SUNDAY MAIL CITY TO BAY.

The Sunday Mail City to Bay is this Sunday and it's all that I can think about at the moment. I'm both nervous and excited - nervous as it's the first time I'll be participating, but excited because I really enjoy running and twelve kilometres will be a new personal best for me. Now seemed like the ideal time to write a post about running and how it is a big part of my life.

I've been running for a little over six months now and with each step I fall in love with it more. I love waking up and going for a run in the cool brisk air, or pounding the pavement after a long hard day on cool summer nights. It's not always easy and I've had my fair share of injuries and bad days. There are runs where everything hurts, you're out of breath and can't get into a comfortable rhythm. Runs where your shoes give you blisters. It happens, they happen. It's hard at first. I began running using an interval training program. The first run was ten reps of 1 minute running followed by two minutes walking. I was puffed out and sore about thirty seconds in, no joke. Persistently and gradually I increased my intervals and after a few weeks I was running for thirty minutes comfortably. Now I run two to three times a week and do a fast run, a long run, and a fun run. I set myself goals for each run as it keeps me focused and having something to work towards motivates me. I track each run using Runkeeper. It's a great ap that tracks your pace, distance, and plots your run on a map. It also allows you to create an interval run (using time or distance) which was great when I was using an interval training program at the start. Running has helped to develop my ability to push past mental blocks that previously held me back and to stay positive when things get tough. It's helped me think more clearly, because when I run the only thing that I think about is the rhythm of my feet hitting the ground.

I'm really looking forward to Sunday. I've been thinking about the finish line as I've been training through winter - it's kept me motivated and focused on those cool rainy mornings. If you're running on Sunday - good luck, I'll see you at the finish line.

Rebecca.