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Happy January! Happy 2018! Happy Running! Happy Cooking! Intro....

I've been absent from the world of blogging for more than two years.  I spend so much time outside running and form so many blog posts in my mind as I run, but I never make them happen.  Guess what.. my main goal for 2018 is to blog and get my ideas down and in some kind of order.  So here we are.  
I ran 1246 miles in 2017.  I hadn’t set out at the start of the year to do this – in fact quite the opposite.   I refused to commit to a similar yearly target when my friend suggested we run 1000 miles in 2017 – the thought of it was too overwhelming and I didn’t think I could get anywhere near a monthly average of 100 miles per month.  I’d been running for four years, having taken it up in my late 30s.  I tended to average 300-500 miles each year. 



At the end of 2016, I discovered ‘run streaking’ where you commit to run every day for a set period of time- in my case 1 month at a time.  This really boosted my running fitness and despite having a slow start to 2017 due to illness (I ran 60 miles in January), I was suddenly covering 100 miles per month, without too much effort.  I decided to try and keep my mileage at 100 miles per month and aim for 1200 for the year. 



What a difference regular running has made!  I tend to go out 5 or 6 times per week, my pace has increased by an average of 1 min/mile  (no speedwork – I just fall into a quicker pace now) and some weeks I’m covering 30 + miles.  Ten mile runs are no longer a rare, hard fought battle with fatigue which can leave me feeling wasted for days, but more of a once or twice per week occurrence, with springy


So here I am at the end of 2017.  I’ve had a major diet overhaul – let it be known I WILL NOT be dieting in January as I have absolutely no need to – I’ve been eating a well balanced, healthy diet, since January 2017, having gradually dropped 2 stone and starting to stabilise now.  I’ll be carrying on eating the way I do, at the same time having unbelievable energy levels, feeling fitter at 40+ then I ever did before.  My fitness is better than ever and I know I’m ready to accept some major running challenges in 2018.  I won’t be scared of challenging myself this year and I’ll be hoping to inspire as many people along the way as I can.  

I follow a mostly plant-based lifestyle (I hestitate to say 'vegan' as that's not quite right for me, though I have committed to Veganuary throughout Jaunary 2018 and as Dylan has recently realised gluten and wheat products make him ill, that pretty much makes me a gluten free person too.  

 So I'm back. Fitter than ever in my forties and ready to have a crazy, happy, adventurous 2018. 

 This blog will capture my running, my fitness and my health goals. I'll share my recipes and food inspirations and I'll share my family's efforts to reduce our environmental impact by reducing our plastic use. 

 This blog is very much work in progress and I didnt want an un-built blog to be a hurdle to starting blogging. So bear with me while I get things up and running! 

 Pint-Sized Runner

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