Ramblings of a multi-tasker

You are not welcome!

2012-02-08T14:25:00.001-08:00

Last Tuesday I completed Janathon and I was on a huge high. This Tuesday I was ill in bed and miserable. After a three day rest from running, which I felt my body deserved, I came down with a stinker of a cold and I have still got it. As the snow began to arrive so did my high temperature, blocked sinuses, conjunctivitis and cough. Yum!

I made it very clear that illness was not welcome in January but it is also not welcome in February, March or April. I am going to have to sit this out and wait for my body to recover and then I am going to get back out there and work twice as hard. I’m ready to hit the track and to give the hills a go too because I mean business in Berlin. I just need to listen to my body, eat healthily and wait until I’m well enough to go hard again.

Janathon day 31: Crossing the finish line and the 100 mile mark

2012-02-01T14:45:00.000-08:00

I made it! Last night I completed Janathon with no breaks but I just couldn’t muster enough energy to blog. I set out to exercise every day and if possible, I wanted to run every day. I managed to run 28 days out of a possible 31 and even though there were days I really didn’t want to exercise, I am really pleased that I did it.

I haven’t really experienced any negative comments on my blog before but on Monday night this comment was left.

Janathon has most definitely not been about torturing my body or being virtuous about it. For me it was about setting myself a challenge. I knew it would be tough but I wanted to prove to myself that even when things get tough, you can succeed and surprise yourself. I was so determined to succeed because I wasn’t able to complete Janathon last year.

It was also about kick starting my training for the Berlin Half Marathon on 1^st April. I want to complete the course in under 2 hours and I am prepared to work hard to achieve my goal. There are going to be days that I don’t want to train but if I’m serious I need to learn to get over that feeling and get out there no matter what.

Throughout January I ran over 100 miles and I was ecstatic that the last day of January fell on a Tuesday so that I could run my final Janathon run with my Run Dem Crew friends. I was grinning the whole way to Nike Town and back and when we arrived back to the arches at 1948, I was greeted by this. What an inspiration! I'm done with just dreaming and this year I'm willing to work hard and train for what I want to achieve.

Janathon has been great. I have had the chance to follow some really inspirational and determined people as they ran and blogged their way through the month and I have really enjoyed the group training mentality. Thank you to every single person that tweeted or posted a message of support. It may be the end of Janathon but it is only the beginning of a long road of training. I am determined to work hard and be the absolute best I can be but I am definitely looking fowarrd to a sports massage and some rest days.

Janathon days 29 & 30: One more day to go

2012-01-30T14:31:00.000-08:00

I was planning a long run yesterday morning and I was also planning a surprise baby shower for my best friend. I decided the least stressful plan was to bake in the morning and get everything ready for the baby shower to then pick my heavily pregnant friend up at 1:30. Trying to squeeze in a long run before was just not going to work so I planned to do it in the afternoon. The baking was a success and we managed to suitably surprise the mummy to be.

By the time I got home it was late, dark and I was tired. I was still feeling sore and Janathon had really started to take its toll. I could have happily snuggled on the sofa but I wasn’t giving up this late in the day. I headed out of the door and did my 5k route. I was tired and thirsty as amongst the excitement I had managed to forget to drink but I didn’t do too badly and felt really good once I’d been for a run. However my legs were throbbing when I got home. I am really in need of a sports massage and a rest.

RDC West was starting tonight and I had set my heart on going but when I woke up this morning, I knew it wasn’t a good idea. I made a decision before I left for work and left my kit at home so that I wouldn’t be tempted. When I started my training on 1^st January I was clear that I wanted to exercise every day and I was going to try and run every day but only if my body would allow. My body needed a break tonight. I thought it was the best option to have a day off from the running and head to the pool instead so that’s what I did. I swam 40 lengths (1000m) and felt great and I’m now more excited than ever about RDC tomorrow.

I have enjoyed Janathon but if I’m being honest, I am looking forward to finishing tomorrow and having rest days. My body feels like it needs a break and so does my brain. I have managed to blog most days but there have been a couple of double whammies when I have just run out of hours in the day. I am proud that I have managed to exercise every single day, although I swam on two days and walked on one. It still means that I have run for 27 out of 30 days so far. I am thrilled that day 31 has landed on a Tuesday and I can finish in style with my friends running by my side.

Janathon day 28: Can I call myself a runner yet?

2012-01-28T16:27:00.000-08:00

As planned this morning I decided not to run today, but I didn’t slack off and walked 11.5km instead. 6.5km of that was with way too many shopping bags and my arms were ready to drop off when I got home. It was the first day that I haven’t changed into my kit to do my exercise and it felt strange so I’m looking forward to my long run tomorrow now. I did get the urge to just go out and run but it really is important to listen to your body. For me, Janathon has been a great way to kick start my training, but I want to stay healthy and injury free so I vowed at the start I would be sensible.

I got a pleasant surprise today when I found out that I’m in the March issue of Runner’s World magazine. A few months ago I volunteered myself as a case study for a feature on how to get your running mojo back. I sent this blog post and spoke to the journalist about how difficult I found it to get back to running once my first half marathon was complete. My solution was joining Run Dem Crew and running with friends. I never received any confirmation of when the feature was going to run so it was a good start to the weekend to hear that I made it in. I’ve always had a bit of an issue with calling myself a runner but I guess I’m a little step closer if I’m in a running magazine, right!(That’s what I’ll keep telling myself.)

Running can be solitary and although I enjoy my own company, I found running with friends to be really inspiring and motivating. It helped me to get back in the swing of things and to keep up the training too. Throughout Janathon, I think the most important thing that I have discovered is to not overthink and to just do things. The more you ponder, the more chance you will actually end up not going to the gym or out for that run. We are all different but I like the balance between running on my own and running with my friends. Agreeing to meet with friends commits you to the cause and it is much harder to back out.

We all have to get to know how we tick and what works for us individually but reading the feature in Runner's World today made me realise just how important my friends have been. Not only my friends at RDC, but my Twitter friends too. Throughout January I have received so much support and encouragement and although I am stubborn and giving up has not been an option, having so many people knowing what I have vowed to do has really helped me to knuckle down. I know it’s not over yet but I wanted to say thank you for every tweet, every comment on my blog and every word of support. Janathon day 29, I can’t wait to see you. The same goes for Janathon day 30 and Janathon day 31, I’m even more excited to see you. I think I will feel even closer to calling myself a runner if I can go out with a bang on Tuesday!

Janathon day 27: My guardian angel

2012-01-28T04:21:00.000-08:00

After the track session on Thursday night I was feeling sore but if I was going to stay in the Janathon game on day 27, I needed to go running in the morning as I had plans for the evening. I reluctantly squeezed myself into my kit and forced myself out of the door before work. It hurt!

Whenever I am having a really tough run and I want to give up, I seem to have a little guardian angel that appears and snaps me back into reality just in time. I have seen this man in numerous different places and it’s always on days that I am struggling. On one occasion I was ready to give up in Richmond Park and I saw him and it made me determined to carry on. The same thing happened along the towpath in Putney. He has a prosthetic leg bladelike Oscar Pistorious to allow him to run as he only has one leg. I was struggling and hurting but he was looking strong and absolutely determined. He wasn’t letting his so called disability stop him as he sped past me, so I gritted my teeth and decided I wasn’t going to let my sore muscles stop me. Thank you to my running guardian angel that always seems to be in the right place at the right time, and helped me complete my short 3.5k morning run yesterday.

One thing I have learned this week is that track hurts. My muscles are more sore than they have been throughout the whole of Janathon and my legs feel tender in places that they never usually do. As for my poor glutes, sitting down and getting back up again is proving to be a challenge. I'm not giving up though, I will be seeing a track again in the next week or so.

I was originally planning to run today but I am going to see how I feel. I have a long run scheduled for tomorrow and I'm going to Run Dem Crew on both Monday and Tuesday as there is a new West crew starting this week. I want to finish Janathon in style, not in a limping mess, so it may make sense to take it a little easier today and skip my run and opt for some brisk walking instead. I will just wait and see as that little Janathon devil will probably start nagging me and I may just have to give in to the trainers.

Janathon day 25 & 26: The only way is up!

2012-01-26T16:03:00.000-08:00

This time last year Janathon was over for me. This year I am still feeling strong and I’m looking forward to completing Janathon on a high. I have run every day except one, where I chose to swim as my leg wasn’t feeling great. I headed to the gym last night to battle with the treadmill again. My music helped a lot last time, so I opted for some loud old school tunes.

I put my headphones in and started to run but my music was quiet, so I adjusted the volume to the max. Still the volume was pretty pathetic but I kept running. Soon after, my boyfriend was tapping me on the back frantically waving his hand at me. Oh yes, it seems the reason my music was quiet was because I had pulled the headphones out and the whole gym was in for a treat with my speed garage compilation on loudspeaker. Shame!

I wanted to do 5km and wanted to improve my time. I had 27:30 in my head but I was tired and I was struggling at 1.5km. I decide 3km would be my lot but as 3km neared, another good song came on, I got an extra energy burst, so I carried on. I was making good time, so despite feeling tired I just kept going. I had to slow down a couple of times as I had severe heartburn, caused by ramming crisp bread and jalapenos down my throat whilst heading out of the door. I would definitely not recommend this. I am pleased to say, I finished my run exactly on target with a big smile on my face.

Tonight was track night and I’m not going to lie, I was scared. I did say recently though that it is good to be scared and also that I need to take my own advice more. I travelled 18 stops on the tube so that some of my lovely @rundemcrew friends could show me the ropes. I arrived and as a complete beginner I felt out of my depth but you sometimes have to do things that are a little uncomfortable.

Everybody made me feel extremely welcome, giving me advice and helping me out during the group drill session before the track laps started. I did 3 x 400m warm up laps before the session really started. I then did 6 x 400m laps, with small walking rests in between each lap. I knew immediately that I hadn’t hydrated enough so after lap 3 I grabbed my bottle of water and felt much better. I ran at a speed that it was difficult to talk at and though it wasn’t fast compared to some of those speedy people whizzing around the track, it was faster than what I am used to. The warm down lap felt surprisingly easy after the fast laps. I'm hoping that a few mnore regualar track sessions will make my half marathin feel easy.

I finished, I survived and I was still smiling. I am determined to get quicker and I am happy to commit myself to track. I may not go all the way to Mile End every week (which really felt like Mile End on the journey home when I was ready to chew my own arm off) but I am going to venture along to my local track on the weeks I don’t get to train with the RDC guys. It was great running with some really experienced people tonight that were happy to share their knowledge. Thank you to @BangsandaBun and @RunUrb who encouraged me to come along and thank you to each and every person that took time out tonight to help me. Berlin Sub two hours, you will be mine!

Janathon day 24: Well and truly beaten

2012-01-24T16:21:00.000-08:00

This time last year I had the worst run ever! I was aching, felt terrible and was on the verge of tears the whole way round. Little did I know at the time, but the reason I was feeling so ropey on 24^th January, 2011, was because I was on the verge of coming down with flu. Not just a cold, but real flu where I couldn’t move from my bed. I am so stubborn that even though it was my last run of Janathon 2011, I still stubbornly tried to exercise on day 25, only to crash and burn in style.

I was determined that I was going to enjoy tonight and it was only ever going to be positive that it landed on a Tuesday, as Tuesdays mean Run Dem Crew. I felt good when I arrived and was greeted by this. The Nike Make It Count campaign relates to me and really captures how I feel.All I ever want to do is to do everything to the absolute best of my ability. I touched on this in my Happy 30s post.

There were 147 people at RDC tonight and it was fantastic. There was such a positive and exciting vibe in the room and I chose to run in the fast hares.

RDC at 1948 (Picture courtesy of @RuthHooper)

It felt good and we saw some great Lomdon sights along the way. According to my endomondo app on my phone, we ran 8.3km but when speaking to other members of the group after the run, it seems we actually ran nearer 9.4km. This makes me happy, as it means I am probably cutting myself short on my runs but I’m cool with that. I guess it's better than not running enough.Our group split into two groups as it was quite large and I opted to go with the 'sightseeing runners' who were keen to get a glimpse of Tower Bridge. I've lived in London for most of my life, but I am always so impressed by it. The lovely @glennhancock led our smaller group and we had a fantastic run. Thank you all for letting us stop so that I could take the Tower Bridge snap below. I regretted not taking one last week so I wasn't going to let it slip through my fingers again.

The run tonight was considerably longer than last year’s poor attempt and the only glimpse of being near to tears, was when I saw one of the new RDC members run under the human arch that we created at the end of her run. She was nervous beforehand but she pushed on through, finished that run showing grit and determination and she made herself proud. That is what RCD is about!

It is magical when you see new people discover Run Dem Crew for the first time and even more special when they finish their first run with a beaming smile on their face. Tonight was always going to be better than last year because I was running with friends. Janathon day 25, I look forward to seeing you!

Janathon day 22 & 23: A little bit of of pug love

2012-01-23T14:10:00.000-08:00

After an exercise filled month, my home was feeling a little neglected, so although I did my run yesterday, I just didn’t have time to blog. Yesterday the running gods were looking over us once more. I can’t get over how good the weather had been in comparison to this time last year. I have thoroughly enjoyed every single one of my long runs so far. Yes, it’s been cold but the sun has been shining and yesterday was no exception.

I was aiming to run 13km yesterday and as it was such a lovely day I thought I’d do a figure of eight river run. I started at Barnes Bridge and ran along the Southbank towards Hammersmith. I then crossed the bridge and ran along the other side of the river up past Fulham Football Club and on to Putney Bridge. I crossed the river once more, past the many rowing clubs back to Hammersmith and then back across once again for the final leg past Dukes Meadows towards Barnes Bridge. You can tell it’s marathon training season as there were so many people running on the towpath.

Eastenders style running route

The highlight of my run was seeing two gorgeous pugs as I ran past Hammersmith Bridge. When I came round the corner to be greeted by their squidgy little faces a couple of kilometres into my run, I was instantly cheered up and I knew I was going to have a good run. As I ran I called out “thank you for cheering me up” to the ladies that were walking the dogs. I continued running but was annoyed that I didn’t take a photo.

A pair of uggs and a couple of pugs

I couldn’t believe my luck when I was running from Putney Bridge to Hammersmith Bridge. In the distance two familiar squidgy faces came into sight. It was like a mirage. I wasn’t letting them out of my grasp this time round and I confess, I did stop my run for a little stroke of the cheeky pugs and to take a picture. But look, how could I resist? I went on to complete my 13km with a beaming smile. It’s funny how things just crop up to keep you going.

Today I was not really in the mood for running. I ate a couple of crisp breads before pulling on my kit and heading out of the door. Within a minute or two, I realised that I was actually feeling pretty strong. I went on to complete my regular 5km route in the fastest time so far and when I arrived home I was feeling fantastic. Definitely a good start to the week and tomorrow is Run Dem Crew. Janathon day 24, I’m looking forward to meeting you. Last year you very nearly broke me but this time I am not about to be struck by flu and I will not cry! In fact, I know I am going to have a big smile on my face.

Janathon day 21: My first taste of yoga to end week 3

2012-01-21T14:22:00.000-08:00

I went to my first ever yoga session today. I must admit that I was slightly nervous and didn’t really know what to expect but the nerves were a complete waste of energy. I came out feeling calm, relaxed and positive.

I will tell you a little about myself that many may already be aware of. I can be a bit of a stress-head although it’s not always apparent to the outside world. I’m just not very good at relaxing unless I am in a gorgeous spa resort. It somehow gives you permission to relax if you are away from home and the household chores, wearing a fluffy white robe. When I go for a massage, I am always being told to “just relax”, as my shoulders are normally tucked tight up into my neck. I am aware I need to chill sometimes but it is quite difficult to unlearn certain behaviour and let go.

I work in PR and have recently started working on the Manuka account. Manuka produce a range of gorgeous, yoga, Pilates and fitness clothes that are innovative and eco-friendly. You can buy the products online and in several stores but they also have a beautiful boutique and fitness studio on the New Kings Road. I was lucky enough to be invited along take part in a class and I jumped at the opportunity. I have considered trying yoga previously and have several books at home but I’ve never quite plucked up the courage to go.

The Manuka studio is quite different to a regular fitness studio in most gyms. It is absolutely beautiful with attention to detail throughout providing a peaceful, tranquil atmosphere. Each class only has about five people per instructor which is perfect for a beginner like me. In fact, in my class today it was just myself and one other student which allowed the instructor Natasha to help me throughout to ensure I was carrying out each of the poses correctly.

As soon as I stepped into the peaceful studio, I instantly felt calmer. The first part of the class was focused on concentrating on our breathing. I don’t think I have ever paid quite so much attention to how I breathe but it was a relaxing and calming experience. I have a tendency to rush through life, ticking off multiple things on my to do list, but it forced me to slow down and focus on just one thing. Although my mind did wander a few times, as I am a multi-tasker by nature and I do find it a little tricky to concentrate on just one thing.

We progressed to a number of different poses, constantly being reminded to focus on our breathing . There are a number of key poses I remember such as the downward facing dog, the cobra and the plank. There was one particular pose that I can’t remember the name of but that I found to be really beneficial for my tight hips, after three weeks of running. Natasha mentioned that the pose was great to release tightness in the psoas and although it may feel uncomfortable at first, it would be helpful to persevere to show you that you can achieve things that are at first uncomfortable. This really struck a chord with me and is exactly how I feel about a lot of things in life, including my running.

It was very different to any other exercise class that I have been to and although it wasn’t high impact and energetic, I certainly felt like I’d worked hard in a different way and I was even glowing. (Yeah, I do actually mean sweating but it it’s not very feminine!) I found the experience to be positive, uplifting and my body was loving me for it. It was like an extended calming, stretching session with positive reminders along the way. At one stage we were encouraged to inhale and think of bright colours, then exhale whilst thinking of the colour grey. It was like letting go of negative thoughts. It was only my first yoga class but I really think I will benefit from regular attendance as I felt like a new woman when I left. Thank you to Natasha for a fantastic introduction to yoga.

As well as the yoga class which was 1hour 15 minutes, I also did some other exercise today as I felt really energetic, even though I was calm and relaxed. I walked to and from yoga which was a total of just over 10km and I then ran the 3km to the gym, before doing a 550m swim. At the end of week 3 of Janathon, I have completed a total of 119km running,an extra 10km walking, 1050m swimming and my very first yoga class. I ran a total of 40km this week and did my first Run Dem Crew run of the year. It has most definitely been a good week!

I am really pleased that I have managed to run every day apart from one. I can be stubborn but I also know it is important to listen to your body sometimes to avoid injury. Last year I did exercise every day (until I got ill with flu towards the end of January) but I didn’t run every day, so I am thrilled with my progress. I feel great today and I’m looking forward to my long run tomorrow. My ankles are niggling me slightly but I’m just going to take it easy and enjoy it. Janathon week 3, over and out!

Janathon day 20: A forgotten costume = foam rolling

2012-01-20T16:02:00.000-08:00

I planned a chilled out relaxing night in the Jacuzzi and steam room but first I had to work for it. I hate feeling beaten and I’m determined to get over this hatred of the treadmill. As I have mentioned previously in this post, I have chosen to train without music. I tend to do most of my runs outside and as I said in yesterday’s post, I love enjoying the sights and sounds of the outdoors. The reason I find the treadmill so painful is because it is excruciatingly boring.

I decided to spice things up with some music in the form of one of my old garage albums and it was the best idea I’ve had all year. Don’t get me wrong, being in the gym on a Friday night isn’t the coolest thing ever but my old school music livened up the session more than you could ever imagine. The familiar sound of tunes I used to dance to when I was in my teens gave me the edge to keep pushing through, with a beaming smile on my face.

It was still really difficult and I was absolutely dripping with sweat but the music just made it all the more pleasurable. I love the way music can trigger great memories and as if by magic, when I took my earphones out and stepped off the treadmill, the Paris half marathon theme tune was on. It was the song that was played as we all crossed the start line (Barbra Streisand by Duck Sauce) and I can’t help but smile and get a good feeling when I hear it. It takes me back to the excitement and anticipation of the big day, my first ever half marathon.

After a hot and hard 5k I really felt like I deserved a wallowing session in the Jacuzzi and a stretch in the steam room. The sheer devastation when I realised I had left my costume on the radiator! I couldn’t believe it and felt really hard done by because I pushed hard to complete my fastest 5k in a long time. My calves and shins were sore and were screaming for a massage and the jets in the spa pool would have worked perfectly. I left my boyfriend to relax and headed back up the stairs to the gym for a stretching session.

As a qualified sports massage therapist, I am aware of the benefits of stretching but I have to confess, I don’t always dedicate as much time as I should which is probably why my legs are feeling tight. I did some work on my glutes first followed by a little planking and then headed for the foam roller. If you haven’t used a foam roller and you enjoy running, then I seriously recommend that you consider giving it a go. It is simply a large cylindrical foam roll, as the name would suggest.

The foam roller is a great tool for lengthening and elongating muscles, and they are especially helpful for runners who are suffering from tight and fatigued muscles. When used correctly, they can help you to avoid sport-related injuries by conducting self myofascial release, which can work in a similar way to a massage. The roller is effective on different areas of your body and you can use your body weight to apply pressure to sore muscles. You can control how much pressure you apply to the tissues that you're working on, and you can locate and focus on areas that are problematic. It allows you to apply deep pressure to areas that may otherwise be difficult to stretch.

It’s not a replacement for proper stretching, warming up or cooling down, but it can be used as a tool to limit soreness and tightness. I will warn you, much like a sports massage, it is not particularly pleasurable but it does definitely help to relieve sore legs and prevent injury.

The iliotibial band (IT band) is one of the areas most susceptible to injury in runners. It is the band that runs on the outside of the leg from the hip to the knee. You can use the foam roller on this area by rolling across it, slowly back and forth towards the top of the leg, particularly focusing on the quad where it meets the IT band and using your body weight to apply more pressure. This will cause you to make ugly faces and strange noises but your legs will thank you. It can also be used on other areas of the body such as the glutes, calves and the piriformis, all areas that can become tight in runners. Have a look at these videos (courtesy of runnersworld.com) which do a great job of showing you how to use the roller in some of these key areas.

A hard run accompanied by some decent tunes, followed by a stretching and rolling session has left me feeling great on day 20 of Janathon. I would recommend the use of a foam roller during training but I would also highly recommend going for regular sports massage as a means of preventing injury. I am not saying this simply because I am a massage therapist but because I truly believe in the benefits however, I will delve more deeply into the benefits of massage in another post.

Janathon day 19: Sometimes running is really tough

2012-01-19T15:23:00.000-08:00

I am not a fan of treadmills. The thing I love about running is the freedom of being outside and the opportunity to take in all of the sights sounds and smells along the way. Perhaps this is why I find running on a treadmill so difficult. For me, it is far more challenging both physically and mentally. Although my feeling is that the physical difficulty stems from the fact that I find it so tiresome mentally.

I have to admit; I am starting to feel a little weary 19 days into Janathon and my legs were really sore and aching today. I thought that a stretching session in the steam room would do me some good but only after I’d done my run. I pushed myself on the treadmill and I wanted to stop so many times. The 5k felt like about 50.

Although I ate a lot of food last night, looking back at today, I hadn’t eaten nearly enough or taken in enough water in order to run well. The fuel is so important to allow your body to perform. I wanted to stop after about 30 seconds and I felt so tired. It reminded me of when I’d just started running and I thought back to how determined I was when I started out; wanting to run but I couldn’t do it. I didn’t let it beat me, persevered and I have achieved things I never thought possible. I gritted my teeth and just kept going but I hate having a constant reminder of how much further you have to go on the screen.

In all honesty I didn’t enjoy my run tonight. The only part that I did enjoy was pressing stop and treading off the treadmill. I finished day 19 with some serious stretching in the steam room and although I’m sleepy, I’m aching less and I’m pleased that I’m still in.

Janathon day 18: The day I forgot about Janathon

2012-01-18T15:44:00.000-08:00

Last night was Run Dem Crew and when I woke up this morning I was tired. The last thing I wanted to do was go out for a run in the rain, so I didn’t. I knew I had plans to go out with work tonight and if I didn’t run this morning I was going to be out of the game.

We went for dinner and after over two weeks of healthy eating I went on a full on carb-fest. The length of our table was laden with pizza. I was so full I even turned down ice cream but I made up for it on the dairy quota with the volume of cheese I ate. Pretty good going for a girl that avoids dairy!

I knew that after a bellyful of delicious food, fizz and wine I was well and truly out of Janathon. With each mouthful, Janathon just disappeared but I got home and I spotted my trainers glaring at me. I didn’t want to be beaten on day 18 so I considered some kind of half-hearted strength training routine that I could do on my floor. Still my trainers continued to glare.

There was nothing for it. I still wanted to be in this game so I pulled on my kit and ran out of the door before I had a chance to change my mind. I did a 3k run and kept to the main roads for safety reasons. I actually really enjoyed the calm of running tonight and I’m glad I went. A ton of rich food and booze is not the ideal preparation for a run but I got round, I’m still in Janathon and best of all I’ve got a smile on my face.

Janathon day 17: Run Dem Crew is back!

2012-01-17T15:41:00.000-08:00

Tonight was the return of Run Dem Crew and damn it was good. Yesterday was my first non-running day in January and I opted for swimming instead of a run. Believe it or not, I haven’t really ached much since starting the running regime on 1^st January but today my butt cheeks were seriously sore. I think my body took the ‘running rest’ as an opportunity to relax and make me hurt.

If I was running at home I may have re-considered whether I was even going to run tonight but there was no chance on earth that I was missing RDC. The buzz and excitement in the room was incredible. It was like going back to school but with far more excitement and enthusiasm than I’ve ever experienced towards school (and I was a geek that liked school)!

Charlie Dark was inspirational and funny as always and I met some great people brimming with positive vibes. I saw old friends as well as new and it felt good to be back. An 8.5km bridges run and it was the perfect night for a river run. Cold but calm and peaceful. I just wish I’d taken some pictures of Tower Bridge as it looked absolutely spectacular glowing over the river.

I left RDC with a warm fuzzy feeling inside and I’m so glad it’s back. Every time I go, my faith in humanity is restored. I know that sounds a bit dramatic but there are some seriously good people there. I only ever leave feeling positive and excited about life. I turned 30 on Christmas day and I talked about being the best I can be and Charlie talked about this tonight. I don't want to restrict this to my running but to everything that I do.

I have arranged to go to track next week with a couple of the RDC girls. If I'm going to get a sub two time in Berlin, I need to start 'proper' running training. I’m not going to lie, I’m absolutely terrified but I need to start facing my demons! On a positive note, I'm pleased that my running mojo has returned and I’m loving it. Janathon day 17, I can safely say that you are well and truly ticked off the list, despite some mightily sore buttocks. If you see a blonde girl hobbling tomorrow morning, on the train to Clapham, then please be nice to her and maybe even offer her your seat. I'm sure she would be forever grateful.

Janathon day 16: Exchanging running for swimming

2012-01-16T14:17:00.000-08:00

After a 15k run yesterday I had a bit of a niggle in my foot and knee (old injuries). I really wanted to run every day throughout Janathon but I decided my longer term goals are more important. For the first time in a couple of weeks I didn’t run today but I’m still in the game as I exchanged my run for a swim.

On the eve of the return to Run Dem Crew, I decided that a swim was a much more sensible option. Tomorrow’s run will be longer than my regular daily run and I want to be fit and ready for it. I swam 20 lengths tonight (500m) and it got me thinking about the triathlon that I’ve signed myself up for in June. I can swim but I’m not technically very good and ahead of my first triathlon I am going to have to take the scary leap to swimming lessons. I’m terrified! If anybody has any triathlon tips I would absolutely love to hear from you.

After my run, I also enjoyed a steam room session and a Jacuzzi which felt great. I have to say that after 15 days of running, my legs feel surprisingly good and I am super excited about running with my friends tomorrow night. Away away away!

Janathon day 15: A weighty issue

2012-01-15T11:04:00.000-08:00

I didn’t want my blog posts to be concentrated on body issues, but when you are concentrating on your body so much it is hard not to think about it. When I first started running I made a point that I’m not really built for running and I still stand by that point. I’m not sleek, slender or light on my feet and my breasts need strapping down in a serious way. However, this doesn’t mean that I can’t give it a go. The fact that I don’t look like a conventional ‘runner’ makes me even more determined to succeed and in the last year, I have learned that a huge percentage of reaching your goals in running is linked more to your head than your body.

Athletic records are broken year after year, and the limits of human performance continue to be debated. When we think something can’t be done, someone comes along and shows us that it indeed can be. There was a time when it seemed impossible for a human to run a four-minute mile but Roger Bannister achieved it in 1954 and soon, many others followed. A positive attitude accounts for so much. I find it is far more rewarding to concentrate on what you are achieving rather than what you are not and to focus on several goals rather than putting all your eggs in one basket.

So many people focus on weight loss as their main goal when starting an exercise regime but I feel strongly that this is not a healthy attitude to have. I am the first to admit that I would like to be slimmer but I try not to bore people with talk of calories and rice cakes. I have decided that the thing that is important to me is how I look and feel, not the number on the weighing scales. I would like to improve my physique but I’m not going to let the scales influence my feelings in any way. I have put on some weight and I have to admit, it is making running a little bit more challenging and nobody likes to feel their wobbly bits wobbling around when running but sometimes it’s just what has to be done if you’re going to make a change.

A couple of years ago I decided to start going to a ‘fat club’. I had put on quite a lot of weight and if I’m honest, I was in denial but I had to face up to it. When I stepped on the scales on the first night I was absolutely devastated. I find it hard to put into words just how disappointed in myself I was that I had allowed myself to get up to that weight and abused my body in that way. I lost a couple of stone and managed to keep it off for a while but slowly as my diet changed so did my weight and it crept back up. I wanted to nip it in the bud so I headed back to fat club for a short, sharp shock.

Week after week I would go along and be weighed and then listen as we all made excuses for why we were still fat. I do accept that the moral support of the group can help but it actually made me feel terrible. The only goal we were focusing on or that was recognised as success was the number going down on the scales. I was working really hard with both my diet and with my exercise and for three weeks in a row my weight stayed exactly the same. I knew I was getting thinner as my clothes were getting looser. I also had a piece of string that I used to monitor my shrinking waist but I still felt totally demoralised and a complete failure when I was told three weeks in a row that I had effectively failed.

Another thing that is completely ridiculous is the huge amount of pressure that revolves around one weigh in, on one day every single week. I’m not going to lie, I was tactical about it. On weigh in days I would eat and drink less and try and wee more to be the lightest I could possibly be. I would NEVER consider wearing jeans or chunky jewellery as they may have increased my weight and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only fat club member that has behaved like this. It was quite normal to go home and pig out after weight in night too as I had a week to undo the damage. Surely this is not a healthy way to behave!

Different things can affect your weight too making it seem like you’ve failed. One particular week I had exercised every day and I naughtily weighed myself the night before to have a sneaky peek at how well I was doing. By the time the weekly weigh in came the following night, I had magically put on 4lbs. I looked like the girl that was full of excuses when they told me my weight. I was astounded, I couldn’t believe it. When I got home I stepped on my scales and sure enough, the fat club ones were correct. Amazingly, the following morning the 4lbs disappeared. The extra weight may have been water retention but it still went down in my fat club week as a ‘gain week’ which translates as failure! I am not saying that I completely disagree with slimming clubs as they do work for some people and I do still follow some of the eating guidelines.

I thought long and hard and in the end came to the conclusion that for me, to focus solely on weight is a ridiculous notion. On 1^st January I took a number of pictures of myself in very few clothes and they are pretty shocking. I have taken a similar set every Sunday since and will continue to do so throughout my training to enable me to physically see how my body is changing. Getting slimmer isn’t my only goal but it is one of them. For me, running is about feeling good, working hard and achieving things you never ever thought you’d be able to achieve in order to be the absolute best that you can be for yourself.

Today was another glorious day for a run. I headed out to do 11 or 12k and ended up running 15.35k. It was so beautiful and I was really enjoying it so I kept on running. I figured that the weather may not be as gorgeous next week so I should make the most of it. I even managed to incorporate some hills and still keep smiling. Just to make my day even better, I saw two pugs. A pug is a guaranteed happiness trigger when I’m out and about.

I took my phone with me and tracked my run but I intentionally didn’t take much notice of time. I worked hard but at this point in my training, my long runs are not about stressing myself with time goals. I thoroughly enjoyed today’s run and it was a great start to Janathon 2012 week 3.

Janathon day 14: The beauty of parkrun

2012-01-14T10:33:00.000-08:00

I decided that this morning would be the day that I tackle the Richmond Park parkrun for the first time in 2012. Last year I ventured out on new year’s day to kick start my training. It’s a fairly tough course and I haven’t felt ready for it until now. Two weeks in to Janathon I can really see that my fitness has improved so at 8:30 this morning I headed to Richmond Park.

If you’ve never heard of parkrun and are keen on running or thinking about starting to run, it is absolutely fantastic and you should check it out here. They are free weekly 5k runs that take place on Saturday mornings in parks around the country and globally too.

It started fairly locally to me in 2004 as a community project and it has grown miraculously. There are now 1,659 clubs in total. The first run started with just 13 runners in Bushy Park, Teddington and at the time it was the only weekly 5k timed running event in the UK. It was started by founder Paul with the intention of it being simple for anybody to take part, whenever it suited them. He wanted runners to compete against themselves and he always intended for it to be free. Although the event has grown, it is still free which is fantastic. It has a real community feel and relies on runners as volunteers to help organise the event each week.

The parkrun events offer a unique proposition to runners. It really is a fantastic event to help with training or if you want to just get out there and give running a go. Here is a quick rundown of what it is taken form the parkrun website:

· A non-commercial, free, feel-good, community event

· Runners sign up on the website once in their life… then just turn up and run at any event in their country

· Results are emailed the same day and posted on the website with historical results and stats including age group records and age-graded performances (for those getting older!)

· There are clubs and prizes to encourage participation a 50 Club for runners who've reached 50 runs, a 100 Club, and a Junior under-19 10 Club runners who've reached these milestones receive a free running t-shirt one runner per event receives the Sweatshop Monthly Prize – a free pair of trainers

· There's an annual points prize at each event to encourage attendance

· We keep in touch with runners through an emailed weekly newsletter and the website

· And provide extra services free of charge free race photos, race reports, links to local clubs and races, and other news on the website

· Lucozade sports scientists visit one event per month to provide advice and samples

Today’s run was my fifth and I still had butterflies at the start. It’s brilliant to emulate that unique experience that you get when you take part in a race/event. It’s a very different thing to running on your own.There is a buzz of anticipation as everybody heads for the start. People of all shapes, sizes and abilities join in and despite the frosty morning, Richmond Park saw 281 people take part today.

There are some fast people that take part and it can seem really daunting when you are overtaken by person after person. I felt slightly panicked until my phone buzzed telling me I had completed my fastest 1k so far since I started training two weeks ago. I kept going trying not to think about the faster runners, my blue toes or lips that were sore from the cold. Just after 2k, as I ran up towards Sheen gate, I could feel myself getting tired. It’s at this point on most runs that I could happily give up but I kept going as I know that once I pass 3k I tend to feel better. The park looked absolutely beautiful this today. It was cold but the sky was clear and blue, and the contrast of colours was magnificent. I was continually thinking about how lucky I am to have somewhere so spectacular to run.

The last part of the course is pretty tough, up a hill towards the end but a quick glance at my phone and I felt excited as a PB was in sight. Whenever the end is nearing, I can’t help but feel a little excited and emotional and I always need to have a quick word with myself to calm my breathing and stay focused. I ran through the cones at the end and really pushed myself, then grabbed the finishing token and got in the queue to get my barcode zapped. I forgot to stop my phone but I could see that my time was under 30 minutes.

My best time so far at this rather hilly course was 29:09 and I was really excited at the prospect of improving my time so soon after starting my training. The last time I did parkrun was on 22^nd January last year. Today’s time was emailed to me this afternoon and although I only improved my time by 2 seconds it was still a PB. I also finished 6^th in my age category. Two weeks ago on 1^st January, my fastest 1k lap was 6 minutes 47 seconds and my fastest lap today was 5 minutes 12 seconds. There was a downhill section involved but I’m pretty happy with that.

After the run I went on to have a play in the park with my birthday present, my new camera. We headed to one of my favourite places, the Isabella Plantation. It was like a secret winter wonderland full of gorgeous frosty plants and trees and amazing wildlife. I was freezing when we got back to the car but it was worth it.

Janathon week 2 is now complete. This week I have ran a total of 41.5km taking me to a grand total of 79km in January 2012. I now need to concentrate on core strength. I said the same thing last week but it hasn’t happened yet. I will start week 3 with a long run tomorrow. I hope we have more of what we had today weather-wise and I will be a very happy Janathoner.

Janathon day 13: Better late than never

2012-01-13T14:15:00.001-08:00

Last night’s post was written after dinner, cocktails and wine. Not the best prep for writing a blog post or for a 5k morning run. When the alarm went off this morning I peered out the window to see frost glistening from the rooftops of the cars. I snuggled back under the duvet for 40 minutes.

I know that had I have run this morning, it would not have been a good experience. I felt weary and dehydrated. Instead I went out after work. I ran my usual 5k route and it felt good. I am planning to do the Richmond Park parkrun tomorrow so I decided to take it easy tonight. As I was running I didn’t pay attention to the time until my last kilometre. I thought I was way behind schedule and I didn’t really mind, I just wanted to finish. I was pleasantly surprised that after a pretty easy going run, I was on track for one of my better times and I completed Janathon day 13 in the second fastest time that I’ve run so far.

I can feel myself getting fitter and that makes me happy but I need to start facing my fears head on. My two biggest fears that I need to conquer are track and hills. Being scared is not a bad thing. Challenging yourself is scary but it feels so good when you smash through your goal. I saw an advert this week for a Canadian clothing brand and it featured a slogan saying “Do something every week that scares you.” I think it is a great piece of advice and I am going to start incorporating it into my world.

I really need to get accustomed to the track to improve my time but if I’m being honest I just don’t know where to start. I imagine the track to be a place where actual runners hang out talking in athlete tongues. I want to get better but I don’t want to feel stupid and out of place. I know that to be the best I can be, I need to make track be a part of my training. Two lovely ladies (Thank you @Bangsandabun & @Runurb) have kindly volunteered to show me the ropes and I have accepted their offer of help, so I will be close to barfing at a track in London sometime soon.

Janathon day 12: Don’t do snooze

2012-01-12T16:12:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I was boasting about how I wasn’t tired and how energised I felt. That all went out of the window today, when I started pressing the snooze button. I should have just got up and jumped out of bed the minute I opened my eyes. But no, I had to press that button to give me a few more precious minutes of shut eye.

My philosophy in life is unless you’re going to do something properly don’t bother doing it at all. I really should listen to my own advice sometimes. The snooze nearly got the better of me today. I did manage to drag myself out of my pit and I completed my 5k. It was 90 seconds slower than it has been the last couple of times and I know the snoozing had made me sluggish but it was still a run. On the twelfth day of Janathon, I was still running!

The snooze button is evil. The whole time I was running, I was thinking about it. I knew I had to get up so I should have just done it. Putting off the inevitable doesn’t make it any better! Ironically, whilst I was out running, my boyfriend had been struck by the curse of snooze today too. He was meant to get up early but instead, he clambered out of bed, got ready in a flash, ran to the station and jumped on the train huffing and puffing as it was about to pull away.

If you are going to do something, you should do it properly and this should apply to getting out of bed. From now on I am going to try and do it with purpose. Generally I’m pretty good. I’m enthusiastic and lively in the morning but some days that button gets the better of me and it zaps my energy.

I went to dinner with my friend tonight and had a few glasses of *cough* grape juice so I’m hoping the snooze button curse doesn’t come to haunt me tomorrow morning. I am going to try and run in the morning but if snooze well and truly takes a grip, it will have to be Janathon Friday in the gym tomorrow night.

Janathon day 11: What a difference a year makes!

2012-01-11T15:22:00.000-08:00

I had my cousin over for dinner tonight so planned to do my run this morning to get it ticked off the list. I was a bit nervous about it before I went to bed but I woke up and was raring to go, given an extra boost by emails from @Bangsandabun and @rundemcrew.

When I ran out of the door, the moon was glowing in the sky. It was relatively mild considering it is January. The further along my 5k route I ran, the lighter it became and there was an absolutely breathtaking sunrise. The sky was glowing shades of red, pink and orange and I was so pleased I’d actually got up and out. I really enjoyed my run today and it didn’t feel like a chore.

Since I started running again on 1^st January I have been quite tired but today when I woke up I had loads of energy and I was excited about getting out. It can take a little while for your body to adjust but I love it when you start noticing a change in energy levels. I felt energised and ready for the day and so grateful that I hadn’t stayed in bed to miss what was going on in the sky outside. It’s great to appreciate what is around you all the time.

This time last year I was training for Paris and the weather was so different. In fact, it was absolutely freezing. I had to wrap up in woolly hat and gloves to even consider heading outside but today a friend of mine was enjoying breakfast al fresco in the sunshine. Some days it was so difficult to push myself to go but I knew that there were 19 other girls working just as hard as me and I didn’t want let them down as well as myself, so out on to the icy pavements I stepped.

This January, there is no ice in sight. Yes, it has been cold some days and rainy too but nowhere near as bad as last year. Fingers crossed it stays like this for the next 20 days. So far this week I’ve run 26.5k. I am going to aim to run 5k each day and I am going to take part in Park run on Saturday. Now I’ve blogged it, I have to do it!

Janathon day 10: Run Dem Crew Rehearsal

2012-01-10T15:02:00.000-08:00

I was disappointed with myself yesterday. I wanted to start the day with a 5k but when I woke up I wasn’t feeling up to it. Tonight I wanted to make up for what I didn’t achieve yesterday. Tuesday nights are Run Dem Crew nights but Run Dem Crew is not waking up again until next Tuesday and I’m telling you, it can’t come soon enough. The RDC family are counting down. I’ve seen tweet after tweet in the last couple of weeks of people desperate to start up again. There have been a few break off groups running together while RDC has been closed but they are just that little too far for me. What better time to have a Run Dem rehearsal than the Tuesday before we go back?

Formed by Charlie Dark in the winter of 2007, the Run Dem Crew or RDC for short, is a running club based at 1948 in the arches in Shoreditch. I say running club but in reality it is more of a running family. A collective of creative heads with a passion for running and the exchange of ideas, we meet every Tuesday and run the streets of London. Yes, we run but we’re not your average running club. It’s about more than running. Running can be a solitary activity but running with RDC is about being part of a supportive and encouraging network of friends.

Committed to change and the upliftment of the next generation, RDC works closely with young people across London providing mentoring and advice along with the opportunity to explore London in a safe, unique, positive and supportive environment. It has been an amazing experience to see the RDC youngers grow and achieve their goals. It shows that if you put your mind to it and have the right support around you, you can achieve whatever you want to. A little encouragement goes a long way and this philosophy applies to life goals as well as running goals!

I can’t tell you how much I have missed the Tuesday night sessions. I have written about RDC and the impact it has had on me before in this post. Every week I am inspired and motivated and always learn something new from people who are willing to give advice and support in any way they can. Just being surrounded by such inspiring people encourages you to dig that little bit deeper and not give up.

Some of the RDC family at the Greenwich Movember 10k 2011

RDC pants to match my top & a glittery gold moustache

We normally run for at least 45 minutes so I wanted to do a decent run tonight ready for next week. I ran my regular 5k route and then added an extra section to take it up to 8k and putting a big fat tick next to #Janathon day 10. I am aiming to run 5k each week day this week so this takes me to 11.5k in two days, which is ahead of schedule. The first 2 kilometres were a struggle and my legs were tight but once I got going there was no chance I was giving up.

There were a couple of moments I really wanted to stop but I thought hard about what I need to do in order to achieve my goals and I just kept going. I also thought about how I can help people at Run Dem Crew more as I feel I have gained so much since joining. I’ve always been a little shy to step up and lead a group, scared of looking silly or getting the group lost as I’m not an East London girl but this year I am going to make it my aim to contribute more. I read this on the website and I feel this is so important.

“RUN DEM CREW IS NOT A SPONGE. PLEASE REPLACE WHAT YOU TAKE FROM IT. IN OTHER WORDS PLEASE GIVE BACK HOWEVER YOU CAN, BE IT THROUGH TIME, ENERGY OR HOWEVER ELSE YOU SEE FIT.”

Run Dem Crew, rehearsal done, I’m no sponge. This year I am going to put in even more than I get out of RDC…away away away, can’t come soon enough!

Janathon day 9: It’s not always fun

2012-01-09T14:10:00.000-08:00

I had plans after work tonight so the only way I was going to fit my run in was by going before work. When I woke up, running was the last thing I wanted to do. My running kit was all over the place and I felt terrible but I wasn’t prepared to let Janathon beat me on day 9.

Trainers on, I headed out the door with the aim of doing my 3.5k route. It was hard and I just wanted to get it done. Although it’s a struggle, normally once I get going I enjoy myself but today I didn’t enjoy any of my run. In fact, that is a lie! I really enjoyed seeing the end in sight and knowing that despite feeling rubbish, I challenged myself and completed 3.5k. In order to achieve your goals and dreams, you sometimes have to battle through to get there, doing things you’re not particularly keen on along the way.

One of the reasons I signed up to do Janathon again was to kick start my training and really test myself. In order to complete the Berlin half marathon in under two hours, I am going to have to do things I don’t really like such as battle with hills. I figured that if I could start by running every day, even on the days I really didn’t want to, it would help to boost my confidence and my belief in myself. Some may think running every day is a stupid idea that will result in injiry, but I’m going to listen carefully to my body along the way to avoid injury.

Although today was a struggle, I am looking forward to a new day and a new run tomorrow when we’ll be into Janathon double figures.

Janathon day 8: Run to no beat

2012-01-08T13:05:00.000-08:00

When I started training for my first half marathon this time last year, I took my i-pod on every run and listened to the same compilation album on every run. The Mash up mix album played for just over an hour and I knew where every beat was and every high and low. Different tracks would let me know how far I had gone and others would give me just the boost I needed.

There have been several studies done that suggest music can really help to motivate you and there is no doubt, on certain days when I was close to giving up, certain tracks would come on and I had a new lease of life. This time round you may be surprised to hear, I have chosen to train without music.

In March last year, I ran my first half marathon in Paris. I was aiming to complete it in less than 2 hours 10 minutes, so I knew that my trusty running album wasn’t going to be enough time-wise. I didn’t want to be interrupted when I was in the zone to re-start the album and I didn’t want to be without music. I opted to transfer my must-have playlist on to my i-phone, along with another album I sometimes listen to at the gym, Ministry of Sound Running Trax. I thought the easiest thing to do was to play the albums on shuffle so that I didn't have to play with my phone mid-run. Even though I’m really proud that I finished the run in 2 hours 11 minutes , I crossed the finish line a minute slower than I wanted to and I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as I think I would have done if my music had gone to plan.

Throughout the run, not one of my magical booster songs came on. I didn’t get a chance to have that goosebumpy moment where you hear the beats of your favourite tune and you have no choice but to move your arms and legs faster. Instead I found that lots of the tracks annoyed and aggravated me. One after the other, another banging dance track came on and with each I got more annoyed. I was especially peeved that no sooner had I crossed the finish line, absolutely exhausted, one of all-time favourite tunes started to play. It was the track I had been hoping for when I was really struggling through the last couple of kilometres. It came on as I walked to meet my boyfriend in a post-run haze. Don’t get me wrong, I was pleased to hear it but I couldn’t help thinking that if it had come on earlier, I may just have shaved another minute off my time. I know a minute is not but it would have meant so much to me.

I didn’t want to make excuses for my time in Paris and for a first half mara I’m pretty pleased with what I achieved but I vowed to myself that I didn’t want to have to rely on anything other than hard work and my determination in the future. When training for the Greenwich Run To The Beat half marathon in the summer, it was definitely a struggle at first to do it without music. I knew that on the day there would be music and atmosphere the whole way round to keep me going, it was the music marathon after all. However, this wasn’t strictly true! Thank goodness that the lovely @thrutheblue had advised that I keep my i-pod with me. The music was pretty non-existent, apart from a few burger vans blaring tunes along the way and the route was hot & hilly. If it wasn’t for that i-pod, I’m pretty convinced I wouldn’t have made it round. Melissa, thank you so much for your advice!

The music is making me happy at RTTB 2011

All of my runs in January have been with no music and I am finding it absolutely fine. It’s a little disconcerting to hear your heavy breathing initially but I think it has helped me to keep it under control and to steady my pace. Not to mention, there is a safety aspect to consider too. When running alone in the dark it is so important to be aware of what is going on around you. I’m not saying that I will not have my i-pod on the big day but I want to be sure that I can finish my half marathon in Berlin in less than two hours, music or no music!

I ran 10k today and I really enjoyed it. Running without headphones let me enjoy everything that was going on around me. I could hear the tweeting of the birds, the calling of the rowers on the river, families giggling and chatting on the towpath but it was not all nice, I could also hear my constant sniffling as I have a cold. I was planning to go out at 8:30 this morning but I was feeling really stuffed up so I had a little breakfast and waited until I was less congested before heading off. It’s great to arrive home after your run when most people are still snuggled up in bed and I felt brilliant. A fantastic way to start week 2 of Janathon!

This week I am going to concentrate on hydrating more before my runs, building up strength and stretching, especially my legs. I want to work hard but I also want to do everything possible to look after myself and avoid injury along the way.

Janathon day 7: A little tea and a week of running

2012-01-07T16:11:00.000-08:00

Today I completed my seventh day of Janathon and this time round, I have managed to run every day. I have also improved my speed as the week has gone on which I’m really pleased about. After a rubbish night’s sleep dreaming about all sorts of weird horrors, I woke up to a throat that felt like I’d been swallowing a cocktail of razor blades and broken glass and a blocked up nose. Running wasn’t an option.

I took it easy and had a lovely day just mooching around Richmond instead. I walked along the river and to a cute little tea room called the Hollyhock cafe, hidden away in Terrace Gardens overlooking the river. I've never been here before and it is quite a little find. It is a fairtrade cafe, the sister cafe to the Tide Tables cafe under Richmond Bridge which I love. It's a fantastic place to come in the summer. Both places are vegetarian and even though I'm not I absolutely love the food. Tide Tables was closed today but I saw a sign on the door directing me to Terrace Gardens so I went to explore.

The location is just gorgeous, in a beautiful garden overlooking the river. It was cold but I still sat outside and they even offer hot water bottles to keep you toasty while you enjoy your tea. After half an hour or so I was cold so I carried on walking along the river and headed for the town centre.

I went on to another favourite place of mine, The Tea Box on Paradise road. I actually blogged about it last year at about the same time funnily enough. I felt tired and I really felt like my body needed to relax so I spent the day taking it easy and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I love The Tea Box. It is a speciality tea house on Paradise Road and it is just delightful. A vintage styled interior that doesn't try to be 'cool' or pretentious, it's the perfect little hideaway to relax and sip tea whilst reading a favourite book or catching up on precious time with friends. They have a fantastic selection of tea available and if you want something a little naughty you can even have an alcoholic tea. I had one before Christmas that had Baileys in and it was absolutely delicious!

I love the way there is such attention to detail. A timer to brew your tea to perfection, gorgeous tea cups and spoons with a little teapot on the end, and sugar grabbers with little hands on them. The bill is normally delivered in a mini treasure chest which I love but I was a bit disappointed today to just be handed the bill, especially as I had been a super kind customer and let three other groups of people be seated before me because I didn't want to be selfish and take up a large table. I will let them off though because I love it there and they were super busy. They provide a great menu and even hold events there such as comedy evenings, jazz events, tea tastings and storytelling for children.

The staff are knowledgeable and they are more than happy to share their expertise with you about the range of teas they have on offer. Not only can you enjoy the delicious tea on the premises but you can purchase loose tea to take home, along with some of the cute teaware, cups, spoons and teapots. If you are ever in Richmond I would highly recommend visiting though do expect a little wait as it does get busy at weekends. You can only pre-book tables if you are planning to have the set afternoon tea menu but it's worth the wait as it is a special little place. I was pleased to see that they are now on twitter too. You can find them on @theteabox.

I got home and I knew that I had to complete my daily run. I enjoyed lots of tea today but not a lot of water. I hadn’t prepared and I was nervous. I reluctantly pulled my kit on after lingering around and giving my boyfriend three goodbye kisses, just so that I could stay in the warm a little longer. As soon as I stepped out of my gate I focused and I just ran, completing my first lap faster than I’ve done this week. I kept going, concentrating on positive thoughts and putting one foot in front of the other. A few people got in my way tonight. I nearly got tripped by a dog and a family thought I looked like the most appropriate person to stop and ask for directions. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very friendly and normally very helpful but was it really a good idea to pull up and ask the girl that was red faced, concentrating on not being sick with her head down? There were other people around and I felt bad that I had to apologise for not helping, carry on running and point at my arm whilst shouting something about having a time to beat.

I knew that I was capable of finishing in less than half an hour so I didn’t want to give up. I arrived home 1 minute 26 seconds faster than when I ran my 5k on Thursday night, bringing my total improvement to 5 minutes and 8 seconds from the 5k on Tuesday. I think I’ve done ok in week one to complete 37.5kilometres and improve my 5k time by over 5 minutes. Janathon week one is complete and I will kick off week two with a lovely long run tomorrow morning. Now I have the confidence that I am still able run, I need to concentrate on strengthening my body, especially my core strength. Planks here I come!

Janathon day 6: Practice what I preach.

2012-01-06T11:17:00.000-08:00

This morning I had no fuel in the tank. All I wanted to do was stay in bed but I had to do my run as I have plans tonight. Time was ticking and I still laid in bed looking at twitter. @sarahs_scribble had been out and done nearly six miles! In my post two days I go I harped on about just doing it so inspired by Sarah I pulled my kit on and off I went.

I know how important it is to eat and drink before a run but it was the breakfast or the run today and the run had to win. Beating times wasn’t an option, I just wanted to tick the run off the list. My run was short as is my post. I did 3.5k and despite the cold weather I really enjoyed it and left for work with a spring in my step. #Janathon day 6 complete. It was a short run but it was a run all the same!

Things I re-learnt after today’s run:

· Staying in bed and repeatedly pressing snooze helps nobody. It makes you more tired and means you just have less time to fit everything in

· Fuel is important before a run. I know this and I know how much better I am when I respect and look after my body. It’s not rocket science!

· I actually really like running in the morning when I finally move my butt and get out there

Janathon day 5: Tiredness, teeth gritting and talking… to myself.

2012-01-05T14:05:00.000-08:00

Twenty five minutes on a freezing cold platform did not prepare me well for my run tonight. I was tired and really didn’t want to go but a banana scoffed, I was out the door before I had a chance to bail. I’d decided I was just going to get round tonight, no pushing too hard and no worrying about time. I was tired when I started and I know that I hadn’t been drinking enough throughout the day. I was already talking to myself before I’d even completed 1k muttering ‘Why am I doing this to myself?’ but I kept going and when the little voice piped up on my phone to tell me I had completed the first kilometre fifteen seconds quicker than my fastest kilometre last night, I had to keep going.

There was a lot of teeth gritting and a lot of talking to myself but it got me round without stopping. My fastest kilometre was 20 seconds faster than my quickest lap last night and my total run was 1 minute 16 seconds quicker. On Tuesday the route took me 34 minutes 29 seconds to complete and tonight I finished in 30 minutes 26 seconds. It’s not fast but it’s a definite improvement and that is one of the things I love about running. You can see yourself improve on a constant basis and the improvement is quicker than you think it may be. I’m not saying that there aren’t going to be bad days because there most definitely are. You just need to pick yourself up and keep going in order to achieve your goals. A bit like life really! I want to be able to run the Berlin half marathon on 1^st April in less than 2 hours and I am confident that if I work hard and keep my end goal in sight, I am more than capable.

I know that my running updates and posts are probably boring some people on Twitter and a few people may choose to unfollow me but the posts are helping me to keep going. I really want that time so badly so I’m sorry if I’m boring anybody along the way. Thinking about what I’m going to blog about is a great distraction when I’m running. What is there to say when you are running the same 5k route 3 days in a row? During that half an hour that I’m out running, all sorts of things fly in and out of my head. Tonight I thought about my run, why I was doing this to myself, is there any way I am ever actually going to be able to run a marathon and then I pushed the negative thoughts aside. The Endomondo voice interrupted me after every kilometre to tell me each lap was speedier than last night and when I knew an improved time was in sight, I just kept pounding the pavement until I got home to tuck into my dinner with a big smile on my face.

Janathon day 5 is complete and I have to say I’m feeling a little sleepy. I need to run tomorrow morning as I have plans tomorrow evening. This scares me a little to be honest so I’m going to head to bed with my hot water bottle and dream nice thoughts while ignoring the howling wind.

What I learned tonight

· If I keep working hard, I will improve

· There does seem to be some kind of recession going on, even in Barnes. This time last year I remember seeing loads of huge, national lampoon style Christmas trees outside the big houses waiting for the bin men. This year the sorry looking trees are bonsai in comparison

· Drinking water is essential. I know that I hadn’t hydrated enough today and I really felt it on the run

· Talking to yourself is good. Yes, you do look a little mad but you can’t stop running and give up if you’ve just given yourself a good talking to out loud in public. It’s much less embarrassing to keep running, firstly so that people don’t recognise you and secondly to avoid the mocking

· I really like the Endomondo voice when it tells me I’ve improved my lap time. However, I can imagine there will be days I’ll hate that voice, much like the Sat nav voice when it recalculates and increases your journey time, barking at you that there are no faster routes available

Janathon day 4: A drowned rat, a wolf whistle and a two and a half minute improvement.

2012-01-04T15:25:00.000-08:00

The weather was disgusting tonight and my after work run filled me with dread. I go home via Clapham Junction, normally just needing to hop off one train and on to another. However tonight I adopted some delaying tactics by mooching around the shops, buying a few random sale purchases and lots of green, healthy looking food. My shopping basket looked very January and the shop assistant in Sainsbury’s agreed with me.

I got home and carried on with the delaying tactics, hanging around in the kitchen and eating as many of the healthy green things that I could fit in washed down with a coffee. Jon noticed I was loitering and I kept putting off changing into my lycra and heading out in to the rain. After a bit more mindless chatter, I finally pulled myself together and headed out of the door into the rain and howling wind.

I decided I would try and pace myself tonight and pick up my speed a little. I ran the same route as last night which is a total of 5k and I managed to run at a really steady pace throughout. It was disgusting outside and before I’d even completed the first kilometre, I looked like a sweaty, drowned rat that had been feasting a little more than it should have been. You can imagine my shock when I was wolf whistled at. Yes, you read that right, an actual wolf whistle. To be fair, he did only see me from the back where he would have seen my blonde ponytail bobbing up and down and we all know the dark makes you look thinner. The red sweaty face and general bedraggled appearance wouldn’t have been visible as he whistled from his car as he headed closer to me. My boyfriend was actually impressed he had a car and not a van.

Joking aside though, it’s probably not that appropriate to be wolf whistling from a car when a female is running alone in the dark and you are alone in your car, it’s just a little creepy. Just to make this clear, I am not the kind of girl that hates compliments from men but there is a time and a place and I would think a certain level of grooming that should be adhered to by the female party being whistled at. I certainly wasn’t wearing attire to make myself look nice, far from it but I do accept the fact that the driver may have also been a pi** taking moron who was just trying to heckle me. There are a few of these about and as well as wolf whistling, these creatures tend to shout helpful comments like ‘Lift your knees up’, ‘ go on girl, keep going’ and occasionally they’ll run alongside for 3 metres, pint and fag in hand, before they stop and then return to their mates laughing. Whatever the motives , thank you Mr car man, at least your whistle made me giggle and momentarily stopped me focusing on my heavy breathing and huffing and puffing that is normally drowned out by my loud music.

As I loitered round the kitchen wasting time before my run, I rammed a number of different things down my throat before I left to delay the inevitable day four run. I knew all about every morsel I’d munched during the run and in fact, I came very close to seeing all the healthy snacks for a second time. I wouldn’t recommend stuffing your face before heading out. Despite feeling pretty ropey, I kept going and managed to improve my time by two minutes 30 seconds from last night, which I’m pretty chuffed with. Although I was running in the rain and straight into the cold wind, I really enjoyed it once I got out there and I was thrilled that I improved my speed and steadied my pace.

Things I learned after tonight’s run:

· In the words of Nike, Just do it! It really doesn’t make things better or easier by delaying what you know you need to do. Once you actually get going, you know you’ll feel good.

· If you really put your mind to it, you will improve.

· Do not stuff your face with whatever you can find before you go for a run! It makes you feel sick and you taste everything again mid-run which is pretty gross.

· Running in the rain can be fun and makes you feel that little more smug when you’re finished. I find going out in bad weather somehow validates your effort and is like an extra little pat on the back

· Even if you look like a chubby drowned rat, some men will still pay attention though there may not be romantic intentions. I don’t really understand this if I’m being honest.

Janathon day 3: A little totter or two

2012-01-03T15:41:00.000-08:00

Today was my first day back to work after rather long festive break and I was actually looking forward to it. To start my working week, I planned to do my run this morning so I could head to work with a smug spring in my step but the weather had other plans. All night the wind howled and the rain pounded against the windows. It just wouldn’t have been a good move, so instead of my trainers and running tights I pulled on my dress and heels and headed into the gale.

I got to Clapham junction and the trains were in a mess. Just what everybody wants on their first day back to work! As I arrived on platform two I could see the overground train, doors about to close. Not knowing how long the next one would be and seeing lots of signs for cancelled trains, I had no other option. Heeled up and laden with bags, I tottered along the platform and leaped on just in time. I started a new job the week before Christmas and I’d decided to go to work a new way today. I’m not familiar with this particular route so as I stepped on I looked back at the screen to make sure I’d stepped on the right one. I looked up to be greeted by a blank screen with no information. I just wasn’t sure so I stepped off to ask the member of staff standing on the platform. By the time he had bothered to acknowledge me to tell me it was the right train, it was long gone. Very helpful!

The next train was due on platform 17 in three minutes so yet again I only had one option. I tottered up the stairs and along the bridge to the furthest platform away. It was not a pretty sight and after yesterday’s run my legs and feet absolutely hated me running in heels. I charged along, huffing and puffing with all of my bags. I lost a lot of my running cred but I made it just in time. Well, just in time to see my train pull in on platform 16. I tottered up the bridge again and leaped on the train as the doors were about to close. I hate feeling hot and bothered and running in clothes and shoes that are clearly not designed to be run in. I’m not sure how long I ran for but I felt more uncomfortable than after yesterday’s run and I certainly didn’t enjoy it. I’m sure I could have got away with logging my tottering as my effort for Janathon day 3 but I want to do my best.

When I got home this evening I got dressed into my kit and ran my regular short route. I thought it was just under 4.5k but I found out through my endomondo app that it is actually just shy of 5k, so I’ve been selling myself short for a whole year! I ran the whole route without stopping and I’m pleased I decided to go out for a run tonight. Just like yesterday’s run, I struggled between 2.6k and 3.1k. I’m not sure why but between these two distances, I would very happily throw the towel in and go home. I’m pleased to say I didn't, it’s Janathon day three and I’m still very much in.

Janathon day 2: Rekindling the love affair

2012-01-02T05:47:00.000-08:00

Every relationship needs work and it’s time for me to reignite the spark back into this one. When I really get in the running zone I absolutely love it but I can fall out of love with it just as easily. Today’s run was about falling back in love with running and it is the perfect day for it. Blue skies, bright sunshine and a gentle nip in the air, just the way I like it.

I headed out as my boyfriend called out whilst still snuggled up in bed, “Go on babe, you can do it!” For once I wasn’t jealous to leave him in the warm and cosy duvet. I was excited to get out in the fresh air. I didn’t plan my route but instead I just ran wherever I felt like running. I took my phone to keep track of my route. I’m using an app called Endomondo which so far I’m quite impressed with. It keeps track of your route and logs your data. I love a bit of technology but when it comes to my running I’ve been pretty old school and have stuck to mapmyrun. I thought it was time to upgrade, especially if improving my time is one of my goals this year. I need to be on top of what I am achieving and have a clear understanding of where I need to up my game. However, I decided that today wasn’t about stressing myself out with time; it was about learning to love running again.

If I’m going to achieve sub two hours in Berlin I need to learn to love hills and running tracks too so I made sure there were a couple of upwards sections on my run. I was struggling uphill at about 3k and stopped for a little drink break. I could have happily stopped and headed back home at that point but I ploughed on through and I knew it would be worth it. I ran past the hospital that I was born in 30 years ago and thought it was quite a fitting landmark to signal the start of my happy 30’s challenge.

I made sure that I ran past some of my favourite spots to remind me what it is that I love. I ran round Barnes pond and through Barnes Common, then on to Richmond Park. If you haven’t visited Richmond Park, you need to go. I am really lucky to live so close and on days like today it is just out of this world. You wouldn’t believe that you are in London when you wander through the beautiful grounds and see the amazing wildlife. On days like today it glistens and the contrast of colours in the park against the bright blue sky is fantastic.

I love the freedom that running gives you. The first couple of kilometres are always tough but after about half an hour I get that little goose bumpy rush and I start to enjoy myself. Today was no different. I love the feeling of the wind through your hair and it’s great to just make it up as you go along sometimes and not be so regimented. Sometimes you need to be more exact and precise to stick to a training plan but today wasn’t one of those days. It’s really liberating to just get out and run wherever you want your feet to take you and nothing beats the sense of achievement when you get home. I know it’s less than other people will run today but I’m pleased with my 10.6km on day 2 of Janathon and I think I can feel the flutter of butterflies in my tummy returning.

Janathon Day 1: Out with the old and in with the new

2012-01-01T16:25:00.000-08:00

So this time a year ago I started Janathon and the training for my first half marathon. I didn’t really know what to expect. The longest distance I had run was 10k and that was with several stops, several years ago. The thought of the half marathon terrified me and excited me in equal measures but I was absolutely determined to succeed and Janathon was the perfect way to kick start my training and 2011. I had also started this blog only a day before so it was a great way to chuck myself in at the deep end of the pool of blogging.

I was so determined to succeed and I made it to day 25 before I was struck down with the flu. Not a cold that made me feel a bit achey but proper flu where I was unable to move for over a week. You can read about it here. I was gutted to have to drop out as I’m not the kind of girl to give up but after a sickness blip, I’m pleased that I completed my first half marathon in Paris just over two months after the start of Janathon in 2 hours 11 minutes. Support from my online friends was a really vital part of my training. It motivated me and helped me to succeed. I then went on to do my second half marathon in September with some of the girls that I ran Paris with.

I turned 30 on Christmas day and I have set myself some goals in my happy 30's challenge to make sure that I live this year to the full. 2012 will (hopefully) see me run in the Berlin half in April, take part in my first triathlon in June and then finally a marathon in August. I am thinking about either Helsinki or Reykjavik so do feel free to share any experiences of either of these races with me. My absolute dream would be to run the New York marathon but the race fee is huge and I just cannot justify it. My running has taken a bit of a back seat the last two months with not only one new job but two, so Janathon is the perfect way to get me started and rekindle my love affair with the pavement.

I came close to bailing on day one after a little bit too much celebrating saying goodbye to last year. I’ve had a bit of a love hate relationship with 2011 so I wanted to say goodbye in style and what a good job I did! So much so, that the sofa and duvet was way more appealing to me than the road and my neglected running shoes. After an afternoon nap to recharge my dehydrated roast filled batteries, I pulled myself together, slipped on my trainers and jacket and headed out into the rain. I ran 3.5k which isn’t far but it’s further than I ran yesterday or the day before. In fact it’s further than I’ve run on any day during the last six weeks. It felt really good to be back pounding the pavements and I felt surprisingly good although considerably heavier that I was the last time I ran. My little 3.5k run was my pass into the Janathon 2012 challenge and this time I’m going to try my very best to reach the end in one piece.

A glimpse of the new year fun

Happy 30's Challenge

2011-10-30T13:59:00.000-07:00

On Christmas day I will be thirty. I am not freaking out, in fact I’m actually quite excited. I could dwell on all of the things in life I haven’t quite achieved yet but I’m not going to do that. What a complete waste of energy! Instead, I am going to run at my thirties and give them my all. I am going to set myself a challenge and to focus myself I have written a mission statement.

Happy 30’s Mission Statement

I want to live life to the full every day and appreciate everything and everyone around me. I am determined to have more fun and success in my thirties than I had in my teens and twenties combined and to do this I need to continually challenge myself, even though it may be uncomfortable at times. Whilst I will learn from the past I will not dwell on it and will concentrate on moving forward and listen to advice that others are kind enough to give me. Rather than focusing on what I haven’t achieved, I will acknowledge what I have and will be proud but not cocky. I will learn how to build on and improve my achievements so that I can be the very best I can possibly be while being supportive and encouraging to those around me. Helping my friends and family to be happy will make me happy too.

I have a tendency to set my goals high and I am ambitious often leading to taking on too much so I have tried to separate what I want to achieve into five main areas. These may be tweaked and tightened up as time goes on but here is the plan so far.

Goal 1- Shape Up

I am relatively happy with how I look but there is definitely room for improvement. I am a few pounds heavier than I probably should be but I hate to be a boring female that nags on about her weight and I have no desire to be a size zero. However, I do feel embarrassed and slightly ashamed when every now and then, I catch a glimpse of an unflattering photo of myself that highlights the tyre style flaws around my waist. Ashamed is quite a strong word but ultimately, we are all responsible for our own bodies so if I’m not happy I need to change it.

What? I want to get thinner and more toned but I’m not going to focus on weight as a goal. It’s not about being a size zero but how I look and feel. I will aim to get my body in the best shape possible for me so that I can be proud.

The challenge: I will follow a healthy eating regime and a more specific and focused exercise schedule that will take me out of my comfort zone. I will document my progress and will take regular photographs and body measurements so that I can see my body change even when the scales don’t.

Goal 2- Run faster

As you know, I ran my first half marathon in Paris in March and completed it in 2:11 which was one minute slower than I had planned. I then ran another in London on 25^th September and came in at 2:20. Admittedly it was a tougher course than I anticipated and it was way hotter but I was disappointed and I know I am capable of doing better. Don’t get me wrong, I am pleased that I’ve managed to run two half marathons this year when I could barely run for five minutes last year but I want to be the best that I can be.

What? I want to challenge myself to run a half marathon in less than 2 hours. I believe I am capable of this time if I train hard enough in the right way.

The challenge- I have signed up to the Berlin half marathon on 1^st April and I will follow a training schedule to ensure I exceed my time target. Up until now I’ve shied away from track and interval training but I need to do more than just churn out the miles and I am ready for the challenge.

Goal 3-Swim better and faster

I can swim but you’d never find me in the pool challenging somebody to a race because I swim like a granny. I did a post on my swimming style earlier in the year if you’re interested.

What? I like cycling and I am proud to say that I can now run but my swimming lets me down and I want to do a triathlon. To take part in a triathlon I need to be able to swim properly so I have started researching the idea of swimming lessons and I am absolutely terrified.

The challenge: I will start my lessons in the new year and the ultimate goal will be to take part in a triathlon in summer 2012. I am researching the triathlons options available so watch this space!

Goal 4- Run longer

I have run two half marathons and by the time April comes I will hopefully have completed my third. Everybody I know that has run a marathon highly recommends it and suggests it is something everybody should do at least once. I have volunteered at the London Marathon as a sports massage and seeing the runners glowing with pride is a humbling experience. I want to challenge myself and 2012 feels like the right time to do it.

What? 2012 is the year that I will run my first marathon.

The challenge: I would have loved a place in the London Marathon 2012 but unfortunately the ballot is now closed and the charity that I support ( Aplastic Anaemia Trust) only gets one place every five years that has already been taken. I have my eyes on the New York Marathon and I will enter the ballot but I know there is only a 10% chance of a place. Wherever I choose to do it in the world, I will ensure that 2012 is the year I run a marathon so any other suggestions of great courses would be greatly appreciated.

Goal 5- Speak even more than I do already

Yes, though I’m sure many of you can’t believe that this is a challenge for me, the girl that definitely likes to chat. Through my teens, languages were always my thing. I dabbled with French, Spanish, Italian and German. My theory was that I love to talk and if I could go round the world and talk then even better. For one reason or another, my languages took a back seat and life got in the way. Every now and again after a couple of glasses of wine I can find the foreign language student inside me but I want to be confident to try and speak in another language without a bucket load of vino.

What? I want to put some effort into learning a foreign language. I studied German to A level and I’m sad that it’s gone to waste. My Nan is German and I love Germany so I am thrilled to be going to Berlin in April and it seems like a great opportunity to put my languages skills to the test.

The challenge: It is only right that I put some effort into refreshing my German so that I can say more than “Ich bin funfzehn jahre” when I head to Berlin in April. ( I know I’m not 15 but it’s stuck in my head from school). Some words of warning though Run Dem Crew friends, please don’t expect too much from my linguistic skills. I can promise I will try my absolute best but probably a good idea to bring your own phrase books too.

So, there you have it. My Happy 30’s mission and the five goals that I want to achieve in 2012. I will of course document my progress along the way and am happy to take any advice that people are willing to give. A number of kind people have already volunteered to help me achieve my goals and once I get started to you will hear more about these people and the advice they are giving me. Sunday nights always give me the fear but tonight I’m feeling positive and excited about what lies ahead.

Facing up to life with a little help from my trainers and even more help from my friends.

2011-10-15T00:15:00.000-07:00

The last couple of months have been a bit of a rollercoaster, with far more downwards sloping stretches of track than up. Many tears have been shed but I’m feeling more positive than ever right now even though the situations around me haven’t really changed. The only thing that has changed is the way I am dealing with problems that I now realise are completely out of my control. Life throws many challenges your way and sometimes you have to decide which problems are yours to fix. I have a tendency to try and carry the world on my shoulders but sometimes you have to realise you can’t fix everything.

You may have read about my first big running challenge when I ran the Paris half marathon back in March with Team Bangs on the Run. When I returned, I basked in the excitement for a little too long and before it even dawned on me I was taking an extended unplanned break from my running. The longer I left it, the harder it got to throw the trainers back on and life just managed to get in the way. It felt a little bit like when you lose weight and get excited. You start with a little bit of chocolate and then a bit more and the weight creeps back on so you’re as fat as you were to start with and you just give up altogether. I was still thinking about running but the problem was I just wasn’t actually doing much of it. Work got busier and I ended up staying in the office longer leaving little time for running. As the exercise diminished, I got more sluggish and lethargic so I signed up to the Run To The Beat half marathon to set my sights on a new challenge.

Look at these babies for motivation. Designed by me and won at Run Dem Crew courtesy of Nike ID

I had good intentions but it seemed that every time I cried, a little more of my running mojo was being lost leaving me empty. I tried so hard but I just couldn’t enjoy it. Running can be a solitary business and I usually thrive on the alone time. I like my own company and sometimes it’s refreshing to just say nothing which is quite a change for me. However, while I was feeling down I just wasn’t really enjoying the ‘me’ time and couldn’t motivate myself.

I had considered joining Run Dem Crew for a while but I live in Barnes and they run in Shoreditch. Fairly far in distance terms but even further apart in culture. I’m not cool enough to hang with the handlebar moustached, vintage-wearing cool kids in Shoreditch but I knew that running on my own wasn’t working. I headed over to RDC with a couple of my other running buddies a couple of months back and I haven’t looked back. It is seriously one of the best things I have done this year and I’m pleased to say there have been no handlebar tashes in sight. Just a group of amazingly positive people that make you feel welcome every week and encourage you to push yourself a little bit more. And yes, Barnes and Shoreditch are a fair distance apart but it's worth the journey!

I ran Run To The Beat and against all the odds I actually finished on a course that was way more hilly and far hotter than I had ever anticipated. It is traditional for Rum Dem Crew founder Charlie Dark to award members of the RDC with their race medals at the session following the run. Tuesday 27^th September was a special night and it was on that night that I realised just how special RDC is to me. As Charlie told inspirational stories about himself and shared anecdotes about the achievements of other RDC members whilst presenting them with their medals, a tear rolled down my cheek. It was a different type of tear. Not sadness but happiness, positivity and a whole lot of proud all rolled in to one. It was at that moment I realised that in the time since I had joined RDC the sad tears I had been crying had stopped.

I look way happier than I actually am here.

It wasn’t that the sad things had gone away but I’d been distracted and focused in a positive way. The inspirational stories and positive vibes are infectious and you can’t help but leave RDC with a beaming smile. The combination of a sense of achievement, the rush of endorphins and the opportunity to hang out with some seriously inspiring people forces you to crack more than a smile and it makes you re-evaluate things. I look forward to Tuesdays and I know that each week I will get the chance to meet with friends and meet new friends. Not only that but I am loving my running again too. The running keeps me sane at a time where things around me are slightly crazy. I know it can be hard to actually put the trainers on and get out the door but nothing beats the sense of freedom or the feeling of achievement when you’re done. Before a lot of runs I do have that niggle of ‘shall I just go home and throw myself on the sofa?’ but I ignore it because I know how amazing I will feel after the run. The more I run, the more energy I have and the happier I am so I’m just going to keep running.

Running is a metaphor for life. It is important to set yourself goals in life and when you really put your mind to it you can achieve whatever you want. If you don’t set challenges then you’ll just drift along with no sense of purpose. There are some things in life that you have no control over but you do have the power to change your behaviour. I realise now that it’s a waste of time and energy stressing over things that you can’t change. Instead put that energy to good use and use any reserve you do have left to support those around you that may need it. Life will be much happier. I’m still there for those around me as much as I can be but by focusing on my running goals I’m much happier and I’m pretty sure I’m more fun to be around. Thank you Run Dem Crew for helping me find my running mojo. The next challenge on the agenda is Mo Running in Greenwich Park on 12^th November and I will be seriously disappointed if I fail to see a handlebar moustache that day.

Food is more than fuel!

2011-08-03T15:29:00.000-07:00

For anybody that knows me well, you will know that food is a big part of my life. I grew up in a family where food dominated the conversation 99% of the time. The words ‘try it’ were constantly being uttered as a fork full of food was thrust towards your face. The thinking behind this being that if you try something once and don’t like it, you never have to eat it again but if you don’t try it you may just be missing out on something you might love. I was brought up to try all sorts of things from seafood to crazy cuts of meat that other families wouldn’t dream of eating and it never did me any harm. I seem to have inherited the ‘try it’ gene and I get pleasure from cooking for other people. Don’t get me wrong, I love eating but I also love entertaining and watching people enjoy my food.

This may be a somewhat controversial view but I have found that the way people respond to food, often gives you an insight into their personality and their attitude about life in general. In my experience, I have found that the more adventurous foodie types are often adventurous in the rest of their life too. Put simply, fussy eaters tend to not just be scared to try new food but also scared to try new things in life .I know this is a huge generalisation but apart from a couple of cases where this rule has let me down, generally it has rung true.

I do want to emphasise that I am most definitely not a food snob. I watched ‘Come Dine With Me’ yesterday (obviously a repeat that I have watched 10 times before) and there was a woman on there that I would class as a typical food snob. She looked down her nose at the other contestants that weren’t particularly familiar with wasabi caviar and gold leaf bananas and felt like it was her duty to teach them. I like to think that I am not pushy or patronising like she was. I do love the finer things in life but I am also happy to settle for good, simple, wholesome food or a big juicy burger. Life is about balance in all areas any my bank account just couldn’t cope with the strains of living a caviar lifestyle all the time.

I’m not a parent but I do feel very strongly that parents have a role to educate their children about food and nutrition. One of my housemates at uni had never tried a tomato and he was 21. We are not talking a strange, exotic food type here just a standard tomato. I know a lot of children aren’t keen on them but how can you get to 21 and not even try one. He also had no idea what a shallot was after seeing some mature cheddar and shallot crisps in my cupboard. Fair enough if you haven’t tasted a shallot but I would think most people could hazard a guess that they were posh cheese and onion flavour. He would quiz me most nights about what I was cooking but I’m pleased to say that after living together for a year he did get more adventurous and would try new things that he actually enjoyed. I was shocked but it seems I was not alone in this experience.

When my best friend started uni her housemate looked at her quizzically one morning as she spread honey on her toast and with puzzled eyes asked her what it was.She was 18 years of age and she had never seen honey! She also had no idea that eggs could be cooked in more than one way. She was only familiar with boiled eggs. Where have these people been living, under a rock!? It’s hard for me to fathom these kind of scenarios coming from such a food orientated family and also being nosey in general. How can you get to the age of 18 and not be able to recognise honey!?

It’s clear that many people out there have no idea about food and nutrition. I have seen so many TV documentaries focusing on obesity & health and despite there being a wealth of information available to us, some people just have no idea. There have been cases of mothers sneaking burgers into their children at school so that they can skip their healthy lunches. What hope have they got! Food is important to me because I enjoy it but it is also essential for a healthy life so we should all care about it to some degree.

I love nothing more than being with other people that have a zest for life and an excitement to try new things and last weekend I bought tickets to go the Foodies Festival in Battersea Park. I went on both Friday and Sunday and loved every minute. This was definitely leaning more towards gluttonous enjoyment of food rather than the health and nutrition end of the spectrum but I’m on holiday this week so it is allowed.

Describing itself as a celebration of the country’s finest food and drink it really was a gastronomic feast. We had the opportunity to try a whole range of food and drink and the amazing weather made it even more enjoyable. We went to several food and drink demonstrations including one by Katie Caldesi and another by Caroline Artiss. It’s great to pick up new recipes and useful tips and tricks. We were also lucky enough to get places on two of the wine tasting seminars, an Italian one with Guido Cenciotti-Alterocca from The Italian Wine Boutique and a Portuguese session with Charles Metcalfe. Both were fantastic and I picked up lots of new knowledge adding to my current limited wine expertise.

Over the two days we ate Thai food, oysters and delicious Italian ice cream. We also had the pleasure of tasting the most amazing pate made by Findlaters Fine Foods. Apparently you can buy it in some Waitrose Stores and in independent delicatessens. I would highly recommend it, especially the duck liver and venison varieties. I tried almost all of them and was disappointed by none.

We dabbled with jerk style sauces made by the Backyard Company and watched a demo by company founder Antonio Smith where we had the chance to try the sizzling jerk chicken. We couldn’t leave without buying some of the sauces to create our own dishes at home and following tips from Antonio made a jerk pork dish on Monday night. It was absolutely delicious!

A weekend of sunshine, smiles, food and drink was exactly what the doctor ordered and we were given a massive wedge of parmesan on the last day completely free which was a bonus. We will of course be cooking with parmesan on a regular basis for the next few weeks so I may even share a recipe or two! How important is food to you? Do you eat just because you have to or because you enjoy it?

Crying makes me look like a frog!

2011-07-30T13:22:00.000-07:00

The last few months I have cried enough tears to make my own lake and crying is far more complex than I initially realised. Humans can cry three kinds of tears. Reflex tears are those that keep our eyes lubricated, basal tears are the annoying ones caused by irritants like onions and emotional tears are, as you’ve probably guessed, caused by emotional triggers. Only humans are reported to cry emotional tears. Though animals can howl in distress, as humans we are the only animals that actually shed tears of sorrow.

Each type of tear contains a different composition of hormones and proteins. According to some clever, scientific folk, emotional tears contain higher levels of manganese and the hormone prolactin. The release of these chemicals when you cry, is said to keep depression at bay and calm us and may be the reason a good cry can sometimes make you feel better.

It’s true that a good old crying session can make things feel like they’re ok again but cry after cry after cry just makes me feel worn out and ugly to be honest. It’s quite shocking what these prolonged crying sessions can do for your looks. I actually looked like a cartoon frog a couple of weekends ago because my eyelids were so swollen from way too many tears. This rather attractive condition is known as periorbital puffiness and is just water retention caused by the sodium in your tears. Logical, yes but definitely not attractive. It took a good couple of days for the swelling to subside.

I’m not usually such a crier but 2011 has been tough. I don’t want any sympathy but feel I owe it to a few people to explain some of the things that have been happening over the last few months. My normally chirpy tweets have been sad of late and I haven’t really been myself. I really appreciate the messages of concern that I have had and the support from those around me. I am also fully aware that there are people with problems far worse than mine out there and I am not crawling for sympathy. I am an honest person and just like to explain myself.

Back in January on the first day back to work after the long Christmas break, I bumped into my Dad whilst out on a morning run. It was a surprise meeting and neither of us expected to see one another. I had just started my Team Bangs training and was raring to go but I had that horrible back to school, Sunday night fear feeling, multiplied by a million. I could have done without Dad blurting out that Mum thought he was having an affair. To cut a long story short there were lots of tears and it materialised that Dad had a new lady friend that he had been going for coffee with. It was purely a platonic relationship apparently. He insisted this was the case on numerous occasions.

Nobody but my parents and myself knew of this little hiccup and I played mini marriage counsellor for a few months. I have to say, it’s really strange seeing your parents in a different light. It can almost be compared to when you have a house party when your parents are away and the house is at its most vulnerable. You never quite see it in the same light and it always feels a little different. Parents are only human but you look up to them. It was strange being in the middle of these intimate conversations, seeing them both upset and vulnerable and trying to advise them both of stuff I have no place to be advising them on. I’ve never been married and couldn’t even begin to imagine how they were feeling but all I knew is that they loved each other. Mum and Dad decided not to tell my brother and sister so by default I had to tell a few fibs to keep it from them. For me this was a real challenge as I am a rubbish liar. My mum is amazing and the reason she asked me not to say anything was because she didn’t want my siblings to think badly of my Dad.

A few things I ought to explain to put this blog post in to context. My family are very normal (whatever that means) and very close. Mum and Dad have been together for over 35 years and as far as everybody that knows us is concerned, we are very much the happy family with no dramas. This is Mum and Dad on their wedding day and I love this picture. When they met Mum was 15 and by the time she was 19 they were married. A true love story!

Fast forward a few months and it becomes clear that Dad and his friend are still talking although my mum has expressed, understandably, that she doesn’t want him to have contact with her if they are to concentrate on making their marriage work. Mum and Dad still continue to work at it and I keep running, training for my half marathon in Paris. Not all of 2011 has been bad and training with the Team Bangs ladies definitely kept me sane for a few months.

In March my four year old niece (daughter of my sister) was rushed into hospital with severe asthma and a shadow on her lung. Seeing her wired up to medication and oxygen was shocking. Just as we thought she was improving and she was sent home she had another attack, turned blue and we had to call an ambulance for her. This went on for 8 weeks, back and forth to A&E with no answers to what was causing her condition. It was so stressful. Meanwhile my Dad’s birthday and Mother’s Day happened and my siblings and I paid for our parents to go away on holiday. I was desperate for them to spend quality time together without the stresses of home but it wasn’t meant to be and as they were driving to the airport my niece had another attack meaning that they turned round to be there for my sister and their granddaughter. We are a close family and going away at a time like that was simply out of the question. Mum and Dad’s problems went on the backburner.

After a lot of effort from my Mum and sister they managed to get my niece an appointment at the Brompton hospital and luckily she had an attack whilst waiting to be seen. They kept her in and weren’t going to let her leave until they knew exactly what the cause of her illness was. Finally, after a few hours in theatre we discovered she had a severe chest infection but I’m pleased to say she is now back in good health. Well, nothing that a puff or two on her inhalers won’t sort out.

Mum and Dad re-booked their holiday and ended up going away at the same time Jon and I headed to Croatia. We had an amazing holiday and flew back the day after our five year anniversary on 9^th May. Jon was amazing and booked a surprise stay in a gorgeous luxury hotel to celebrate. We had a fantastic time away. On the way back from the airport, faces smiling, we pop in to see my parents. You could have cut the atmosphere with a knife and I knew things weren’t going right. This frostiness carried on for weeks.

It all hit the fan again just before we were due to attend a family wedding at the end of May. Perfect timing! This time round my parents told my brother and sister and I was able to be honest with them. I hated lying and I felt relieved. In a strange way it brought us closer together and we talked a lot. We all shed happy tears in church when the vows were being exchanged but I knew in my case that there was sadness in those tears too. I knew in my heart that the words being exchanged between the bride and groom were somehow no longer relevant for my Mum and Dad. I looked at my Dad and he looked sad and I couldn’t even bring myself to look at my Mum. We carried on playing happy families because nobody wanted to ruin the big day and although I was pushing the thoughts aside, I knew it was only a matter of time before Mum and Dad were going to go their separate ways.

It’s funny how testing times put things into perspective. Two weeks ago my four year old niece came up with a little rash. She was taken to hospital on the Sunday night with suspected meningitis and was kept in. Three days later she was moved to the Royal Marsden, a cancer specialist hospital, with suspected leukaemia. The feeling to be told something like that is so hard to describe and although I was trying not to think the worst I just couldn’t help it. I felt so helpless and useless. I am very much a doer and a positive person but I just couldn’t pull myself together. I was an absolute wreck. It made all of the other things that I usually worry about seem so trivial.

On Thursday evening, after her bone marrow biopsy, we were told that although she is very poorly, she did not have cancerous cells in her bone marrow which meant she didn’t have leukaemia. The relief was unbelievable. It actually felt like a weight had been lifted. She is still very unwell and we are awaiting test results to see how they are going to treat her as her bone marrow has stopped working. Seeing her in that hospital made me realise even more just how precious life is. The ward that she was in was full of very sick children that had no choice about what was happening to them. It was heart breaking to see and very humbling at the same time.

Last week Dad left home. Although he was there for the family when my niece was in hospital, my Mum knew that he wasn’t really there for her. She built up the courage and told him to leave and so he left, just like that. We are now like all of the other kids were at school but because we are grown up we don’t get weekend trips to the zoo.

Dad is now living with his platonic friend who is clearly not platonic. She has left her partner too. If only he could have been honest from the start we could have dealt with this differently. Instead, all of us have been clutching on to a glimmer of hope. I know this happens all the time but I can’t quite believe it has happened to my family. The normal happy family that others look to as being a real strong unit that sticks together. We are still sticking together and trying to be strong for my niece and my brother’s family but the next few months are not going to be easy.

Be grateful for everything that you have and be true and honest to yourself and to those around you that you love. We all make mistakes, I know that. We are only human but at least try and learn from the mistakes and think about other people along the way too. There have been a few other hiccups the last couple of months that have contributed to Lake Teardrop such as £130 parking tickets, a 999 call and a few other things that don’t really matter. I seem to have the opposite of the midas touch at present. You’ll be relieved to know that I’m not going to bore you any further with my tales of woe but when the good things come along, make sure you grab them with both hands and smile because looking like an amphibious, bouncing, croaky creature is not a good look in any season!

I’m going to get new trainers tomorrow and crack on with my running again. I just haven’t really had the energy the last few months with all of the tears. As well as emptying your body of depression causing chemicals and hormones, crying zaps your energy too but enough with the excuses. Tuesday will be my debut at Run Dem Crew. Yes I am scared! I am no East London chick but life is there to be lived and it is important to challenge yourself even if it is a little scary at times. There is nothing stopping me apart from a few little nerves and I am going to kick them aside to get me ready for my second half marathon in September. Nothing is going to get in my way, not even a huge lake of tears or a frog with bulging eyes.

My absence note

2011-06-26T13:36:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a long time since I have posted and my twitter action has been less frequent too so I thought I should explain myself. I have been really busy the last few monthsand to be honest have been feeling shattered. I didn't want blogging to feel like a chore and I honestly just haven't had enough time to dedicate to it. I salute the hardcore bloggers out there that post daily. Seriously, it is hard going, especially when you work and even more so if you have a family. I respect your dedication.

Well, enough of the excuses. The truth is, I have missed it so I am back and I'm excited. I am going to be training for another half marathon so I am going to need something to occupy my mind on the countless long runs. Training needs dedication and organisation so I will make time to blog along the way. Not all of the posts are going to be fitness related but I'm sure some of them will be. There will be beauty, food and whatever else pops into my head that feels appropriate to blog about. Feel free to comment along the way and I hope you enjoy.

Dodging the bouquet

2011-06-26T13:21:00.000-07:00

I have been in a relationship with my boyfriend for 5 years and we have been living together for more than 3 of them. I’m not the kind of girl that just packs a bag and moves in with a boyfriend on a whim. It was a big decision for me and I didn’t take it lightly. Living together was the next step in our relationship and for me I believe it shows a certain level of commitment. I would not have taken the step if I didn’t think he was the one. But when you’ve been together for a certain length of time people think it’s ok to ask ‘Have you got a ring yet?’or ‘when is he going to pop the question?’

Let me tell you now, I don’t have a ring as you can clearly see and how the hell am I supposed to know! If you want to know what I am thinking when you ask marriage related questions of this kind, expect an expletive or two because I find them to be really rather nosey and personal and I would never dream of asking you such a thing. The day I get engaged, you will know about it. I will be even more animated than I usually am just to enable me to wave the sparkler in your direction so you most definitely will not need to ask me.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I really do want to get married one day but I want it to be for the right reasons. I want him to propose to me because he wants to marry me and spend the rest of his life with me. I don’t want my partner to feel forced or pressured by me or other people. I do want to get married and although I like to think of myself as up to date and modern, I am an old-fashioned girl at heart and you will never find me down on one knee during a leap year.

I’m not the kind of girl to put pressure on, drool at jewellery shop displays with longing or change the screensaver of my boyfriend’s laptop to a big sparkler. Actually, I take part of that back. I have been known to drool at diamonds in the window of jewellery shops but only when I am on my own. Looking in a jewellery shop window with your boyfriend by your side does feel a little bit cliché and desperado and I am sure there are many men out there that dread such situations.

Now we’re both 29, more of our friends and family are getting hitched and I have to admit I dread the whole bouquet catching scenario at a wedding. It’s not just me. I have spoken to several lovely ladies that feel the same way and totally understand how I feel. It’s like a public display of pressure that I’d rather not be part of. Before the bouquet is thrown, there are little knowing glances of expectation in the direction of those that have been together for more than a couple of years and even more piercing glances for the ones that have been together for over 5 years and live together. I have never caught the dreaded bouquet as I try and stay as far away as possible but I can just imagine the excited gabble that would come straight. Scary!

I am very comfortable with our situation and we are very happy together but you can’t help feeling just a little pang of disappointment when you return back from a holiday and people look at you with that distinct face of pity when they fail to see a sparkling diamond dazzling them from your finger. Every week somebody else gets engaged after a whirlwind 12 month relationship and you think to yourself ‘what the hell is wrong with me?’ I don’t want to turn into one of those girls that is waiting for a proposal whenever you are on holiday or in a romantic, beautiful spot. I just want to enjoy every minute that we spend together regardless of what other people expect or say. Life’s too short!

It’s easy to get bogged down and disappointed when other people put the pressure on but in a relationship it’s important to not let those other things get in the way. Too many people get married for the wrong reasons and too many people have marriages that are shortlived. So for the time being, I am going to carry on as we are, living happily together in our home with my head held high when I get another one of those questions and I calmly respond, ‘there’ll be no wedding anytime soon’, through gritted teeth. I will still be dodging the bouquet at weddings to avoid yet another awkward and embarrassing situation and my hands will be bare of rings. I’m saving my digits for some seriously sparkly jewellery that I’ve been eyeing up while nobody is looking, so no pressure!

“Running:No half times, no time outs, no substitutions. It must be the only true sport".

2011-03-13T14:42:00.000-07:00

This was a quote that I saw on the t-shirt of a girl that was running in front of me during the Paris Half Mara and it made me smile. I've never really thought about it before but I guess there is some truth in it and I was grateful for something else to think about while pounding the streets of Paris.

I will be honest, running is tough. I went out yesterday for a 6.5k run. It was beautifully sunny and I really enjoyed it but it was really hard. You’d have thought that after 13 miles last weekend, 6.5k would have been a breeze but that was not the case. I’m not saying this to put anybody off because the reward of running and the feeling of achievement each time I run totally outweighs the struggle when my breathing is heavy or my legs hurt. Each and every time I run I get a sense of achievement and I think that is the reason I am hooked though I’m still not sure I would consider myself to be a runner just yet.

Running is most definitely popular. I’d never really noticed before but since I have been running I have noticed just how many others are out there with their trainers on whether it is hot or cold, wet or dry. Whenever I train it is guaranteed that I will always cross the path of another runner with the friendly knowing runners nod. So what is it that motivates all of these people to drag themselves out of bed on a Sunday morning? I decided to do a little research into some well -known running quotes and the ones I have included below are the ones that have really struck a chord with me.

"I run because it's so symbolic of life. You have to drive yourself to overcome the obstacles. You might feel that you can't. But then you find your inner strength, and realize you're capable of so much more than you thought."

Arthur Blank

"You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement."

Steve Prefontaine( US Athlete)

"Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it."

Oprah Winfrey

"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run."

John Bingham

So I guess if John Bingham’s opinion counts for anything, I can consider myself a runner.I am certainly not the best and there are plenty of other better runners out there but each time I run I try my best and I am improving so I guess that is what is important. I have learned a lot about myself while I have trained and I have also learned a bit about the right and not so right things to wear so I thought I’d share some of this with you.

Before going out for a this morning, I asked my boyfriend to take a few snaps of me in various states of dress. Don’t worry, there is nothing inappropriate here here, just a selection of shots of me sporting various items of of running kit that have been essential during my training.

1. This shows me in my Amazing Shock Absorber Run Bra. From a lady that has her fair share of boobs, this sports bra is a serious lifesaver and makes a huge difference to my comfort when I run. The designers have thought of every little detail. The hook and eye clasp is padded so that it doesn’t dig in to your back and the various adjustable fastenings mean that you will get the perfect fit.

The first day I wore my Run bra, when I got home from my run I realised that I hadn’t thought about my boobs the whole time as they had stayed firmly in place the whole time. Even better, I was left with no strap chafing like my old sports bra used to cause.

However, to make sure that you get the best from your bra make sure you purchase the correct size. The Team Bangs Ladies were lucky enough to get given a Run Bra by Shock Absorber to keep our boobs in check in Paris and the feedback from the rest of the team has been pretty damn good too.

A decent sports bra is an absolute must-have. I cannot believe the amount of females I see when out running that just let their boobs hang loose. Not only must it be painful but it is also a disturbing sight to subject another being to. Please look after your boobs ladies. A normal everyday bra is just not enough for when you are running!

http://www.shockabsorber.co.uk/focus/run-sportsbra.html

In this picture you can also see my Adidas Supernova brushed running tights which were a birthday gift from some of my girlie friends. These have been a true blessing on the days and nights that I have had to train in the freezing cold. The inside of the leggings have a warm furry kind of fabric to make your legs feel snug. This doesn’t sound like a massive plus point but believe me on freezing days I was extremely grateful for this toasty feature. The leggings have a snug fit but are easy to get on and off as they have an elastic adjustable waist and zips at the ankles. The tight fit actually gives additional muscular support which can aid performance and help to prevent injury too.

2. One of my biggest fears when I started running was that I was going to end up with grotesque toenail free trotters. Nobody really talked about it until I started asking questions and then the horror stories all flooded out. There were many stories of huge blisters and blackened toenails that eventually dropped off. This was definitely not an option for me. I invested in a pair of Hilly Twin Skin socks to prevent blisters and I am pretty sure they have also helped me to look after my toenails too. The double layer construction means the socks rub against themselves rather than against my tootsies and the reinforced toe and heel area means that my feet have had extra protection when I’m out running. You will be pleased to hear that my feet are absolutely fine.

Obviously, trainers are also key here as ill-fitting shoes will contribute to poorly feet. The correct shoes are so important when it comes to running and they deserve a post all of their own. I am going to point you in the direction of a fellow Team Bangs Blogger www.beachbumbeautyblog.com as she has written a great post today on the importance of the correct shoes and gait analysis.

3. In the winter, a long sleeved top is also a must-have. I opted for the Nike Element half-zip Running Top from the Nike Store in London. The fitted design means it stays out of your way when you run and it maps the natural contours of your body to avoid chafing without restricting your movement. It also has numerous reflective strips to keep you visible and safe. It is a cold weather running shirt made of soft, sueded Dri-FIT fabric that basically draws the sweat from your body to the surface of the fabric so that it can evaporate quickly keeping you dry. I absolutely love the feel of this top and it really does what it says on the tin.

4. In this picture I have two must have items on. Firstly a Nike vest which is years old so I’m not sure of the model name. I have loads of these kind of tops with additional bra-like support inside. I personally wouldn’t feel comfortable wearing this without a sports bra but I’m grateful for any additional support along the way. I have learned that the fabric is especially important, especially when running frequently and for long periods of time, to prevent rubbing and chafing. I guess everybody has their own preference when it comes to running clothing but I prefer to wear something which is tight rather than to have lots of loose fabric flapping around.

The other item that I am wearing in picture 4 is my Hilly neoprene running pouch. Ok, I admit it is a little like a bum bag but I love this thing. The waist pouch has numerous pockets, loops, hooks, clasps for keys, zips and holes for your earphones to be threaded through. I kept all sorts in here throughout my training and on race day. I guess it could be likened to Mary Poppins bag. It’s not the coolest accessory but it keeps your things safe and stops them jiggling about in your pocket which drives me crackers. I am normally the lady with the heaviest and fullest handbag because I just like to carry stuff with me just-in case. I am the same when I run so this has been essential for me.

5. This attractive little number is my Karrimor waterproof running jacket. Nice to keep you dry and to cover the bulging waist pouch, as described above, that makes me look a little like a kangaroo with a joey. I don’t really know what else to say about this apart from the fact that loads of other runners seem to have the same jacket as me. I’ve stopped making friendly comments to people wearing the same clothing as me after I called out “nice jacket” to a girl as she ran past with the same one on as me. She totally blasted me. The shame!

I bought it from SportsDirect.com for a really good price. (You know, that sports shop that is crammed to the rafters with discounted sportswear. They tend to have a closing down sale and then re-open a week later as a sports shop with a similar name and the same stock). Joking aside, they do sell some pretty good stuff at great prices so it’s worth a look if you are just starting out and don’t want to break the bank.

6. Finally, in this beautiful shot I am showing off my rather fetching hat and glove combo. Hooray for it is finally getting warmer and I no longer need these but they have been essential throughout my winter training. I have to thank the lovely @BangsandaBun for passing on the UnderArmour hat which has been great on really cold days. When training on cold days hypothermia is a real risk so it is really important to wrap up warm. I also wore gloves when training as having cold fingers can really distract you. Normal gloves just do not cut it and it is worth paying out for some gloves designed for running, generally due to the material. Although these snug little Adidas ones have kept my digits toasty all winter I want to get my mitts on some E-gloves for next winter so that I don’t have to keep removing them to play around with my I-phone.

Well, I think that’s about it for tonight. This is a much longer post than I had originally intended but I hope it helps to give some advice to those of you starting out. I am by no means an expert but these are the things that have worked for me.

I can’t quite believe that the lycra in my wardrobe seems to be breeding so rapidly. I never thought I would be one of those people with a wardrobe full of highly unattractive, stretchy, clingy clothes. I also never thought I’d be a social runner but I was out in the rain this morning running around Richmond Park with @AlexandraVasey for fun. I guess I really have been bitten by the running bug.

Team Bangs do Paris

2011-03-07T16:46:00.000-08:00

The months of hard work paid off yesterday and the hard work was totally worth it. Admittedly I am a little stiff and sore today but with each achey step I take I can’t help but feel a little bit proud. On Saturday when we arrived in Paris, I was a nervous wreck all day. We went to meet some of the other Team Bangs girls and they all seemed really relaxed and caught up in the romantic whirl of Paris. I was a clumsy mess and had constant butterflies in my tummy.

Poor Jon had to hear me all day saying ‘I hope I’m going to be able to do it’, ‘what if I’ve got my distances wrong when I’ve been training and I can’t really run that far?’ or have me demanding late night trips to the local convenience store to buy essential water and bananas to ensure I was hydrated and energised. Jon(@jonsanjose on Twitter) has been an amazing support throughout to both me and the other girls on the team so I just wanted to say a public thank you to him. He has been the official team photographer, cheerleader and jester to help keep us smiling as well as personal motivator and masseuse for me so thank you Mr San Jose. I really do appreciate it and I know I’ve been a bit of a nightmare the last couple of months.

A day of walking the streets of pretty much the whole of Paris on Saturday was lovely while we were doing it but my goodness, when we got back to the hotel room after dinner my body and feet ached and I was super tired after only 3 hours sleep on Friday. I was starting to panic that I had done too much before the big day. So I snubbed the offer of free films on the coolest TV I’ve ever experienced in a hotel room ( Check out http://www.mamashelter.com/) and snuggled into the super fluffy bed for a night of undisturbed shut eye.

The busy day seemed the right thing to do as when I caught up with some of the other Team Bangs girls in the morning it seemed there hadn’t been a lot of sleep due to a combination of nerves and excitement. I actually felt refreshed and confident even though my tootsies were a little battered from the over enthusiastic stroll the day before. I’d planned to load up on breakfast and the breakfast at the hotel was amazing but once I’d loaded up my plate I had a bit of difficulty getting it down.

Check out the cool Team Bangs T-shirt. Thank you Nike & Shock Absorber.

Some of the Team Bangs ladies on race day

The journey to the race start was full of nervous giggles and lots of smiles as well as an element of dis-belief that the day was finally here. There was also huge volume of lycra on the Metro. I have never seen so much stretchy shiny material in one carriage, some of which was highly inappropriate. Gentleman, please leave something to the imagination and cover it in shorts as that is just too much that early in the morning. In fact that is too much at any time of day or night.

The journey to the race start

We’ve all become really good friends throughout our training, supporting each other via tweets and facebook posts and it has really helped me in my training. It was great to finally be able to catch up with the girls in person. For those that say social media is in fact not sociable because it encourages people to type away in their room alone and not engage with people, this project is testament to the fact that this is not always true. I know that I have made some really great friends through Muireann (@BangsandaBun on a Twitter) bringing us together on Twitter. I am aware that some of you reading this are not on Twitter and don’t really get it but I am totally hooked. I think it is incredible what has been achieved.

33,000 people were registered to run the Semi de Paris. It just wasn’t practical for us to all be able to start the race together. I set off with Misty and Jon managed to snap us among the crowd of thousands of runners as we were about to cross the start line. As you can see from my face I was totally excited and couldn’t contain myself. I was like this quite a lot of the way through the run actually looking at the pictures.

I'm looking pretty excited!

I set myself a target of 5k every 30 minutes and I stuck to this with military precision for the first 15k. I was expecting to see Jon and Michael (Misty’s lovely husband) at 10k and was desperately looking out for them amongst the crowds of supporters. I was pleased when I went through the inflatable 10k arch in my planned time but couldn’t help being a little disappointed that I couldn’t see the boys. I ran on through keeping my eyes peeled the whole time like my own game of Where’s Wally. As I approached Bastille at about 11.5k I spotted Jon and his camera on the left hand side of the road and of course I was on the right so I shot across shouting and waving frantically. Seeing some support really does give you an extra boost so thank you to Jon and Michael the official Team Bangs cheerleaders minus the pom poms.

Me at 11.5k. Smiling!

Team Bangs official cheerleading squad (L-R Michael & Jon)

In fact, on the subject of cheerleaders, a big well done and thank you to the Semi de Paris organisers. A group of hot fireman cheering you on at various points en route is definitely an encouraging motivator.

By 15k I was hurting but I was still feeling good and still had a smile on my face. A surprise cheering on by Jon and Michael at 16.5k cheered me up again which was just as well as I was going to be facing a bitch of a hill at 17k.

An even bigger smile at 16.5k as I didn't know what I had coming around the corner.

Bangs herself in action

It was a hill that I didn’t expect and I really had to push myself to keep running up it. It wasn’t particularly steep but it was long. I was so close to stopping but I pushed on through while my legs burned. I could feel myself getting tired but with only a few kilometres to go I was determined that I wasn’t going to stop. While I struggled through myself I tried to give some encouraging taps on the shoulder to fellow runners that were clearly also feeling the pain. When you are a struggling a supportive comment or gesture from a fellow runner can really help to motivate you.

The last kilometre felt like about 10 and I just couldn’t see the end in sight for ages. As soon as that inflatable arch came into view I pushed as hard as I possibly could to sprint through the finish line. While I felt sick I was so pleased that I’d finished and without stopping too. I wasn’t sure of my time but I suspected it was just under 2 hours 12 minutes.

The feeling at the finish line was not as exciting as I had expected because I was just so tired and getting out of the fencing that we were penned into too absolutely ages. I felt a little shaky but the minute I saw some of the other Team Bangs girls I was totally excited and elated. This whole experience had been about doing it as a team and I enjoyed watching other members of the team succeed as much as I enjoyed my own achievement. It was a truly emotional experience. Here are a couple of snaps of some of the Team Bangs girls being a little hug-tastic post run as well as a rather attractive one of me in a white plastic cape. Paris fashion week, eat your heart out!

Looking good Karleen

The lovely Gemma at the end. Well done lady. You rocked in a massive way!

Me, Misty & George

Myself and Miss 'Speedy Gonzales' Alski

Team Bangs hugs

More celebratory hugs

Go George!

Kaye looking gorgeous even after 13 miles!

When my official time came through I had completed it in 2 hours and 11 minutes. Don’t get me wrong, I am proud of what I have achieved in a relatively short time but I couldn’t help but feel just a little disappointed as I wanted to finish in under 2 hours 10 minutes. However, I’m not going to be hard on myself, it is my first half marathon after all. I had an injury before I’d even started my training and my schedule was interrupted at the end of January when I came down with flu and a chest infection had to stop for nearly two weeks. My running is not finished yet and I have already set myself a target of doing better next time.

After going out for a celebratory Parisian dinner with Jon I thought it was only right that I reward myself with cake so with my medal round my neck, my fluffy robe and slippers on, I ate cake. What a perfect end to an absolutely amazing day.

Me and the official team mascot, Jon

I deserve cake. Fact!

A huge thank you to everybody that has supported us all along the way and an extra special thank you to Bangs herself. Here is my own little film for you. It's not as good as yours with editing and cool music but hopefully it gets my message across.

Karleen xxx

The last breakfast

2011-03-05T21:54:00.000-08:00

Today is Saturday 6^th March, the day of the Paris half marathon 2011 and I am just about to go down and grab mon petit dejeuner. My medical certificate had the stamp of approval yesterday and I’ve collected my bib number and chip for my shoe. There is no going back now. Today is the day that I get to prove myself after all the hard work and training that I have put in.

Me with the stamp of approval

I will be honest, it hasn’t been easy. I started a new job in December just as my training programme needed to kick off so I have been pretty busy. My friends and family are really important to me and I haven’t been able to spend quite as much time with them as I usually do as there just aren’t enough hours in the day but it has definitely all been worth it and I’m sure the feeling I get when I cross the finish line is going to be the ultimate feel-good buzz.

I have tried to remain committed throughout training apart from a couple of blips caused by illness or injury.I know that I’m capable of running the distance as I have completed it in training but I am crossing my fingers, toes and anything else that is crossable, that tomorrow will be a good running day. For those of you out there that run, you will know what I mean. Some days you run and you feel good. In fact, you feel better than you thought you would so you keep on running and on those days you feel fantastic. On other days you try your absolute best and for reasons that I don’t understand your body struggles and the whole run feels difficult, right the way through from start to finish. Please, please let Sunday 6^th March be a good running day. Knowing that I will be there with the rest of the #TeamBangsontheRun girls is a great feeling and I’m really proud to be a part of it.

I can’t say a big enough thank you for all of the support I have received along the way. It’s the understanding tweets from the TeamBangs ladies that have pushed me on through or the well done tweets that add to the proud glow when I’ve managed to run a little bit further than I’ve run before. I have also received some amazing messages from other people in the twitter community and on Facebook which have really helped to motivate me when it’s been cold and wet and all I’ve wanted to do is hibernate. Knowing that what I have been working towards has motivated other people to start taking part in exercise has really helped to push me too.

Thank you to all of those that have supported us along the way, whether it be donating money, clothing (Thank you Nike), sports bras (Thank you Shock Absorber)or even your words. I just hope that I can make you all proud and most of all make myself proud.

If you haven’t managed to donate yet then there is still time www.justgiving.com/teambangsontherun. I’ll catch you later when this run is done! *Takes a deep breath and sips more water*

I'm still alive and still running!

2011-02-13T15:27:00.000-08:00

In case you wondered, I am actually still breathing. As you may have guessed and if you follow me on Twitter you probably know that the feeling a little ropey, as documented in my last posts, escalated into full blown influenza. Not the kind of ‘I’m feeling a bit fluey’ flu but the ‘I cannot even move from my bed ‘flu. People use the term flu way too frequently when they should just be telling you that they have a cold. I didn’t even have a hint of a sniffly nose but I did have a fever for five days, couldn’t move and was even seeing dogs in my room in the night. We don’t even own a dog. I think this was a little bit of hallucinating due to the fever.

I am a stubborn madam and I wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of me and Janathon. I meant serious business when I signed up but this virus well and truly ruined that plan. The day after my last post (Janathon day 25 and my 27^th consecutive day of exercise), I dragged myself into work to finish a few urgent bits then crawled back to bed which was where I stayed for over a week. I can’t quite believe how bad I felt and then developed a chest infection too. I still have a gross cough but you’ll be pleased to know my training is back on track.

I was so anxious about my training. The training plan didn’t schedule for illness on this scale. As soon as I was feeling a little better I was back out there with my running shoes on. After nearly a two week break I was really nervous. It just happened to be that on that Saturday morning I’d slicked on some red lippie for some extra va-va voom. There was nothing for it. I decided to keep it on for my run. Not only is it a complete pain to remove without leaving a ‘I’ve been drinking cherryade out of a bottle’ look but it also has a special effect of giving you an extra confidence boost. Wearing red lipstick screams the message “Don’t mess with me!” and I wanted to tell this run that I meant business.

I got a few funny looks as I jogged on by with my clashing black and pink running jacket but I didn’t care. Even though I was still a little wheezy I really enjoyed the run and loved being out there. It was only a short one but I didn’t want to go mad. That all changed on the Sunday. I headed out aiming for 13 miles. I was feeling good and needed to prove to myself that I was capable of running the half marathon distance, even if it was slowly. I did it and I loved it and completed it in 2 hours 20 minutes. I was absolutely over the moon! I’m no athlete but I still can’t quite believe that I managed it. I kept checking the route that I’d mapped just to make sure I hadn’t cheated and sure enough I hadn’t.

In the last couple of weeks, I am sorry for the lack of blog posts but with the training and a super busy couple of weeks at work I just really haven’t had time. I’ve bumped into quite a few people that have told me they’ve been reading my blog. I am absolutely astounded and totally chuffed that so many people are reading it, enjoying it and are feeling inspired by it too. I promise that I am now back. I may not be checking in everyday but I definitely promise to post regularly. Thank you for reading, I really do appreciate it and feel free to comment. The positive comments and tweets are really helping me push hard with my training. If you find you can’t make a comment then a donation will do and that will definitely give me and the rest of the Team Bangs ladies a push. www.justgiving.com/teambangsontherun

Have a good week!

Karleen x

The biggest fashion crime

2011-01-25T12:02:00.000-08:00

After my shockingly negative post yesterday (sorry people, I really do appreciate you reading my blog) I woke up this morning feeling even ropier. I am ill and I am not happy. This wasn’t what I had planned for Janathon day 25. For those of you that read my tweets, you may know that I am one of those people that are forever hot. Not hot as in irresistible but hot as in when I sit in a car, the window next to me often steams up. Attractive!

Today I have not stopped shivering despite having a temperature. I am aching, I feel nauseous, my head hurts and my skin even hurts. A hot bath later and I’m still not warm so I am now committing the ultimate fashion crime. I am sporting a rather attractive all in one adult baby-gro. I like to put pictures up on my blog but I most definitely will not be subjecting you to this monstrosity. Possibly one of the most disgusting things I have ever seen.

Thank you so much for all of the lovely comments on yesterday’s post. The messages of support really mean a lot. I had decided that I would hit the bath and then head straight to bed tonight. Whilst shivering away in the bathtub Miss Stubborn just wouldn’t go away. My boyfriend is at the boxercise class that I should have been going to and I am jealous. I cannot stand the thought that all of my hard work is going to go down the drain after 24 days of exercise (well, I am actually on day 26). There is no way I could handle a run tonight. The stubborn annoying tickly cough has developed into a painful, more hoarse little creature and I just feel exhausted. However, while Jon was swinging his right hook, I couldn’t resist attempting just a couple of my core-strength rug exercises.

5 x 20 second planks, 50 x sit-ups, 50 x press-ups and a selection of the Nike special drills later and I am finally hot. I can really notice that I am far weaker than normal and I haven’t pushed myself but I think this little bit of rug action means that I am still in Janathon and Miss Stubborn wins the day. I’m not setting the leader board alight but I am trying my best. Night all!

The day Janathon nearly broke me

2011-01-24T13:31:00.001-08:00

That day was today. Time flew by at work and before I knew it the end of the day was here, well after a lot of coughing and spluttering from me. Nothing serious, just one of those pathetic dry coughs that won’t shut up. A glass of water usually does the trick but this annoying little thing was persistent and wouldn’t be calmed by water. In fact the H2O just aggravated it which meant I drunk hardly anything today.

I headed on to the sweaty tube followed by a sweaty bus ride which I ended up standing on for over an hour due to a ridiculous traffic jam. I felt faint and a little bit nauseous (the lack of water probably didn’t help) and a 5k run was definitely not appealing. I even put out a question on Twitter to my fellow Team Bangs girls asking what I should do. The best advice was to listen to my body and take a rest. But, did I heck! I wasn’t letting Janathon get the better of me on day 24. So even after a cheeky rest on the sofa, I got my kit on and off I went. Miss Stubborn at her absolute best.

I can honestly say that tonight’s 5k run was officially the worst run ever! The whole thing felt impossibly hard and I was hurting more than I’ve ever hurt before. My calves were so tight; they felt like they were being twisted in a vice. In fact, I was on the verge of tears most of the way round. Partly because my legs were hurting so much and probably more so that I was panicking I’ve overdone it. I’ve harped on about it enough. It’s the biggest mistake that beginner runners make and a beginner runner is what I am. I did a lot of running at the weekend and maybe Janathon is starting to take its toll. The fact that I was probably fairly dehydrated definitely would not have helped either.

I have a boxing class scheduled for tomorrow night but I am not going to let my stubbornness get the better of me. If I am really not feeling good I am going to head to the pool to do some lengths followed by a chill out in the sauna instead. Janathon was intended to help motivate my training and it has definitely done that. There are far more experienced and talented Janathoners out there than I am ever going to be and my ultimate aim is to complete the Paris Half Marathon, not to destroy myself. I am going to remember this in the remaining week of Janathon. I will power on through but with caution.

Today I went running and I saw...

2011-01-23T13:26:00.000-08:00

9 bridges, 37 dogs, Kew Royal Botanical Gardens, Syon House, Deer, more deer, lots of rowers, too many runners to count, a giant cow and some kind of Santa School day trip out. You guessed it, today was the day of the mighty long run. Today was a good day for me but it left me with rather sore limbs and tootsies. I was adamant that I was going to run further than I did last week which was 7.5 miles. I set myself a target of 9.5 miles but I kept it between me and mapmyrun.com, just in case I wasn’t quite ready yet for the beastly distance planned.

My sofa was far more appealing than the long run today and I was really nervous but I decided I would just take it slow. Having my i-phone and taking snaps on my long run last Sunday was a great distraction so I decided to do the same today. Running can be boring so I set myself up a little game to count how many bridges I would run under and how many dogs I would pass. Stupid I know but it gave me something to focus on. It became a little like the memory game ‘I went to the supermarket and I bought …’

My route today took me along the Thames towpath all the way from Barnes Bridge up to Petersham and I passed a total of 8 bridges. I snapped all of them except Barnes at the start as you’ve had the pleasure of this already on a previous post. I passed Chiswick Bridge, A train bridge in Kew followed by Kew Bridge, the Bridge at Richmond Lock, a train bridge at Twickenham plus Twickenham Bridge, a mini bridge over the stream into Old Deer Park and finally Richmond Bridge. For any Bridge enthusiasts out there please find my snaps below. The route really is beautiful but it was a bit of a miserable day so the pictures don't really do it justice. If you're not into running it is also a great walking route, especially in summer.

I saw a total of 37 dogs. There was no way I could capture them all but here are a few that whizzed past me on the towpath. Sorry about the blurriness. It’s not easy taking pictures while running.

According to the run I mapped this morning, I was meant to leave the towpath at Richmond, head through the town centre, along the Upper Richmond Road and back towards Barnes. I was really enjoying the run though and didn’t want to run along the main road breathing in car fumes. When running, my sense of smell becomes super sensitive and I figured car fumes were not going to enhance my running pleasure. So I carried on along the towpath towards Petersham, along the Petersham Road, past the gate I should have exited last week to avoid the fight with the mud pie and then up the steep hill to Richmond gate. I admit I did take a little walk break halfway up the hill. Everything was hurting and running up just wasn’t an option. I am conscious that I want to train as hard as I can but without pushing too early so that I end up sustaining an injury.

If you do the Tamsin Trail, exit here unlike me.

I headed through the gate and into the tranquil world of Richmond Park. No sooner had I entered, I was rewarded with a view of some bambi-esque deer chilling out in the ferns. So much more to appreciate in here, I knew the detour was the right move. The only down side was the sharp whipping wind in the open space. Ouch! I just ignored it and kept my arms and legs moving. I was in the zone. Although I had adapted my route I knew I had run pretty far and the endorphins were taking effect. I was buzzing!

I came across a giant cow but he was too far away to get a good picture on my phone, several more herds of deer then something that can only be described as a mirage. I am not joking and I am so glad my phone battery held out for me to take a snap just so that you can see that it’s not me going mad. Trekking across the grass was a group of people dressed top to toe in Santa outfits beards and all. They were heading towards the deer. Was it some kind of specialist Santa training school? I don’t know what it was but it made me chuckle and kept me pushing through. Take a look yourself.

The phone died shortly after so I kept my feet pounding all the way to Roehampton Gate with no micro photo breaks, down Priory Lane, past the Lawn Tennis Association, then past the Priory (Yes the celeb rehab place). I kept on, turned on to the Upper Richmond Road, left past Barnes Station and then the short journey all the way home. Phew! I wasn’t quite sure how far I had gone as I had adapted my route. A quick shower and clothing change before heading for lunch with a friend, accessorizing with a massive proud grin. When I got home Jon mapped my route for me and I couldn’t quite believe it. I had managed a total of 10.6 miles which is 17k. I am pretty damn pleased with that!

This is today's route

Double whammy avec a Janathon grovel

2011-01-22T09:55:00.000-08:00

Ok, so firstly I apologise for the lack of post action yesterday but forgive me as this is a double today. This doesn’t mean that I totally failed on the Janathon front, just that my Virgin connection was having a little trouble and I had no time to sort it out. I made a little pact to myself on 1^st January that Janathon exercise can only be counted as exercise if I change into my workout clothes to commence. So even if I trotted 5k to the shops and back and didn’t break a sweat, this wouldn’t count on my logging and blogging.

I had a day off work yesterday but I had to get up early to finish something I didn’t get time to finish on Thursday. This meant I had a rubbish night’s sleep and woke on the hour every hour in a panic that I was going to sleep in. I got it done and then headed to get my hair done. Natalie Elias at the TIGI academy is officially amazing and made me the happiest girl yesterday so thank you chica. Getting your hair done is the best feeling. Fact! Roots banished and blunt fringe back = a good day.

New Hair

Then I headed off to the Park Plaza, Victoria to meet my friend for a bit of Spa action and a much needed massage. I naturally took my costume and planned to do a few lengths in the pool to clock up the day's Janathon exercise. Plan scuppered when I discovered a lack of pool and even more annoyingly there was a gym yet I had no gym kit.I didn't think it was entirely appropriate to prance around in my functional yet very unattractive swimsuit. I ended up doing a few core-strength exercises in a sauna the size of my wardrobe. So after a fairly short time I gave up and opted for some chilled out book reading instead until my appointment time. My massage was amazing though and I will do a separate post on this tomorrow.

I had to head straight home after the massage to get scrubbed up for my brother’s engagement party so no time for exercise. I indulged in several alcoholic beverages last night for the first time this year but I had a great time. However, I had agreed to meet @gemmakgraham at Parkrun this morning. Hmmm!

When I got home last night I was adamant that I wasn’t crashing out of Janathon in this way, especially after somebody in real life telling me I was her inspiration.( Hello Amy. Sweet dreams if you’re about to head to bed!) Ok, she was joking but it highlighted that people are actually reading my posts and following what I am doing. The pressure is most definitely on.

While Jon prepared a random feast of food I resorted to some rug action exercise in my PJ’s. Don’t be fooled that because I wasn’t in my gym kit I wasn’t going to put any effort in. Wrong! I beasted myself repeating some of the drills that we did at the Nike class and it hurt. The plan was to do a very quick log and an even quicker blog. Virgin had other ideas, hence no post. A rubbish excuse on a pretty poor effort day in comparison to most of the others I have blogged about I know.

This morning I was tired, miserable and my body was hurting. I was planning to meet Gemma (a fellow Team Bangs girly) at the start of the run. Part of me really did want to go to see if I could knock off 2 minutes as I pledged a couple of weeks ago but the bigger portion of me wanted to stay in bed. I even texted Gemma in a cowardly attempt to cop out and said I was happy to go running later if she wasn’t up for running around a hilly, muddy park in the freezing cold. Before she had a chance to reply I had a word with myself and did a big loud shouty growl and decided I was going to do this and do it properly. I pulled on my gear and as I ventured out into the cold Gemma replied to say she was on her way. Let’s do this Team Bangs!

It really hurt today. My shins and calf hurt and my body ached but I was determined to improve my time. I picked out a runner and I stuck with her the whole way. Halfway round I started to doubt myself. My legs were heavy and my breathing was awful! I was dehydrated (yes, bad alcohol!) and the constant water sipping wasn’t helping me to set a steady pace with my breathing.

Particular low points of the run were being caned by a 10 year old whippersnapper and an old man that was bandaged up like a mummy. High points were that I managed to stick with my chosen target. Another massive high point when I was struggling fiercely was Gemma’s smiley face and encouraging little wave. As we neared the end of the run I was determined I wanted to overtake my nominated target. Let me just get this straight. Parkrun is a friendly social run and isn’t competitive but it always helps me to set mini targets and unbeknown to this lady she wasn mine today. I pushed myself and managed to just pull past her with about 100 uphill metres to go but could I keep up the lead? It’s a bit rubbish to make the effort to overtake somebody for all of 2 seconds to then be letf for dust at the finish.

She came back behind me and despite my loud garage track banging in my ears, I could hear her breathing heavily very close behind me. She was fighting back! It seemed I was now her target. I pushed hard with everything that I had to the point that I thought there was a serious vomit risk. All of the speedy runners that had finished were having smug chats at the finish line but there were lots on the line supporting us through to the bitter end. Being handed that position token is the best feeling. Actually, I correct that. Even better, is getting your email with your time. Here is my email following today’s run.

I was thrilled with this! Despite it being more than a 1 minute improvement on my personal best (which I achieved last summer), I managed to cut over 4 minutes off my New Year’s Day parkrun time. Consider the 2 minute improvement smashed and Janathon day 22 well and truly done. I have to say, it was a good day all round for Team Bangs as Gem also got a PB. See, we really are working hard. Surely two PB’s is worth some sponsorship. Look at our proud sweaty faces. How could you not donate? www.justgiving.com/teambangsontherun

Short and sweet

2011-01-20T14:43:00.000-08:00

I am so tired and I really need my bed so tonight I am going to keep this short. I just wanted to check in to say that today was Janathon day 20 and I still haven’t cracked. Wahoo! Tonight I thought I was going to have a little schmooze with some of the Team Bangs girls. We did get to schmooze a little but that was after a beastly mother of a work out. I dashed in tottering in my heels and dress from work with my running gear in my bag. Everybody else was already there so I got changed in supemarman style speed, had a little play with the app and then straight on to a class Nike style.

I will do a more detailed update when I have a little more time at the weekend but in brief we went along to a Nike training group to celebrate the launch of their new i-phone app. I have to say I was pretty impressed. It was a great workout that you could do at home or in the park with no equipment and even better it is totally free! There were some professional athletes there and they even admitted it was a challenge for them so I don’t feel as guilty that I was a full on sweaty beast.

Even though I’m totally shattered, I really enjoyed the class but Nike I do apologise for the trail of dried mud that I've probably left all over the venue. This was the remains of Sunday’s long run. Oops! Sorry!

It all started with a tweet

2011-01-19T15:11:00.000-08:00

This week has been a good week for me. It’s Janathon day 19, the day after boxercise and I am feeling good. I was raring to go tonight and I ran a different route. A change is as good as a rest so they say. Well, rest didn’t come in to it and I ran 6.5k. I was positively glowing when I got home. Well, I was a sweaty mess but I was still smiling.

I have a busy day planned tomorrow and after work I’m getting the chance to meet up with some of my fellow Bangs on the Run team mates in real life, not just in cyberspace. I can’t wait! I love the supportive tweets, blog comments and facebook posts but I’m really looking forward to seeing the girls in person. We can share stories using more than 140 characters, exchange tips, and I will get the chance to meet some of the team that I’m yet to meet. It’s amazing that we have all met through twitter. A year ago I barely tweeted at all and now I have to confess, I’m a little bit of a twitter addict. I’ve even managed to get my boyfriend involved and he loves it too.

I know this sounds like something from a reality TV show and I can’t quite believe I’m even saying it but I really feel like I’m on a journey. Even more excitingly, I’m actually making progress on this journey and it all started with a tweet. I feel more determined to succeed everyday and when I’m sore from exercise I feel satisfied that I’ve worked hard. I keep reading about people losing weight but I don’t seem to have got to that stage just yet despite exercising a lot. However, the tin of Mingles left over from Christmas may have something to do with that.

I love to receive tweets and comments from people that have been inspired by me (yes, little old me that could barely run for 5 minutes a year ago). It is such a lovely feeling and makes the sweat and tears worth it. We are training to raise money for Refuge but on top of that it feels like we are making a difference. As well as motivating and inspiring each other it seems we are having the same effect on other people in cyberspace too which is just incredible.

I don’t know about the other girls but I have received quite a few comments from people that have started exercising after reading my tweets and blog posts. Who said that modern technology makes people lazy? The power of twitter is getting people off their bums. If you’re still on your sofa then go on, give it a go. Get up off your backside, pull on some lycra and do some exercise. It really does make you feel good. If you can’t peel yourself off your sofa then just click on this link www.justgiving.com/teambangsontherun and donate some of your hard earned pennies. It will make you feel good, it will make the Team Bangs Girls smile and train even harder than they are already!

I feel like I am getting somewhere!

2011-01-18T14:21:00.000-08:00

I had boxercise tonight and I was feeling sick with nerves beforehand. Last week I was hurting for days. I had to rush from work to get there and of course the tubes were delayed because I was running late. I ran to my door, stripped my work clothes off and gym clothes on before running out of the door again. I got to the class in the nick time.

This week the class whizzed by and don’t get me wrong, it was tough but I found it a little easier than I did last week meaning I must actually be getting fitter. Hooray! I’m not going to speak too soon though as I will probably be hurting tomorrow and my arms are still shaking right now.

Today is Janathon day 18 and I still haven’t cracked. Another reason for me to smile! I can’t quite believe I am on my 20^th day of exercise. I didn’t honestly think I had it in me. I had a bit of a grumpy blip yesterday but I feel more determined than ever today. I have a long way to go but I will keep on until I get there. I don’t want to be the slowest chick in Paris and I want to have time to go shopping, drink wine and eat delicious treats from a patisserie. I guess I’d better keep on going. Short post tonight, as I want to catch up with My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding.

This is getting tough.

2011-01-17T14:49:00.000-08:00

I am not going to lie to you, for the first time tonight I really did not want to go out for my run. I had a busy day at work with no chance for lunch and I was starving when I got in. As I found out last weekend, running after eating a meal is definitely not good. I just couldn’t do it without though so I rammed a sandwich down my throat. I then had to deal with my seriously muddy trainers souvenir from the Tamsin Trail.

I really, really didn’t want to go and Jon had to almost kick me out of the door. Just to make it worse, I put my I-pod on and I was greeted with a battery that was as dead as a dodo. Even more reason not to go. It seems everybody is finding it tough right now. I am on Janathon day 17 and it is my 19^th day of exercise. Yesterday’s run resulted in my sole starting to blister but at least my toe nails are still intact unlike some of the other Team Bangs girls.

I could have quite easily wandered back in to my warm & cosy home to be greeted by my new book on my Kindle. I thought about how hard the Team Bangs ladies have been working and I also thought about all of the kind people that have been supporting us in many different ways. Off I went into the rain.

I needed to visit my Mum so I killed two birds with one stone and saved a bit of time and petrol by running there. It’s shorter than my normal route at only 3.15k but today was my recovery run so I will cut myself a little slack and it’s better than lazing on my sofa. To make up for only doing a short run tonight I then did some hoola followed by some action on my rug. You know the drill by now; planks, sit-ups, press-ups etc. I have boxercise again tomorrow and I’m a little nervous about just how sore I am going to be if last week was anything to go by so I didn’t want to push it tonight.

I have Friday off work this week and will be getting my hair done to sort my serious root situation out. My hair is shocking at the moment and it is a long time since I have let it get this bad. I am then going off for a pampering massage with two of my best girls. I cannot wait! The massage will most definitely be welcome but what I really need right now is a good sports massage. I am going to dedicate one of my posts later this week to sports massage and the benefits. As a sports massage therapist, I have seen first-hand just how beneficial it can be and if I can help just one person it will be a worthwhile post.

I just want to take this opportunity to say thank you for all of the kind words of support and encouragement as well as the donations that have been made. It really does help to motiavte us so thank you.

The Tamsin Trail

2011-01-16T09:21:00.000-08:00

Today is Sunday and Sunday means the long run. It is only my second one as last week my leg was really playing up. According to my schedule I was aiming to run 8 miles today but I thought 7 miles was a reasonable target. Two weeks ago I managed just under 6 miles and I was conscious not to push myself too hard. The Tamsin trail is the perimeter trail around Richmond Park and it is 7.35 miles so I thought it was the ideal route.

Sheen Gate

Pond at Sheen Gate

I took my I-phone along for the ride and took some snaps along the way. This acts as proof that I did the run and also as a mild distraction en route. Taking snaps while running is not the easiest but I gave it my best shot. I started at Sheen gate so I took a picture to show the start point.

It was a beautiful morning and the park was full of people out being active, dog walkers, runners, cyclists, horseriders etc. I headed through the gate and turned left by the pond running toward Roehampton gate. As well as some pics of my views along the way, I also took a few ‘action’ shots of me showing just how rough and sweaty I look when I’m exercising. I was a bit disappointed that my route took me past no deer today as I stuck to the edge of the park on the trail the whole way. Well almost, but I will come on to that a little later.

Me running hard in Roehampton

The sun was shining and I felt good but I knew what lay in wait for me ahead. There is a big hill leading up from Robin Hood gate to Kingston and I knew it was going to hurt. I managed to run nearly all the way and when I got to the top I thought it was only right I took a good picture of the view behind me so I jumped up on the bench and took a snap. The hill is pretty steep and they even have a sign to encourage cyclists to dismount. My legs were seriously burning when I got to the top but running on was the only option so on I went.

Starting the climb

Still climbing. Sorry for the wobbly pic!

The view at the top of leg burning hill

I realised today that the distance between Robin Hood gate and Kingston is definitely further than I thought but I kept on going with no breaks. Little things kept me going and made me smile. The group of horses trotting past, another good song on my I-pod or Dads out with their children on their bikes, pushing them up the steep hills. Before I knew it I was running past Kingston gate. With every gate I passed I felt a little bit prouder, especially as I had taken no walking breaks.

Still going and looking more unattractive by the minute but I am past caring about that!

Running down towards Ham Gate I ran past a man that stood as a really poignant reminder of why I am pushing myself. He was really fit and athletic looking but upon closer inspection it was apparent he only had one leg. He wasn’t letting that stop him though. He was wearing a prosthetic carbon fibre foot like the kind of device that Oscar Pistorius the double-amputee sprinter wears. It reminded me that I am lucky to be fully able-bodied and it took me back to the girl that took part in the London Marathon after a lung transplant that had inspired me to challenge myself. There was nothing stopping me. I pushed on through ignoring the niggle in my calf that is trivial in comparison to the challenges that others are facing.

The pond at Ham Gate

Reaching the pond at Ham gate I got a feel good buzz as I knew I only had to pass one more gate in Richmond before I would be heading back towards Sheen. It had all gone swimmingly so far and I could see Petersham in the distance. The sandy coloured trail was heading toward the exit and I could have exited the park and run up to Richmond gate on the road but I was adamant that I wanted to stick to the trail. There was no mention on the park website that I would have to do leave the park and didn’t want to be seen to be cheating. It clearly states that the Tamsin trail runs around the whole park. Wrong!

After a massively steep hill up a muddy track I was greeted with even more mud. I had to stop running and felt a little like I was on Total Wipeout as I clutched the branches trying to avoid falling in the path that can only be described as a mud bath. I got to a point where I had no option but to leap through the middle and I thought I was going to lose my shoe to the giant mud pie. There was no point going back, I had no choice but to push on through. I apologise now for the foul language that was coming out of my mouth. I was annoyed that the mud had interrupted my flow but it was only a minor glitch and after picking up the pace I was at Richmond Park on the home straight. This is the point where Saturday morning Parkrun starts although I was running in the opposite direction. It felt good knowing I had a downward path ahead of me that I am normally used to struggling up.

Mud!

My poor trainers

The Parkrun start

I had such an exhiliarating feeling as I headed toward the finish and I couldn’t quite believe that I had made it. This seemed like a distant target that I would never be able to reach when I started running. I need to pick the pace up but I am now confident that with some hard work I will be able to get to the finish of the Paris Half mara without collapsing in a heap. When I reached the end I thought it was only right that I documented this day with an unattractive picture of myself so I accosted a guy at Sheen Gate and asked him to take a picture showing off my post-run glow. It was a celebration after all as it is the furthest I have ever run.

In shock that I actually finished the run & feeling a bit stupid that I've actually asked a stranger to take a photo of me in this state.

I kicked off my muddy trainers and headed to the gym for a few lengths, a well-deserved sauna (I think that’s fair to say!) and a catch-up with my best friend. Bliss! The feeling of achievement was boosted with a few supportive tweets that I received so thank you ladies. If a few tweets after my run make me feel this good, imagine how good I will feel if some you make a donation. You’ve got to plug it where you can! ;) www.justgiving.com/teambangsontherun

My confession

2011-01-15T14:55:00.000-08:00

I confess that today didn’t start quite as I had planned. I could lie but I am officially the world’s worst liar and always have a guilty conscious, so the truth it is. After writing last night’s post I carried on reading ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ on my Kindle and I just could not put it down. If you haven’t read it, you must. It takes a while to get in to but then it grabs you and just doesn’t let go. I ended up collapsing into bed at just after 3am. Not ideal, as I was due to be up at 7:30 to do parkrun as I mentioned in last night’s post.

My alarm did go off and I even got out of bed but I felt absolutely shattered. 17 days of exercise is definitely having an effect. I made a deal with myself that I would give the 5k parkrun a miss but I would definitely do my 6.5k loop after I had the chance to have a little more sleep. I went back to sleep and woke up at 10am feeling so much more refreshed and ready to go but I still had that guilty feeling in the pit of my stomach. I pottered around, had breakfast, watched Saturday kitchen and then made a few family phone calls before pulling on my running gear.

Running along the river on a really windy day with rubbish music on your I-pod is bloody hard. The first half of my run up to Hammersmith Bridge was really tough. I crossed the river and although I was now running into the wind, which made running even tougher, my playlist had improved and a few old garage classics got me going. Although I was tired and my calf was still giving me pain I kept going and I completed my 6.5k route in under 40 minutes. Definitely no athlete but I'm pleased with my progress.

I’d made my mind up that I was going to have a good day after a little bit of a morning wobble so we headed to the gym. I spent 45 minutes focusing on core-strength exercises, free weights to strengthen my arms and then rolled around on a swiss ball for a bit. I did 50 press-ups, 120 sit-ups and a few planks until I was shaking violently. I still had more left in me so I changed into my swimsuit and did 40 lengths before flopping into the sauna with an intensive hair treatment on. I was hot because I was sweating profusely in a sauna but I had that glowing, warm feeling of achievement inside. No matter how tough it is when you are training the great feeling of achievement you get when you finish cancels the bad feeling out.

Although I’m tired, I have been buzzing round the house all afternoon. Exercise, though it does hurt sometimes, definitely makes you feel good! Cleaning the kitchen and preparing dinner I was jigging round listening to Radio 1 Extra having a little party all of my own. I ran Jon a bath as he was a little worse for wear after hockey this morning and I think my hyper mode was making him dizzy.

I’m confident that I redeemed myself today after failing miserably first thing ( So that means no need for hail Mary’s) but there is no risk of me missing parkrun next week. I have rounded up a few of the #TeamBangsontheRun ladies that live in London and we are doing the Richmond Park 5k next Saturday morning. @gemmakgraham and @alexandravasey have it in their diaries. Does anybody else fancy joining us? Check out http://www.parkrun.com/ to find out more info. It really is such a great organisation.

If you don’t want to join us in running then why not support us in another way. As you can see from my blog entries, I am really making an effort, as are the other girls in the team. I am committed to completing the Paris Half mara and I am also committed to achieving our fundraising target of £10,000. We have raised lots of money so far and really are extremely grateful to all those that have donated but we would be even more grateful if those of you that haven’t managed to could consider making a donation. www.justgiving.com/teambangsontherun The donations, no matter how small, really help to motivate me and the rest of the TeamBangs girls. If you want to keep up with some of the other girls on the team that are training hard then check out their blogs. Both Gemma and Kaye are taking part in #Janathon and have been logging their exercise on a daily basis. http://www.kayesweeswee.blogspot.com/ and http://www.junglegg.com/ . Have a little nose and see just how well they are doing. Come on, you know want to sponsor us!

I’m off to finish my book now and as there is only 13% to go so my Kindle tells me), there is little risk of reading until the early hours to give me an excuse to miss tomorrow’s long run. Damn!

How Friday's change.

2011-01-14T14:37:00.000-08:00

What a week! I’ve worked hard and trained hard and was looking forward to a quiet night in with my sofa tonight… once I’d been to the gym. How times change! Friday was always the night that I would start with a few cheeky vinos at work and then continue on through the night but not at the moment, this lady is in training for the Paris Half Marathon. She is also on day 14 of Janathon and is feeling a little bit tender.

Tomorrow is Park run day and I really want to go, especially as my leg stopped me running last weekend. I headed to the gym tonight with the intention of a gentle run and a wallowing session in the pool and sauna. My plans were scuppered when I realised that my freshly washed costume was still resting on the radiator. Up to the gym I went while Jon went to chill out in the Jacuzzi and yes I was green with envy.

I was really stroppy when I realised there was going to be no pampering reward for me tonight but I actually had a really great session and enjoyed myself. I didn’t want to run too far so instead I upped the pace and ran 3.5k in less than 20 minutes which for me is an achievement. I know it’s not fast in comparison to other runners but it’s all about me pushing myself and push myself I did. My leg is still niggling me though and a sports massage is definitely in need.

I then went on to do a whole range of things that hurt a lot and made me pull really ugly faces; 50 press-ups, loads of sit-ups, planks, lunges, squats and various moves with free weights, all of which made me shake violently by the end. I could really feel that I have started to improve tonight and that makes me feel good. I’m crossing my fingers that my leg will hold out tomorrow now so that I can smash my Park Run time. Just a short post tonight as I really need a rest but I promise that I will put lots of time and effort into tomorrow’s post and I will even write it before 10pm.

Swim Style

2011-01-13T15:37:00.000-08:00

I opted for swimming tonight and it got me thinking about a condition I suffer from. I had a fair amount of time to think as I swam 80 lengths. I’m pretty pleased with that effort considering the state I have been in today. On Janathon day 13, I am certain that this is the most uncomfortable and stiff I have been so far. I even had trouble fastening the clasp on my bra and tying the belt around my waist this morning because my arms were so sore from the boxercise.

Since I joined my new gym Roko, I haven’t had a flare up of my condition which is otherwise known as swim rage. The pool at my gym is generally fairly quiet which is just how I like it and it’s great to prevent the rage. I’m sure some of you may also suffer from the condition. It can be triggered a number of ways but I find that particular swimming types are prone to setting it off.

I attended the running show at Olympia a few weeks back and sat in on a seminar by the running school which was really very interesting. The presenter talked through running techniques and different runner types. You’ve got the bouncer that travels further up with every stride than across, then you have the walker that runs at such a slow and painful speed that they could walk faster and you have the shuffler that is pretty self-explanatory. There are many more but you get the idea.

While swimming my lengths tonight it got me thinking about categorising swimmers in the same way. At the pool you can identify a number of different swimmer types. Don’t get me wrong, I am definitely not a good swimmer and would identify myself in the first category but here are a few that I have come across in my time..

1.The Granny ( This is me)

You will spot this person swimming in a kind of breaststroke style but you won’t find them wearing goggles and they definitely won’t be ducking their head under water with every stroke. In fact, on many occasions the granny swimmer will have completely dry hair and maybe even a full face of make-up.

2.The splasher

This swimming type will splash you even if they are three lanes away. They splash their arms and legs against the water with such force that it must hurt. It surely can’t be an efficient way of swimming and they can contribute to swim rage if the repeatedly splash you in the face.

3.The lurker

You don’t want to share a lane with this swimmer, especially if you know you are due a bikini wax. They will always wear goggles and you never quite know where they are as they spend most of their time gliding underwater from one side of the pool to the other. In my experience most lurkers are male.

4.The cocky professional

This person usually looks smug as they slip into the pool in their Speedo budgie smugglers. They glide through the water like a fish and just before they reach the end of the pool they glide underwater before doing some kind of funky somersault manoeuvre. They then move off swiftly in the opposite direction before you’ve even swam half a length. They are often seen wearing silly extension flippers on their hands to confirm their swimming status and to enable them to swim even faster. Personally, I think the hand flippers are cheating.

5. The non-swimming lane blocker

One of the most likely types to cause swim rage. Whilst you are trying hard to reach the other end of the pool, this joker will get in your way and if there are more than one of them in the pool, you can guarantee they will be chatting and giggling together exactly where you want to swim.

6. The selfish swimmer

When sharing a lane, the selfish swimmer will never move over when swimming towards you. You end up with half of your body under the lane rope going one way and scraping your shoulder against the wall the other. The selfish swimmer just keeps on going, totally oblivious to you. Definite swim rage trigger point!

7. The complete show off

Everybody knows that nobody really uses butterfly stroke. Well, everybody except this guy who takes up the whole lane and splashes as he goes. Annoying!

8. The wonky back stroker

Minding their own business, chilling out doing a bit of back stroke. Head back and eyes closed, the only problem is, they are so relaxed they are totally unaware that that they are seriously veering off course and are about to crash into you.

These are just a few swimmer styles that I have come across. Are there any other swimmer types that stick out like a sore thumb at your pool?

13...unlucky for some.

2011-01-12T14:01:00.000-08:00

This is my 13^th blog post and it’s been a number 13 kind of day where everything that could have gone wrong has. I left my house at just after 7:00 this morning with sore arms and legs from last night’s boxing and I came hobbling home at just before 9:00 after a long day at work and delays on the tube. It was the third day in a row that the email system was not working properly at work. Do you know just how annoying it is when you can’t access your email folders? Let me tell you, it is a massive pain and slows you down hugely. In all honesty a run was the last thing on my wish list tonight but a run was on my schedule so it was a run I had to do.

My boyfriend is really sporty but he hates running. I guess the effect of me running out the door has rubbed off though as I even managed to drag him along tonight. He ran with me on my regular weekday loop which is 4.75km and it was lovely to have some company but funny to have no music to run to. I was really stiff when I started and could barely lift my arms to put my sports bra on but I pushed on through and managed my 5k. Despite this niggle in my calf that just won’t go away I am actually feeling pretty good on Janathon day 12. However, speaking as a sports massage therapist I think it’s about time I sorted out a sports massage for myself before I do myself some damage.It really is a great way to keep your body in good condition and help to prevent injuries. That’s my post for tonight because my dinner is getting cold.

Hit me baby one more time!

2011-01-11T14:23:00.000-08:00

Tonight is going to be a short post because day 11 of Janathon is actually the 13^th day of exercise for me and I am exhausted! I opted for trying something new tonight and went along to a Boxercise class at the gym. My hands are still shaking and I can barely type.

I knew the class was going to be hardcore and I felt sick with nerves beforehand but I was keen to do something new to mix my training up. I had a bit of a killer day at work with back to back meetings all day and would have been quite happy to collapse on the sofa when I got in from work. I didn’t get a chance to eat lunch because I’d been too busy and I stupidly hadn’t eaten breakfast either so I was starving. I came home to change into my gym gear but before I shot straight back out I shovelled down a piece of toast, a go ahead snack bar and a couple of energy jelly beans designed to be used as food on long runs. I was in need of some energy to get me through.

The boxercise class lasted an hour and I was already sweating and knackered 10 minutes into the session. Halfway through I was regretting the energy snacks and was convinced I was going to be seeing them again but I managed to keep them down and make it to the end of the class with a smile on my face even though there were a few grimaces throughout. I even managed a bit of hoola action in the lounge when I got home as I enjoyed it so much last night.

I’m used to working out alone and I really enjoyed being in a group in the boxercise class. Although it was tough I think I’m going to make it a regular part of my fitness routine. I am aching in places that I didn’t know existed right now and I have a sneaking suspicion that I am going to have some difficulty with everyday tasks tomorrow. If you see a blonde girl on the Hammersmith and City or Circle line in the morning massively struggling to pick up her handbag because her arms are no longer working, it’s probably me so please offer to help me out. I really have to go now as my eyes are closing as I am typing. See you in the same place again tomorrow to talk about Janathon day 12!

Hoola Fun

2011-01-10T14:26:00.000-08:00

Even with a banging headache, I had every intention of heading to the gym tonight. I came in from work, exchanged my handbag for my gym bag and shot straight back out the door before I was even tempted to go anywhere near the sofa. My parents live on the way to the gym so I planned to drop a little treat off to cheer up my Mum as she’s been poorly with the flu. Leaving my bag in the car, I ran in explaining that I wasn’t going to stay but by the time the length of a football match had passed I was still there chatting away. It was now too late to go the gym. Damn! A drastic change of plan was needed to make sure I didn’t mess up on Janathon day 10.

I started doing the usual lounge rug routine of sit-ups, press-ups, a few token star jumps and lunges but it just wasn’t doing it for me tonight and then I remembered my hoola hoop. I haven’t had it out since the summer and I wasn’t entirely sure I wasn’t going to end up wrecking my lounge as I haven’t used it in here before. I bought the Hoola hoop two years ago and even did a couple of classes at the gym with it. I really liked the idea of some fun exercise but it wasn’t so fun when I met the instructor Erika and then realised that the Hoola class at 7:00 on a Tuesday morning consisted of just me and Erika. You don’t want to hear the line “Brilliant, just the two of us then. Let’s Hoola!”.

It was an hour of pure humiliation where Erika snaked her hips and I struggled to keep the hoop going. Before I’d even mastered one hoop she was throwing another round my waist.It all got pretty messy throwing hoops around in the air, over my arms and a few got flung across the hall. The arm type exercises are definitely not advisable in small living areas judging by the distance the hoop travelled. Hoola-ing did get my heart racing and despite the humiliation and giant bruises on my hips, it was pretty fun. I went to the class a few more times but it was always a private session with Erika and me, the beginner Hoola Hooper. In the end I opted for hoola-ing my way around the garden at home to avoid further humiliation when the routine’s got too complicated.

When we moved into the flat in May, I went down on the towpath a few times to spin my hoop as we don't have a garden anymore. Me and my giant hoop got a few funny looks but I didn’t care as it got me moving which has got to be a good thing and it made me smile.

I asked my boyfriend to take some snaps mid-hoola and they are probably some of the most unflattering pictures of me I have ever seen but if they make just one more person get up off their sofa and do just a little bit of exercise this week I will be happy. Believe it or not, the shots below are the good ones. I have saved you from the others by immediately deleting. I wouldn't put you all through that.

In case you’re interested, I didn’t wreck my lounge tonight. I stuck to keeping the hoop spinning around my waist rather than flinging over my arm to avoid the chances of any damage being caused. I think the only damage is to my street-cred after putting the photos below up on my blog.

Is it bedtime yet?

2011-01-09T15:45:00.000-08:00

This weekend has been tiring but I have loved every minute, spending time with some of the people that I love (minus the few little episodes where my darling nieces bickered about whatever they could find to bicker about).

Yesterday was Auntie K’s PJ party with my two little nieces and after some housework the little horrors arrived. Mia (the four year old) has been counting down the days since Tuesday. My poor sister has been greeted by her every morning to be told how many days left until she was going to Auntie Karleen’s. The pressure on Jon and I to give those little girls a good time was great and children are honest little creatures. I think we did ok as Ciana ( the two year old) told her mum that Auntie Karleen is fun. Mission accomplished I think.

We started off with a lunch time feast of mini fish and chips, mini burgers and hotdogs before we embarked on a mammoth cutting and sticking session. I have been complimented via facebook on my ‘amazing cutting and sticking apparatus’ provided. Well, of course! Any excuse to buy an array of coloured feathers, glitter, wobbly eyes and furry pom poms and I’m there. Mr Maker might have a Mr Maker-mobile and a TV show but he has nothing on me. Fact!

Arts and crafts packed away and PJ’s on the next game begins. We played game after game all night and we all giggled apart from a couple of minor episodes where the girls got stroppy with each other. One minute the best of friends, the next they are declaring the classic “you’re not coming to my party” line. In little girl speak this is pretty serious (especially as neither have a birthday for at least 3 months) but it is forgotten in minutes and before you’ve even blinked they are best cousins again.

I promised them a yummy breakfast and that is exactly what they demanded when they came bounding into our bedroom early this morning. They also reminded me how we were going to feed the ducks before their Mum’s were coming to pick them up. Moral of the story: Children remember everything that you promise!

An auntie of my word, breakfast was prepared for the two little madams and then off we went to the duck pond. As much as they loved it, I have a sneaking suspicion I may have loved it just a little bit more. Just before lunchtime, we packed their bags for the umpteenth time and off they went with their mum’s and their bag of modern artworks. I was sad to see them go but I couldn’t help but breathe an incy wincy sigh of relief. Job well done by Auntie Karleen and Uncle Jon and no cuts, bruises or tears to send them home with. Judging by how tired I felt I think this should have gone down as exercise. Talking of exercise, I gave the swim on Saturday a miss and opted for some core strength work on my lounge rug while the girls looked on and giggled. My leg was still playing up and I really don’t want to get a serious injury.

No sooner had the girls gone home, my friend Louisa was here ready for our wholesome Sunday afternoon. While the shoulder of lamb sizzled in the oven, Jon recovered on the sofa and we went off for a brisk Sunday walk to Richmond Park. I have to say, Jon is a saint. After his weekend was hi-jacked by Auntie K inviting the girls over I then go and invite my friend too. He helped out with the girls and helped cook dinner too. Thank you Jon.

What an amazing afternoon Lou and I had. I love a fresh, crisp winter’s day with bright blue sky and sparkling sunshine. We started in Richmond Park and then headed along the river to Richmond. Looking at the pictures you wouldn’t believe we were in London. It’s only when you show somebody else around that you realise how special Richmond is. No wonder the Royals used to holiday here.

We indulged in a little afternoon tea and cake at the quaint Tea Box in Richmond Town Centre. If you like your tea then this little secret find is a must-have. Every detail has been taken care of from the seriously cute teaspoons with teapot detail on the handle, the timers on the table so that you can ensure your tea is brewed to perfection, the mini tongs with hands on the end to pick up your lumps of sugar, the extremely knowledgeable staff and the treasure chest that your bill is presented to you in. Everything about Tea Box is totally adorable. www.theteabox.co.uk . If you love tea you just have to go.

A brisk walk followed as the sun set and we had to play ‘beat the gate warden’. Time flies when you’re having fun and before we knew it, there was only 20 minutes until the park gates were closing and my car was still inside. I’m normally very sensible but Louisa has this special effect on me. She leads me astray and brings out my naughty side. We got back in the nick of time and made it home to enjoy a truly indulgent Sunday roast before Lou headed back to the faraway land of North of London.

With Lou gone there was nothing for it. I had to go out and run. After skipping both Parkrun yesterday and my scheduled long run today because of my niggling calf, I was desperate to get out and pound the pavement, even with a ton of Sunday roast and tea & cake in me. Running gear on and away I went with a little nervous anticipation. I felt I should include a picture of me heading out. It was tought tonight and I could have quite happily lazed about on the sofa.

Observations after Janathon day 9

· Running after a massive Sunday roast is not a good idea. I spent most of the run tonight concentrating on keeping my food down

· Running past restaurants when you are feeling slightly queasy following an indulgent Sunday roast is also not a good idea. The normally welcoming aromas of the delicious food nearly sent me over the edge

· Running past a blocked drain when you are breathing heavily is definitely not a good idea especially after the above two observations. I was seriously close to chundering on tonight’s run

· Having a blog to keep note of your training is a great distraction and gives you something to think about while you are running.

· No matter how bad you feel on your run, that feeling of achievement you get when you finish always overrides the negative emotion

· Tomorrow must be recycling collection day in Barnes as I had to dodge a truckload of Christmas trees on the pavement

· Judging by the size of the Christmas trees on the pavement, there are lots of people in Barnes with way more money than me. Some of the badboys that I saw could rival the Griswold family Christmas tree in ‘ National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’.

I did my run tonight and it went better than I thought. My leg was ok while running and only really played up when I stopped, so I spent longer than normal stretching then gave it a bit of R.I.C.E treatment. I managed 100 sit-ups, 50 press-ups and 4 planks held for 20 seconds. The good news is that after mapping my run properly, I am pleased to note that the route that I have been recording as 4k is actually 4.75k. Although I didn’t manage to beat my Parkrun time this weekend or accomplish my long run, I am pleased with what I have achieved and my injury isn't getting worse. Anyway, tomorrow is a new day.

My face

2011-01-08T03:02:00.000-08:00

Anybody that knows me well knows that I love make up. Some people’s favourite item is mascara, for others their trademark must have is lippie but the product I cannot live without is foundation. It may sound boring but for somebody that has rubbish skin it truly is a Godsend. I have tried many but my foundation of choice and the one I keep going back to is Estee Lauder Double Wear. This stuff is amazing! I was introduced to Double wear whilst working for Lauder in Leeds and despite trying many others I always go back. It’s like an old trusted friend that you can always rely on.

Since I was about 15, going out without foundation has simply not been an option for me. On an overnight stay anywhere, my foundation is the one thing that I double check is in my bag. I have had rubbish skin for as long as I can remember and it’s not for lack of effort on my part. I have always looked after my skin, taken my make up off, cleansed twice a day, moisturised, you know the drill. But despite all of this my skin has always been a massive issue for me. Before going away on a beach holiday in the sun, as well as the familiar excitement I also get the fear. Ridiculous I know but I absolutely dread having to go bare-faced. I envy those girls that swish along the beach and dive into the pool with gorgeous glowing skin. Just to make things worse, over the last couple of years I seem to have developed rosacea. I get a nose as red as Rudolph’s when I indulge in all of the things that are said to make it worse. Sun, alcohol and spicy food. As you can imagine the trips to Sri Lanka and India in the last couple of years weren’t great for my face.

The other fear for me has been the gym. Not the actual exercise itself but having to bare my face. I don’t want to be seen to be the stupid, vain girl that plasters herself in make up just to go and work-out but I don’t want to get that major sinking feeling when I catch a glimpse of my complexion in the mirror. I want to be able to stand up tall and be confident but without my foundation I just can’t do that. As the red blotches appear, any ounce of confidence I have seems to disappear. I can’t actually believe I am typing this as many of my friends will not recognise this description of me. I come across as the bubbly, confident girl that loves to wear make-up because I like being glamorous, not because I want to wear a mask. I do love any opportunity to be glamorous too though, don’t get me wrong!

I love foundation because it can make you feel like you have good skin and can give you a confidence boost but what I really want is to not have to slap on Estee Lauder Double Wear for a trip to Sainsbury’s just so that I look acceptable. This year has been a big turning point for me and for the first time in a long time I have been going out without make-up and without scaring small children. I looked in the mirror this morning and didn’t hate what I saw and didn’t have any major red patches on my face. So what has changed? I can put it down to a couple of really simple things.

In February last year I went to see a lady that my friend has been suggesting I visit for a long time. I get hay fever really badly and when I say really badly, I’m talking more than a sniffle and bloodshot eyes. It’s to the extent that come June I have to go into hibernation in a serious way. I have had it since I was six and I am now 29 and I hope every year that this is the year I will have grown out of it. I have tried everything that the doctors can offer me apart from desensitisation (Where you have regular injections of the allergen to desensitise you) and I end up on steroids most summers. I used to work in a pharmacy and it always made me feel better when customers would come in, greeted by my snotty face and puffy, swollen eyes to say “Oh, at least you’re in the right place!” Obviously, because the conventional medication was clearly working for me. Idiots!

I don’t really know how you would describe Natasha but she is a homeopath/microbiologist/witch doctor/wonder woman that has changed my life. I had to wait 9 months for an appointment and in the end Lucy sacrificed hers for me as booking a slot in before the hay fever season was due to start wasn’t looking likely. After prodding me with an electrode on my toe and thumb she listed a number of things that were out of balance and she went on to tell me that I should avoid dairy as it was the root of all of my problems. A bit of cheddar every now and then causing me to feel this rubbish! Really? Ironically I didn’t even mention my skin as although it bothered me I could plaster my face paint on and life was all good.

As well as the dairy suggestion she also gave me a list of homeopathic potions that she wanted me to take but I figured it was best to do one thing at a time to see what was working for me. So, in February last year I gave up dairy and the result: My hay fever has improved dramatically and magically my skin has also improved. I didn’t even think I indulged in a lot of dairy but it is sneaked in things that you wouldn’t even imagine. So reason number one for improved skin is eliminating dairy from my diet.

Reason number two is the Dove Beauty Cream Bar. This little bar of goodness costs about 50p and since I have been using it my skin has never been better. I cannot believe I am actually uttering these words. A fan of expensive skincare, I have indulged in all sorts of lotions and potions in the past. As I said earlier, I used to work for Estee Lauder so I had an amazing staff discount and amazing skincare at my disposal and use it I did. I work in PR and used to work on Dove. Despite loving the body care, a skincare snob, I would never have dreamed of cleansing my face with the Dove Beauty Cream Bar. In hindsight, I think I may have been giving my skin too much love and it was fighting back big style. Now I use my Dove bar twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the evening after removing my make-up and then I apply my regular moisturiser.

I do however have another trick up my sleeve and this is my absolute favourite thing. I brush my face. Let me be clear, this is not because I resemble a werewolf. Last year I started reading beauty blogs more and there was one thing that kept cropping up. What was this Clarisonic that I kept reading about? I just had to have one. For anybody that follows me on twitter, you will remember I tweeted a lot about just how badly I wanted one but I couldn’t justify spending that much on a giant toothbrush for my face, could I?

I remembered a little gadget that I got for Christmas a few years ago that was lurking in a drawer somewhere and I hunted it down. I don’t even think you can buy them anymore but in essence it is a cheap version of a Clarisonic. I started using the Phillips Visapure Soft Sensor and I did notice my skin improving. I even started getting comments on how well I looked.

This just made me want the Clarisonic even more as this little brush didn’t even operate at sonic speed so I took the plunge and ordered a Clarisonic Classic before Christmas. www.Clarisonic.com So what is it? The Clarisonic is a 2-speed sonic cleansing system developed by the makers of Sonicare toothbrushes. (I want one of these too now!)

The Skin Cleansing Brush uses a patented sonic frequency of more than 300 movements per second to clean, soften and smooth your skin. The benefit claims by Clarisonic are:

6 x more makeup removal
Skin is soft and smooth
Cleanses so well that products absorb better
Gentle for use twice daily
Reduces oily areas, dry skin patches and blemishes
Reduces the appearance of visible pores
Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles

I would be inclined to agree entirely with these claims and my skin has definitely improved but as lines and wrinkles isn’t a major concern for me ( just yet but I have a feeling it will be soon) I don’t feel I could fairly review this benefit. I absolutely love my Clarisonic and wouldn’t be without it. True love!

Having bad skin makes you feel rubbish. My Clarisonic tweets of longing and then of love have even encouraged others to go and buy one and I don’t think I have read a single review from a disappointed customer. The only thing I regret is that I didn’t opt for the Clarisonic Plus which has a head for your body too and obviously that I didn’t take the Clarisonic plunge earlier.

My complexion is still far from perfect but I am getting there and I wanted to share a couple of the things that have worked for me as they may work for others too. Happy Saturday people, I am off for a swim.

WARNING! Before you read this, please be aware I will be making confessions about my wild lifestyle.

2011-01-07T16:08:00.000-08:00

Hello, my name is Karleen and I am an addict. A ‘back to school’ sign in Ryman’s window is like a blue light to a bug for me. I just can’t help myself. I forgot to list it on blog post one as one of the things I like. I don’t just like it but I love stationery. I own so many pens and some people would see it as a problem. I remember a time at uni when one of my new housemates was rooting around in my room for something when she came across a large red Chanel branded box. She slowly lifted the lid to see what beautiful belonging was being encased in the large red box. She looked down and then she looked straight back at me. “What the hell is this!?”She didn’t understand why the box contained a huge array of pens. Cat's reaction to my pen box made me realise that perhaps I like pens more than most people.

The box contained a lot of pens. I like all sorts of pens and I own a massive range of different colours, different brands, highlighters, silver pens, gold pens, highlighters, fineliners, Sharpies and I even have a pack of those italic ones like your primary teacher had to write your name on labels. I can't walk past Paperchase without buying something and in fact it doesn't even have to be a pen. I'd be more than content with a pretty notebook.

As the nieces are coming over tomorrow to do arty stuff I obviously had to go into Ryman’s to buy some extra glue, wobbly eyes, coloured lolly sticks, you know, the essential materials. This was to be added to the box of feathers, pipe cleaners, silver stars, little crystals and scrap paper shapes that I already have, for the benefit of the girls, obviously! I couldn’t possibly walk out of there without buying something for myself so I went for the uni-ball 10 piece pen selection. I love buying new pens nearly as much as I like buying new make-up and in essence make up is like paint and crayons for your face.

I did pick up a multi-pack of Sharpies but I was really good and I had a quiet talking to myself before neatly placing them back on the shelf. *Tear rolls down cheek*With my art and craft supplies in hand I trotted out of the shop swiftly as I had a run to do but not before I had offered my expert stationery advice to a fellow shopper. I’m pretty good at persuading re. the benefits of specific writing tools and she purchased a Sharpie. The sales asssistant acknowledged I was doing his job! Well I had to, he was hardly tip-top on his product knowledge *tuts loudly*

As you know, my calf was niggling me last night and I had a night off running and opted for swimming instead. I wish I’d done the same again tonight because my leg is definitely not happy after my 4k loop. Despite being keen to beat my Parkrun time tomorrow morning, I am really nervous about injuring myself and I fear I may have fallen into that foolish trap where I have done too much, too soon. My leg is really quite sore. I am so annoyed at myself but onwards and upwards so I am going to head to the gym first thing and do some swimming and stretching. Opting out of Janathon on day 7 is just not an option for me. Catch you tomorrow, I’m off to play with my pens.

Ps.I do hope I didn't shock or offend with the unveiling of my not so secret addiction.

The niggle that is continuing to niggle

2011-01-06T15:50:00.000-08:00

I was planning a run this morning but upon jumping out of bed it was apparent that the niggle in my right calf that was bothering me last night was still bothering me today. Although I am going to stick to the Janathon rules by doing some form of exercise every day, it would just have been plain stupid to go running. I don’t want to even slightly jeopardise my chances of taking part in the Semi de Paris.

Me and my Kindle trotted off to work and after a productive day I headed off to the gym. I wasn’t risking anymore emails or notes from Betty and Guy. No sweaty gym for me today but straight into the pool. I did 60 lengths which was a little more impressive then yesterday’s 400metres. I swam 1200 metres in total and I actually really enjoyed it. I then went into the sauna. After a good stretch I did 80 sits ups and a few other Pilates style core strength exercises. I will be back to the running, leg permitting, tomorrow.

When I started my blog on 31^st December I wasn’t even aware of Janathon. My random blog seems to have turned into an exercise log, so over the weekend, when I hopefully have a little more time on my hands, I am going to write about some different subjects. After all, there are only so many ways you can say ‘I ran 5km today’. You can jazz it up with a few things along the way but this wasn’t what I started the blog for, although it seems to be acting as a great motivational tool.

I have a busy weekend planned with a bit of running in between. Auntie Karleen has volunteered to turn her home into a kindergarten crossed with an art studio. I love any opportunity to do a bit of art and crafty activity and I love my nieces even more so I am going to combine the two. I have invited the two princesses over to make some masterpieces. I may even chuck in a little trip to the pond to feed the birds too.

I’m pretty sure there will be some comedy value to be found amongst the chitter chatter. They are 2 and 4 going on 74, like a pair of little old ladies nattering away. For those of you that follow me on Twitter, you may have seen that I had a few seconds of fame on New Year’s Day. I was on the show ‘Magicians’ as a super excited audience member. I was actually accosted on my lunch break when the production runner offered to pay for lunch if we came to watch a magic trick. After an hour of freezing in the park I regretted saying yes. Anyway, I digress.

In short, I was in the background while a dude did a magic trick in a park. Both nieces were super excited to see me on the TV but the four year old did have a bone to pick with me when we had a chat on the phone a couple of days ago. “Auntie Karleen, I saw you on the telly but you forgot to wave to us or say hello. Next time we’ll have to shout to you so that you remember.” Well, that told me!

Sunday will be the dreaded second long run but I am actually quite looking forward to the challenge this week. I will follow this with a sumptuous Sunday roast as a good friend of mine is going to come over for a dinner that I been promising her for a very long time. I may even indulge in a little baking and if you are very lucky I will even share my recipes with you. The other thing I have on this weekend is Parkrun. I don’t want to jinx it but I really want to try and improve my time by at least one minute thirty seconds. I have said it now so there is no going back and with Janathon in mind I will of course keep you updated with all of my physical activity, well almost all of it.

The Irony

2011-01-05T15:50:00.000-08:00

I have done more exercise this week than I have done in a long while. I have even been documenting it for Janathon so you all know exactly what I have been up to yet today I received two messages reminding me just how slack I have been of late. How very charming!

Whilst bounding down the stairs and leaving the office I had a little check on my I-Phone to see what I had missed. I was greeted with a message from Betty at Roko. Betty is concerned about me as she hasn’t seen me at the gym for a while and she wanted to check I was ok. Betty and I have never met but it’s nice that she seems to care about me.

As you all know, I haven’t been to the gym in the last few weeks as I hurt my back and needed to rest until I was fully recovered but I still got a huge pang of guilt when I read the email. The only thing that made me feel good was that I had reported in last night via my blog to say I would be hitting the gym today. When I replied to Betty I smugly told her that I was in fact on my way home and then I would be going straight to the gym. I hope I don’t turn into some kind of stat in a report as one of the people that returned to the gym as a result of her email. Joking aside, it’s nice that Betty from Roko cares. I have been a member at many different gym chains in my time and I can honestly say nobody else has checked that I am ok when they haven’t seen me for a month and unfortunately there have been several months that I haven’t been near the gym.

When I got to the gym I clocked in at the little machine with my personalised pin number so that my workout could be logged. I was greeted by another message but this time from my trainer Guy. Guy and I have met but only the once when I first joined the gym in November and he put my programme together. He had messaged me to let me know that I hadn’t achieved my target of three cardio sessions per week. Massive fail and another pang of guilt for Miss Smith. I just don’t do failing so just as well I had my gym gear on and was ready to hammer the treadmill for a serious cardio sesh.

I love my new Adidas running leggings that my girlie friends bought me for my birthday but I forgot that they are ‘climawarm’ built specifically for winter. They are great when I am running outside but please note, they are not so great inside on a treadmill. I have never ‘glowed’ so much in my life. I didn’t know I could look so disgusting. I am not one of those girls that bounds out of the gym looking fresh and beautiful. When I work out hard I look like I have been working out hard! The fact I looked so rough must show just how hard I had been trying. I ran 6k, swam 20 lengths (which disappointingly is only 400m) and did another 50 sit ups. Another point to note: Sit ups and planks are really not a good idea when you have an annoying tickly cough like mine that persists throughout the day and at bedtime too. However, there is a little pleasure in the pain when I cough, as it reminds me of the effort I am putting in. In the words of Gordon Ramsay, Janathon day 5- done.

My new travel companion

2011-01-04T14:43:00.000-08:00

Today was the first day of work in 2011 and the fourth day of Janathon. The alarm went off at 5:45 and it was as dark as night. The consolation prize was that I’d left my running kit on the radiator to dry so it was toasty warm when I pulled it on. Just as well because it was rather fresh outside. Earphones in, woolly hat on and I was away for day 6 of the running.

It was a little eerie, just a couple of cars about and a few other runners pounding the streets. I planned 4k today as this route was the safest and most well lit. My calves felt really tight and my knees were aching so I was pleased I was only doing 4k. It felt more like 40! I nipped round as fast as my legs would carry me so I could get home, get showered & dressed as soon as possible and then on the tube to work. Why the rush I hear you ask? Today was the first commute with my new travel companion. Meet the Kindle. I look pretty pleased to meet it on Boxing day.

I love it! I love the way it feels, the way you can buy a new book in less than a minute and the way that you turn the page at a click of a button. You can hold it in one hand and still turn the page easily without the risk of ripping it. Don't fret if you lose your page either as this companion will remember exactly where you got to. I did feel a little like a kid showing off, whizzing up and down the street on my new bike on Christmas Day but I didn’t care as I was in my own little bubble of calm when everybody else had their knickers in a twist about fare increases.

I’m normally a bit of a traditionalist and thought I’d never tire of flicking the paper pages in a book, being able to see how far through the book you’ve got to encourage you to read more. Kindle has even mastered this with a percentage bar along the bottom that just wills you to read a few more pages and the way the print looks like ink on a page. Purely magical! It’s official to say, I love my Kindle and I haven’t even had the pleasure of taking it on holiday yet.

The first day back to work went swimmingly and talking of swimming I was planning on going to the gym for a swim tonight. I confess that by the time I got home, after a little detour to the apple store for a gift for my brother, it was 7:30 and I was starving. I opted for a little action on my lounge rug instead. 135 sit ups, 10 planks held for 20 seconds each and 60 press ups later, my sofa was calling me and who was I to ignore it?

It is ages since I’ve done some treadmill running. I enjoy running outside so much more but I think tomorrow will call for a gym session just so that I can get the distance in. It’s so dark in the mornings and it’s already dark by the time I get home so the longer routes that I started running in the summer just aren’t a good idea for a lady on her own in the darker winter months. The gym means I can wallow in the Jacuzzi as a reward too and I think I deserve just a little wallowing. If I’m really good I may even throw in a little steam room sesh.