These boots were made for walkin...

It's been almost a month since I posted anything fitness related, and that's because it's been almost a month since I've got up off my lazy bum and actually done something fitness related.

It's been Easter, so as I'm sure you can imagine, I've eaten about 5 times my body weight in chocolate and roast dinners and general shite. Coupled with the horror of popping a button on my brand new size 12 jeans, and having to order a size 14 for the first time in my life, I'm feeling pretty rubbish.

I'm not gonna moan too much though, I've done plenty of that already. I'm just going to start back on my exercising, and hopefully stick at it this time.

I have thought about running/ jogging, I've always wanted to do a half marathon, and there's one coming up in Belfast in September that is still taking applications. I think this could be my opportunity to get in to a bit of running.
I'm quite the procrastinator, I have been saying I'm going to run the Great North Run for about 10 year, and every year I don't do any training, or even bother to apply. So I figured, if I just pay the registration fee for Belfast this year, I'm kinda forced in to training.

But as the old saying goes, you have to walk before you can run, so that's exactly what I'm doing.

I went out for my first long walk tonight. After putting the kids to bed at 8, I put on my trusty old converse and just started walking.

I haven't been out for a walk on my own for a long time. I'm usually out walking with two  young children, and you can't actually consider walking with them actual walking, I'd describe it more of a shuffle, or dawdle. And hey, shuffling is fun, but it's not gonna burn many calories.

Tonight, I walked 5km in 1 hour. I'm not sure if that's a good walk, or a slow walk or what, but it felt great. I think it helps that I was walking in some fantastic surroundings.

There was an incident as I was heading for home which knocked the wind out of my sails a little though. I had my music on quite loud, and I was totally engrossed in it, walking down the side of the road literally thinking I was Beyonce, and all of a sudden this tiny wild rabbit darted out in front of me and I actually fell backwards in shock, like full of arse planted the floor. I'm not sure what I looked like to cars driving past, but I felt stupid and almost jogged the rest of the way home.

Other than that little incident, the walk went well, and I felt fantastic when I got home. I don't feel so fantastic now though, my legs are aching like mad, I maybe overdid it a little, but hey, no pain no gain, as they say!

Have any of you ever attempted a half marathon or similar distance run? Do you have any tips you can give me on my journey?