A New Start for This Old Bird

I've written blogs before for specific events, but this is more generic.

I took up running a few years ago having never really been good at any sport.  I'd always stayed relatively fit and healthy but being the idea of being athletic or competing at sport was alien to me.  Running changed that.  I enjoyed running and I quickly realised that while I would never be an amazing athlete, I was significantly better than average for my age and gender, and that felt good.

I've done all sorts of things in the last four and a bit years, worked hard to run times I wanted at shorter distances, run half marathons, even run a marathon, and done OK at most of them.  But the last year or so things have gone dramatically downhill.  My health has been an issue, physically and mentally.  While a lot of the physical health issues are now managed, my mental health isn't good.  I'm managing, or mis-managing, despression, stress, anxiety and not always in the best way.  I eat rubbish, I've gained weight, I drink far too much, I sleep terribly, and I just don't feel like the fit healthy person I used to be.  I run a lot, but I don't feel good for it or do it as well as I used to which is in large part down to what I do around running.

I want to change that, I want the "old" me back.  Not necessarily in terms of winning prizes, running fast times etc, but a happier, healthier, athletic and energetic me.

The first thing I need to do is dramatically cut my drinking, and change my eating habits.  This isn't the first time I've tried to do this lately but a more balance "everything in moderation" approach seems more likely to be stuck to in the longer term.  I want a longer term change.

I also need to plan my training in a way I'll enjoy it, but not wear myself out.  I tend to be obsessive and then end up doing too much mid-level training, rather than a small amount of "A" grade training, and a lot of "C, D, E" grade running.  I believe the latter approach to be much more effective.  My training for Manchester Marathon in April has been going "ok" but I could be training much more effectively.

I'm also about to introduce the Wufflestuff element into my running.  My pup is old enough to start running with  me and getting out with her is something I've looked forward to immensely.  She can't do all my running with me, but she can start to join me on some of my runs which in turn will force me off road and get me out exploring.  Hopefully with the lovely Leeloo along I'll feel a bit less intimidated by the idea of being lost up a hill in Derbyshire somewhere, because it'll happen.  Often.

For now I have planned out my next two weeks of running taking me up to Farnborough Half Marathon on 26 January.  By then I want to be a good few pounds lighter, sober, and ready to take on the challenge of running hard for 13.1 miles. 

Oh, and I signed up for a 40 mile off road ultra race.  That.