An Introduction

I wanted to start this blog to document my return to running after having my baby in Februrary 2009. He is now fast approaching his 1st Birthday and it is only just now that I am feeling capable to achieving some running in my weekly schedule again.

Up until now I have done plenty of walking and a little bit of gym work - but when the boy was around 4 months old I realised that I just couldn't exercise with the same intensity that I once did. It wasn't through lack of wanting to - I just couldn't cope with the level of tiredness that heavy exercise induced. I just wasn't able to get enough recovery on the broken sleep throughout the night. I would wind up tired and very grumpy and unwilling to get up to the boy in the night - something had to give and that was the heavy exercise. So I just stuck to walking.

However - now he does sleep through most nights and I am feeling like I can tackle just a little bit of running again.

Of course - i never anticipated it would be like that -I thought that nothing would change and that once I recovered physically I would be able to get right back into it all. I just didn't count on the utter exhaustion!

So the Michelle Bridges 12 Week Challenge is what I have chosen as my starting point - simply to get back in to the habit of regular exercise, to set some small goals, to be accountable to a program and to find my old rhythm and mindet again.

My Goals for this challenge are as follows:

- at the completion of 12 weeks I would like to have reduced my weight by 5kg.

- at the completion of this challenge I would like to be able to run for 1 hour continuously.

- at the completion of this challenge I would like to have rediscovered my ability to make and prefer healthy food chioces and be conscious and aware of what I am consuming.

the challenge officially starts on February 28th. So until then I am completing the pre-season tasks that Michelle sets and working on some forward planning of  steps to achieve my goals.

I am also focussing on increasing my water intake and being conscious of what I am eating and doing each day by keeping a food and activity diary.

Figuring out a plan of attack so to speak!

Wish me luck.