With friends like these...

After my unexpected high of achieving 10 miles last weekend - I had no idea that getting into double figures would give me such a sense of achievement. Until now every long run was just met with me doing the mental arithmetic causing mass huffing and puffing about the mountain ahead (26 miles less 9 miles = 16 MILES WTF!)

Anyway as I was saying, after my unexpected high of achieving 10 miles last weekend I was amazed and touched to find the following on my desk Monday morning (and it is Gluten Free too!). Thanks Kate.

The power and immediacy of the internet has enabled the 1,000,000 pence pledge to swiftly be absorbed and, hopefully, enjoyed. This has created an unexpected and most appreciated tidalwave of support, questions of my sanity and general love. I am amazed that my most popular post (Size does matter... I wonder what people were expecting with that gem!) has received 84 views. Now I know that for most people that is a very small number but to me I find it overwhelming that I have generated so much interest in just 18 days... how I hope this trend continues.

It is also thanks to the wonder of the interweb all my friends, family and colleagues are being kept (whether they like it or not) up-to-date on my progress via Facebook. As I have mentioned before this keeps me focussed and stops me from dropping training sessions as I am under the, probably deluded, impression that my friends are actually keeping tabs. Someone commented not long ago that I am the equivalent of a diet angel; every time they go to eat a pork pie / slice of cake / cheese board they do the Facebook check and immediately get faced with yet another Smug Map My Run posting from me forcing them to replace fattening food item and go in search of something far healthier. Maybe I am on to something. Forget excruciatingly, humiliating public weigh ins and just "Like" me and I can guilt you into eating better...

Sign up TODAY and pay £5.99 for the rest of your life and get access to your very own personal Diet Angel.

Dragons Den QVC here I come.

Now if you are struggling with the January diet please don't hate me but I am scoffing for England! Now that isn't because I am the size of a flea or because I am one of those hateful people who "can eat anything" but because all (and I mean ALL) the training manuals, books and experts underline the importance of not losing weight during marathon training. For those of you that know me, it is rare that I actually listen to (or indeed seek) advice but on this occasion I realise that EATING EVERYTHING IN SIGHT is good with me and advice I ought heed... What are the chances of me becoming the world’s first Marathonite to actually put on weight!

 

 

More cheese!

Another day and another "short run" (6 miles). I am actually beginning to find these 6 milers relatively OK... I am not aching all day and am therefore able to continue with "business as usual" once showered and dressed which is great progression (in fact getting dressed rather than wearing a onesie is progress). A little daunted about the prospect of 10 miles tomorrow but I am sure the magic shoes will carry me around.

As I clock up more miles I am realising the importance of music on my pace. It is now that I wish more than ever that I had amazing taste in music and could therefore share a list of amazingly "fab" songs which would epitomise me as the queen of all things cool... however for those that know me I am more the queen of cheese! So, without further embarrassment, explanation or justification I am coming out. Here is my cool wall of running toooons (click the pink words to link to the You Tube video):

• My all time favourite it has to be S Club Party, seriously once your laughter dies down try listening to the track without doing the "S" move with your finger!
• My close second is Olly Murs’ Dance with Me Tonight. Fab beat and instantly reminds me of my son, all his friends and his teacher and their morning wake up shake up routine... and there goes another 3 minute and 22 seconds (just over 1/3 mile).

The next few are in no particular order but as with the two above I have added links for your own pleasure!

• I like to move it move it ...Madagascar version obviously; visualising dancing cartoon animals definitely gets your mood up and feet pounding. 
• Jai Ho” ...brilliant for the hills. Naturally it has to be the Peter Kay Children in Need version. If you haven’t watched this you MUST. Who can't resist Paddington Bear on the electric guitar, Wendy (together with her bit on the side Bob the Builder), Fifi Flowerpot, Fireman Sam, Thomas the Tank Engine, Postman Pat (Note: Emily Charlie will love it!), Iggle Piggle, Sooty and Sweep and many more kids favourites rocking out to a medley of tunes. 
• Biology ...You can’t mistake my biology!
• Big Girls...Big girls you ARE beautiful  
• Chasing Pavements...The lyrics mean a different thing when your feet are pounding the streets (Should I give up, Or should I just keep chasin' pavements? Even if it leads nowhere)
• Do you thing ... another corker in my opinion gotta love Basement Jaxx
• Alphabeat's Fascination... listen to it and you will certainly remember it. Cheese tastic!
• Psy Gangnam Style... I try not to Gangham Style dance whilst running cos I get odd looks when I do especially when I fall over (not that I admit to that of course)
• Girls, Sugababes... It reminds me of Boots and the fact I really ought go stock up on Vaseline, anti blister plasters and other such delightful products!
• Mr Brightside, The Killers... rather left field for me but love it!
• Praise you, Fatboy slim... the original flash mob 
• Rock your body, JustinTimberlake... my besties and I love this and it reminds us of some fab times in our twenties pre children
• Sexy and I know it ... I try not to sing out loud to this one especially past the pensioners (the video link listed even comes up with an "inappropriate content" warning!)
• Beyonce’s Single Ladies... check out her thighs in the video link. It's enough to get me training hard in the hope that maybe one day I might have similar limbs!
• Wham Rap... seriously am I the only one that doesn’t know all the lyrics?
• What makes you so beautiful, One Direction... see I am down with the kids! How scary is it that I am old enough to be their mother!

So there you have it, my cheese ball running chart. Hope you enjoyed this as much as I have.
One more cheese themed nugget...

Q: What cheese do you use to get a bear down a mountain?
A: Cam-on-bear (Camembert!... get it?)