Excited new runner

Maam thats great news am so pleased for you  take it steady for starters

Silver goad your back is on the mend even though you have to go through torture to get there

I am still dog walking so running is not happening at the moment  want to make the most of having her so running can wait and I have no races planned  really hope the weather starts to change more spring like very soon

Thanks for the support everyone, I've agreed to hold off my first run till April (1st) as my OH wants me to get bit more strength first.

Just seen also that the GNR is 6 months today!!!  OMG, so close!!!

hi hi

Maam - fab news.  Sorry i've been off line again - no notifications coming through so I forget to check!

Off subject a bit, does anyone know some good total sunblock that I can use on my face when running - ie. does'nt drip into my eyes but stops me getting (even more) haggard looking?

Really like the look of the London 10k in July..... its a bit of a trek and would mean an early morning but I'm contemplating it.  Anyone else going to consider it?  #team run #medals for everyone #discounted food afterwards

Think I might consider it too Em, would be good to do, will make a better decision once I've been for a run and can judge where I'm at.

Will have a closer look and let you know.

Been having a catch up on house stuff today after a long day yesterday, came home from working (6am-10:30) to find 2 dozen roses from my OH to celebrate 2 years together then he took me out to a South African restaurant for dinner, that was after watching a poor England team lose out on the Grand Slam, Six Nations title. Talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

Pics of flowers to follow

Something has happened to the way my screen works, I can't upload n the format seems different somehow, like it has changed format or something

awww - never mind!  happy 2 years!  i bet the flowers were lovely!! 

Happy 2 year Anniversary Maam

Well our doggie lodger is going home tonight so I guess I better think about running again  not run since Silverstone  

The weekend -

Six Nations - gutted we should have won the grand slam  well done Wales

F1 - well done Lewis Hamilton great result for the first race

Tennis - Rafa Nadal won at Indian Wells  I think we can safely say he is back

Snow - yes we had loads yesterday morning - come the afternoon all gone and floods everywhere

Hey all

Just thought would pop on and say hi.

Boo - sorry to hear doggie has had to go home, but agree with you on the Six Nations and F1

Snow - what snow??? Not had any here, but has been very cold.

Enjoying a day off work after doing extra overtime my non working day is much needed!

Sorry to hear that you can't run, but you have to put you and the baby first.  Hope the exercise DVD gives you the same buzz  

I'm thinking of trying kettleball exercising and line dancing, of course along with running, cycling and general gym work.  Need to find out costs etc first, but I'm ready to give it a go

mean midwife - but so exciting another baby! 

had a run at lunchtime today - 4 and a bit miles.  I've lost my mojo a bit...but i'll keep going.  10k local race this weekend and my dad is coming to support.  awwww love my daddy soooo muchos

awww Em, Daddys are great xxx

We are looking to get a dog  we want to rehome one, it has to be a Springer Spaniel the working type any age but not a puppy and any sex  but no major problems - if any of you hear of one let me know

aah Booey - that's so lovely.  Dogs are the best.  We can't have one as we're not at home enough but I would really really love  a dog.  Will keep an eye out.  There's a dog rescue place near me so I'll see if they have anything.....

I'm a relative newbie to running anything above a couple of miles, and it's been tremendous.

Unfortunately, my training for the Sandy 10 got slightly derailed for a spell after a run with our miniature schnauzer ended up with me in a heap after he detoured straight across me mid-stride. I missed him, thankfully, but caught a lot of crumbly tarmac. Not a lovely sight, and took a good fortnight before I could run again.

We went out last week after I scouted out a good off-lead section where he could come with me, and it's always encouraging when I'm doing what I describe as running, then look to my left to see him doing no more than a brisk walk, yawning occasionally.

Hello Ivor!

Good for you for getting out there!  The dogs just trying to make you feel bad with its yawning

They say

"If you run, you are a runner. it doesn't matter how fast or how far, it doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years.  There is no test to pass, no licence to earn, no membership card to get. You just run...."

I've been running two years next month. Initially, I hated it -I despised going out but now, I feel the benefits when i've been for a run - I get grumpy now, if I haven't been for a run!

How often do you manage to get out and what do you hope to achieve from running?

I used to compete in 800m and triple jump at under 16s level (I'm now 35), and made a comeback of sorts to it about 8 years ago when I moved to a new area and found I had an athletics club about 5 mins walk from my house.

Enjoyed it for some time, and competed for the club in league fixtures, but a lengthy commute from work meant I was missing as many training nights as I made, and my fitness level never got far above base level, meaning I was travelling to away days and spending several hours being ridiculously uncompetitive.

Several injury mishaps and some outrageously embarrassing outings later (see another of my posts today for an example), and I just wasn't enjoying myself any more.

Then about 8 months ago, my wife joined a gym and spurred me on to get involved again. I'd always enjoyed treadmill running at home, and got into it again quite quickly. Soon I was upping my distances, then moving outside, and I started to have half an eye on my local 10 miler. Until about 6 weeks ago I hadn't run over 4 miles continuously more than once, and that was decades ago, and now I'm comfortable at 5-6 miles and ramping things up so I can safely get through the race in a couple of weeks time.

My routine had been gym 4 times a week, but now it's more like twice a week, and street runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This week I've managed two 5 mile+ runs in three days, which is completely unprecedented territory for me. On Sunday I'm gunning for an 8 mile route I've mapped out.

What I want to get out of it? Enjoyment, fitness, weight loss (I've shed about 10lbs since joining the gym, but could stand to lose another half stone at least), and maybe to start making use of some of my unfulfilled competitive spirit. Would be nice to ramp up to marathon level at some point before I'm 40 as well.

Until a few months ago, distance running held zero appeal to me, but I'm absolutely loving it right now, looking forward to every run, and even though the 10 miler's coming round a month or so too quickly for where I am right now, getting round in one piece (which I at least feel capable of) will feel like a massive achievement given where I was relatively recently. I'm now looking at my local-ish Parkrun, and scouring around for something else to enter in a couple of months time.