One of the reasons that this blog has been quiet for a while is that alongside my job and the daily trails of looking after three children I have been doing a lot of running again. Without seeming evangelical about it running is such a brilliant way to deal with the daily stresses of everyday life, it provides me a bit of me time and feels like the only thing I do entirely for myself. A couple of years ago I ran the Cancer Research Race for Life 10km and so this is the distance I’m working with at the moment. I’ve entered several 10km races both virtual and organised and i’m looking forward to creating some new personal bests.
Maintaining motivation is one of the biggest challenges for any sort of exercise and I must admit the only way I’ve managed to do this is by literally bribing myself with the odd new bit of kit here and there. I was absolutely thrilled when JD Williams offered to provide me with a selection of their JD Williams Activewear kit. JD Williams has been on my radar for a while as I’ve read quite a lot in the press about their ethos which is around championing and celebrating confidence and style at any age. This is the perfect ethos for me as i’m finding that in my forties its actually quite hard to find suitable running kit that doesn’t look frumpy, gimicky, suitable for teenagers or is just out of my price range.
I selected several items from the range and I’ve been absolutely thrilled with my choices. I’ve been out running in all of the kit and its great. I’d love to show you lots of pictures of me running along looking glam, but frankly I don’t have any. I generally look a bedraggled mess and unlike many of these fitness bloggers I don’t have someone taking photos as I run along. So you’ll have to make do with these 2 shots!
I absolutely love this kit, its top quality and so reasonably priced. JD Williams is my new go to place for sports kit, i’m going to have to treat myself to some of their fashion next! Click the links to find the sweatshirt , running jacket and leggings.
But onto my top tips- how do you manage to keep up running after that initial burst of January enthusiasm when you’re also juggling family commitments?
An an extra hour in your day
I’ve found the only solution to genuinely finding time for yourself to workout (without putting the kids into childcare) is to get up early and go for it. As soon as I wake up I get up and go, If I give myself time to think about it I wont go. I’m back before the rest of the house has finished breakfast.
Goal Setting
I don’t have a personal trainer or even a plan of action for my runs. I started C 2 5K ages ago but didn’t get along with it. I work on the basis of mentally looking at distances and pushing myself a bit further (or faster) each time. For example, try to run to a landmark like a bench or a lamp post and then next time try to run to the one just past it. I’m now setting myself distance goals using my Runkeeper and have signed up for some Virtual Runner challenges which works for me.
Motivation
In order to keep motivated I set myself little challenges and reward myself with a new top or leggings or something nice to eat.
Get the Family Involved
I often go for shorter runs with my 9 year old daughter. Her enthusiasm is infectious and we always have a fun time. I feel as if i’m setting her a good example and we are both getting fit, what can be a better incentive.
Disclosure: I was gifted the JD Williams kit for this post
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