Look both ways!

As seen on a running route near you! (that is, if you live in London)bit.ly/vA2nO6

Don't let the Sign Painter thwart you - keep running (and looking as you cross the road!)
Last night:
Ran 8km
Cycled 17km - odd number I know, took the looong way home route

How to be Mowgli

I am a huge fan of Ted Talks. If you take public transport or travel a lot & you don't already get the podcast-do so talks on a variety of brill & boring topics.

Caroline Casey got me in to Ted Talks. She is completely inspiring because... well I won't give the story away! You need to watch it here ;)

I think about this story a lot esp when I'm having a bit of a down time. 'who do you want to be?' is a question that is asked throughout her talk & I think it's an important one to because it makes you really really realise that you are in charge of the plot of your life and its you are the author.

Like I said last Sunday, I always feel like the start of the week is a fresh start & keeping Caroline's message fresh in my mind pushes me forward hopefully in the right direction. Although not always!! But isn't that the same with everything? Ups and downs; it's the nature of every plot of every story, what makes it a happy ending is the character cracks on after each down (after a bit of a wobbly moment!).

I'm just trying to remember; onwards & upwards after every bump-including little training! I've just handed my notice in on a job I've had for 4 years. There's a bit (ok MASSIVE) career change & it's a fork in the road for me. I'm nervous no doubt, excited completely and keeping Caroline's inspirational, challenging story as I go forward makes me smile that maybe this is me becoming Mowgli.... <-seriously click that and enjoy a 10min talk on a snippet of her life

Training this coming week:
20k running
72km cycling
0k swimming
63hrs sleep <- unlikely
49 hrs sleep <- more likely!

Birthday surprise

So some friends are just rubbish at remembering birthdays which is a-ok because ur not mates with them for that. But some, some are just fantastic at treating you on your special day. I'm out celebrating tonight at an undisclosed secret location with one such friend.

And by all accounts starting in Somerset House is the best way.

Carrot & Stick Approach...

If I:
a.) run tomorrow at lunch (40% likely)
b.) finish the numbers on Big Report (fair chance)
c.) Find Dad a birthday present by Thursday (that has to happen)

Then I will treat myself to new hair on Friday! Swishy swishy, pre-Raphaelite, Florence+The Machine, Middletons would be jealous hair! <- yeah ok the last one ain't gonna happen, but dum spiro spero!

Thank you Violent Veg Store for your hilarious pics

New Day, New Week

One thing I love about Mondays (ok, possibly the only thing...) is that its almost like the start of a New Year - all those resolutions you make, 'This week I'm gonna eat well / This week I'm going to train efficiently and hard / This week I'm going to do all my jobs / see friend x and call relation y'

Well Blog readers... This week / TODAY I'm going to run in this beautiful park and then after I've finished work I'm going to do my favourite bootcamp with fabulous trainer Mel and the other girls.
Hope you managed to kick Monday's a$$ too.

I heart London in Autumn xx

Puppies love...

My trainers!

My Mum breeds Gold Retrievers there were 8 born 7-weeks ago. When I went home at the weekend they had g-r-o-w-n in to little terrors! Adorable, (no I haven't packed one in the case to sneak it to London, honest Mum!) cute.

Puppies 1 - Trainers 0

Ran when I got back in The Smoke...how can you leave these things

Survival of the Most Determined aka Training Run Take 1

All smiles at the start!
Saturday morning and I’m crawling on my belly through ice cubes. You know those big ones that haven’t even started to melt yet, so they’re really really solid? Yeah those ones #ouch. Guess what I crawl through after that? Mud. Well technically woodchips the sort u get in a children’s playground mushed up in water. Then I clamber in, no room for ladylikeness here, to a skip filled to my chest with something you imagine a pig would ‘swill’ in.

Bessie is there cheering me on at the edge of the cargo net, at this point I know she’s injured (hence her lack of belly crawling and clambering) but we don’t know how bad. She slipped and fell on obstacle 7 of 16 but continued to run with me, yup like my crash & continue on the triathlon we’re 100% cut from the same cloth.

She’s cheering anyways, all dry and mud free and I just know what I’m gonna do about that….yup I throw mud at her, she squeals laughing at me. I chase her (sod my time this is more fun) & give her an almighty bear hug & kiss. Mud successfully shared.

Only 3 more obstacles to go and less than 1km left. We can do this!! Three more hellish obstacles and minus my wingman I have no idea how I’m going get over the final ‘Wall of Fame’ challenge. That thing is like erm 100 feet high easily <- honest.

See - At least 100feet high (they are giant men climbing it btw)

Before I realise it I’m giving a leg up to a random and pushing her over, another lady clocks me and does the same for me. At the top I grab her hand whilst another women pushes her up. Honestly, thank you!

We’re at the top and I see the bottom. I. Don’t. Like. Heights. No crash mat. Shit. Palms sweaty. Shit. ‘You alright love?’ the race marshal shouts to me. Bollocks, I’ve been spotted; the finish line is 20 meters away so everyone can see me wavering. Shit. He’s watching me now moving over to see if I’m going to do it. Even the scaredy cat next to me jumped. No excuse, don’t think on it. Jump. Wobbly bottom lip but grabbed Bessie who was waiting at the bottom and we crossed the finish line.

10km; 16 obstacles; 1broken arm (Bessie); 1hour 10min; 100% chuffed with time (included 10 min pit stop with St. John’s Ambulance)