I’m not really sure when it happened… when the change took place… all I know is I wasn’t as fit as I used to be. As the children started getting older I spent less time chasing them around parks and more time driving them to various locations. More and more of my time was spent sitting at a desk and less of my time was engaged in physical tasks.
To tackle this I started intentionally walking a bit more. I started checking the pedometer on my phone to see if I could reach 10000 steps in one day. From there I brought a pair of trainers, downloaded a Couch25K app and started running! Well, sort of running. For the first week you had to just manage to run for 60 seconds three times. That was more than enough! I thought I was going to die! But slowly, as I followed the program I got to the place where I could run for 30 minutes.
I didn’t commit to running a marathon, or completing a 5K in a certain time. I just commited to putting on my trainers and getting out there three times a week and the rest followed.
Some where along the journey I stopped viewing myself as someone who needed to improve their fitness, to someone who made healthy choices, and exercises regularly. When I couldn’t run I found myself looking for alternative ways to exercise, and my wardrobe changed as different items of running gear started to appear.
I’m not as fit or as fast as I want to be, but this May I’ll be running my second 10K in London and that’s an acheivement I will be very proud of.
It’s amazing how a simple small habit can create a great result.
