I started my regime of weight loss and increased fitness on January 3rd 2008 in order to lose a stone and run a 5k race on the 6th April 2008. The reasons were twofold, first was for my own health and the second was to raise money for a local hospice.

I started off at 17st 9lbs and could only just manage to run from lamp post to lamp post without collapsing in a heap. I followed schedules and gave them up just as easy, I read books, Jeff Galloway’s Running:getting started, and Cliff Temple’s cross country and road running as well as challenge of a marathon. I think the idea is to take your time and feel comfortable in what you are doing in order to keep it enjoyable.

April 6th and the day of the race, I knew I wouldn’t be able to complete the whole course in one go so went with a vague idea of a plan which went out of the window and finished in 39:37. I felt good within myself and knew that I could have done better but it was my first race and I’ll know better next time.

I decided to choose another race that would give me a focus and entered the Sun Centre 5k at Rhyl on 28th May, mainly because it was away from home and I would be on holiday.

On the Sunday before the race I ran along the canal towpath at Llangollen and completed 15 minutes continuous running before I turned around and went back to the campsite, according to google maps I ran 2.78miles altogether and averaged 10.7 mile pace, cracking, I didn’t feel that I went that fast.

This gave me the idea that I could possibly run the whole 5k at Rhyl without walking. In the end I managed 22 minutes before my brain said that I should walk, I think if it wasn’t for that thought I would have ran the whole race, my next phase will be to work on my mental fitness as well. My final time was 31:13, it is a cracking personal best to date, knocking more than 8 minutes off my first race.

I went to the doctors at the end of May and my weight is now down to 15.12 and my cholesterol level has dropped from 6.4 to 4.9 since January so overall I’m feeling pleased with myself. I am now going to work out a proper schedule in order to complete a complete 5k without stopping and also to get under 30 minutes. My other goal is to get down to 14 stone by September both are very achievable and I would like to thank all the contributors to this forum for allowing me to lurk and absorb information and be inspired enough to get out even when it’s raining. Also the books that I’ve read have also helped when internet access wasn’t there.

If anyone has a garmin gps gadget that they want to get rid of, don’t ebay it, freecycle it to me instead please.