I started my new year kind of eh. My hubby worked, and kids and I didn’t do anything special. Since I had just run on New Year’s Eve for the first time in almost 2 weeks, I was sore and decided to skip a day to give my body time to heal. Instead of running, I decided to do 5 sets of 20 of Clean & Press with my Ultimate Sandbag!   Rest days and cross-training with sandbag I need to take my running “rest” days more seriously and do more cross-training. I seriously love my sandbag too. It will be a big part of my cross training this year! I may have to set some small goals of adding one new exercise with it each month! As far as my goals, I forgot to include that I want to run 800 miles this year. That’s a lot of more than last year since I just started, but I think it’s completely doable for me. Especially with so many half marathons this year...

For anyone that is tempted to start running I would say just go for it, but start much slowly than you ever could imagine! Now when I think back, I tried to run too fast and too long too early. Training plan something like this would have been much better to start with, but I was too impatient. Mix running and walking (I still mix, allthough I can run longer time straight, because it’s better exercise that way). Walking parts should be brisk enough. Easy Walk-Run Training Plan Try to have 3-4 around 30 minutes walk-runs every week Week 1: 2 minutes running/4 minutes walking Week 2: 3 minutes running/3 minutes walking Week 3: 4 minutes running/2 minutes walking Week 4: 5 minutes running/3 minutes walking Week 5: 7 minutes running/3 minutes walking Week 6: 8 minutes running/2 minutes walking Week 7: 9 minutes running/1 minute walking Week 8: 13 minutes running/2 minutes walking...

Since I’m just starting out my running hobby, I’d like to follow other bloggers and runners to get some inspiration. Here are some of my favourites. 1. The Fat Girls’ Guide to Running Quote from the blog: “I almost died on the way round, and not only due to the unusual strain on my body, but also from pure embarrassment when a young boy shouted “Run Fatty Run” as I passed him.” 2. Lazy Girl Running Quote from the blog: “I wanted to run. I wanted to be the person I saw on TV running down a beach carefree. It looked so easy. I could do that, right? A trip to the gym made me think otherwise. Running was HARD. Everything hurt. Everything felt wrong. I managed just two minutes of running before I had to stop. But many miles down the line running stopped being something difficult and started being enjoyable.” 3. Maria Runs – Running, baking, tea,...

Hi there, and welcome back to my blog for those of us who are just getting started with running. Today I’d like to talk about something a little bit embarrassing, but it was the major issue I faced on my very first run – a sheer and utter lack of stamina. If you’re feeling bashful about your inability to jog a mile without huffing and puffing, trust me, you’re not alone! When I set out for my first run I had it all built up in my head. I had my shiny new shoes on, the motivational music was pumping in my head, I was all set to begin my fitness journey like a champion. The reality of the situation was…a little different. Five minutes into my first 5km and I felt awful! Now that I’m in my mid-thirties my stamina just isn’t what it used to be and especially after having two kids, I really couldn’t just jump right into it. It’s not like...