Dubliner Elaine Roddy is one of the many thousands of women who’ll be pounding the pavement on 1 June to compete in this year’s Mini Marathon.

The Kinsealy native will be sharing her training highs and lows with Herald.ie readers as she prepares for the race of her life.

Wednesday 25 March: Another week gone and another reminder that I’m a fair bit off running 10km with any kind of ease. As predicted I spent the best part of last week aching from top to bottom having started back with thanks to my personal trainer. Ever the optimist, or perhaps a sadist in disguise, he put me through my paces with lots of lunges, squats, tricep dips, bicep curls, crunches and hip raises followed by some cardio. I then took on my biggest challenge of the session – getting down the stairs without my fatigued legs giving way. I was like a walking piece of jelly and I reckon my eyelids were the only part of my body not aching afterwards. It was, however, that kind of endurable pain where you know it heralds a new, fitter, more toned you. But, only if you keep up the good work. My trainer has advised that the more conditioned my body is, the more it can withstand extended training and indeed the easier this whole process will be.

I must admit I am finding the running a little easier already. I went out three times this week and then did a fast 45 minute walk at the weekend. The longer evenings certainly make the prospect of training much easier, as it seems you can fit so much more into the time between finishing work and going to bed. Indeed, mornings are brighter too, though I’m not getting very far on fitting training in then, unless you count setting my alarm with the intention of getting up progress, in which case, I am coming on in leaps and bounds.

I did, of course, encounter a couple of obstacles in my healthy diet plan during the week. The first being Saint Patrick’s Day where the only progress I made was in challenging the capacity of my liver to process alcohol. Like most of the country I was caught up in the excitement of the rugby and boxing on Saturday, whiling away several hours in the local pub to celebrate. I got as far as putting on a tracksuit and trainers on Sunday, but there my intentions ground to an exhausted halt. I spent the day shuffling from the couch to the kitchen, adding comfort food indulgence to my downward spiral of the day. I’m still basking in all the glory of our recent national sporting achievements, though I’ve started this week on a very motivated level with every intention of making great progress….fingers crossed.

Next week: Will Elaine progress past good intentions to imitate the determination and fighting spirit of her sporting gods or is she due another round of aches and pains?

- Elaine Roddy