TODAY’S GUEST POST BY FATCHICK JODIE!

I’d like to post something about the benefits of hills.  As much as I hate them, I love them.  Why?  Despite the puffing and aching butt doing a hilly run at least once a week gets me prepared for the next step up in the couch to 5k challenge.  This week I ran the hell, I mean hill, twice.  Then I ran a not so hilly option and was surprised by the ease in which I did it.  So find a place to run once a week that just might challenge you.  That will make you hit the wall harder and sooner and as the HULK says:  What doesn’t kill him only makes him stronger.

Dogs:  Your own personal trainer.

I went running with my husband’s German Shepherd for the first time and discovered something.  On the warm up they are so eager to be out they pull.  That in itself is task to manage.  But once the run starts I noticed Sakura *dog* wanted to be ahead of me.  It didn’t have to be a full body length.  Just enough, like head and forelegs type of ahead – at least!  So, after the first half in the last half I ran to try and be ahead of her.  It forced me to run faster and the dog to run faster.  Now lets be serious, you and I both know she has the double advantage.  She has FOUR legs as opposed to my TWO, but I gave it my all and it was fun to irk my dog just so.  That in itself was worth it.  But these little things are worth it.  The small challenges that are going to (I hope) make the transition from week to week easier.

Jodie