Day 1: A Marathon Start & A Mid-Run Poo Stop (The Dog - Not Me)

Hi, I'm Holly.

I’m a 37-year-old, full-time working mum, founder of my new startup brand—Vivienne Kondi (you’re on the website!), author of Never Accept a Sh*t Cup of Tea (yes, that’s really what it’s called), and, just to make my life that little bit more full-on, I’m training for a marathon and a sub-20-minute 5K. Because why not pile on the chaos?

Now, I know what you're thinking—impossible goals, right? But hear me out. My starting fitness level isn’t too bad. I run every single morning with my crazy dog who cannot be trusted off the lead. In fact, today marks day 294 of running. Every. Single. Morning. That might sound impressive, but let me swiftly de-impress you—1. The dog does most of the work. 2. Sometimes I barely scratch out 2K. BUT, the important thing is I get up and out, sometimes at an absolutely unreasonable hour of the morning. And now, thanks to my good friend Chat Cheesy P (also known as ChatGPT, but he’s earned the nickname), I have an actual structured marathon training plan that will (hopefully) get me across that finish line and closer to my dream of a sub-20 5K.

Now, running every day may not be everyone’s cup of tea—though, if you've read my book, you'll know I don't accept sh*t cups of tea, so maybe that checks out. If at any point I feel like I’m going to break, I’ll stop. I’m not in the business of injuries. But 294 days in? I think I’ve built up enough resilience to keep going—with the right guidance from my AI coach, of course.

So, how’s day one of actual, structured training gone?

Well, today I ran 3K with the dog, and let’s just say... it was not my best. Not because I wasn’t trying, but because it’s that time of the month, (boo) and honestly, I just felt off. Sluggish, a bit uncomfortable, and for some reason, my hips were not happy with me. Probably because I was messing around with my new ankle weights and a skipping rope yesterday (note to self: maybe don’t do that again the night before a run). My heart rate was higher than I’d like it to be, but, I still got out there and got it done.

Run stats: 5:53AM 3.01km in 16:12, average pace 4:58/km (best km: 4:39), max heart rate 179, average heart rate 153. Training focus: threshold aerobic. Efficiency rating: great (102%). Stops to pick up dog poo: 1 (not so great).

After work, I did my strength session—15/20 minutes instead of the planned 30 (I am either already incredibly strong or I was doing it wrong—my bet is the latter). The session included:

• Squats

• Lunges

• Deadlifts

• Core work

I can already feel I’m going to ache tomorrow, but that’s fine. No negativity here. This blog is a safe space for anyone who wants to follow one restless woman’s route to marathon completion. No “you should do this” or “you should do that”—just my journey, my wins, my struggles, and my occasional over-sharing about my dog’s questionable behavior.

Oh, and let’s not forget—I’m also trying to build my brand at the same time. My lunch break at work? Spent chasing suppliers, sorting out stock, and making sure my next batch of Vivienne Kondi bags gets out into the big wide world. And of course, finished my latest Netflix watch. Because all of that sounds like a totally normal thing to do… said no one ever.

I’ll be vlogging this whole journey too (or at least I will try—me and social media do not go very well together), so if you prefer watching over reading, follow me on TikTok at @viviennekondiofficial. But if you’re here for the words, then welcome—I hope you stick around for the ride.

Some people may think that there is a reason behind all this madness. And if I carry on writing here in my little haven to house all my lost words, then I might pluck up the courage to really dig deep and explain (or try to explain) how my mind works. How life can feel so incredibly full but simultaneously lonely. How I miss parts of my old life like I would miss my favorite, worn-in, perfectly fitting jeans that I can never quite replace. How my new life doesn’t quite push me to my limits, so I try to do it myself. How you can have picture-perfect clear directions but still manage to get lost. But for now, this is just an introduction to my marathon start line. Whether I finish or not is another subject.

If you’re into mindset, motivation, and living life with intention, you need to read my book Never Accept a Sh*t Cup of Tea. It will definitely give you a head start and a clearer picture of how my mind works.

Day one over and out—goodnight loves, H x