Inspiration for going for a run comes from all sorts of places. Sometime you just wake up full of energy, sometimes you see someone running down the street (thus making you feel guilty enough to go too), and sometimes you spot a picture on facebook of an exe's girlfriend will her belly hanging out and question whether she's pregnant or simply indulged in too much lager (and then ask yourself, do people think that when they look at me, too?!).

And so this afternoon I went for my first run in a while. This impressed me as the weather outside is atrocious! My teeth were chattering before I left the front gate.

This was also my first run around my new neighbourhood, Thorndon. In a 20 minute jog (better than nothing, next week it'll be 25, and the next 30 etc - well that's the plan), I ran past an aromatic indian restaurant (cue rumbling tummy), waved to the PM (or vaguely in the direction of the residence) at premier house, past the speights ale house (triggering thoughts of what I would do for a beer right then), and down the hill and around parliament and back across the motorway bridge (or wind tunnel making for a perilous jog) and home.

The bit by the botanic gardens down to parliament should've been an easy down hill but the wind was blowing so hard it was all I could do to see through squinted eyes while trying to protect them from rain and flying detritus. It was also pretty funny as each time I took a step the wind would blow that foot into the other leg. Cue: bruises.

Well a jog is a jog. Doubtful it'll do anything for the beer gut since I devoured a picnic bar upon reaching home, but every little bit helps.

P.S. I've booked my return flight to South America. And more money to head into the savings account this week. It's all becoming very real. 24 weeks until I touch down there.