I started my running journey 10 years ago after having my second baby, I literally went out to the local park with my best friend and started power walking, then jog/walking and eventually running! .

I had no idea about pace, times, distances, no fancy watch, not even an app on my phone! All I literally cared about was how amazing it felt every time, the endorphins helped me deal with the stresses of being a young mum to 2 small babies! Literally babies 18 months and 2 months! The time out the house was mine, and I in that short time I could almost be free! (Sounds corny but so true) .

I realised that this was a new passion that I wasn’t going to give up! I wanted to improve! Run further, faster and more often! Initially I got up for 3 miles, then 4 and 5! I watched the Reading Half Marathon in 2010 and thought to myself, I so want to be a part of that! I watched the last lady runner, the car was sweeping up behind her, and the admiration I had for her in that moment made me determined to train for the following year! .

SO I DID TRAIN, I HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS I DOING BUT I WAS DETERMINED TO RUN THE 2011 HALF MARATHON.

MY FIRST HALF MARATHON IN 2011 WAS BITTER SWEET, I TRAINED SO HARD AND ENDED UP INJURING MY ACHILLES 2 WEEKS BEFORE THE RACE, I WAS GUTTED AS I HAD BEEN RAISING MONEY FOR THE DUCHESS OF KENT HOUSE WHO HAD LOOKED AFTER ONE OF MY BEST FRIEND’S DAD THROUGH HIS LAST DAYS. SO WITH THAT IN MIND I RAN ANYWAY, IT’S JUST SOMETHING STUPID IN ME THAT ALWAYS HAS TO COMPLETE WHAT I SET OUT TO ACHIEVE. I WAS IN PURE AGONY AND MANAGED TO FINISH IT IN 2.14.36, MY HUSBAND WHO HADN’T TRAINED CAME IN JUST AHEAD OF ME, HE WAS WALKING AND SAW ME RUNNING SO STARTED TO RUN TO BEAT ME! 🙈

A FIRE INSIDE ME WANTED TO BEAT MY TIME, TRAIN HARDER AND CONTINUE TO GET STRONGER, FASTER AND BE A MORE EFFICIENT RUNNER. I RAN READING HALF IN 2012 IN 2.01.46, AND ALTHOUGH I HAD KNOCKED 13 MINUTES OFF MY TIME I WAS ANNOYED TO NOT COME IN UNDER THE 2 HOUR MARK. BACK TO IT, I CONTINUED TO RUN AND TRAIN. IN 2013 I WAS HEAVILY PREGNANT AND STOOD AND WATCHED THE HALF MARATHON IN THE POURING RAIN, WAITING FOR MY AMAZING MUM TO RUN PAST ME. GOD THE RUNNERS ENVY I HAD STOOD WATCHING EVERYONE.

AFTER HAVING MY 3RD BABY I GOT STRAIGHT BACK INTO IT AGAIN, I ALWAYS REMEMBER RUNNING ALONG CITY ROAD, STRUGGLING ONLY 1.5 MILES IN THINKING OH MY GOD I’M NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET MY FITNESS BACK. I WAS BACK RUNNING A 10 MINUTE MILE, STRUGGLING TO BREATH AND WATCHING MY BODY MOVE ALL OVER THE PLACE.

BUT I CAME BACK AGAIN RUNNING READING HALF MARATHON IN 2014 IN 1:53.25.

I WAS NEVER HAPPY THOUGH, I HAD SMASHED THE 2 HOUR MARK NOW I MOVED THE GOAL TO WANTING TO COME IN AT 1 HOUR 50.

I CAME 3RD LADY IN A LOCAL 10K (6.20MILES) IN MARCH 2015 IN 46.15, I COULDN’T BELIEVE IT. I MADE THE PODIUM AND RECEIVED FLOWERS AND A MEDAL.

IN 2015 I RAN THE READING HALF AGAIN IN 1.49.16 AND THEN DECIDED I REALLY WANTED TO GET TO THE 1.45 MARK.

I BECAME A MEMBER OF READING ROAD RUNNER WITH MY MUM AND STARTED TO ATTEND TRACK SESSION FROM APRIL 2015 UNTIL SEPTEMBER 2015, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT, PUSHING MYSELF TO MY LIMITS.

IN SEPTEMBER 2015 I RAN MAIDENHEAD HALF MARATHON, I WAS DELIGHTED TO GET 1.45.15, I COULDN’T BELIEVE I’D MANAGED TO DO IT AND DECIDED I WANTED TO TAKE ON A MARATHON. WITH SOME OF MY FRIENDS I SIGNED UP FOR BRIGHTON MARATHON. I SPENT THE REST OF 2015 AND EARLY 2016 RUNNING MY BUM OFF.

IN FEBRUARY 2016 I RAN BRAMLEY 20 MILES IN 2.50.34, THIS GAVE ME CONFIDENCE AND THE HOPE THAT I WOULD COME IN UNDER 3 HOURS 45 FOR THE BRIGHTON MARATHON.

I ALSO RAN THE SAME LOCAL 10K (6.20 MILES) RACE THAT I HAD THE YEAR BEFORE AND PLACED 2ND LADY COMING IN IN 44.44. I WAS SO PLEASED.

FEBRUARY 2016 I ALSO RAN WOKINGHAM HALF MARATHON IN 1.44.14 AND THEN READING HALF MARATHON 2016 IN 1.43.26. I WAS ABSOLUTELY ELATED WHEN I FINISHED, TWO WEEKS LATER I MANAGED TO RUN BRIGHTON MARATHON IN 3.53.34. TYPICAL ME I WAS OVER THE MOON TO HAVE FINISHED BUT GUTTED I DIDN’T MAKE THE LONDON MARATHON GOOD FOR AGE MARK OF UNDER 3 HOURS 45.

I WAS TRYING FOR MY FOURTH BABY AND DECIDED TO DROP BACK MY TRAINING IN ORDER TO HELP ME CONCEIVE. MY LITTLE LADY WAS BORN IN 2017, ONCE AGAIN I HAD TO GET MY FITNESS BACK TO CONTINUE MY PASSION FOR RUNNING.

I DIDN’T RUN THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE OF MY PREGNANCY, I KEPT UP LOW IMPACT WORKOUTS BUT ABSOLUTELY NO RUNNING UNTIL SHE WAS 6 WEEKS OLD.

I TRAINED TO GET MYSELF BACK UP AGAIN TO A PLACE WHERE I FELT I COULD TAKE ON A HALF, AS I WAS STUDYING TO BE A PERSONAL TRAINER I DIDN’T RUN THE 2018 READING HALF MARATHON, BUT DECIDED TO RUN MAIDENHEAD HALF MARATHON IN SEPTEMBER 2018. MY TRAINING WASN’T THE BEST, I WAS SLIGHTLY UNDERPREPARED BUT MANAGED TO PB AGAIN WITH 1.43.04 (ONLY 22 SECONDS OFF READING HALF 2016, THE LAST HALF I HAD RUN BUT SECONDS COUNT)

SO WE ARE NOW UP TO DATE WITH MY LAST HALF MARATHON READING HALF MARATHON 2019 WHERE I MANAGED TO PB AGAIN WITH 1.42.06. I WAS SO BLOODY PLEASED WITH THIS ONE, IT WAS FOR MY DAD!
I HAD PLANNED TO TAKE ON TWO FURTHER HALF’S LAST YEAR AND BRIGHTON MARATHON THIS YEAR BUT DUE TO INJURY THIS HASN’T BEEN POSSIBLE. I AM HOWEVER GOING TO ATTEMPT READING HALF MARATHON 2020, MY 10TH EVER HALF MARATHON. I AM LOOKING FOR A PB AGAIN OF COURSE. I HATE THE PRESSURE I PUT ON MYSELF BUT I ONLY EVER WANT TO GET THE BEST OUT OF ME.

THIS JOURNEY SHOWS THAT WITH HARD WORK, DETERMINATION, DRIVE, COMMITMENT AND PASSION YOU CAN CONTINUE TO IMPROVE. SINCE MY FIRST HALF MARATHON IN 2011 I’VE MANAGED TO KNOCK 32 MINUTES AND 30 SECONDS OFF MY HALF MARATHON TIME!

Thank you for reading.