My new running shoes!

I've got some new trainers!

Well it's about time actually, because I'm starting to get blisters and shin splints while making do with my old gym trainers (which look nice but are very unsuitable for a dedicated athlete like me!)

The old ones were giving me blisters on the ends of my toes (see this lovely pic below!) - but I'm going to have to look after these little tootsies if they're going to last me the year!

So we've been to SportsShoes Unlimited (or SportsShoes.com) in Bradford (which is going to shut down next month, unfortunately) and bought a lovely pair of trainers. They're silver and purple ones to me, but for anyone who's interested in further detail they're Brooks Lady Adrenaline GTS 11 Running Shoes. Yes, that was 'Lady'. Perfect for me, ey?

Anyway, I did a little run on the treadmill in the shop and the man told me I overpronate (initially strike the ground on the outside of my heel but roll my foot too far the other way before bouncing off on my toes, putting strain on all the wrong bits in my ankles and knees) so I needed some trainers with support in the arch to help me stop that happening.

Afterwards we took the trainers to Nandos and soon I'll be taking them out on the road... stay tuned!

My Challenge: The Rules

Well tomorrow is June 1st, so that means it's not long at all until my one-year challenge starts.
So here are the rules:

• I have to run every day from June 25, 2012, until June 25, 2013 - my 29th birthday.
• I have to run at least one mile per day.
• I have to run 1,000 miles in the year - 2.75 miles a day, almost 20 miles a week.

I've had this in my mind for a good five months or so, but I haven't told many people - mostly in case I realised I was a complete hopeless case once I actually got my trainers on and started running.

But as it turns out I can put one foot in front of the other ok, so that's a start.

As you might know it's all in aid of charity - so you can be sure I'll be one the sponsorship trail very soon. I'm in the process of sorting out an online giving account, so I'll be posting the details here as soon as I can.

Anyway, this is my challenge blog and I'll be posting here each day about my run and putting up a picture or even a video if I see anything interesting. I'll also be posting my running total (!) so we can all see whether I'm on track for my target.