The New Year's Resolution

There's something about the beginning of this year that's making me feel uneasy. I'm not sure whether it's the presence of the number 13 that'll be lurking around for the next 365 days or the fact that my Mum, my sister and I are embarking on a running programme. Yeah, I think it's the latter.

My unsuccessful gym habit has taken a beating recently, whilst my skills in eating have really excelled. I feel 100% unhealthy. Not cool. The fact is, I need to lose some weight - the main reason for this being that I have 9 months till I start uni and I want to be a fit fresher... If you thought this was going to be a serious blog about running, this might be the time to stop reading.

My yummy mummy is in her early fifties and her string of crazy jobs over the past 10 years have been a valid excuse for exercise being low on her list of priorities. Her aim is to lose a stone and feel healthier, so we managed to rope her in.

Now for the person that's been our catalyst to kick-starting this fitness regime: my 26 year old sister, Emily. She is looking to improve her fitness and, ultimately, to work up to running a half marathon in October. (She's trying to get me to but I'm ignoring the fact that half marathons exist before I've puffed and panted my way through 5K).


We are using the NHS plan of 'Couch to 5K' - a training programme that gradually builds up to the full 3.1 mile run over 9 weeks. Couch to 5K is a series of podcasts that guide you on the walk/run combination that feature in the first few weeks and also play out an array of uninspiring tunes. I already know this is going to annoy me. In the gym I have to have amazing music on to motivate me to run for a measly 10 minutes...it seems I'm going to have to dig deep.

Now, being girls, of course we had to invest in some top quality running gear. We kitted ourselves out in new tops and leggings with no problem at all, but who would have known buying a pair of trainers could be so complicated?  The mildly embarrassing process of running on a treadmill in a tiny shop full of quite a few people is apparently called 'gait analysis'. I don't understand it, but what I do know is that means buying expensive running shoes. The bill for trainers alone came to an eye-watering £300! Ouch. We better keep this running lark up! 

Run one is tonight at 7.30. I'm worried for two reasons: 1) I cannot run. 2) My sports bra has not yet arrived.