Hi, this is Debbie Boyle's coach at Mojo for Running with podcast number 37.

Michelle Ely's Journey, a love affair with running.

I've been corresponding with Michelle for about a year now as she made that journey that so many of you have made or are making from unfit to runner.

And I really thought you'd appreciate hearing about it.

Michelle is 42 now and was 40 when she began running 18 months ago. The mother of two young children,

like so many other busy moms, she was just miserable because her weight had plateaued.

She just couldn't lose the last of her pregnancy weight. It affected both

her confidence and happiness. To make it worse, Michelle sings in a band for a living. Not surprisingly,

she was self-conscious every time she walked on stage. I first heard from Michelle a year ago,

about six months after she started running. She lives in Essex, England.

So this came to me on November 15th of 2011. Dear Debbie, I started running in May this year,

previously having tried and failed many times to get into running, going too fast, too far, too soon,

usually ending up injured. I felt very self-conscious initially to the point I had to talk myself into getting out there,

and I certainly never ever thought that I would be able to run constantly for even 10 minutes.

I used couch to 5K, and it has been amazing.

I ran my first 5K in Hyde Park, London in September.

Due to injury a few weeks before, not running related, I might add,

that race was the very first time I actually ran the whole distance with no walking.

I did it in 3256, which I was really pleased with. I had been looking for something to listen to whilst running that would be educational and inspiring and came across your

podcasts on iTunes. Perfect. I learned so much, so so much from you, and since that 5K, I ran another just five weeks later, having taken

on your training advice.

I felt confident and thoroughly relished every moment and did it in 2829.

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