Share your running tips to win a copy of This Mum Runs PLUS Thule Glide sports stroller worth over £300!

[SorchaMumsnet]

Excited for the Olympics? To celebrate the publication of British athlete Jo Pavey's This Mum Runs, here's a chance to win a copy of the new book PLUS a Thule Glide sports stroller - perfect for any mum who runs.

Jo Pavey was 40 when she won the 10,000m at the European Championships. It was her first gold medal and, astonishingly, it came within months of having her second child. Now 42, Jo will be representing Team GB in the Athletics squad for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Jo has been dubbed ‘Supermum’, but her story is in many ways the same as every mother juggling working life with a family – the sleepless nights, the endless nappy changing and the school-run chaos. The only difference is that Jo is a full-time athlete pushing a buggy on her training runs and clocking up miles on the treadmill while her daughter has her lunchtime nap.

Heartwarming and uplifting, This Mum Runs follows Jo’s roundabout journey to the top and all the lessons she's learned along the way. It is the inspiring yet everyday story of a mum that runs and a runner that mums.

Share your running tips for a chance to win a copy of This Mum Runs plus a Thule Glide award-winning high performance sports stroller worth over £300.

This discussion is sponsored by Penguin Random House and will end on 17 August

Getting out the door is the hardest. Once you have started you will be pleased you did.

Invest in proper trainers and sports bra.

Good running shoes and socks are essential.

I'm currently aiming to do a 10m race and I find running slightly further every time- even if it's 0.1 miles further always means I get a sense of achievement.

Accept that some days you will go out planning to run 10k and will feel awful, everything hurts, you just can't find your stride and you manage 3k.

Other days you will go out intending to run a slow 3k and will come home feeling amazing having done a 10k PB.

And accept that sometimes you just don't know what sort of run it will turn out to be!

Get divorced. The mothers I know who became super runners did it in the wake of divorces!

After years of trying to start to run. I eventually

Sorry got distracted after years of trying to run I eventually managed it after dc2.
Started off very slow it was my 20 min escape from home at the start when I got more confident and could run for longer I joined my local running club.

I found this very helpful. It is full of friendly and encouraging people a year after starting I ran my first half marathon and have made lots of new friends helping me feel settled I the area we moved to.
I love parkrun as well and even my mum has started doing them. Walking with a little jog at 61!
Running is my time to sort out my head and helps me be the person I want to be. My sanity!
Just good trainers and a great sports bra!

Find your local parkrun, the sense of community and awesome support from fellow runners is so motivating. Also sign up for some races - it's very satisfying seeing the bling accumulate

Don't feel disheartened if you go for a long run and come back after a mile. Sometimes you just won't 'feel it' and that's ok. Even running a mile is a mile more than you would have done if you hadn't pulled your trainers on!!
Good trainers and sports bra are essential, otherwise wear anything comfortable - you don't need expensive kit to start running.

The first time I went for a run, I was so unfit that I threw up after less than two minutes into a nearby canal. But soon afterwards I was running 10k races, then half marathons and then a full marathon. Not very quickly, but hey, I was doing it.

My tips are...

• Just do it. Stop making excuses and just set off running - any time, anywhere, however slowly. Walk when you need to, and gradually the running will increase and the walking will decrease.

*Lay your kit out the night before. If you're a morning runner, make sure it's the first thing you put on. If you're an evening runner, pack it or put it by the door as a visual reminder.

*Stop making "too busy" excuses. Everyone is busy. With a full time job, a baby and a toddler the only time I get to run is during my commute, on lunch breaks or on a weekend. So snatch your chances where you can

*Spend money on good running shoes and a supportive sports bra. Panache, Freya Active and Shock Absorber are great. All the rest of your kit can be cheap as chips.

*Finally, parkrun! It's fun, free, and inclusive of all abilities. There's no better way to track your improvement. I've knocked nine minutes off my PB since I started, and that feels great. Even though I'm still nowhere near the front of the pack.

Good footwear and lots of water.

Decent kit - shoes, bra, lightweight top and leggings - and drink plenty of fluids

Get a good pair of trainers! I ruined my knees when I started and put it down to them not fitting properly. Also a supportive sports bra is essential.

Also as others said just put your trainers on & go, thinking about it too long means I'm less likely to go out. Especially if the weathers not great or too hot!

I used running as a way to clear my head. I started when I was going through a difficult time, and it helped me figure out what I wanted from life. My tip would be to use it as more than just a physical form of exercise!

Hardest bit is starting. I thought I hated running -flashbacks to cross country at school in gym knickers and additional humiliation of being sloooooow. But running as an adult is all about ME. Me time, thinking time, feeling great when I come back -relaxed and endorphins flowing, feeling like I'm doing something good for myself for a change. And if you are super unfit you quickly see improvements - great for the self esteem, and very addictive. Agree with lots other here - try C25K, start small rather than trying to run miles at once, otherwise you will get discouraged. Great for your fitness (&chasing toddlers!), great for your mental health, great for your self esteem. Why didn't games at school teach me exercise could be like this?! Cant wait to get going again after this baby is born (maybe with new buggy as incentive!)

Best way is to start gradually, an If your self conscious like I was go somewhere quiet or have a buddy. I started off running in shor bursts an gradually It got longer an longer. Now i can jog for an hour or more with needing a rest.

Put your trainers by the front door and just go jogging. Don't think about it too much. They are many running apps such as c25k which gradually help you build up and other apps such as Nike run which track how far and fast you've run. These really help your motivation. The main thing is when your out jogging your already beating those at home sat on the couch!

you're

Don't run before you can walk! Lol. I decided to pace myself by walking at a faster speed than I would normally and then starting to jog gently. I set a goal of reaching a landmark. A post box, a tree or a sign. Then the distance to my new landmark increased as my stamina got better. Great fun x

Get blister socks, thy are a life saver when running long distances. Also stay focuses mentally on your goals as this helps keep you going when getting tired.

If you're planning to go running in the morning, put your running kit out the night before. Avoids "...oops my top is in the wash" or "but I can't find..." type excuses.

I have ME so going for a 'big run' is not going to happen most days, however like pp have said going for a fast walk or even an interval of normal/fast running is a really good start
Also as a SP leaving the kids with anyone isn't going to happen so a running buggy would be a great idea

Good trainers, good music and a good bra for those post-feeding golf balls in socks!

Run slow (at least when you're starting out). You should be able to talk easily and ideally testing that out by chatting to a running buddy!

I also like to give myself visual goals I.e I'll run to that tree then I can take a break if I really need it, but if I make it to the tree and feel ok I'll challenge myself to make it to the lamp post before resting etc. You can get pretty far doing that

my Top Tip is have a go with a big teddy in the pram 1st and watch what happens to ted when you run, just incase there is any part of the pram that your child will keep getting hit against when you go over wonky pavements, kerbs etc. You'd be surprised by how much a elbow hit against the seat bar can hurt, trust me I once tried out my daughters pram and it hurt

I get up early and run - when I get back sometimes everyone is still asleep, sometimes dh has made a start on getting them ready. I take over after I've showered and he goes to work. Then I go to work!
I also run in the evening after dd2&3 are in bed (if dh is home) and take dd1 with me on her bike. It's a lovely 121 time for us and encourages her to exercise more too. I always run faster when she's with me as I'm thing to keep up!