2013: twelve months in twelve sentences

In 2013, I ran 1226 miles; I had my 40th birthday; completed two marathons and three half-marathons; I started a running club in my children's primary school; I learned to do chin-ups; I joined a gym for the first time in nearly a decade; I totally overhauled what I eat. It's been my best fitness year ever.

In January I was rather miserable and got poorly.

In February I started training for the Edinburgh Marathon, feeling daunted but quickly realised that I could regain my speed and increase confidence.

In March I passed my CYQ Level 2 Gym Instructor qualification! It took a lot of hard work and practice but I'm really proud to have held my own in a class of people half my age and feel so much more confident in my fitness knowledge and my own fitness.

In April I finished up my HNC in Fitness, Health and Exercise from Edinburgh College. I'd originally signed up for the HND - one more year's study - but the course was geared towards university applicants, so I took what I had and decided to work for a Personal Trainer qualification in January.

In May, I completed the Edinburgh Marathon in 4 hours and 12 seconds, and accordingly developed a monkey for my back about getting a sub-4-hour marathon.

In June became a coaching client of Angie Spencer at Marathon Training Academy and learned the value of having a coach and mentor and exactly how that can make me a better runner. 

In July I took a month off running to see if I could cure the plantar fasciitis which I'd suffered from since May. It didn't work but I did enjoy working out in the gym instead, including the lovely Elite in Broadstairs and the glorious Fitness First in Brighton.

In August I had one of my favourite, most transformative runs, 8 miles up and down the Royal Mile with Vicki Weitz, when I realised for the first time that running need not be solitary and need not be non-stop.

In August (also) I started a few new college courses: CYQ's Exercise to Music qualification via Edinburgh College at Granton; Applied Nutrition, and Pre- and Post-Natal Fitness, both at Edinburgh College at Milton Road (same institution, a few miles apart but a world of difference!)

In September, I completed the Loch Ness Marathon in 4 hours 7 minutes and learned how much fun running a marathon can be, especially when the scenery is beautiful, the race is well-organised and there's a bit of tourism involved.

In October I switched to a No Sugar, No Grains diet and loved it, and I'm still thriving on it, delighted to no longer be a slave to sugar and to instead have long-lasting, fat-fuelled energy.

In December, I managed to do 40 chin-ups in one week before straining a pec and having to take the rest of the month off, but also managed to run 40 miles in the week of my birthday, including a brilliant 22-miler on my actual birthday.

If you'd like to see some of what I plan for 2014, nip over to my fortyfest blog, for some forthcoming fitness fun. There will be more too, as I study for my PT qualification and set up as a PT - can't wait!!

Running - spreading the love!

Sometimes you just have that *really good run* when you feel so lucky to be alive and priviledged to be able to run? That was me this morning.

It was the first meeting of the Leith Primary School Running Club. I was taking a team of primary 6 and 7 pupils running, in advance of their inter-schools 'cross country' (i.e., twice round Leith Links - which nobody could ever really describe as 'country'!) race. It was a small group and the atmosphere was great - we met before school started, so everyone who participated was really keen!

It was sunny and warm, , the sky was blue, and the trees round the links were heavy with pink cherry blossom. We ran past the running club of the other local primary school, Leith St Mary's RC, and cheerfully waved - they've had a running club for a few years now and there must have been about 40 of them! Not as intimate as ours... although we all know, from small acorns grow big nuts. So I'm hoping we'll end up with lots of running nuts at Leith Primary in a few years!

We warmed up with 'funny running' in the playground, we ran follow-the-leader across the Links to the race route, and then covered half the distance of the race before walking back to school in time for the bell. There was a range of abilities, but everybody seemed happy - I got some lovely feedback, including one chuffed boy who said he'd never ran so far before and felt proud of himself. That made me grin.

Can't wait till next week for more!