I'm calling myself a runner these days

So, just over three months since running the marathon, and joining the gym, I've lost a fair bit of weight, and am much much fitter. I'm really pleased with how the whole regime is going, although we went on holiday to the gorgeous Turkish coast a few weeks ago which really screwed up my schedule! Getting back on track now, and planning to run 6 miles this morning, 9 miles tomorrow, and will be back in the gym on Monday...I call myself a runner, and have finally got to the stage of actually quite enjoying the running, even thought of course sometimes it's still really hard to get out of bed and actually get the trainers on!

I've invested hundreds of pounds in a decent GPS running watch - my Garmin 405 - which has made a massive difference to not only my motivation but also my speed. I love coming back from a run, plugging it in and analysing the data it's captured. Would definitely reccomend it!

Anyhoo, I did a half marathon last month, a 10km, and a have another half in a couple of week...and yet another booked for October.

I'm a runner now, and absolutely loving it.

Maintaining the momentum

Well, it's two weeks since my first day at the gym, and I'm very pleased to report that I've been doing well, and every day since I've been up at some god forsaken time in the morning and either headed to the gym or out for a run.

It's been good - I'm not sure I've lost much weight but I know I'm getting fitter and my attitude to the whole thing has changed...I'm feeling much more like I did when I was training in 2007 and know that I can maintain this, and I can really do it. Not quite ready to say I'm enjoying it yet, but maybe that will come ;)

First day in the gym...

If I'm going to improve on this year's marathon time, next year...which I am...I must try and get fit. I need to run and cross train. And I need to start now.

So, I joined the local gym...again...

I went along to my gym induction this morning, expecting "Mark" and was greeted by a horribly slim and fit seemingly 12 year old girl. Not the best start to my new gym experience, as I'm a bit self conscious about the whole thing...and she then went on to tell me about how in the evenings the gym is full of teenage lads ogling the slim and fit Billericay girls. I'm already looking around for the door, but must remember the massive contract I've signed up to!

Anyway, I did the induction, and thought I'd have a bit of a go on the bike, that should be easy enough, but after 5 minutes felt dizzy and sick :(...oh dear, I thought - this is not how this was meant to go! I gave up and went home, but determined to go back and try and really make it part of my life.

I ran the London Marathon and have the medal to prove it!

I ran the London Marathon last weekend! I'm so pleased with myself to have actually got round and crossed that finish line as I really didn't train as hard as I should have done, and I think I paid the price as the run was sooooo much harder than when I ran the marathon in 2008.

My finish time was 5hrs, 41mins and 36secs, against my previous time of 5hrs, 12 secs.

Regardless of the time though, I have...so far...raised just under £2,000 for the RNLI so it was definitely worthwhile!!

Despite running the last 10 miles thinking "I'm never, ever going to do this again!" what I'm now thinking, a week into recovery, is that I'm never going to do it with such inadequate training. I joined our local gym today...and I have a year to get myself fit enough to run a marathon at peak fitness. I think my aim should be to run a sub 4hr race next spring. It's pretty unlikely that I'll get a ballot place in the London Marathon for 2011, and as people have been so generous this year, I don't want to get a charity place, so if I can't do the London I'll probably sign up for Brighton or another more local run, but I will do it!

So...this is a long term effort...not the 16 week effort that I embarked on this year. I'm going to cross train, get properly fit, lose the weight that I've put on since 2008 and do it properly, and to be honest I can't wait.

My first session at the gym is tomorrow with one of the instructors, where we'll go through what I want to achieve and they're going to help put together a programme for me. I've never done this before, but I think this is the time, while I still have the drive and enthusiasm - the motivation - to actually start a fitness habit. Here's hoping I can actually see it through this time.

First week's training has gone well!

Back from a run this evening and really pleased with how it went, and how well other runs have gone - still think I'm going to be able to do this marathon thing :P

My training schedule is quite cautious - I don't want to do too much too soon, and and only did just over 2 miles today, but I'm very pleased with how I felt during the run and how my body seems to remember how to breath properly during exercise. My muscles weren't aching, I wasn't particularly out of breath, didn't have to stop or walk at all, and, which I think is most important, felt really positive about myself, and genuinely happy :D

Of course the endorphins affect me, and I always feel on a bit of a high after a run, but it's more than that - I'm pleased to be finally doing something to improve my fitness, after so long talking about it and doing nothing, and proud of myself for setting such a high target again i.e the marathon.

It's going to be a long hard slog to get fully fit again, but I think it's going to be very rewarding too!