No matter how many excuses you make not to exercise, there will always be more good reasons why you should get active. For instance, taking up a sport such as running on a regular basis will give you more energy, keep you young and fit looking and add a pep to your step in so many ways. Your mind will be more alert from the regular aerobic workouts, you will enjoy wonderful natural highs following the exertion of each run and most interesting of all, this sharper new you will suddenly be able to cope with anything life throws at you - no matter how stressful. The truth is being fit gives you an edge. It puts you on top of your game and gives you a sense of advantage that heightens your wellbeing overall. This in turn serves as an extra incentive to stick with your fitness workouts to maintain this new, improved you and to stay ahead of the posse - whether that be in relation to your work, your finances or just your general outlook on life. I know all this because it happened to me!

Two years ago, at the age of 40, I started running. Back then I weighed over 12 stone. I had given birth to two little boys and two little girls over the previous eight years and while I was enjoying motherhood, my self-esteem was pretty low. Physically, I felt fat and frumpy. I worried that I was on a downward slope heading towards my middle years. If I kept going as I was, I would be completely out of shape in a few more years - and even less likely then to want to do anything about it. So I took myself off to the gym and my transformation began. To cut a long story short, I fell in love with the treadmill, moved my running outdoors and next thing I knew, I was training for 5k and 10k races.

As my fitness levels improved, my body fat reduced and I was soon able to run much easier with two stone less to carry around. I then moved on to running half-marathons and a few weeks ago completed my first marathon - the Connemara Marathon. I covered all 26.2 miles of this mountainous and beautifully scenic course in a time of 4 hours and 14 minutes - which left me with a fantastic sense of personal achievement. I am now back to running between 5 and 10 miles on a regular basis while I recover gradually before moving on to my next big challenge - probably the Dublin City Marathon in October.

Right now there are tens of thousands of women in Ireland training for the Flora Mini-Marathon in June. The 10k distance in this event is a perfect pitch between short and long-distance running. Once you can run 10k, the sky really is the limit. Knowing now that I can and did run a marathon, has me literally buzzing with happiness and such a fantastic sense of achievement, that I know is going to last and last. It's a wonderful gift of self-knowledge, discovering that you, as an individual, can achieve a feat that is recognised all around the world as a considerable test of human endurance. As long as I can keep looking after my physical and mental health, I can go on now to set myself new goals, new targets to strive towards, in the ultimate journey towards self-fulfilment. Being physically active is more important to me now than ever, as I move in to my forties, when the body is expected to start deteriorating. I feel better than I did ten and twenty years ago, even if my bits and pieces are so much older. They are also so much better oiled now with all the exercise I do on a regular basis. With my body feeling good, my mind in turn is feeling great. Being fit is keeping me happy. The happy hormones are also fuelling my drive in regard to family and work and I have never felt more ambitious and yet so mellow at the same time. The family are seeing the best of me and benefiting in turn from having a supportive, encouraging mum and wife, who knows the joy of achievement but appreciates that for every individual, it will come in its own time - when the person is ready.

Since taking up running in 2005 I have five medals to my name - four half-marathon medals and now my first marathon medal. They are all hung up on a beam in our summer house and sparkle like mad in the sunshine - adding to the feel-good factor every time I look at them. So to any of you out there right now dreaming of running a marathon some day, I say, go for it. If your body is in good enough nick, if you're health isn't compromised and if you are so busy you can't find time for yourself - this is exactly the challenge you need! Be sure to start off small though. Start by going for walks and throwing in a minute or two of a jog. Build up gradually from 1 minute to 2 minute then 3-10-20 minute runs. At the end of six weeks you should be able to run for 30 minutes non-stop, covering a distance of approximately 5k. After that, there'll be no stopping you.

For more inspiration read my book, 'Anyone can run' and check out the training advice for 5k and 10k runs. Further details of my marathon experience on www.anyonecanrun.blogspot.com.