It all began on 14th April 2013.

No, wait, perhaps it began on 30th December 2012, or September 2012, or May 2012 or even as long ago as March 2003. It really depends on perspective, and my mood! 🙂

Anyway, I’ve been running, off and on, for around 10 years, competing in occasional 10K runs, I was never really that worried about form, or time, or anything. I jogged a little, just because I enjoyed it. In the spring of 2012, I was really enjoying my training for the Glasgow Women’s 10K when I had my first ever injury: I damaged the ligaments in my right ankle.

And while I was stuck at home, I was surprised to find that I really missed my wee jogs!

I then had a difficult period at work, and as soon as I was able to run again, I found that I was becoming more and more reliant on my jogging as a means of stress busting. It was my me-time, running was becoming my happy place!

Following the Great Scottish Run 10K (61:26), I felt for the first time that I has reached a bit of a moment – maybe, just maybe, I should think about doing the half marathon instead of the 10K?

I toyed with this idea, and on 30th December 2012, I began training for my first ever half. I signed up for the Rock n Roll Edinburgh Half in April 2013, and that, I think, is where it all began.

Race day, Sunday, 14th April 2013. 

The rain was pouring, the wind was howling, the weather couldn’t be any more miserable. But I didn’t care- I was jogging my way around my first ever half, and I got there in a time of 2:22:49, well within my guesstimate of 2:30:00!

When I got home, I started to think about blogging. I registered for the Rock n Roll Dublin Half in August 2013, and started to think about how I could improve my time for that half, and for the 10Ks I’d signed up for. Can you tell I was going through a ‘thoughtful’ phase?

And, just in the middle of all of that excitement and adrenaline, was the Boston Marathon 2013. In my excited, newly motivated state, I’d been following Runner’s World’s twitter stream, and that’s where I read about the dreadful explosion. Like the rest of the world, I spent that evening and night watching the terrible event unfold through social media and TV coverage. And that just galvanised me: I realised that this is something I now want to do: for me, and for anyone else who’s really just a jogger, running for pleasure, and wanting to go a wee bit further, and a wee bit faster. I knew that I had to hold myself accountable, and in some way contribute my small bit to the world of running jogging.

I’ve signed up for 8 runs in 2013, ranging from 5Ks to half marathons, so I guess I’m getting a little addicted!