This is day one

Welcome to my blog! I have started this to track my journey to my first Marathon in October, and hopefully beyond. Don't be too surprised to find the odd off topic ramblings as I believe there is more to a runner than just the ability to put one foot in front of the other at something faster than walking pace. Some history perhaps? 2 year ago, having not long turned 30 I was 15 Kgs overweight and miserable (no thanks to my family and freinds who claim not to have noticed this, sorry guys but sometimes a girl needs to be told). So here I was, standing on the precipice, I could have slipped slowly and inevitably into early middle age malaise, or I could pull my socks up, stop making excuses and bloody well sort myself out. So sort myself out I did. 2 years later the first part of the journey is over, 15 Kgs have been shed and a new attitude has been born. So thus begins the second part of the journey, I am not the sort of girl to slog away at something with no discernible goal, I need something more than, "I do this because it is good for me". So November last year I climbed off the treadmill and ventured outdoors, 20 Kms a week became 30, fun runs were entered and enjoyed, a gym membership was relinquised. 30 Kms a week, became 40, then 50, Longs runs are well and truly in the double figures. So why not enter a Marathon I thought to myself? Why not indeed! I was not especially athletic as a child, I did not get to do Little Aths or participate in any team sports, it was not an option in our house, I understand that for my parents just surviving from week to week was enough, they did not need me nagging for exta curriculars. My sporting experiences have been quite negative, I kinda enjoyed cross country at high school, but I did not attend a sporting school, academics were more important. I dabbled with Baseball as an adult, nothing serious just a little 3rd division team for fun, but the coach had an annoying habbit of making me feel totally useless. So after nearly loosing a tooth after the coach hits me in the face with a fast pitch (hey I can take a hint), I was outta there. At first I didn't think it was possible, that little voice in my head was telling me that I was not capable of running a Marathon, that I should not even bother trying, save myself the embaressment of failure. But then something changed, for the first time I have begun to believe that yes I can achieve this thing, thanks in no small part to a great bunch of people, the Ausrunners, who are full of great advice and encouragement. So here's to you guys and here's to me, it's gonna be a fun ride.