Melissa Barker-Simpson

In a moment of madness I agreed to sign up for the Birmingham Half-Marathon in October and run 13 miles.

My physical state when I initially paid for my entrance fee in May was not exactly in brilliant condition. As someone who likes their food, along with the occasional cigarette and cocktail, my body has slowly increased in size to the point where I have easily gained 60+lbs in the last five years, and while I was fit enough to swim or run around for hours regularly in my youth, I could barely walk up the stairs a few months ago without feeling flustered and out of breath.

A sweaty Suzie with the lovely Andrew… Gorgeous. I’m thinking of adopting it as my new look…

After a month (ok, two months) of procrastination, my friend and I decided that we would start our training, which began in July. That first…