I did it! It’s only about 1.7kms but that was a mammoth accomplishment for me and although it’s a small distance it still remains one of my most satisfying achievements.

In September last year I set my first goal – by August this year I wanted to be able to do the bridge loop. Starting at Putney to Hammersmith Bridge, over the bridge and then back along the other side and home. It’s 7.6kms all up and I smashed my first goal two months later, nine months ahead of schedule.

Since then I’ve done several 5km timed ParkRuns, four 10km races and a 15km hill race in Greenwich Park. After I did my first 10km race last November, I came home full of adrenaline and signed myself up for as many timed events in London that I could find and it was this that kept my motivation going.

It was that day I signed up for the Ranelagh Harriers Richmond Half Marathon which I am doing on the 5th of May.

I joined online running groups, found other runners to follow on twitter and found the wonderful Graeme Hilditch who has been a big support (check out his training books, they are brilliant). He tweets great stuff and always answers my fitness questions.

I’ve blogged about this before (here), but running is my tonic. I am a sufferer of depression and running has been life changing in keeping my mood stable. I’ve lost a hell of a lot of weight, toned up bits of my body I’d given up on and seen parts of London I’d never have seen had I not run past them!

I’ve never been an athlete, haven’t been sporty since high school, I’ve had loads of gym memberships that I never used, had personal trainers who have given on me, I’ve bitched about people who loved exercise and I’ve never walked up the stairs in lieu of the escalator.

Until now.

And here I am about to run a half marathon. It really is a miracle.

…… but I’m afraid to report that the one thing running hasn’t cured is my Nutella addiction!

At the finish line of the Greenwich 15k Tough Run. April 2013.