Enthusiasm begins to wear off a bit

Last Thursday kicked off week two of the ‘Couch to 5k’ programme with Jog Scotland Milngavie beginners group and I found it much harder than last week.

We were running for 90 seconds instead of 60 - and it made a real difference. I was definitely ready for the walks because I was out of puff at the end of each run.

The session began with a five minute warm-up walk before completing six runs of 90 seconds each with two-minte walks in-between.

The hills were a real struggle because when I go out running on my own I tend to avoid hills!

We ended with a warm-down walk and stretches which I’ve been told are crucial because they loosen the muscles and prevent your legs getting stiff the next day.

My next run was on Sunday morning (also Valentine’s Day) - probably not what my boyfriend had in mind!

It was a glorious day - cold but sunny with blue skies and I was keen to get outside.

My boyfriend’s a keen runner so we went to the park together but because he’s much fitter than me he went off and did his own thing. He’s already running 5k regularly with a running group.

My first run was OK but the second one really took it out of me and I started coughing at the end!

It took ages to get my breath back but I recovered enough for the third run and the next three felt a bit easier.

The best bit about running is the way you feel afterwards – my cheeks were glowing and I felt healthy and starving hungry! I didn’t feel guilty about eating pancakes with maple syrup when we got home.