The phrases 'I'm just not a runner' or 'I can't run' were regularly used (both excuses) to avoid going for a run.

After overindulging on the honeymoon and the weeks after, my husband (an avid jogger) was back to his old running ways, and I felt the urge to join him to try and lose some weight. On the way to the forest I had built myself up and was ready to go (I thought we were jogging in the forest) but when my husband told me we were jogging on the road around the forest, fear set in. I was so worried that people would be judging me as I ran, that one my favourite phrases were put to good use- 'I can't do it.' After some words of encouragement from Simon I was ready to go! 

After my first jog I got a huge blister which lead to a trip to Sports Direct to find some new trainers. Which leads me on to the main point of this post- some tips that help me through jogs! 

1. Wear the right shoes.

Every time I have tried jogging I've ended up with a blister. At Sports Direct there is a great machine that tells you the type of shoe you should wear (turns out I have a high arched foot). It even suggests which shoes to buy! 

2. Listen to good music.

I was so worried that I would be panting like a dog after the first few steps that I put my iPod on full volume to drown it out! I listen to Katy Perry when I run- her upbeat tunes really get me in the mood.

3. Focus on your breathing.

As I mentioned above, I was worried I'd be panting like a dog. Some advice Simon gave to me worked so well! Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. When I got into the rhythm of taking long breaths like that I didn't realize I'd run the whole forest!

4. Try and run with a buddy.

Having Simon with me on my first major run was a big reason I didn't give up. Just a simple thumbs up from him made me feel like I could do it (and I did)! He also set the pace really well and didn't leave me behind!

5. Ignore the haters (including yourself!)

As cheesy and cliche as it sounds, just forget about what anyone else thinks, don't worry about what you think people are going to say, and have fun! If you've taken the action to go out and actually try something new to improve yourself in some way, then you've won.

What do you think? Have you got any helpful tips for beginner joggers? 

A xo