Winter has officially arrived. The opaque tights, boots, winter coats, scarves and woolly jumpers are all back on the scene. And as the temperature drops, it makes regular exercise require that little bit more will power, as the excuses come in thick and fast.

Firstly, did you know that exercise can be just what the doctor ordered to help you keep colds at bay? Regular, moderate exercise can improve your overall fitness and boost your immune system so that it is more efficient at warding off winter bugs and germs, as well as helping to prevent more serious illnesses. A 20-30 minute daily walk or a couple of weekly trips to the gym can be enough to reduce the number of colds you get.

But what do you do if you already have a cold? Curl up on the sofa under a mountain of Kleenex and forgo your usual exercise regime until next year? It is usually safe to exercise with a cold, although you must listen to your body. The neck up or neck down rule is an easy way to determine your course of action. If your symptoms are neck up, meaning that you have a runny nose, headache and mild cough, you can workout – but experts believe that you should only do so at a third of your normal pace. If your symptoms are neck down, as in you have a chesty cough or fever, it is best to skip working out until you have recovered. Get your head down, get lots of sleep and rest and get lots of sympathy from well meaning friends and colleagues!

In the meantime, keep your immune system fighting fit and ready to beat off all those Winter bugs!

As the glorious weather continues, with the odd interruption, I have been making the most of the sunshine by spending as much time in the park as is humanly possible. I’ve jumped at every possible opportunity to spend time outside, top up my tan and bask in the general well-being which a bit of sunshine brings. Coffee’s with friends, catch-up with colleagues and time spent with partners can all be moved outside, taking advantage of the multitude of parks and open spaces on offer in London.

Whilst boosting my vitamin D, I have also boosted some other well hidden talents which I was unaware of. I’ve got rather good at Frisbee, to the point where I decided that my old Frisbee which had been knocking about unused at home for years, was no longer up to the job in hand. I went Frisbee shopping! This is a serious business, let me tell you, but I’m sure my new superior Frisbee is working wonders for my technique!

I’ve also improved my overhand throw, managing to cover far greater distances with a tennis ball, along with my hand-eye co-ordination. My catching success rate is now on a par with my accurate throwing rate! This is a definite attribute to be in possession of when teams are being drawn up for rounders or baseball. I can now cover a post or even cover the field admirably against the most ferocious of batters!

All this activity calls for much needed refreshments, and I’m not talking half-time oranges here. Ensure that whatever activity you engage in, you have a cool box on hand along with fruit and snacks to keep those energy levels topped up! See you in the park!

Is it worth it?

Is it worth all the hours of training and the buckets of sweat?

Of course it is.  It’s just that sometimes when it’s dark or you’re feeling tired and weary and quite frankly there’s a bottle of something chilling in the fridge, there really is no option about whether to run or not.

But usually you get changed and head out the door and you run.

I normally run 2½ to 3 miles three times per week, with a longer run or two at the weekends.  I’ve learned to love it, but that doesn’t mean I’m immune to the calling of the sofa.

To help me counter the natural instinct we have for loafing around, I enter races.  It gives me a sense of responsibility, to myself, to the race organisers (who are generally volunteers) and a reason to train.  On race days, I have two main goals: to finish and to not finish last.

They’re not deeply profound goals, such as setting personal bests or being the fastest in my age group, gender or even overall (unlikely at best!).  But they’re my goals; they’re the ones that get me to the end.

Last weekend I ran the Great South Run.  It was the most beautiful day, clear blue skies and bright sunshine, but it was freezing cold.

It was fantastic.  I ran a personal best, as it happens, although I should have gone faster.  I picked up a knee injury, probably because I now need new running shoes and the week before a race is not the time to replace them and I had a sock malfunction at 7.5 miles so had to stop to untwist them – I have no idea how or why because it’s never happened before.

As I’m waiting for my knee to respond to R.I.C.E. therapy (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) accompanied, as it happens, by a glass of something that was chilling in the fridge enjoyed whilst sitting on the sofa, I can congratulate myself on finishing 12,286^th overall, 1931^st in my age group, being the 4650^th female and the 720^th female in my age group.

Plus, I’ve raised something like £200 for MacMillan Cancer Support.

Win, win.

As this glorious early Summer weather looks like it will never end, I have been busy walking myself fit for my beach holiday. No, I’m not being lazy and it’s not a cop out, honest! Walking has been proved to lift your spirits, improve circulation and burn up to 300 calories an hour – plus it’s completely free. England in sunshine and in the summer time transforms into a different country, with open spaces, parks and heath lands all begging to be explored. Experts say that we should aim to get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day, and on those days you can’t muster enough energy to get your lycra on and go to the gym, a brisk walk could be just the ticket!

The beauty of walking is that it’s so versatile. Feeling short of time? Incorporate it into your lunch hour or get off the bus two stops early. Want to have a good natter with a friend? Catch up whilst walking a circuit of the park. Need to give yourself a boost? Put the chocolate down, take deep breaths and enjoy a flower garden, a walk by the lake, the sunset on a mild evening. Walking can help you lose weight, can reduce the risk of coronary disease and can lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Plus it’s low impact and can help prevent osteoporosis.

In short, what reason have you got not to go for a walk? And if you’re feeling grumpy and questioning that, then I know just the thing to lift your mood….

So, training hasn’t gone well recently.  I’ve been travelling for work and getting a social life and somehow I’ve allowed running to slide down my priority list.

That’s not to say that I haven’t given it any thought.  I have managed to get myself entered into three races before the end of the year and one of those was someone else’s bright idea that they threw at me when I was feeling particularly generous.

Of course, racing for other people always gives me a better incentive to actually train and do something about it, so I now have 3 weeks to get myself race fit for the British 10km London Run on 10^th July.

It always helps when a race has a great view on the way round and this one absolutely fits in that category, wending its way from Hyde Park, through Westminster and up to St Paul’s Cathedral.  When the sights are that spectacular, you really don’t care whether it’s sunny or raining or how tired you are.

And alongside that I get to raise some funds for another worthy cause.

Many women love, love, LOVE shoes. They covet them, obsess over them, collect them, talk about them and occasionally wear them. That’s nothing new, but when you assess your shoe collection full of flats, heels, sensible shoes, Saturday night shoes and the rest, how many pairs of trainers are in there? And I’m talking serious running shoes, not fashion trainers. One? Perhaps two? Three including the ones you haven’t worn for 5 years and never really fitted very well?

Did you know that running in old or worn-out shoes is one of the most common causes of injuries? Something I recently found out when deciding whether it was time to replace my trainers. Farewell, old friends, you have served me well… In fact, over time your running shoes lose shock absorption, cushioning and stability, which leads to increased stress and impact on your legs and joints. But how do you know when your shoes are approaching retirement?

For a start, don’t be fooled by looking at the treads of your shoes, as the cushioning and stability of the shoe can be broken down before the bottom shows major signs of wear- particularly true if you only use your shoes in the gym. But do listen to your feet and legs. Have you been feeling muscle fatigue or pain in your joints, particularly your knees? If so it may be that your shoes are no longer providing adequate support.

Experts say your running shoes should be replaced every 300 to 400 miles, depending on your running style, body weight and the surface on which you run. A heavier runner training on rough roads should consider replacing their shoes closer to the 300 mile mark, for example. A good tip is that halfway through the life of your running shoes, buy another pair of shoes with which to rotate them. This means your shoes will last longer as you allow them to decompress and dry out between workouts. Plus, having a fresh pair of shoes as a reference will highlight when your old ones might be ready for pastures new.

And if it comes to it, you can always clear a little space in your wardrobe for a new pair of shoes, can’t you?

It’s been a while.

Since the beginning of December I’ve had both of the flu-like viruses that have been doing the rounds, suffered the demands of Christmas and been snowed in for what seemed like weeks.

Along with all that my knee was showing no signs of improvement, so I’ve taken a little hiatus from running.

For the past couple of weeks I’ve been thinking about going out again.  I’d like to blame concern for my knee but in reality it’s just because, well, I didn’t.

When I got home from work yesterday there was a letter for me; a little reminder that I have set myself goals and objectives to build and maintain my fitness and try just a little to do something for me.

It’s an entry form for the local 10km in July.  It’s months away, weeks and weeks of procrastination could be allowed before I have to even think about bothering to complete the form, let alone send it off.

But then I’m reminded of the five mile race I entered at Easter in a fit of autumnal enthusiasm and that isn’t that far into the future.  In fact, if I don’t sort myself out, I’ll be walking that one instead of running it at all.

So, it’s warmer now (it’s all relative I know, but thermometers are showing the positive end of the scale, finally), the mornings aren’t completely dark (trust me, I’ve been out there at 6.30am and there is a definite hint of daylight in the east) and I’ve run out of excuses.

See you on the streets!

As the last runners limp home and the roads of central London open up to waiting motorists, so begins recovery time. Exaltation and relief soon give way to pain and aching muscles which not even the coldest drink or sweetest jelly baby can mask! When I completed the London Marathon I remember celebrating in the pub with a group of friends until late, so jubilant that I was the last to leave, necking glass after glass of Sauvignon Blanc – Please note, not advised as the drink most likely to re-hydrate you after 26.2 miles! When I did make it home, I wolfed down a big bowl of pasta and collapsed into a hot bath before crawling into bed, still buzzing at my achievement.

The next day, however, brought home the reality of my achievement as I awoke to a whole world of pain! Muscles I didn’t even know I had ached, while simple every day actions became huge challenges. Going up and down stairs and squatting to sit on the loo suddenly became operations which needed a lot of time and patience, only achievable through micro-movements! And as for my poor old tootsies…never had I seen them so blistered and swollen. I even returned to work in slippers, as I couldn’t fit my feet into any other footwear that I owned! Three of my toe nails turned black and fell off over the next few weeks, whilst the other nails clung on by a thread.

But the pain went, the muscles recovered, the nails grew back, and I was left with a medal, a certificate, a load of family photos taken soon after I crossed the line, and a huge sense of pride at my achievement. Tick that box, one less thing to do before I die, but perhaps, perhaps… once was enough!

I started running when I was approaching 40 and decided that the best parts of my life weren’t necessarily behind me.

I’ve been entering and running races for three years as they’re a great way of making me train, of pushing my distances and, when I can muster the effort, of increasing my training.

I keep fit and when I cross the finish line I add to my collection of medals.

I collected another medal at the weekend.  It’s a great boost to my self esteem when I see them hanging on my bedroom mirror (not hidden away gathering dust in a drawer, on show to be remembered!), but also for my boys to see and to remind them that if this old lady can get out there and run, then they have no excuses.

Good Friday is the annual ‘Fun Run’ in the town where my parents still live.  I’ll let you decide on the level of ‘Fun’ in the ‘Run’, but it’s a really friendly gathering where people come out of their houses to cheer us as we pass, even if they have no other investment or interest than watching people do something they feel they can’t.

After a long winter of illness, injury and weather that kept even the most hardy runner indoors, I wasn’t sure that I’d make it at all this year but even the osteopath said I’d be ok, even if I was half hoping he’d say ‘No; rest, repair’.

The sun was shining.  It was shining pretty much every where over the Easter weekend but it was already 20°C or so degrees at the 9:15 start line which is a little warm with 5 miles ahead of you.

I paced myself alongside a couple of other women.  I’m not looking to win; the only race is between me and the clock at the finish line but it’s really useful to pick a group of people who can keep you company.  I was, however, determined to not be beaten by the lady in the pumps and leggings or the Sumo man who rustled and whooshed every time his arms and legs moved passed his rustling fabric suit.  Incentives sometimes come in unusual guises.

I probably paced too fast for the first half of the run as one lady mentioned we were running 10 minute miles when we reached the half way mark and that the front runners were, by that point, tucking into post race snacks and admiring their medals.

The heat, and poor pre-race hydration, meant the 2^nd half was slower for me, but I was chuffed with my 26 seconds slower than last year, especially given the horrendous run I did in the week prior and the list of ailments that have kept me from training sufficiently.

Yes, I’ll enter again next year; perhaps I could go 30 seconds faster then?  And I’m looking at a 10km run in July and maybe one or two others will raise their head in the coming months.

And, when I’m 64, maybe I won’t be beating any records or matching the front runners, but hopefully I’ll still make it to the start line, whatever the weather.

As another London marathon comes and goes, it brought back lots of fond – and not so fond! – memories of my big day, when I completed the marathon 4 years ago. I’ll never forget standing there, waiting for the starters gun, while loudspeakers pumped out the Rocky theme tune, otherwise known as The Eye of the Tiger, to get everyone psyched up! The enormity of what lay ahead was quite overwhelming, yet the solidarity and support to be found in the other runners was incredibly uplifting.

As the race got underway the atmosphere amongst the runners, buoyed on by the crowd, was electric. I remember hearing church bells chiming Chariots of Fire, while the local priest sprayed the runners with Holy Water! Runners chatted to each other, offering words of encouragement and commenting on each other’s outfits, each more zany the last. Faces of loved ones adorned running vests, along with declarations of intent – This One’s For You Mum – were touching and humbling. Music systems, bands, supporters and cheers lined the way, while endless outstretched hands offered water bottles, lucozade, jelly beans and sweets, along with tubs of Vaseline in case bits were starting to chaff! I had written my name on my vest, and felt as though the crowd was full of friends, calling to me and spurring me on, offering words of encouragement when I needed them most.

When I crossed the finish line I felt exhausted but elated, as my medal hung surprisingly heavily around my neck. What an achievement! I had run the London Marathon and completed it. Little old me. It was one of the hardest things I had ever done in my life, and remains one of my proudest achievements. So a huge congratulations if you were one of the runners that crossed the line last weekend, and if you’re thinking of doing it next year – go for it! Make yourself proud