Things I do...

I know it's early on a Saturday, I know I could be tucked under my duvet, but no instead I'm doing my best shovelling rye bread and peanut butter down me (food of champs don't you know).

Another reason for the shovelling is the micey is still omnipresent and I don't fancy having an illict encounter with it this morning causing me to squeal like a pig prior to being a tough soldier today. Munch munch munch

It's all about...

Carb loading baby!
My fav thing about races.

Lemons

I've been thrown a few of these recently...
Don't seem to be making lemonade with them either. In fact, I've been turning into a sour puss instead.

My prescription?! Perspective and a large dose of endorphins in the shape of army boys. Tomorrow is the Soldier Challenge http://www.soldierchallenge.co.uk - 30 odd checkpoints throughout London which include abseiling, kayakking and lord-knows-what-else all in aid of perving on men in uniform. Er...don't think so, I hear you cry! Ok ok, its not, it's in aid of ABF; rehibilitation, helping soldiers and ex soliders readjust to life in general (which potentially involves 20-somethings perving on them in uniform perhaps??? Oh c'mon!!!)

Jade and PT are my team members and that, spells, disaster. These girls are machines. I have to step up to the table and work HARD. No coasting for me tomorrow. It's supposed to take about 4.5hrs but murmerings in the ranks say that we can do it in less time...If I collapse tomorrow and fall into a DOMS (delayed onset of muscle soreness )enduced coma. Tell my family I love them and Bessie that I still have her top.

LT. LM will be reporting for duty at 1030 hours....Sod the lemons, I've got a call of duty.

WANTED.....

...a killer cat that will slowly mame, play with and ultimately destroy the cocky mouse living in my house. Oh and some more supportive mates that don't tell me that said mouse will be accompanied by a larger family.

Yes, that's how my day is going.

Mouse 1 - Me 0

Care Package....

I was given a care package in the 'drop zone' of parents house in the shape of my 12 yr old Bro - Lt Ginger, the C.O.D obsessive (that's Call of Duty to all girls or those that don't interact with gamers).

I didn't want to run / workout today but I'm doing the Soldier Challenge next Saturday and really worried bout it so needed to do something cue Lt Ginge. He promised to cycle whilst I ran & then beat me at some sprints afterwards. I won't lie, I was nervous, at what age would Lt Ginge beat me?! Answer: not at age 12!

He was an utter wonder, I asked him to talk at me to distract me whilst I ran & Lordy he delivered 30mins of non-stop COD I reckon I might even be able to tell u the difference between...ok I'm lying, it was white noise to me at one point I went "its like a foreign language, what is andernet turret?!'" Ginge said "'no I said 'I manned a turret'"
Either way, it worked. 30min run x5 100m sprints then 15min abs. Oh yeah boy-o gotta grow up a bit before he kicks me ;)

Perfect Tuesdays...take 1

Oh God...the stars have aligned...not only is it the ever-blessed-payday, the one day one month where work seems (whisper it) 'alright' but LIZ EARLE is on QVC, ok stop that judging, I know it's technically not, high brow but it's my fav and I love it.

'Frape'

verb: to hijack another's Facebook account & write a funny on their status.

After an education off my two younger sisters I found out this was 'cool' nowadays, to 'Frape' & change their birthday to the following day & watch all the Bon Anniversaire messages flood in-oh the larks the kids have these days.

Word of caution, if u want to use the 201¹terminology make sure you get it right. Otherwise you shall experience the tumbleweed moment as I had the pleasure to experience after asking my parents if they'd ever 'rapebooked' anyone, much to the enjoyment & shock of the siblings. Realising my faux pax, I tried to rectify it by apologising, 'sorry, meant have u ever 'faceraped' anyone? apparently all the cool kids are'.

Time to hop on that Virgin train to London me thinks...

Idiocy ¹- Lucinda 0

Phone convo

Bessie: (panting) Eugh man I am knackered, I'm dying!!

Me: What have u done?

Bessie: Just ran 10km in...(checking time) oh wow! in 46 minutes!!!

Me: Is that because I beat ur PB last week?

Bessie: er...nooo

moral of this story awaken the competitive nature in Bessie then woe betide ur PB!

Junkie Jungle

I am, surprisingly, worryingly perky since actually making it to training last night and (might I add) being super speedy on the runs. So it got me thinking that my grump all-laaaaast-week coulda been due to the serious depletion of endorphins in my blood. Oh lordy - am I addicted to exercise?? like Trainspotting / Kate Moss / Charlie Sheen / Kerry Katona addicted?

Well, whilst you ponder that, I'm going to look for my next hit in the shape of sprint runs....

Praying for sun...

It'll b a small wonder if I get to training tonight I am sleeping with my eyes open - not a good look necessarily but I have turned it to a fashion statement - luckily my fringe is a little long at the mo so its covering the evidence that I am asleep at my desk.

(background break: Yes, I am off for the dirtiest of long weekends on Thursday with Bessie - ok she's not Hugh Jackman or Kanye, and there'll b no Egyption Cotton action, but well...she'll do perfectly for me and there will be food n booze n ciggies - our perfect combo!)You know when u get that telltale feeling in ur tummy, that there is no way in hell ur gonna get everything done (work wise) before going to Brussels? well I got that feeling now!

Still, the fact that its a 3 day week is uh-may-zing and the promise of Moulles & Frites, an infinite quantity of non Cadburys/nestle choccy as well as a strong beer & even stronger wine is enough to push me thru Tuesday & Wednesday, oh the things I do for the team ;) haha

Surprisingly enough the weather in Brussels is utterly glorious - that is, until we arrive, as v kindly illustrated by the BBC in a series of multiple dashes representing how rained upon we will be.

However, all is not lost on today - I have received my holiday dress & top in the post this afternoon which I obviously intend to wear...at work tomorrow! It is too cute not to wear ASAP, and I haven't quite managed to develop any self restraint. Shrove Tuesday tomorrow - or commonly known by heathens as Pancake day. Last day of smoking too....until Brussels.

Lord, Brussels is going to be our equivalent of the film Hangover! lets just stay away from any tigers...oh God and babies for that matter!

Lazy Little Mushroom

What could of happened today...

Got up, ran 10km, after my week break I hit a personal best. Came back home, helped Flaty Spring Clean the house. Then I applied for a job and got offered an interview for tomorrow.

What actually happened today....

I got up, but only in body. I proceeded to eat, smoke, mope, Skype, had an afternoon sleep.

It could have been oh so productive, but instead I perfected my impression of a lazy little mushroom.

The New Plan...

So I have a wonderful friend, I hope we all have one like this, one that has your back, Bad Boys stylee. This friend always believes in me, and my potential it always comes in handy at times...erm like these actually. Those times when u got the blues, the Mood Indigos. We're gonna call him Jordan-after the B-ball player, said friend loves Basketball.

So Jordan, nah his guns aren't that big, but his grin defo is, gave me a book, as a 'sorry-u-got-ur-bike-knicked-(twice)-broke-ur-arm-on-one-&-ran-a-midget-over-with-the-unlucky-said-bike' pressie. Now checkout the front page he did
How can this be anything but a positive, giggling book??!! only to put those 'get in there' lists or good things that happen

Well, I am a list lover, oh yes, I am proud enough to stand up & be counted with fellow other listers. So amidst my moping around the house day, I decided to stop with the moping. Nobody likes an Eeyore...I am prob a bit deflated at the mo because I feel I have a little lack of focus (I know the Feb challenge ended 6 days ago, but I'm not good at doing nothin!!). So... check out the get Lucinda back on her game plan....yes it did take over two pages.




POW!
Time to shift this mind frame. Get to bed & do a better day tomorrow. As Jordan always tells me, 'You are a trooper, you can do anything'. So I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do getting on with my Life.

KAPOW!

200km in a month? That's nothing baby (see that list is already perking me right up)Eeyore is a-packing

finished, fin, finito, përfunduar, نهاية

The power of the mind is crazy – at the weekend my legs were like anvils, I was bottom-shuffling down the stairs (couldn’t manage walking properly) when my little bro laughed at me & I had nothing back, no banter, nothing. I just snivelled in response. Today however, with no running predicted in my Horoscopes I am all high heals and Aero-feeling legs. In the words of Randy Crawford ‘what a difference a day makes.

The hardest bit as I thought was battling my lack of commitment – you know how it is – remember your GCSEs/ A-levels and probably every other exam you’ve done? Do no revision for months and then cram like hell? Well, that is moi to a ‘T’- I crammed 90km into the final week after doing only 10km the previous week, I will never learn?!answer: never

GOAM (www.g-o-a-m.blogspot.com) asked me what I’d learnt doing it & did I have any nuggets for inspiration. Well you’ve got to know you & what makes you tick – unfortunately there isn’t a one-fits-all motivational pill. For me it was good ol’ fashioned Catholic Guilt. The thought that I would let Justine down if I didn’t do my allotted run was a no no, and that pretty much kicked my a$$ every time, people kept telling me that no one would know if I didn’t run that day & I shouldn’t bother, but if I’m honest, I thought that was a pretty weak way out & if I thought that, then why bother in the first place. If I’m honest, I did too much in Februlous, I didn’t tone my partying down, I continued my passionate love affair with Barolo and Camel Blues & didn’t go to bed early. Obviously, this was the biggest killer of the month and to be polite, don’t look great. But, there was no way I would have survived if I was just running & going to work with no social life. But sometimes - maybe I had too much of one! Feb was the month of Friends visiting London & London Fashion Week...


Your body can get used to anything, but your mind cannot. Bodies are durable and health permitting will adapt & get on with things, mine found the 10km easy to complete just after 2 runs, the mind however, is still tells me I am not a runner. The treadmill at the weekend pointed out I’d run my 10km in 51 mins, whilst my mind tells me I am a clumsy runner rivalling Phoebe in Friends. There honestly comes a point where you have to ignore yourself and my ‘point’ has been February. ‘Myself’ if you give it a free reign is one moany bizatch, it whined continually for me to stop running. To drown said self I found Hip Hop (in particular my boy Kanye West) was the perfect prescription. Although this did induce a few ‘oopsie’ moments when much to the disgust of the St. James’ park’s resident Pelicans I realised I was rapping, telling them something about Chi-Town, Lights and being a Monster. Looks like Roc-a-fella records wont be signing up this Surveyor yet.

Last week near Big Ben, a guy tapped me on the shoulder, said ‘tig’ and then pegged it over Westminster Bridge, the innate 6 year old in me knew what to do – dodging around tourists & playing tig chase across Embankment was hilarious and ultimately pushed me to do a few 4minute kilometres. In the first week I noticed at Hyde Park traffic lights that I was standing with 3 other girls running to work, you know how females are; we had a chat. Congratulated each other, berated our own distances/times/efforts and then non-competitively ran for about 2km together. If I’m honest, those sort of times were sporadic.

Much to many people’s surprise I have no desire to run a marathon or half, although that will probably happen because I like to do a challenge with the girls. Also, I don’t like what running has done to my body, it has turned me scrawny, ok that’s ‘myself’ whining again!, but I am thinner & I don’t like it, even though I am now eating around 2,500-3,000 calories a day. More than that though, it honestly doesn’t have a patch on doing group training, after each session I felt really pumped up, the ‘yeah…what else you got?!’ feeling kicks in and I’m a sucker for that.

Thanks Justine for letting me jump on the band wagon again!

Glad it’s over, but glad I did it...my final pic running over Westminster Bridge