I know! I am surprised too! And let me start this post by saying… never when I started sharing on social media or this blog in 2019 did I think I would be writing a blog post 5 years later on RUNNING! In fact if you scroll back you will see I was so NOT A RUNNER that I included a blog post on my favourite walks… I have always been a walker so why now!
Truth be told the last 5 years have been hard, very hard, and in many ways have only caught up on me now, from a big health scare and nearly loosing Ciaran, navigating Covid during an already intense recovery, developing a deeper health anxiety that is crippling at times, a very bumpy IVF journey, a BOOMING business and all the challenges it brings, to studying and qualifying as a Life & Wellness Coach and Meditation Teacher to Charlotte finally arriving by emergency C-Section… to now working through everything that has surfaced in the form of PTSD and really difficult anxious periods… it’s been hard.
It’s a continuous journey and one I am so grateful to have my toolkit and support systems in place. Before I continue I am NOT saying running alone is helping my mental health, that would be dishonest of me, for full transparency – I have been to my own GP a number of times, debated medication, I’ve gone back to therapy and a multitude of other things as I learn to move forward in the best way I can… BUT one thing came up in many conversations with professionals and within personal circles that is – physical movement. What physical exercise I am consistently doing? Before I started this programme I can honestly answer and say NOTHING!
I have been on this running programme for 2 weeks now and I can say I am already feeling the benefits… mentally more than physically… physically I am sore and for the most part still quite unfit and breathless at parts but I have been feeling less anxious in the evenings – this is when my mind starts to overthink normally, I am sleeping better and I am craving the post run high and genuinely looking forward to getting out with my music and trainers on.
I wanted to share the programme I am following currently in the hopes that for what ever your own personal reason is you try… truth be told you are reading this for a reason… you want to try.
I have set myself a goal to run 5k before my 40th Birthday Nov 3rd… but if I follow this plan I should be running 5k by Aug / Sept – I will cry!
Please NOTE* I am not a personal trainer. I do a short warm up and cool down after each run.
Some new runner recommendations from a new runner 🙂
Music will carry you and push you a further then you think you can go. I am building my playlist continuously and I LOVE it. You can check it out here… let me know in the comments if you have a favourite running track.
I got myself a treat to encourage me to start running – my headphones. I am not really into spending HUGE money on these things so when Chris ( a girl I work with ) showed me these headphones and told me the price I jumped on them – they are so cute!
I have so many pairs of fashion runners that I needed a pair of RUNNERS for my journey to 5k. I invested in these… I am in a red era, I seem to be so drawn to it.
Ok… that’s it for now. Please let me know if you’re taken part, tag me when your out and about – it will motivate me 🙂
XOX