Come running with me

Here we go. 2019 begins. I am now officially running the London Marathon this year. Currently feeling excited. Scared, but excited. My knee is still weaker than needed, but I can feel it improving every time I work out. I'm gonna get there. I'm gonna be fine.

Look at them! Not a dodgy knee anywhere to be seen!

But today's post is not about me, it's about you. A new year has begun - time for reflection, excitement, and making promises. Every year, people swear that this is the year they finally get in shape and lose the pounds. This year, I want you to make it happen.

I want you to try running. I'm not asking for a huge commitment, or telling you to train for a marathon (that's ridiculous, only a moron would attempt such a thing). All I want is thirty minutes, three times a week. Before work, after work, during work - it's totally up to you. The only thing I want is a fraction of your week. Literally the length of one Despicable Me movie, spread over seven days. That's nothing, is it? Barely anything at all. Your TV shows can wait. Just give it a try.

And you're not going to start off by running hell for leather on the first week. You're going to start with a brisk walk for five minutes. Then you can break into a fast jog for one minute. Alternate sixty seconds of running with two minutes of walking for half an hour. Then a quick walk to cool down. That's all you need to do for the first week.

After that, cut back on the walking time and add those seconds to your runs. Jog for two minutes, walk for one. Run for three minutes, walk for thirty seconds. Start with small, achieveable goals and build up to something great. It is possible - look at me! Fat boy all my life. Spend my days and nights in front of a computer screen. Now I've dropped over two stone and I can run two hours non-stop. If I can do it, anyone can. All it takes is a little time. Thirty minutes over seven days.

It takes twenty one days to make or break a habit. After three weeks, you'll want to run. You'll make time to hit the road. You'll look forward to doing it. I know I do. I can't wait to get to the gym later and see all the fresh, new faces - faces of people doing their damndest to make a difference in their lives. I hope I keep seeing those faces at the gym, plugging away, trying to make a positive change. It's hard at first, but goddamn is it rewarding.

Hopefully one day soon, I'll go for a run with you. I can't imagine anything more fun.