Lesson 1: Put a plan in place
It took me a few attempts to get going again with the exercise. I would do the odd run at the weekend but never got a routine going. I deluded myself into believing the odd bit of exercise was all I needed. It wasn't getting me fit but it was giving me some time to myself and stress relief. In reality, I was daunted by how much I felt I had to do to get to where I wanted to be.
So, don't bite off more than you can chew. Take it slowly. Put a plan in place, with realistic goals. Sure, I'd love to do the marathon in sub-four hours next year, but is that my goal? No sir! Currently, my aim is to complete a (very flat) five mile at the end of November in about fifty minutes and not collapse in a heap afterwards.
It is nothing amazing by any means, but fitness is all relative. It's enough to motivate me to get off my bum three times a week and bop around my local park.
When I complete the five-mile, I'll reassess what I think I can do next. Maybe it'll be something quicker, maybe something longer, maybe it'll be the exact same again. It doesn't matter what I do, what matters is I stay motivated and keep doing it. I might not be able to run as fast or as far as I used to but I did just grow a human, so I'll cut myself some slack and just stick to the plan.
Do you have a goal you would like to achieve? Sometimes it is nicer to do it together!
