Starting Line
In December of 2009, I was fed up with my lumpy, out-of-shape self. My marathon-running friend Peter suggested running to me, but I could not see myself as a runner. I was far from athletic; in elementary school, I was nearly held back because of my lack of physical coordination.
Then one morning I downloaded a Couch to 5K® app for my phone and headed out.
The training takes nine weeks. I finished it in just under three years.1
But I finished it. Technically, I finished it as I was finishing my first 5K race. My friends and family have been incredibly supportive of me throughout this bizarre and wonderful journey, and I am so grateful.
Going the Distance
Race Results & Reports
- 2017 Beat the Blerch 10K – 02:03:39
- 2016 Great Winter Run 5K – Raised £40 for the Joshua Nolan Foundation – 42:55
- 2013 MoRunning 5K – 41:14
- 2013 Bupa Great Edinburgh Run 10K – Raised £110 for Cancer Research UK in memory of Iain Banks – 1:28:08
- 2013 Edinburgh Marathon Festival 10K – Raised £165 for Macmillan Cancer Support – 1:18:16 (PR)
- 2013 Bupa Great Winter Run 5K – 38:35
- 2012 Bupa Great Edinburgh Run 5K – Raised £200 for Diabetes UK – 38:08 (PR)
Good Gear
Handy Links
- Get Running, which I used for the last push of my 5K training
- Pace Calculator
- Scottish Running Guide
Recommended Reading
- The Non-Runner’s Marathon Trainer
- Haruki Murakami’s What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
- “Road Scholar” by Peter Sagal from RunnersWorld.com
- Race Day Tips for Running Your First Race (About.com)
- 10 Things Runners Should Stop Doing (About.com)
1. There were many stops and starts due to chronic illness, career changes, a wedding, grad school, and an international relocation. So under normal circumstances it really shouldn’t take that long. ↩
2. There are many apps and sites for running motivation, tracking, and sharing. The ones I’ve tried are DailyMile, Endomondo, Fitocracy, Garmin Connect, Gipis, MapMyRun, Nike+, Runmeter, Runtastic, Strava, and Zombies, Run! ↩
