Week eight: Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk then 28 minutes running.

Last week I was supposed to complete 3 runs. I didn't.

This week I devised a catch-up plan with the aim of completing week 8 by today and starting week 9 on Friday. I haven't.

I've totally lost my way and the worst thing is I'm not sure I even care.

There's a part of me that still really wants to finish the Couch to 5K plan and put a big tick mark against my Grr Argh Challenge but there's a bigger part of me that thinks "what's the point? you've proven to yourself you can run, you know you can do it so lets move on to something else".

The big question is though would I be thinking this if I didn't feel so ground down by life at the moment? Because if the answer is no then I have to keep going otherwise I'll just end up beating myself up about yet another project that I've started but haven't finished.

And deep down I know the answer to that question is no but you know what? it feels easier to make excuses not to run right now:

• It's too hot
• The muggy weather's antagonising my asthma
• My period's finally come back
• My back aches
• I'm tired
• I'll do it tomorrow
 

Lets face it, they're rubbish excuses; even I can see that. But they're a symptom of the miserable, fed up attitude that kicked in when, in the same short space of time, the car broke down, 3 big household appliances went to household heaven, and everyone started to sleep badly.

I can't see a way out at the moment. Like I said, I just feel so ground down by it all and I find myself over-analysing everything. I am so tired of feeling haggard, exhausted and frumpy. I hate feeling like an empty shell that has nothing to offer, no special skills or interesting conversation; it makes me feel really insecure and vulnerable.

Starting to run gave me back some of my original sparkle but it's gone again. So what do you do when this happens to you? Inspire me world! I can't stand feeling like this.

There are times in your life when you meet someone, quite unexpectedly, with whom you have an immediate connection. This happened to me not long after I joined twitter when I started to exchange tweets with today's guest poster, Liz.

There aren't enough words to express the depth of my admiration for this lady. Not only is Liz warm, friendly, kind and funny but she has a wonderful attitude towards life. She's not one to be found on the sidelines watching it passing her by; she gets in there, tries things out and embraces opportunity and experiences joyfully.

Getting to know Liz has also given me the opportunity to get to know more about myself but I'm not going to talk about that right here and now because I've promised a guestpost on the subject for Liz's blog. You'll just have to keep your eyes open for that instead!

You can find Liz on twitter here and seriously, follow her!

Then go and read her beautifully written and very eclectic blog called "Margot and Barbara" here.

But before you do either of those things, have a read of this...

I am a runner.

It happened almost by accident. In 2006, I was pregnant with my first child. In the twenty-nineth week of that pregnancy, during a routine appointment, the midwife realised that I had all the signs of early onset pre-eclampsia and I was sent to the hospital. I was there for a few days, injected with steroids and told to expect an early delivery to save both of us. A couple of days later, I went home, only to end up doubled up in pain. The pre-eclampsia had got worse and I’d also got HELLP syndrome. The pain that I thought was indigestion was really my liver shutting down.

I was rushed into hospital, stabilised and then given an emergency caesarian section. My daughter was born weighing only 2lb 11oz and was rushed off into the neonatal unit before I’d even seen her. I didn’t find out until much later that they’d had to resuscitate her at birth. Thankfully, nine weeks later we were able to bring her home and she’s now a bright and beautiful five year old with no signs of the story of her dramatic arrival.

Despite going through all of this, which really was the most difficult time of our lives, we decided a couple of years later that we’d like another baby. To assess the risk of me having pre-eclampisa again, we had a meeting with a specialist consultant. His advice? There was a one in ten chance of it re-occuring and the best thing I could do to bring down my risk and lower my blood pressure was to get fit. The fastest way to get fit? Running...

The problem with running was that it initally brought out the child in me. The one who took extra German classes so that she could miss PE. The one who hated sports day. It’s not that I didn’t like to be active, I rode, ran and played outside as a child all the time. I just hated the competitive nature of PE at school, whether that was as part of a hockey team or running the 800 metres and that was what I still thought of ‘running’.

So, I struggled with the idea of running as an adult. I needed to get fit quickly, and cheaply though so really I had few options. The treadmill was quickly ruled out. I didn’t have one of my own so it would have meant joining a gym which I wasn’t going to do. I am a member of a gym now, but still haven’t got over the ridiculous progression of our lives that means we have to go to a special place to run, row and climb nowhere!

I also knew that, left to my own devices, I’d carry on with the sedentary lifestyle that had contributed to the pre-eclampsia in the first place, whatever my good intentions were. I needed a running partner. Someone to encourage me to start, and to keep on going. Someone with a vested interest in keeping me fit and healthy. My husband.

We started running together each week. When I say running, I really mean jogging a few steps, keeling over with breathlessness, walking a bit, running a few more steps, and so on. Over the following weeks, I was running a little more, walking a little less and feeling better than I’d done for years. Yes, it was painful. Yes, I was slow. And yes, I spent a lot of time lagging behind my already-fit husband cursing in his direction as he reminded me of the good it was doing me; the most maddening thing I could ever be told.

Apart from knowing that he was right, and that I was working for a healthy pregnancy, I kept going because I had muscles in my thighs that I never knew existed and I was surprising myself by enjoying it. It worked too - in May 2009 I gave birth to a healthy baby boy after a normal pregnancy, with my blood pressure only going up during the birth. I even managed to run a 5k race in the early stages of my pregnancy before my anxiety about keeping the baby safe made me give up running until after he was born.

We ran, and still do run, off road. This has made a huge difference to me, because it appeals to that child who spent her time outdoors. I run through the woods and along bridle-paths. In the Spring, there are bluebells scenting the air and keeping me going. In the Autumn I run through crunchy piles of leaves, kicking them in the air as I go. In the Winter, I skate like Bambi over frozen puddles or sink in the snow. Always, I run through or jump over puddles. It is fun. I’m not the fastest of runners, I know that I’m slow, but it doesn’t matter.

These days, with two small children and a full time job, I have less time to run. My knees are creaky and my feet are often sore. But when I have the time, I run.

I have run. I do run. I will run.

I am a runner.

Week seven: Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk then 25 minutes of running.

Without doubt, week 7 of my Grr Argh Challenge has been my most successful.

Each workout, I managed to run about 2 miles in 25 minutes, sometimes just over this, and although this is a little short of the 2.5 miles that the plan indicates is needed to put me on target to be able to run 5k in 30 minutes, it's phenomenal to know a couple of months ago, I couldn't, and didn't, run at all. Look how far I've come!

The high spot of the week occurred just as I was about to start my 5 minute cool-down walk in workout 3. Husband had put together a playlist for me to listen to and had snuck one of 'our' songs on, which he knew would a) make me feel good and b) put a big smile on my face. It did both of these things when it came on and I really couldn't have ended my session on the treadmill in a better way.

Here it is for your delectation:

I'm keeping it on my playlist as I think the number of bpm will help me keep a nice, steady running pace plus it's really happy and uplifting.

Another surprise track on my playlist was "Just Like A Pill" by Pink. I would never have thought to add this myself but thanks to husband, it's another song that's staying on and which gave me a much-needed boost due to its energy and attitude. In case you haven't heard it, here it is:

And finally, I need to ask a question. What do you do if you get a stitch when you're running? Am I supposed to stop? keep running and breathe through it? or is there something else I should be doing? I'd really appreciate any advice you can offer.

Now bring on week 8!

Week six: There are three different workouts for this week. They are as follows:
Workout 1: brisk 5-minute walk, then 5 minutes running, 3 minutes walking, 8 minutes running, 3 minutes walking, 5 minutes running.
Workout 2: brisk 5-minute walk, then 10 minutes running, 3 minutes walking, 10 minutes running. 
Workout 3: brisk 5-minute walk, then 25 minutes with no walking.

Both last week and this week, I've been fortunate to chat to a few other people on twitter who are at a similar stage of this Couch to 5k plan as myself. What struck me is we pretty much all feel the same way about the workouts that involve pure running; the head says no and the more we put off doing it, the more daunting it seems.

So in case this helps anyone else, here are the techniques I've used to get me through the workouts that involve long(er) periods of running:

1. It will never be as hard or bad as your head tells you it will be. You will get through each workout and you'll feel relieved and incredibly elated at your achievement.

2. Try not to think of The Run as being 25 minutes long (or however long it may be). I find it really off-putting and quite scary to think of myself as having to run for that long.

3. Consider breaking The Run down into mini-sections or markers in your head. This will make it much more do-able and easy to tackle. For example: I will run at this speed for the next 5 minutes/for the length of this song. When you hit that marker, immediately set your next goal based on how you're feeling right in that moment. My markers are never longer than 8 minutes as in my head, I'm confident I can manage to run non-stop for at least this length of time.

4. Listen to music that you love and which inspires you to keep moving. Earlier this week I started a run with only the radio for company and the majority of the music that was being played was appalling. It made my run so much harder because I couldn't distract myself from the timer on the treadmill and boy did that make the minutes stretch out!

5. You'll hit a point in The Run where your head will start shouting at you to stop as your legs can't keep going. It's a lie! Keep running! This has been happening to me in the first 8 - 10 minutes of the workouts and once I've pushed through this point, I find my feet start to find a natural rhythm and my body relaxes into it too.

6. Make yourself accountable to someone and agree with them you'll complete The Run by the end of a certain date. Having a deadline will give you that push to get on and do it and the support and encouragement of a good friend is invaluable. If you want to, you can tweet me and we can motivate each other!

Have you got any tips for completing longer runs? How do you push through the mental barriers that try and stop you from physically reaching your running goals? I'd love to hear from you.

Today's guest post comes from Ruthy who you may remember from my 12 days of Buffy challenge. Ruthy joined in with the challenge by making a daily audioboo about each of the first season episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer whilst also tackling her to do list. It may have only been a short challenge but it left both of us feeling very positive about what we'd achieved.

Ruthy started a blog called Minibreak Mummy last Summer. Her plan was to write about minibreaks in the caravan and day trips with her toddler son, but she got sidetracked into talking about all sorts of other things! Topics include retro items found in charity shops, how she uses her filofax, her love for dark chocolate and her quest for the perfect handbag. For Ruthy, her blog is a place to share the fun things in life as this makes it easier to cope with the not so fun things.

You can follow Ruthy on twitter, where she's known as @minibreakmummy. You can also listen to Ruthy's audioboo audioblog here.

And now to the main attraction...

Zombies shuffle slowly and relentlessly along. I can easily outwalk them! No need to break into a sweat. It's all about stamina and being able to keep going, not sprinting away and getting a stitch and collapsing with exhaustion.

So I'm going to slow the pace down a little here. Running is not my thing. Instead, I am walking back to happiness. Since I started having regular lunchtime walks a year ago I've never felt better.

Walking has several advantages over running:

* I can fit a walk into my lunch break

* It is not necessary to change into special clothing

* No need to take a shower afterwards

* Plenty of time to appreciate the scenery

I was involved in a 4 week trial of using a pedometer. I aimed for 10,000 steps a day, but didn't always manage it. My percentage body fat decreased from the 'cause for concern' bracket to the 'healthy' bracket. I had to hand the pedometer back at the end of the trial but ever since then I've almost felt like I am wearing an imaginary pedometer. So I do not use the campus shuttle bus or accept lifts home from the local shops, because every little bit of walking helps.

Walking is also very uplifting. It helps me to 'unscrunch' myself after a morning sat in front of the computer in my office. I can breathe the air into my lungs and clear my head. It makes me feel good to be alive.

I am seriously coveting Ruthy's shoes! I love this style!

When I started my Grr Argh challenge, I made a commitment to publish a weekly blog post with an update of my progress and...that's not really happened!

My last update was on 21 May 2012 and since then, I've only run twice. Yep, you heard that right, in the last 2 and a 1/2 weeks, I've completed 2 runs so I haven't even completed week 6 yet.

I actually feel okay-ish about this. We had another period of illness here and with the baby waking more in the night, I spent a lot of my evenings in the last couple of weeks either enjoying doing nothing or reading. I also managed to lose my sports bra (and trust me when I say it is impossible to run without it).

I feel a bit guilty that I don't feel guilty about the fact I've been so slack! Maybe it's because the 2 runs that I did went well. Maybe I'm just being a bit kinder to myself. Whatever it may be, it's okay. This is my challenge and  even though it's taking slightly longer than it should do, I'm still working on it. I haven't given up.

I've been keeping a note of my run times, distance and calories burnt using the Runkeeper app and I can see I've been averaging a 14 and a 1/2 minute mile. I'm surprised and pleased by my consistency but if I don't get back on track and put a bit more effort in, I'll find by the end of the plan that I may be able to run for 30 minutes but I won't have reached the 5k in 30 minutes marker that I'm aiming for. And there's a competitive streak in me that says to feel like I've truly succeeded, I need to be able to do this.

Apart from buckling down and getting on with some good old fashioned running, is there anything else I can do to improve my speed and distance? I'd love to hear your tips as well as your stories about how you got yourself back on track after an exercise blip.

I also need to get myself a spare sports bra. I've had a quick google to get an idea of what's out there but if you've got any recommendations, I'd really appreciate them.

If you've ever struggled with your weight or wondered how to kickstart your weightloss efforts, I hope today's guest post will inspire and motivate you.

Written by Tina, it reveals how she managed to lose 60lb in a year and change her BMI score from "obese" to "healthy" with the right incentive, an eating plan that worked for her and the introduction of an exercise regime.

Having supported my husband when he needed to lose 7.5 stone and seen the hard work and commitment it takes, I have the utmost admiration for Tina's achievement and I'm sure after you've read her story, you will too.

In her own words, Tina is "a Mummy, a Wife, A Geek and a blogger! I blog about my family's adventures, our loves, hates, successes and failures. I am a huge fan of gadgets, technology, history, and lego (See - told you I'm a geek)! We live in Manchester, and our 11 month old Son is nicknamed Batman. I am currently pregnant with baby number 2 (Robyn) - due at the end of June!".

Tina writes a blog at MotherGeek.co.uk. You can also find her here on twitter as well as over here on Facebook.

Happy reading!

Way back in 2009, my best friend got engaged. At the time, I was 14 stone 8lb (204lb), and OBESE! When she asked me to be her chief bridesmaid at her wedding the following Summer, I knew immediate action was required. I had tried (and failed) at countless diets in the past, so this time I monitored my food intake for 2 weeks, to see what my flaws were. It became very obvious that I was eating too much fat. (Cheese, margarine, pastry, olive oil, etc). I decided to create my own meal plan based on a low fat diet. As a vegetarian, I get limited protein so I guess this is why cheese had become such a staple part of my diet.

On July 1st 2009, I began monitoring my fat intake. I kept it below 20g a day (of fat - not saturated fat). I also did 30 minutes a day, 7 days a week on my Wii Fit. I weighed in weekly and blogged daily on my weight loss blog. I found I got a lot of support from other "losers" and they encouraged me a lot to stick with it. By 1st August, I had lost 14lb! (1 whole stone in 1 month, and I hadn't been near a gym). I continued the same way, and by my birthday in November, I weighed 11 stone 10.5lb (164.5lb)! I had gone from being OBESE to being in the normal BMI range in just 20 weeks!

By this point, it had become harder to lose the weight. I was losing 1lb a week at best, and it was frustrating. I decided to switch things up and bought a couple of exercise DVDs. I had become a huge fan of the American version of The Biggest Loser, and bought Jillian Michaels' 30 days shred. I swear to god, that DVD almost killed me, but it did the job and kick started my metabolism again. It was a 20 minute workout, and very intense, so I did that for a month.

By January, I was down to 11 stone 1lb. I then found out I was pregnant, and we were thrilled. In February, my other half popped the question! I was continuing to eat healthily but had increased my daily fat intake to 40g a day - the recommended amount for someone of my then weight. At the end of February, we found out at our 12 week scan that we'd lost the baby. We were of course devastated, and initially, I wanted to eat everything in sight. My other half managed to prevent this by ensuring the cupboards contained only healthy things. I was very poorly after the procedure to remove the baby, and lost a lot of blood. It was May before I felt fit enough to start exercising again, but as I was still losing blood, I could only do light exercise.

I had signed up to do the Race For Life in July, so I started walking 5k a day on the treadmill. By the time the race came around on 4th July 2010, (a week before my Bridesmaid duties were to take place), I was down to 10 stone 4lb (144lb)! I had lost 60lb in a year! I managed to finish the race for life in a fairly good time, despite only doing half of the C25k training. I finished it in 35 minutes, 20 seconds.

The day of my best friend's wedding rolled around, and I wore a size 10 dress! It had to be taken in to fit me! I had NEVER worn a size 10 in my life! When I was initially fitted for my dress, she said I needed a size 20 dress, so I had lost 5 dress sizes by the dress maker's reckoning!

Since then, I have had a baby boy, and am now 8 months pregnant again. I suspect I will be a good 12.5-13 stone once I have had my baby, so I shall once again be taking to my low fat plan (after breast feeding duties cease, of course)!

If I had to suggest one thing to people trying to lose weight, it would be a support network. I genuinely think I did as well as I did because I had the support of my other half and an amazing online community.

Today, I'm welcoming one of my favourite twitterers to my blog, Posh Bird aka Bryony.

Posh describes herself as a "40 year old mum, wife, animal lover, social commentator, world class runner (I can dream!) and all round good egg!".

But even more than that (and she'll be embarrassed I'm saying this), Posh is kind, thoughtful, funny and supportive and when she calls you "pet", it's like receiving the biggest, warmest bear hug! Okay, I may not have actually met her in real life but her sincerity and genuineness (is that even a word?) shines through her tweets. I heartily recommend you follow her on twitter.

Posh Bird writes a blog called Views from the Lounge Window so pop on over and read more of her thoughts once you've read this post.

And now for the main attraction...

I have been given the opportunity of writing a guest post for a 'Hell of a Woman' aka Rhiannon! Seeing as she is undertaking her couch to 5k challenge, I thought what better than to write about my couch to half marathon experience!

This epic journey (well it was epic for me!) took place way back in 1997, when I was a mere 26 year old new mum to a terrifying toddler. The first Harry Potter book had arrived! I was watching Titanic and dreaming about being in a freezing sea clinging to the divine Leonardo and to be honest, I thought Tony Blair was a hottie! Well compared to John Major, you see my point right?

At the time I was a knackered (no surprise there!) slightly depressed fledgling mum, pretty disorganised wife! and fairly rubbish wannabe runner! To say I lacked motivation and felt overwhelmed with life is a fairly accurate statement. Having my first baby was a total shock to my system and the responsibility felt beyond huge to me, coupled with the fact I was a southerner recently moved oop north! My world had been rocked and I needed to reclaim just a little piece of the old me back again. A piece which didn't involve a confrontational toddler and suffocating family in law. I'm used to them now btw!

I had always enjoyed running, jogging or plodding (well mostly plodding!) and being married to a 'good' runner was bound to rub off a little on me. My hubby and I both joined the local running club and babysitting was organised as a priority twice a week so we could escape the demands of a grisly toddler. We were able to meet our mates, go for a run and sneak in a quick drink before heading home.

These Monday and Wednesday nights became my saviour if I'm honest, and gave me a chance to breathe (even if it was in a gasping fashion as I tried to suck in as much oxygen as possible!). I could  be myself again for a while and talk uninterrupted to my hubby. The running was enjoyable for sure as I got to catch up with my friends and gossip. Our rule was that we never ran fast enough to get so out of breath that we couldn't talk! An excellent rule if you and ask me and one which to this day I STILL haven't broken!

We would choose routes of about 5 miles and at a 10-minute mile pace with a warm up and cool down; this gave us an hour's worth of chat. These hours we filled with gossip, advice, laughter, problem solving, parenting solutions, marriage guidance and general bitching sessions if needed!

Our little running group was a diverse mix of ladies of varying ages, backgrounds and life experiences. I knew we could say anything we wanted, were not judged and whilst getting things off my chest I also shifted the stubborn baby weight that was still loitering with the intent of making me look frumpy! I still have a few ounces of it left to this day and my daughter is nearly 17 but I've decided to keep it to remind me of her!

So as the weeks and months went by our chats became longer. I'm not sure how this happened exactly, whether we got fitter so ran more miles, or we just had more and more 'stuff' to chew over; but for whatever reason, I decided along with one other lady, Cath, to run a half marathon.

I knew it was feasible. Others at the club including my hubby had done loads of them. I also knew I only wanted to plod around it and I certainly wasn't bothered about a time at all. It just felt like a challenge I had a pretty good chance of completely and at that point I thought I'd better do it before I got too old!

Oh how young and naive I was back then! My 26 year old self wasn't brimming with confidence or self esteem and as running was gradually improving both for me, I felt empowered by the idea or running 13 miles without stopping. Besides I'd been so very proud of my husband who had run 2 London Marathons and I wanted him to be proud of me too!

Training began in earnest and if I'm honest it was surprisingly easy! I happened to have a great running partner who kept me motivated, was both flexible and reliable when organising runs and she was undoubtedly hilarious. Many a mile slipped by without us even noticing, as we giggled our way along the cold, dark streets of Manchester, looking like 2 neon teletubbies in our high Vis running gear! We didn't need to be plugged into ipods cut off from the world, we simply enjoyed each other's company, nodded hello to other runners or dog walkers and when I ran, my life was simple and relaxed.

OK so it wasn't ALL plain sailing! There were the runs I had to do on my own to keep the miles up, the runs in the pouring rain, the runs when I'd had hardly any sleep and the 8 mile barrier that had to be broken through. I struggled with running even one step more than 8 miles for a couple of weeks, thinking at this point that maybe my body had reached its maximum running distance. Luckily for me however, my daughter was such a bloody pain in the arse one day that I reached for my running shoes as soon as my husband opened the front door and 'ran away' for 10 miles!

With my discman pumping out Oasis, Blur, The Spice Girls, U2, The Verve, No Doubt and Hanson's Mmmbop, I smashed my previous 8 mile brick wall. Well it was either that or throttle my toddler!

I didn't look back from that run and the remaining few miles were added easily over the last few weeks leading up to the race. We even ran a couple of 15 milers just to give us the confidence that we had the distance in our legs. It was the perfect time of year for me too; training over the winter suits me better as I like nothing more than wrapping up on a frosty cold day to run. I even went for a small run on Christmas Day and all that training meant I could eat pretty much what I wanted over the festive season without worrying about gaining extra pounds!

When race day arrived it was freezing wet and miserable and I was both nervous and excited beyond belief! My husband and daughter came with me and cheered me on from a couple of different points along the route. At the time I remember feeling cold and sick and scared about whether I'd be able to run the whole way. I was getting out of breath simply warming up! This didn't feel like the calm, no pressure easygoing training runs! However I soon relaxed into my slow plod of a pace and started to thoroughly enjoy myself.

I ran with Cath until 9 miles but then we separated as she quickened up a little. I will admit this was a tough next mile for me as I adjusted to running by myself, and suddenly tiredness descended and my legs started to fill with lead. It soon passed though as the crowd helped to lift me and before I knew it I was at the 11 mile marker, which cruelly guided us up a hill! From the top however it was a gentle jog down to the finish and I even managed a teeny tiny sprint to the end.

Finishing this is still one of the best feelings I've ever experienced. I was chuffed to bits, had my medal, my goodie bag, my T-shirt and one huge warm bubble bath when I got home! I glowed inside for weeks afterwards with the sense of wellbeing and achievement and even now, years later (and even after I've lost the medal) I still feel proud of going from running a single mile to completing 13!

I still run these days and enter the odd 10k race. I still love running and the buzz it gives me and I know without doubt it helps keep insanity at bay!

So good luck Rhiannon with your challenge. We're all here willing you along your way. You won't regret taking part for one moment, I can vouch for that!

Another brilliant thing about twitter, there's always someone who knows someone that can help you. And that was certainly the case when I tweeted my invitation for guest posts and mentioned I'd particularly like something about music and exercise.

I was pointed in the direction of Craig Daley; a fully qualified personal trainer with 5 years' experience and, in his own words, "life experience in zombies". Perfect!

Craig writes a blog called Comfort in Sounds, which is all about the daily rigors of life as a Dad in the 21st Century and everything else the universe may throw his way. Why not pop on over, have a read and follow it? You can also follow him on twitter.

Craig's guest post couldn't have come at a better time because as I mentioned in this post here, I've now reached a stage in my Grr Argh Challenge where I'm finding a good playlist is imperative to help give me that extra bit of focus and drive to complete each run. But how do you go about making one?

Over to you Craig...

 

Running, It's an essential thing for our human body to do. It's a natural instinct for us to run away from predators who wish to devour us and more importantly help us run away from the looming Zombie Apocoylypse this earth is soon to be threatened from. If we are able to run away from this threat then we can procreate, build an army and take back the world from either the Zombies or Robots that will no doubt one day attempt to take over our world (Think I'm joking? Shaun of the Dead and Terminator weren't movies they were documentaries sent from parallel universes) So get off the sofa and start RUNNING!!!

Running is one of my favourite things to do and although, admittedly, it's not something I've done much of recently, I do miss it. The thing I love about it the most is the feeling of freedom I get when I'm running.

Firstly, where possible I must run outside, treadmill running literally gets you nowhere, and I love the idea that if I run somewhere, I must be able to return. On a treadmill theres always that big red button screaming at you "PRESS ME, PRESS ME, I SAY STOP, I'M A RED BUTTON!!!!".

The main buzz for me is that it's my time, I can put my music on, let my mind go numb and just focus on putting one foot in front of the other repeatedly as fast as I can. If its raining its a bonus because that heightens the experience for me.

One important element is the music; mixing together a play list worthy of your ears to inspire you, to focus you, to drag you to the finish, to get the last 10% out of you on the run.

This can be a tough task and unfortunately there's not one set play list you could tell everyone to use and you'll be inspired, purely because everyone has different music tastes. For example we were shopping the other day and my other half picked up a copy of the new album, "Now that's what I call running". We looked at the back of the CD and it had the track listing, she quite liked it, I stated that the only thing that CD would do is inspire me to run away from anyone playing it. Again different tastes inspires different people.

There are certain rules you have to adhere to when making a play list for running, this is to ensure you stay focused and motivated.

Rule #1 : Selecting music that inspires you;

For me Rock and Roll music inspires me. How I select my music is on firstly if I like the song, simple. It must be something that's up tempo with a powerful chorus.

Favourite tracks for me are Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run, Oasis, F****n in the Bushes, Feeder Buck Rogers, The Killers Somebody Told Me. The reasons why is purely because of the guitars the drums and the beats. When they kick in it pushes me and makes me focused.

Plus listening to rock and roll music you can imagine things and I like to imagine beating a zombie to the finish line of the first ever Human/Zombie Olympics that will be held in 2020. Events will include head shot putting, Running away from zombies at 100m/200m/400m and marathon disciplines, and also zombie running away from human with a pix axe events, (thats the one I'll be entering)

With running to music I also set myself little tasks such as run until the end of the song, which I then know I’ll hear the next song and think, "oh I really like this song Ok I'll run til the end of this song" It's songs like this that are important to me so they pick me up just in the right time, that's then leads to the next important rule of making a play list for running....

Rule #2 Setting the running order:

Having all great tunes in your play list is one thing, but there's no point in having a song that motivates you to sprint and push yourself to the limits followed by a song that makes you want to sleep. Theres also no point in making a 60 minute play list when all you want to do is run for 20 minutes. You want to mix your songs up so at key points in your run your key songs kick in to give you the extra boost you need.

For me, when I create my lists, I also place my most inspiring songs at the end to push me through to the end of my run, (The song that inspires me most in running and gets the most out of me is Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run, so that always comes towards the end)

This running order is especially important as when running away from Zombies and Robots you can't ask them to wait while you stop to flick through your iPod to find the suitable track you wish to run too, I mean you could ask them but I'm not sure they have/been programmed with gentlemanly conduct yet, it would be rude of them to eat you while changing tracks of course.

Rule #3 Have back up plans:

Having just one play list designed by you will probably help you, but what happens if you go running 4-5 times a week? After around 6/7 times the music will become less inspiring and the effect will have worn off.

So, when creating your first list create a second or third list made up of different songs. Set it for a different  length of time to suit different runs you go for and try differing moods as when you often run you will feel different moods. You may one day have had an emotional day and need comforting music, whereas some days you want to hit it hard and train like Rocky (I suggest the Rocky soundtrack for intense training, its great)

Our emotions obviously dictate our running mood and our music will reflect that, so you never know you might be really fired up to run one day but your Zombie chaser might be a rather attractive opposite sex so you might want to instead run away from them have seductive running music. Although I'm not sure how the world would take to a Human/Zombie relationship yet!

Rule #4 chose a Guilty Pleasure song:

We all have them, so choose one for your play list. Why? you may ask, well it'll give you a good feeling and that good feeling in turn will make you work harder due to the release of the feel good chemicals in your body. Also as we are training to enable we can run away from the impending Zombie Apocalypse wouldn't it be nicer to be able to run away from the Zombies smiling singing Barbie Girl? It might just scare off the Zombies a little.

Alternatively if all this sounds too much work before you even start running, you could just press shuffle on your iPod, but beware of your choices!

I hope that these rules help you start running and start developing your fitness so you can successfully run away from Zombies and Robots. I didn’t even begin to mention Aliens. Basically as Humans, we are buggered.

Get RUNNING!

Week four : Begin with a brisk 5-minute walk then 3 minutes of running, 90 seconds walking, 5 minutes running, 2½ minutes walking, 3 minutes running, 90 seconds walking, 5 minutes running.

Week five : There are three different workouts for this week. They are as follows: Workout 1: brisk 5-minute walk, then 5 minutes running, 3 minutes walking, 5 minutes running, 3 minutes walking, 5 minutes running.

Workout 2: brisk 5-minute walk, then 8 minutes running, 5 minutes walking, 8 minutes running.

Workout 3: brisk 5-minute walk, then 20 minutes running, with no walking.

The last 2 weeks have been quite mentally exhausting and I don't feel out of the woods yet.

There was a gap of about 3 days between week 4 runs 2 and 3 as a sickness bug tried to sneak its way into the house leaving me feeling very queasy and out of sorts. At the same time, the baby's nighttime sleeping habits took a nosedive (not that they'd ever been that great anyway!) and I found myself struggling to get through the days.

In those 3 days, I could feel my motivation to run waning, not because I found the plan too hard and too much for me (as I did in this post "to quit or not to quit" ) but because I didn't have the physical and mental energy to put on my running shoes and get on the treadmill.

As if that wasn't bad enough, I could feel negative thought patterns about myself and my parenting abilities creep back into my mind. I started to withdraw into myself and began to feel more and more emotional.  I thought I'd gotten past this earlier this year but I guess not.

I know I'm sounding all doom and gloom but stay with me, there is a happy ending. I forced myself to do my final run of week 3 and the exercise definately helped to lift my head into a bit of a better place and gave my body an energy boost. I kept the momentum going by doing a quick stretching and strengthening workout the next day and was able to enter week 5 of the Grr Argh! Challenge with a sense of trepidation that, on the whole, was outweighed by an attitude of "bring it on!".

I'm going to be honest. Week 5 was tough but what really helped me this week was having a good playlist to run to. I hit moments where I thought "I'm going to have to stop running and walk" but then Iron Maiden would start to play and I was able to dig deep within myself to keep going.

Run to the Hills is one of my favourite Maiden tracks and the trademark galloping rhythm made it a perfect running tune for me:

The Week 5 plan culminated with 20 minutes of non-stop running and I am so very, very proud of myself for doing this. At the start of the year, I would never have been able to do this and I can't believe how far I've come in just 5 weeks.

And as for those negative thoughts? well, exercise may help to keep the demons at bay but nothing can beat talking about them with someone. Don't keep them bottled up or they'll slowly eat away at you. Bring them out into the light. Share them with someone - a family member, a good friend, your doctor. I know it can be so very, very hard but there's no reason to feel ashamed of the way you feel and the relief you'll feel simply by taking that first step of speaking up will be worth it.

My husband has been a real support since I spoke to him. It was hard to open up because I was aware some of my thoughts weren't rational and I didn't want him to think badly of me, or worse, think I was "crazy" but he managed to be just what I needed - a calm, loving, listening ear without judgment. I still have patches of darkness in my mind but I'm no longer feeling mentally overwhelmed and even if this shifts the other way, I know I don't have to face things on my own.

This makes a big difference.

One of the things I love about twitter is the ease with which you can connect and chat with people who share the same interests as yourself and my guest poster today is one of those people.

Rob and I started out exchanging tweets about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which then progressed to other tv programmes and films. So when I decided to start my Grr Argh Challenge and temporarily dedicate my blog to all things fitness and zombie-related, I knew I wanted him to write a guest post for me. Lucky me, he agreed.

Rob blogs here and you can find him on twitter here and on facebook here. Just don't ask him about his views on twilight!

Anyway, enough from me, over to you Rob... 

Zombies. How can they be that threatening? I mean really, they're dead, so plus one for you straight away if you aren't one of them; they're rotting and falling apart and hopefully you aren't unless you are some form of leper. They don't possess the higher brain power that you, me and anyone else who hasn't appeared on a daytime chat show does so ideally we should be able to outsmart them.

But wait. They don't need to sleep. They're hungry buggers that's for sure, and I'm pretty certain a 6 Nugget extra value meal from MacDonald's won't satisfy them. They're relentless, and unfortunately, they're gonna have the numbers. Let's say you live in Leeds. Leeds has a population of 500,000. Then, 90% of the population get infected and become 'Dead Heads'. Those sheer numbers suck. That means you're gonna have to do an awful lot of legging it.

So this is where "Zombieland's" number one rule kicks in. Cardio. I'm a slight chunky monkey, therefore if I can do up a mobility scooter before the wrath of the undead are unleashed upon the world, I'll be good. However, if you like your survival chances to be a little bit more natural, a tad more predator/prey than shambling corpse + car = splat, then cardio is for you.

You're going to need to shift it between safe houses, shopping malls and possibly to a boat (Seeing as how being on a cruise liner in the middle of the ocean would prove to be a much safer place to be than say in the middle of the dales, with no petrol, no food, only a lighter; a half eaten snickers bar; a rolled up copy of the daily mail as a weapon and a looted copy of Twilight to keep you sane whilst the population of Blackburn is romper stompering after you for a light snack) and therefore being fit, having suitable stamina and an iPod full of zombie ass kicking and leg pumping tunage is a necessity.

Therefore, what would be your top ten, "Imma runnin' for my life from the walking dead" songs to get you from Greggs to JJB Sports to a safe place? Since this is me writing, I'm going to treat you to mine.

In at ten, like a banjo to a decomposing face, "Metallica - Seek and Destroy" with it's heavy riffs, James Hetfields gruff, gravelly vocals and neat Kirk Hammett solo, what better way to pummel your way through hordes of the great undead (or unwashed if you live in a University town) and pound some pavement than to 80's thrash?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7awMJwjhc4c

Number nine on my Zombie Holocaust soundtrack for the end of days would definitely have to be "The Misfits - Scream". If I'm jogging for my life, which admittedly, would be the only time you would fine me jogging, and I'm pretty scared, I may as well express my fear through a song about being afraid.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGUWla4OVrY

Shuffling in at number eight, would have to be "Kernkraft 400's - Zombie Nation" with it's beat and punchy repetitive vocals of "Zombie" it would definitely serve it's purpose to get you a) doing your cardio and b) remembering you're in a zombie holocaust.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSJQLCImV18&ob=av2n

Urghhhhing around at number 7 is Harry Belafonte with Zombie Jamboree, yes that's right, some good ole Caribbean zombie beats. I mean, just because the dead are chomping down on the living and there's no internet or living TV to watch re-runs of Maury on, doesn't mean you can't break out the BBQ and get slightly lashed on Rum. In all honesty I think there's no better time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdRI2Y8fGcI

At number 666 on the zombie survival playlist of magnificence (Nothing like being self important!) goes to those Ska loving, quirky punksters, The Aquabats with "Fashion Zombies", a song resplendent with quirky keys, quirky vocals, a nice quirky riff and quirky harmonies. In short, it's quirky, fun and cheesy as hell.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLJJMBa0s6o

No zombie soundtrack would be complete without a nod towards a George A Romero film, so this is where The Murderdolls' "Dawn of the Dead" drops in at number 5. Yes, Schlock rock, with shoutyness, guitars and a tongue firmly planted in cheek.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SOj3F--DEU

"But wait Rob. This soundtrack seems to have a very rock/guitar/shouty/rahrahrah kind of vibe to it" I hear you cry! Well fear not intrepid reader, unless there's an undead ghoul drooling down your window holding a sign requesting you come outside for a cat scan, then fear away, but fear not! Number four on this list goes to none other than Michael "Shamone" Jackson and "Thriller". Yes, you can shuffle your way round the hordes of rotting monstrosities whilst simultaneously getting them to shuffle along with you, hand claps and all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hG6oy46qKE4

Okay, so blatant piece of cheese over and done with, number three on the list. And it's a return to the divine secrets of the Rahrahrah sisterhood with "Living Dead Girl" by Rob Zombie. Yes, the bearded lover of all things weird, wonderful and down right out there makes it into my list. And if you really get off on the whole zombie thing (anyone who has watched "Zombie Strippers" would agree) it could always be used for some zombie themed lap dance. If you're that way inclined. You freak.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvsMPOfblfg&ob=av2e

Let's think carefully now. The population has been slightly decimated a little bit (complete understatement Rob I hear you say) and the streets a wee bit empty. There's no cars. No trains. No planes. No cyclists. No annoying teenagers listening to repetitive "umpcha umpcha umpcha" music on the backs of buses. Heck, there's no buses. Just the distant groans and moans of the living dead in the distance. It's almost like the place where you live is a... "Ghosttown" by the Specials. Yes, a lil bit of two tone for this playlist wouldn't go amiss. With a haunting trumpet and nicely punctuated brass section, you can skank your way through the city streets, contemplating nicking Sony Bravia's and watching DVD's of Friends, Seinfeld or Buffy whilst the minions of the underworld shuffle about the place in your own post-apocalyptic world. And people say I'm a pessimist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WhhSBgd3KI&ob=av2n

Let's hear that drum roll, or a head roll if you're morbid. Number one. the song above all other's that's a pre-requisite for the Zombie Apocalypse. The crap has hit the fan. Life's a bit more brutal, perhaps shorter. But don't worry, always look on the bright side of life...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlBiLNN1NhQ

And it's with a whistle at my lips, a smile on my face and a sturdy cricket bat in my hands that I shall leave you. Use this list, or make your own, and when the zombies come, keep your wits about you. Good night, and good luck. (Insert evil Vincent Price laugh here...).

Rob Draugr is a Zombie nut, a 27 year old child with a liking for video games, movies, good quality TV shows and books. He's the size of a small elephant, with the bladder of a peanut. He currently resides in Yorkshire, but classifies himself as SouthernBrummieEastAnglianYorkshireman and quite enjoys a cup of tea and a digestive once in a while. If you enjoy his ramblings, then check him out at his Blog here and let him know what you think.

Today's guest post is from Jennifer who is mum to Harry (3) and Mia (nearly 1).

Jennifer's been blogging for almost a year about the things she gets up to with her family, and the things that go around in her head.

What I particularly like about her blog, which is simply but aptly named Jennifer's Little World, are the posts about the craft activities she does with her children. For example: how to turn a cardboard box into a vehicle, how to make pebble monsters and how to make a cardboard postbox and letters. There are lots more ideas of things to make and do and I can actually see me recreating some of them at home with my toddler; in fact, we've just started making a cardboard box bed for his favourite cuddly toy, Applecat.

Jennifer's maternity leave is quickly drawing to a close - something I can empathise with - and she'll soon be returning to her part-time, non-patient-facing job in the NHS. But she says she'll still have plenty of time to do fun things with her little ones (and blog about them of course!).

You can follow Jennifer on twitter, visit her facebook page and follow her on pinterest.

And now for her post...

I love pondering the aftermath of an apocalyptic scenario. I'm not obsessed about it, and I haven't made any particular preparations myself, but I love reading about stockpiling food and medicine, emergency grab bags, storing drinking water and so on. However it strikes me that the very best way to survive a disaster, once you've survived any initial catastrophe of course, is to be fit and healthy. If you are able to survive without a reliance upon medication, and you have the physical stamina to walk or run long distances, then you will be well ahead of a great deal of the population. I'm not even necessarily talking about a major disaster here, there are many scenarios where you will be in a better position to survive if you are fit and healthy, especially if you are also responsible for others, such as small, heavy children.

I try to keep fit by running, and this is often in the back of my mind as I'm pounding the streets. If I was running away from a predator, how long could I keep going for, and could I outrun them over a distance? I compare myself to people that I'm passing, and try and decide who would be an easier target, them or me. Of course I am really running to keep fit and to try and lose this last bit of baby weight, but I do feel secure in the knowledge that I am probably fitter than many others.

I really enjoy running as exercise, and the great thing about it (apart from the fact that it is virtually free and requires little equipment) is that you can really see your progress. A few years back I decided that I wanted to add running to my exercise regime, and I loved watching my time and speed increase week by week. I've followed a similar routine after the birth of each of my children, and each time have seen myself go from managing only a few minutes to being able to keep running for half an hour, covering 5 kilometres at a reasonable pace.

My method of building up to this was just to keep moving for 30 minutes. At the beginning you will need to alternate walking and running, perhaps doing just a couple of minutes of each until you've filled the full half hour. Gradually build up the amount of running you are doing, with shorter and shorter breaks for brisk walking. After a few months you will find that you are running for the full half hour. This is easier to manage on a treadmill because you can adjust your speed, but if you are out and about and end up a little way from home, the extra walking to get you back won't do any harm. There's no need or sense in rushing it, because ultimately each time you run you are closer to your goal.

This method has worked for me, both when I first started running and when I came back to it after long breaks during pregnancy and post-delivery. I'd really recommend running as a great way to improve fitness and to help prepare yourself in the best possible way for whatever you might encounter!