The past 6 weeks have been a brand new challenge for me but it’s been a very enjoyable one.

I’ve done approximately 16 runs whilst training for this 10K race which kicks off at Victoria Park, East London tomorrow night.

I started off my training with a few slow and steady 3km runs and then managed 4km, 5km, 6km, 7km and eventually built up to 8km - the farthest I’ve ever ran!

I set myself a goal of running about 2-3 times a week and occasionally slotted in the odd TRX or Kettlebell fast class or Yoga session at my gym. My body has seen some big-ish changes. I feel trim. Healthy. My arms, legs, thighs, bum and stomach have become toned and the muscles more defined. I feel stronger in myself and feel confident that I can do this!

It’s been great setting myself some time aside from my daily work life to train for this 10K. I’ve stepped outside my usual social media-y role of digital participation manager/ photographer and fashion & lifestyle blogger and dived into the unfamiliar world of fitness! I’ve have met some brilliantly inspiring people and made new friends along the way. We even got to run with Ellie Goulding - she was very lovely.

A couple of running tips…

I’ve learnt that if you run with a water battle it’s like running with a weight in your hand and can have a serious impact on your body’s posture! Daddy Dark aka Charlie Dark - founder of rundemcrew.com, says that your body only really needs water after about 45-50 minutes of exercise. If you drink too much before a big race you’ll just end up desperate for a wee! He explained that if you drink water up until about 9pm the night before the race and then reduce your water intake on race day you won’t find yourself with your legs crossed or doing a Paula Radcliffe at the side of the track…

He also said that from about the Wednesday (or 3 days) before the race on Saturday you should be increasing your carbs intake.
Eat PASTA. PASTA. PASTA!!!

Angel of runangelrun.co.uk/abslikeangel said that she can’t stress enough the importance of stretching BEFORE and AFTER a run. You shouldn’t rush your stretches.

Aim for 30mins of stretches, even on days when you aren’t running.

The lovely EllesBells of nothingtodisplay.co.uk showed me a few stretches that the pros do to release the tension that I found was building in my hip flexors.

I was also advised that when building up to a big race your last run should be done about 3-4 days before so that your body can repair any damage done by running.

Good luck to all the ladies (and Henry Holland) who are running the We Own The Night - Nike UK 10K run on Saturday night!

You can find more information about the race here.

Let’s do this!!!