![\"Hannah](\"http:\/\/staging.celfserver.co.uk\/irunwales\/web\/app\/uploads\/RW-Runner-pic-hannah-toe2-1.jpg\")
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I could speak about avoiding to run all day long. Given it took me twenty six years to even consider a physical hobby I would feel confident in saying I\u2019m a full blown expert on procrastination.<\/p>\n
You know that little niggle that tells you, you are too tired or you don\u2019t have enough time or problem A means it\u2019s just not possible so let\u2019s not even get started on problem B? Well, that little niggle is the reason you\u2019ve not started running yet.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s probably the reason you\u2019ve also not cleaned your wardrobe out or taken that bag of clothes to the charity shop. You just can\u2019t be bothered and I\u2019m with you, really I am.<\/p>\n
Obviously, you\u2019re slightly interested in running or you wouldn\u2019t be reading this blog so, I\u2019m going to tell you, in a nut shell, about why I started running and we\u2019ll go from there, OK?<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve documented it well over the years, that fateful night that got me mistaking my reflection for that of a fat bird with the same top on as me, and however ridiculous it sounds, it actually happened.<\/p>\n
I had gradually put on a lot of weight. I was comfortable in my relationship, my job, my life and I had demonstrated this with bad carbohydrates and pints of Strongbow and there I was about three stone plus heavier than I should have been.<\/p>\n
To cut a very long story short I took up running, initially, as a weight loss objective. I figured if I ran I could avoid<\/em> dieting. I could avoid<\/em> not giving up battered sausage and chips and not avoid<\/em> my Saturday night indulgences of cider fests. I could avoid<\/em> saying no to Friday afternoon cake treats in work and mostly I could avoid<\/em> fat club.<\/p>\n Runners aren\u2019t fat are they? Running would make me thin wouldn\u2019t it? Running was obviously the answer to all my problems.<\/p>\n What I could not avoid, though, was how hard running would be, how it would change not only my body but my perspective, my life, and without sounding both clich\u00e9d or like a first class idiot, my everything!<\/p>\n I had, in reality, spent my entire life avoiding increasing my heart rate. I was probably only ever involved in twenty-five percent of my PE timetable in school. I think, I only ever participated in two netball matches in the entire time I attended comprehensive and as far cross county or sports day…well, let\u2019s just say there is probably no photographic evidence of my attendance. I did complete in a swimming gala once upon a time and I think I\u2019m still mentally scarred from it.<\/p>\n And even that first run, the one I had spent a long time gearing up to, (avoiding) I had already lined up a host of excuses to stay at home, to not go; I\u2019d save up and buy a bike, I\u2019d start swimming more regularly, I\u2019d stop eating, I\u2019d find a way, if only I could stay in the warm, on the sofa with a huge multipack of various chocolate bars.<\/p>\n But eventually I went.<\/p>\n And then leaving for the next run on my \u2018new life plan\u2019 was even worse, this time I knew what was around the corner, I knew I would get sweaty and hot and tired and probably a blister. I knew I didn\u2019t want to go. I really didn\u2019t want to go did I?<\/p>\n So, I avoided going… The End.<\/p>\n Only joking, I persevered, I pulled up my big girl pants and I found less time for excuses and more time for route planning, for considering my form and my timing, I found the more I was out the less I wanted to be doing other things.<\/p>\n So, I started avoiding the chip shop, the pub, the housework and by doing so I avoided the threat of obesity along with heart disease and general bad health! I avoided the bad days being really bad and didn\u2019t avoid the good days being a whole lot better than they ever had.<\/p>\n Everything happens for a reason they say, and I\u2019m pretty sure I needed to avoid running until I was ready. Like, really, really ready and I think one should keep in mind that avoidance is very different to excuses, that\u2019s a whole other minefield but we\u2019ll get to that!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" An A to Z of running would not be complete without this word. In fact, it wouldn\u2019t have been right at all to start this guide off with any other […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":3258,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n