Women's Running Magazine

29 May 2014

I’m constantly reminded of the many reasons why I run. At first, it was purely for weight loss and vanity – along with the hope of pulling a fit bloke in a rock group when I was too young to know any better! (It worked, by the way). Nowadays, it’s for health, sanity and stress-busting. When I’ve had a bad day, I get out and run. When I don’t run, I don’t feel good about myself. My mind and body feel out of balance. I’m not a spiritual person and that may sound weird, but I know I’m not alone. Lots of my friends feel the same way. So many women run not to get faster, fitter or stronger (although these benefits naturally occur anyway) – they run to improve their mindset and prove to themselves just what they can achieve. In this issue, we have an inspirational story of one woman who was told she’d never run again after developing a tumour on her leg and how she fought back (see page 100). Also in this issue, if you’re a new runner and you want to burn some calories and lose weight, find out how to make running work for you and your waistline on page 44. Whatever your reasons for running, just run. Don’t overthink it, just get out there and do it. At this time of year, many of us are starting to think about training for autumn half marathons. If you’re doing one for the first time, read our piece on how to prepare for your first half on page 28 and if you’re going for a half marathon PB, follow our training plan on page 34. Races serve as a great inspiration to many runners. There’s no better discipline to get out and run than the knowledge that you’ve signed up for a race and need to start training. In this issue, we’ve selected 100 of the best races for the second half of 2014. Whether it’s a fast, flat course, beautiful scenery, top-notch organisation or a superb race-day atmosphere, read our list of the 100 best races on page 53 and you may just find your next challenge. Christina Macdonald, Editor-in-Chief