The eagle eyed observer might have noticed I didn't blog last week. There is a reason, so I must come clean. I haven't been training and didn't want to keep making excuses so had nothing to say.

BUT. Things have turned a corner this week - look (below) and guess where I have been.

Believe it or not I was persuaded by a friend to enter the Gunnersbury Park Run. It happens every Saturday - come rain or shine, and has attracted a group of around 200 men, women and children of differing levels of fitness.

Needless to say I was probably the least fit of everyone, and boy did I struggle doing that three mile circuit. That nagging little voice in my head kept telling me it was too hard and I couldn't do it and I ended up walking a large portion of it - but I completed it and that was my achievement. I wasn't quite the last person to go through that finish line - but very nearly.

So, having completed it in record (slow) time I was a little bit pleased with myself, but nevertheless annoyed that I had to walk so much of it.

The next day I decided to go for another run and my teenage daughter said she'd come with me. We did half the Park run circuit - but this time ran the whole way.

The key was to run extremely slow but to keep running and NOT to drop down to a walk. Once you start walking it is very difficult to pick up the pace again.

Anyway I did it! So now it's a matter of continuing to do it and to get rid of that nagging voice that tells me I can't.

All this new exercise means I'm getting injuries where I never have before and have bruised the underside of my foot though - 'runner's foot?' Any tips for that?

Hope to be able to report more positive news next week.

Onward and Upward!

Annemarie Flanagan

26th July 2012