Week 3 of Marathon training...13 weeks to go

It's strange how running changes everything...

Eating habits,work energy,sleep patterns,clothes,deciding on whether to drink or not to drink, social life, preparing for the day ahead....all that has changed...how?

1)I eat breakfast : never used to eat breakfast,rushed out the door in the morning and was starved by 11 o clock so would eat crap...bickies or whatever I got my hands on

2)hop out of bed in the morning like a jack in the bean-box: before I'd roll over and get up feeling tired constantly...

3)I prepare my lunch the night before: previously I used to go out for lunch or head to Garvey's for a chicken roll and a bag of Taytos...now i have sandwiches made and and salad, also I'd knock back a pint of water, used to have a can or two of Diet coke...am off it nearly 4 weeks... haven't had one drop of fizzy drinks

4) Clothes: I've lost a stone and a half, I can now go to the bathroom without opening my trousers...just pull them down! have another two stone to go but I will get there....

5) running is a social thing: I've met some lovely new people and the group seems to gel quite well...

I didn't realise it at the start but slowly but surely you start to become more focused...now I understand why so many people are out there running...the amount of money I've wasted on gym memberships is scary...ive done all the hotels from the Brandon to Manorwest...the closest i got to them was driving past them...the only bit of exercise i got was turning my head whilst driving past thinkibg to myself ' jesus i must go there some day!' ....never went!

Tonight was the first night that I truly felt comfortable doing the 3 miles...wasn't stressed..no nail biting thinking ' can I do this'...actually I'm beginning to enjoy running...at last...