Finally, after almost a year's hiatus - I'm back to blogging about my running.

I've been really inspired by the different running blogs that are out there and keep composing blogs in my head while I'm out running, so I thought I'd better get to it.

I've been running for about 3 years after a lifetime of athletic incompetence. Truly - I can't throw or catch a ball, let alone hit it with a bat or racket. I played hockey throughout my teens, managing to avoid ever hitting the ball, always passing it on to others as I knew I could never manage that level of co-ordination. In my twenties I pretty much gave up on exercise altoghether and slowly started putting on weight. By the time I had my second child, a son, 3 and a half years ago I was a big girl. When he was about 6 months old I finally realised that I could no longer hide behind excuses and had to get to it and lose some weight. I joined weight watchers online (no public weigh-ins for me) and started running. Well.. We have a 1.4 mile loop round the farm where we live and I would make my way round this. Running and walking and stopping and sighing. But every day I made my way round it. My mantra was "no more excuses" and, by and large, there weren't any. And the weight started to drop off - better than ever before. And I started to enjoy my daily exercise session. In 6 months I lost 25 kilos and was able to run for 30 minutes without stopping. Now, nearly 3 years after losing that weight, I haven't regained it. And I'm still running pretty much every day. I've also run in 3 10Ks, 4 half marathons and 1 marathon - and I'm now training for my second marathon, Chicago, in 5 weeks time.

I'm following Hal Higdon's intermediate I scheme which is reasonable as far as commitment and distances go for marathon training. Last week I did my first 20 miler - very slowly (nearly 4 hours) but pain free and on very little sleep. This week is a step back week - only 5 milers during the week and 8 and 12 on the weekend, before the big week next week.. The second and final 20M run, after which the taper begins. I'm not feeling very well today - woke up feeling very coldy, but without much of a cold. A thick throat though, and feeling very very sleepy. Only managed 2M out of the 5M I'm meant to do. I may catch up on Friday, depending on how I'm feeling. This is the week to take it easy though - easier to miss a 5miler than the various big runs next week.

Otherwise all well.. Injury free at the moment which I think / hope is due to the 2 courses in ChiRunning I've done this year.. Last year by this point in my training my knees were extremely painful and bad. I really doubted I would manage the marathon, and this year things are fine (touch wood).

I'll be back in a few days time, hopefully fully recovered from whatever it is I've got at the moment..