17 weeks postpartum, 12 weeks before Ealing Half Marathon which takes place on the last Sunday of September: it means it’s time to dust off my training plan and get running! Seriously! And here are a few good reasons why:

• It’s in its 5th year only but has already won Best Half Marathon in the UK for 3 years in a row!
• I’ve run it twice before, I know the drill. Although route has changed slightly I think, so I better open my eyes and not get lost!
• It literally is on my doorstep so I can almost roll out of bed to the starting line
• A big flock of Ealing Eagles (my running club) will be flying/running it
• I have a “double” free entry: last year I was lucky enough to win the draw and a free entry to Ealing Half Marathon 2015. I found out a week later that I was indeed extremely lucky as I was also pregnant! I  could have deferred my entry to 2016 (like for the London Marathon). But as I volunteered for the Ealing Half Marathon that year instead of running it pregnant, I also received a free entry for volunteering.
• I have a personalised training plan that was drafted by my Ealing Eagle coach last year, literally a few days before I found out I was pregnant. I didn’t make use of it then so better do so this year considering the time he spent on writing it and converting all measures from miles to kms! Thanks Kieran! I will have to revise my 1:45 target down though as I am much slower post pregnancy !! But I’m still hoping to do at least as well as the first year I ran it i.e 1:55.
• It’s a great post pregnancy challenge.
• And a fantastic first serious run on my way to training for the Virgin London Marathon 2017!

I’ll keep you updated with my progress and how I manage to train while looking after a 4-month old baby. *Spoiler alert*: It’s not easy, and I’m already behind in week 1/12!