The dust has now settled on the New Year celebrations and like most, I am carrying just a little “holiday weight” that is quite frankly unwelcome.

So there is no time like the present to get moving, get back into action and to get back on plan. And with the biggest challenge of 2018 being just a mere 16 weeks away I cannot waste time thinking about what I should or should not have done over the last two weeks.

The Isle of Wight Challenge, 106 kilometres in 24-30 hours, round the coastal path of the Isle of Wight. It seems a world away from the challenge I was facing in 2017, with the London Marathon.

When I received the suggested training plan for the Marathon all I felt was fear. It was overwhelming. The suggested longest run of 22 miles (which I did not achieve in training) was so daunting in day one. I never felt I would be able to run half that distance comfortably, but I did.

This time round, the suggested training plan plots in the longest walk at 10 hours. I know in my mind that this works out to be as long as the London Marathon itself, but the 10 hours does not scare me.

I don’t feel the fear like I did when I saw a 22 mile run in the diary. Its strange how the mind works. I know when it comes to the event itself it will be closer to 30 miles than 10, with many tears and blisters in between. But for now all I have is good feelings, maybe because my reasons for the challenge are a little more personal.

So the training plan begins. Luckily, although I have not been moving a great deal over the last few weeks, I have been moving enough to get my body used to walking.

A few weeks before Christmas I completed a very challenging 8 mile walk in the snow, I ensure that I get out daily for a lunch time walk (as much as I can in 30 minutes) and I have been steadily improving my performance in spinning classes two to three times a week.

Obviously when training for any event, you have to ensure that you have a great mix of training activities so you are strong in all aspects. This is something I did not focus on so much at the beginning of the training plan in 2017. It was all about the miles back then, seeing how far I could run.

This time round I am focusing on a mix. A mix of long and short walks throughout the week, running, spinning classes and strength, most likely through Body Pump and Circuit classes.

I will have a host of events in the lead up too, from 10k runs, half marathons and organised walking events such as the London Winter Walk, just two weeks away.

My focus over the coming weeks, is getting myself back into a regular schedule. To forget the mishaps and the what ifs of the last few months. To shake my running fear. And to get myself back in the active mindset.

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