2012, the year I bought love.

In October I bought the love of my life (see above), and became a 'real' cyclist....and who said you can't buy love?! The story behind me buying the bike is me starting spin cycling at BOOM! Cycle in Shoreditch as a complement to my running. Some of the instructors there are road cyclists/triathletes/all around bad ass athletes and not only do they whip you into shape - they make it fun too! After I got injured a month or so before my marathon in May and had to rely heavily on spinning for cardio training as I couldn't run I started thinking about taking cycling outdoors. After some thinking - and saving - I bought my TREK Lexa SLX. Since then I've cycled to Windsor with the BOOM! crew, done the north London loop with my friend Debbie and drastically cut my commuter costs. Oh, and now I LOVE cycling!

I love going to the gym in December, because it's almost empty. People are you buying Christmas presents and going to Christmas parties but come January they all come running back to work off all of that Christmas food and booze. The 'good' news is that they're all gone my April. A lot of people seem to look at training (and nutrition) as something you do in short cycles, short-term and goal orientated - beach body 2013, wedding and so on but the naked truth is as it says on the picture above. If we want to get lasting results, lasting good health and lasting fitness we're going to have to work hard regularly and for a long time. People were shocked when my older sister and I went for a run on Christmas day and the reaction varied from 'how did you have time' to 'isn't that a bit obssessive' but the truth is....an hour's run is only 4%of yur day and a good habit isn't an obssession - it's a way of living. For me running on Christmas day, with my older sister who lives in a different country than me, is a treat and a source of happiness. Plus, I am quite happy to have exercise as an 'addiction' - beats being addicted to cocaine, eh!

Keep going!

I am not going to lie to you...I was running on pretty knackered legs today. It was over a week ago since I last had a rest day and I was still sporting a pretty impressive soreness in my glutes from Thursday's body pump session when I went to the gym this morning for another pump session. By the time we had finished the lunge track my legs were shaking and the thought of a 7 mile run home in the rain and wind wasn't very appealing, but for me a plan is a plan - and unless you puke, faint or die, you keep going I know that I can manage a 7 mile run in my sleep, and there is no way my legs were exhausted enough not to carry me back to east London. I put on my new Craft running jacket (thanks mum and dad!), plugged in my headphones and off I went. The legs were pretty stiff and it was clear that I wasn't going to set a personal best but somewhere halfway up Pentonville road it all felt a bit easier, the wind felt less violent and the rain not as heavy. I let the legs decide the speed and focused on a 'nice' feeling and all of a sudden I crossed Regent's Canal/Mile End park and I was home - and my running app showed that I hadn't been as slow as I thought. It might not have been the most high quality 7 miles I have run, but it was a good mental exercise. Like my old PE teacher used to say when we ran laps: 'When you think you're getting tired, you're only just getting started - and if you can still laugh, you can do 10 more!'

I Run London

I love to run. Love.To.Run. For me running is freedom, happiness, therapy, childish joy.... but also blood, sweat and tears - and I love blood, sweat and tears. I'm not fast, but I'm persistent, stubborn, dedicated and passionate. One of the best moments in my life was when I crossed the finish line at this years Edinburgh Marathon and the clock said 03.59.54 I was exhausted, sweaty and sunburned (it was 25C and sunshine from a clearblue sky) but I had managed to fulfill my wish and reach my goal - to run a marathon under 4 hours. My friend Ross found me giggling with joy and on our way to the train that would take us back to Edinburgh I wanted to skip and not walk (which is very painful after a 42.2k race). Most people look at me like I am crazy when I tell them about how awesome and enjoyable it is to run for hours, but when you find someone that feels the same.... then it is a great day! This blog is not for those people who run or exercise just to be able to eat and extra chocolate bar (although that is an added bonus to running for hours), but for those of you who runs because running is freaking awesome! I Run London. Where do you run?