Why Run?

I have always wanted to run but been unable due to bad back issues, pinched nerves, sciatica and so forth. In my internet travels, I ran across http://www.coolrunning.com/ where a lot of people of different shapes, sizes, ages and fitness levels were talking about the Couch to 5 k running program. Basically, a gentle run-walk interval program over 9 weeks where many people have graduated and moved on (eventually to longer distance endurance running).

The next few years of my life will be living 6 months in Cairns and 6 months in Sydney, so a portable and accessible exercise option like running (just some shoes and out the door right?) sounds great! Cairns is beautiful weather, warm 9 months of the year with ocean, flats and hills to explore. Sydney is a large city but set by the water also, with many parks.

So, I thought I would start the C25k and see where it led me. I found a great group of people on coolrunning and we all encouraged each other as we progressed. It works! I can now run 30 mins non stop and 3 miles in around 35 mins non stop, depending on whether I am going for time or distance on any given day.

It seems surreal that I can run after 20+ years of wanting it, but it's true. After 20+ years of being held back by my health, it really astounds me I can do this and keep doing it.

So, where to from here? I have registered for the World Wide Half, and hoping to be prepared for a Half Marathon (21.1km) by mid-October.

After that, who knows? Maybe a marathon or a triathlon somewheres.

No limits to what I can do, if i work at it and train, slowly but steadily.

A Running Blog?

Somehow I can run? Well, I know why, it's due to the excellent Couch to 5 K (C25k) running program designed to get people from the couch to being able to run 30 minutes or 5km without stopping over a progression of 9 weeks.

I listen to anything and everything to distract me from the fact I am actually running, and recently was listening to a Phedippidations Podcast at the gym to see if it would be useful for me while running. The topic of the Podcast was Run. Blog and Share, and it mentioned that everyone should blog because maybe, just maybe they can inspire someone else to start or encourage someone to keep going. While I am no means an expert on running, if I can help someone then why not?

So this blog, while intended as running, will no doubt regress to a record of all my workouts, I crosstrain at the gym, doing weights, classes, elliptical, abs and intend on jumping back on my bicycle next week too.

I'm also a geek girl, so there will be crazy gadget geekiness as well as just general things i run across in the running/exercise arena.

I doubt anyone will stumble across this blog for a while yet, but if you do, please leave a comment and tell me how things are in your world :)