Nearly three weeks in Australia and three runs have been completed. The most recent was in the stunning Grampian Mountains at 7am. And there’s a lesson to be learned from it.

My trainers were packed at the bottom of my rucksack so were a hassle to get out because it involves getting everything else out and the more times I do that the more reluctant my crap seems to be to go back in the bag. I sat at dinner eating my second helping of pasta and declared ‘I might go for a run in the morning’. I wasn’t expecting to hear ‘I’ll come with you’.

So running date made, it was difficult to hit the snooze button knowing that another runner was lacing up their shoes and waiting for you. So I too jumped out of bed and put on my slightly smelly kit which I dug out from the depths of my bag.

Three miles through Halls Gap when the sun was blue and the air crisp passing nobody but a lot of kangaroos who looked on slightly puzzled was a great start to the day. And when I got back I repacked my bag so that now my trainers are at the top. Hopefully that will result in a few more memorable runs.

It’s difficult to motivate yourself to run sometimes and easy to find barriers between yourself and running. Remove as many of these barriers as you can, by repacking your own bag whatever that is, and make it easier for you to run.