First organised 5k this weekend

I am taking this running lark very seriously....more seriously than I expected to be honest. This week has seen me clearing a drawer so that I have a dedicated place for my running gear, perusing gorgeous running attire in the local Sweaty Betty store, running after a migraine from hell and signing up for a 5k and a 10k to keep me focused. On top of all that excitement, I ran my furthest ever distance so far (6.03km without stopping) on Monday and then ran 4 k on Wednesday and a rather more pitiful 3.29k today. My beloved app tells me that this month I have already completed 8 runs and run 31.5 k which is a vast improvement from August when I managed 6 runs and 19.1k. Progress is being made and I am delighted!

The 5k that I have signed up for is taking place at The Devil's Punchbowl, Hindhead this Sunday. It's The Devil Run and people can run various distances. I have opted for the 5k which I feel sure I can manage. It's cross country so that will be interesting. I'm looking forward to it...a touch apprehensive but excited too.

There have been several side effects of the increase in exercise for me already. My body (blobby!) shape has changed slightly already and I have more of a waist than I have for a while.I have lost a couple of pounds. I'd like to be able to say that I'm sleeping better but that would be a miracle!
I have also had to admit defeat on the wine front. Over the past couple of years it has been blindingly obvious that I cannot really tolerate wine in any form without disastrous effects. Charlotte will be able to testify to my last outing where I sank vast amounts of wine and spent all of the following day in bed. The migraines that I have been suffering, post wine, have been getting worse and worse with less and less wine involved. I've tried cutting out white wine, only drinking prosecco, not mixing drinks, anything really but all to no avail. There is no doubt about it. Wine and I are no longer friends. We may make up at some point in the future but not for the foreseeable . This is not to say that I won't be having the odd gin and tonic which, conveniently, doesn't seem to have any lasting aftereffects!

The two photos I have added are of the lovely Jonathan aka Jojo, Jonathan-Joe and Fonnies. The first one was taken at Salcombe where the family holidayed every year. Jonathan loved Salcombe and especially loved going on the boat. The second one was taken on a beautiful sunny day last year at Stoke Park in Guildford. He looks so happy :) I don't have many photos of any of the people that I have worked with over the years which is surprising when I think of the amount of time I have spent with them all but I do have many, many memories of them all.

So, this weekend sees me working on Saturday until 2 pm, then visiting  neighbours who have invited all the local residents to their house to celebrate International Peace Day in the afternoon, a trip to the Yvonne Arnaud theatre on Saturday evening with the hubby to see Tom Conti in Rough Justice, the Devil Run on Sunday morning, another open house by another neighbour on Sunday afternoon and then a nightshift on Sunday night. Sounds great!!

A x