When I was younger, the one thing I detested more than anything else was any form of exercise. I tolerated swimming, but running was definitely my nemesis. Fast forward to my late 30s, 38 to be precise, and I was encouraged to take part in the Cancer Research Run for Life as part of the Suffolk Magazine team. Although I had zero experience, I thought to myself, if I have to do this, I'm going to give it my best shot. I downloaded the Couch to 5K app and got training.

It turns out I really enjoyed it. I’m not sure whether it was because I was training on my own terms or plodding through the lovely Suffolk countryside, free from the fear of my Bronson-inspired PE teacher, I got hooked. I'm not naturally athletic, but I love the outdoors. And June 2012, the month of the London Olympics, I completed my first ever 5K race. Since then, I've done numerous 10Ks, many park runs, and even a half marathon.

But, there've been many injuries on the way; ankle fractures and sprains mainly, but certainly not exclusively. They've left me feeling cautious and nervous about my running. I know it only takes one small pothole to send me back to the X-ray department!

Despite my lack of athletic prowess, I still have ambition, if only to improve my current times.

However, the fear of fracturing my ankle holds me back. So when Sue Tetley, (Sue Tetley Wellness featuring Thrive By Sue) told me about her Run Confident collaborative workshop with Changing Paces, I was 100% up for it.

Based in the gloriously newly-renovated goods shed in Clare, I spent a morning dedicated to mindset and practical running techniques, goal setting and challenging ingrained limiting beliefs that were holding us back.

Ten keen potential runners of all experience and abilities attended. Some had run marathons but were nervous after having children. Some, like myself, were dogged with injury. Some were new and wanting to give running a try.

We talked about what we thought held us back and equally,  what motivates us. More importantly, we discussed what we could do to break through that barrier & retrain our thoughts. Together set our goals, made ourselves accountable, and then headed out to The Castle Park to learn some practical skills.

Running coach Cat is actually a helicopter engineer for the army by day, but she has a passion for helping people improve their running. It turns out I don't have to be Jessica Ennis-Hill to reach my goal, but by making small changes to the way I move my arms, lift my heel or where I place the ball of my foot will make a difference when I train.

Bringing to my running what I learned from Cat and the goal setting and accountability I took from Sue’s session, I'm confident I will move closer to my running goal.

If you’re wondering what that is, I shall tell you. I’d like to run a sub-one hour 10K without getting injured.

See you soon at ParkRun