As most people got ready for a first week back at work post-Christmas, I was preparing for my first week working for myself. I’d had a break over Christmas but had still been working on and off – answering emails and writing bits and bobs – but that first full week of January when I was home alone was when I knew it would really hit home.

So this is how it went.

Monday

I had five runners starting training plans I’d written for them for London marathon on Monday, so the day (and weeks) before had been getting them finished and making sure everything was clear. So I slept in a little my first Monday.

I had arranged to meet for a coffee in Islington to discuss an exciting potential project, so I ran 5 miles there to get my run in. Then I bought a running skirt in the sale, and got the bus home.

I checked in with my online coaching clients. They set some goals for the year ahead that we discussed and then I headed off to the track in the evening to coach a club session.

Tuesday

I’ve been having problems with my right arm and shoulder for a while now and it wasn’t helped by sitting at a desk clicking a mouse 8 hours a day for 10 years. Ironically, the first week of not doing that, it flared up. And as I still need to work from a computer some of the time, I had to adapt. I made myself a stand up desk in my kitchen that involved putting my laptop on top of the toaster.

I had a lot admin for my running groups to do as they start again next week. All done from the toaster desk. Then headed off for a few laps of Finsbury Park in my new running skirt. When I got back I was interviewed for an article for Runners World, wrote a blog and planned some training sessions for the next 8 weeks.

Wednesday

I got up early and put on some real clothes for the first time all week to go meet an editor about some potential work which would be really exciting. Then I headed to the gym for a treadmill interval session. It’s a real luxury to have time to run in the day and to not have to rush through a warm-up or cool down to fit it into a lunch break.

I had a one-to-one coaching session in the evening, so headed out on my bike to go meet my runner. It was good to catch up with her after a Christmas break.

Thursday

I had a long cycle to meet a new client whose husband had bought her six one-to-one training sessions and a 12-week plan for a half marathon for Christmas. What a lovely guy. For our first session it rained. A lot. But luckily she was still smiling at the end.

I met a friend in town for lunch, then headed home to work on a training plan for the Prague marathon and the content for my marathon workshop at the end of the month.

It was a rest day today for me so no running (just 16 miles on the bike), but I did some Jasyoga videos in the evening.

Friday

As part of my goals for the year I want to find more ‘stillness’. Part of this means working for myself (tick) but I also don’t want to fill every minute of the day with my new work. Something I had to remind myself when writing my list of things to do for the week on Monday morning.

Another part of that is moving my long runs to Fridays so I can spend less of the weekend running when my friends and family are free and I can hang out with them. So today I ran 12 miles in the morning and then came back to a bath and some lunch before settling in for an afternoon of admin and writing this post.

And with that, I wish you a great weekend and happy running!