Running - clears the mind and trims my behind!

So whenever I feel like I have gained a little weight or need to clear my mind running always does the trick! I love food and a little drink especially with lighter summer nights there is nothing better than sitting in the garden with a glass of G&T or wine whilst watching the kids burn of energy! Being able to eat and drink what I want means I have to make sure I burn off the same amount of calories that I have consumed and the best exercise I have found works well for me is running. Its hard at first no doubt and getting past that 10 minute barrier is hard at first (difficulty breathing until you have reached good pace and feel like you can breathe easily). Dont get me wrong I love the range of classes at my local gym which do loads for me both mentally and physically particulalrly HIT and Xplosion training which are 30-45 mins. The main downside for me is having to travel along with the fuss of sorting your kit out. with running, it means I can simply step out of the door and go wherever I want to whether its for 20 minutes or an hour it definately helps me maintain or lose weight fairly easily. One of main downsides to running for me is some of the injuries you can get such as calf strain. For me I tend to get injuries when I dont strtch off thoroughly and I have forgotton to listen to my body so end up over training. When injuries do crop up, I have to rest and/or reduce the time and pace I run at and in time the injury seems to go away. I have definately learned to listen to my body more now that I am a little older!!!