Day 589

1.  Note to self (and any other dog owners) if you can't face going out in the rain to pick up the poo from the garden it is your own fault if the dog stands in it.

2.  Further, if you then let said dog upstairs and onto your bed without checking his paws you have, as the saying goes, made your own bed but I strongly advise against lying in it!

3.  Needless to say my morning was quite literally a bit sh*t.

4.  But despite loosing my window of opportunity for an early morning trip to the gym (it's a close call to which I'd have rather...  gym versus jobby) I made time to go later in the day. 10 more appearances before Christmas - the challenge is on!

5.  Nothing quite like the feeling tonight of getting into a freshly made bed with crisp clean sheets - almost worth it!

London -146
Total Distance covered     998.4 miles
Gym Attendance = 11 (Target 20 by Christmas!)

Day 588

1.  On Friday I had an email from Pinterest entitled "Declutter by December"  Four days?!! I don't think they understand the size of the problem!

2. SisterofMG750 (or rather Marathongirl150!) on the other hand has had first hand knowledge and was keen to remind me of it this morning! Less than impressed with my goal for the day being to hoover the stairs I found myself agreeing to start tidying my room and vowed to throw three things out - which I was made to increase to four! 

3. Al did ask if a pair of shoes would count as two and if they were in a box was that three?! But in fact I found a whole lot of stuff bound for the charity shop which made exceeding my target easy! 

4. I have a suspicion that my actual clothes hanging in the wardrobe are next on her hit list, and I have visions of her coming to inspect at Christmas in a Trinny and Susannah kind of a way, whereby she pulls things off rail, looks despairingly at it and then me before chucking it in a 'get rid of ' pile, whilst I stand protesting about how I can't possibly face life without that particular ten year old cardigan that never suited me when I bought it yet I'm still wearing it every time she sees me!

5.   I did wonder how I was going to be made to pay for her running the marathon!

London -147
Total Distance covered     998.4 miles
Gym Attendance = 10 

Day 587

1.  Doesn't matter how long you spend constructing a playlist - if you don't select it, it doesn't play!

2.  Didn't need it anyway for the first part of today's run - FMG had leant me a book which I'd finally finished and we were happily jogging along discussing it in true book group style (she says without ever actually having been to one!) when her leg started playing up and we'd to abort our plans of running to parkrun together and call Al to pick her up on his way, whilst Dougal and I hot footed it to get to the park on time.

3.  Arrived, handed Dougal over to Al, then had to watch as the pair of them sped off into the distance and a new PB for both of them! Well done Mr L - 23.27 a whole minute quicker than H and I managed today.

4.  Hope your leg gets better soon FMG and good luck with not running on it for a while... 

5.  For all the minor set backs we've already survived and for those that have yet to come between now and April here's this weeks pick of the pops....

parkrun 97 - 1997

London -148
Distance covered                    7 miles
Total Distance covered     998.4 miles
Gym Attendance = 10 

Day 586

1.  Despite writing up my to-do list this morning I don't appear to have done very much...

2.  I've had one of those days where everywhere I turn there is evidence that I've been there as I leave a trail of half finished jobs in my wake! 

3.  A rare opportunity for a mid week catch up with fellow parkrunner providing the ideal excuse to leave it all behind for a while. 

4.  The fire lit late afternoon and the chance to curl up with Mr L - and it was left behind for the rest of the day! 

5.  I did manage to sign up for three months premium Spotify for 99p whilst being productive (!) this morning and have been busy constructing a playlist! At the moment this has just been deleting the tracks I don't like from one I've been listening to, but I can see hours of fine tuning ahead - it is a procrastinators dream! 

London -149
Total Distance covered     991.4 miles
Gym Attendance = 10 

Day 585

1.  Ran another route in reverse today...

2.  It's quite a strange experience because your favourite bits (downhill) become your least favourite and vice versa. 

3.  So much so that trotting along gathering speed on a new downhill section I was enjoying myself so much that I completely overshot the turning and had to run on till I came to an alternative which then entailed an extra uphill section to get back to where I should have been! 

4. It may be a while before I have another wrong way round week.

5.  You'll note I didn't say back to front - I feel so disorganised at the moment I don't know which way I'm supposed to be going! 

London -150
Distance covered                 5.1 miles
Total Distance covered     991.4 miles
Gym Attendance = 10 

Day 584

1.  Fifteen months ago I met a woman whilst walking the dogs who was a piano teacher and I was going to try and start playing again. I haven't, but I met the same woman again today and when I used the marathon as my excuse for doing nothing about it, she immediately asked for my fundraising details so she could donate.

2.  This level of kindness from someone I've met only once before sits at one end of the feel good spectrum today... My second meeting with the dietician sits at the other.

3.  I have no idea what I've done for her to so obviously dislike me, but fear not! When the discussion into how my milk free diet has helped but not cured the problem led onto the option of a fairly strict restrictive diet I jumped at the chance as soon as I heard the words "I'd have to refer you to another dietician...!"

4.  So for a short while I can relax my milk free status, and eat as many chocolate biscuits as I can cause next up amongst a whole list of other things is wheat! Good job I bought a jumbo pack!

5,  Because I want the day before the marathon to be 1 (as in M minus 1) today is M minus 151, but at the same time there's 150 days until the marathon! C has tried to explain the maths of this to me but I didn't really get it... suffice to say THERE'S 150 DAYS TO! Consequently the first fifty flags on my countdown bunting have been coloured in and I can report that I've run on 17 of them, been to the gym 11 times, just walked the dog 10, done exercises at home as well as walk 6, just done the exercises twice and done jack sh*t on four consecutive Sunday's! Not for much longer though... the long Sunday runs are looming!

London -151
Total Distance covered     986.3 miles
Gym Attendance = 10 

Day 583

1.  Heading out for my run this morning and I just couldn't face it. I could picture the route unfolding in front of me and I was at a total loss for motivation... so I decided to run it in the opposite direction!

2.  I know that if I start and finish at the same point then the elevation loss and gain must be equal, both in terms of the individual run and whichever way I run round the route, but it felt like a lot of uphill running!

3.  I have however convinced myself that this is really good marathon training! As I generally run on my own, or am chief route setter then I almost always run routes that I like, which isn't preparing me for the the long stretches in London that are less scenic and perhaps will be quieter on the old supporter front! Today was about finding a rhythm and just keeping going, one foot in front of the other until the hill was climbed and the route was run.

4.  Came home absolutely awash with post run euphoria! Picked up an email as I walked through the door inviting me to take part in an ultra run starting in the South Downs and finishing on the steps of Winchester Cathedral and found myself daydreaming about it in the shower! Acknowledging that next June might be a little soon after the marathon to run two more consecutively (although I can have an overnight stay in between the two if I choose!), I opted for June 2017 and started planning my trip, being reunited with my friend who works at the Cathedral as I crossed the finish line and popping to see C at University afterwards...  For someone who didn't want to run five miles I'm not entirely sure where the notion to run fifty came from, and don't worry sis I won't be asking you to join me!

5.  Took a while for me to remember that my friend works at Chichester not Winchester and with a rather large amount of relief (and the tiniest twinge of regret) I can put that particular dream back in it's box!

London -152
Distance covered                  5.2 miles
Total Distance covered     986.3 miles
Gym Attendance = 10 

Day 582

1.  The trouble with feeding your obsession is that nothing else gets done whilst you're doing it!

2.  So after finishing the blanket this morning I spent the rest of the day trying to get up to speed with at least knowing what it was that I should have been doing! 

3.  I decided that this was a higher priority than going to the gym! H agreed with me, I think mainly because having finally got round to putting the contents of his bedroom floor into the wash basket he's hoping that they might make their way back out of it before he runs out of clothes! 

4.  Determined to get as much as Christmas organised as I can by the end of the 100 Day Challenge - 16 days left it's going to be a busy couple of weeks.

5.  I am very pleased with how well the blanket - or double bedspread! - turned out, and once I take the all left over bits of T shirt to the charity shop rag collection tomorrow I will be very pleased to have my house back. Although you have to know that I did deliberate over whether or not I could find a use for T shirt scraps before deciding that they had to go! 

London -153
Total Distance covered     981.1 miles
Gym Attendance = 10 

Day 581

1.  A little word of warning to anyone reading who thinks they won't be tempted to up their distance (you'll notice I'm mentioning no names fellow parkrunner!) the response to my very first FB post about running the marathon went like this...

me: I may live to regret this.... (posts first blog)
sis:  Seriously?????
me: Yep! Figure it's now or never
sis:  Then I think that the response to your post is.... yes you probably will!! And as much as I love you the next response is.... no I am not going to join you!!!
Ladies and gentlemen may I introduce you to Team Barnardo's latest recruit for London 2016 - sisterofMG750!!!!

2.  Thank you sis! I know you're doing this for me and I love you for it, but I hope somewhere along the twenty six miles and all the training to get there you do at least some of it for you.

3.  I have a sneaking suspicion however that despite how much you love me, I might not always be your favourite person over the next 154 days! (I should also warn you that it might be 153 - I think I've got the number of days wrong, which isn't such a problem now but I'll try my best to correct before it is!)

4.  That said you'll note I've not added in any days on which you might curse me after the 24th April! 

5.  I'm not going to try and tell you that you'll get into your training, or that you'll love it in London - but I know you well enough to know that we have the same bloody minded streak and if that's all there is then that will be enough!  Besides which I'm excited enough for both of us!!!  (and FMG has more than a little to spare too! xx)

London -154
Total Distance covered     981.1 miles
Gym Attendance = 10 

Day 580 - Parkrun 96

1.  Very very cold parkrun this morning - or as coined by our friend parkyrun!!

2.  Thought I was the first lady home again but no! I was second, but so far behind the first that she'd finished, left, and was probably already home by the time I crossed the finish line! 

3.  Not that anyone will ever know - a problem with the timers meant we were all awarded a time of 59.59. Oh how glad am I that this didn't happen last week! 

4.  Thrilled to be sharing the winners podium with fellow parkrunner! Well done on your bronze medal (if only they were real!).

5.  Al spent the day at the Leeds Juggling Convention... Which makes it a year since we were there face painting and kiddy crafting FMG! Very glad that that stage of our fundraising is over and yet at the same time would have swapped my day of non stop chauffeuring for sitting adorning faces with flowers and sparkly bits! Missed you today Mr L and for that today's song is for you, but because this version was actually released in 1995 (although still in the charts in 1996) it feels a bit like cheating so I've included a second one, also for you, the first dance at our wedding albeit some 12 years later!

parkrun 96 - 1996 (take one)

parkrun 96 - 1998 (take two)

London -155
Distance covered              3.1 miles
Total Distance covered     981.1 miles
Gym Attendance = 10 

Day 579

1.  Really frustrating day - by which I mean I only managed to find one free hour to sew.

2.  Could have found another this afternoon but I went to the gym instead! 

3.  I will always be able to find excuses not to go - but they aren't going to get me round London. 

4.  So I managed 10 gym appearances in the past four weeks. Which given my previous record is pretty good going and on a previous reward scheme would have earned me a top! 

5.  No such incentives this time round - the prize this time is seeing the Mall at the end of twenty six miles still on my feet! Question now is do I set myself a lower - and more achievable - target for the next four or push myself that little bit harder? Hmm might need to think about that one! 

London -156
Total Distance covered     978 miles
Gym Attendance = 10 (target 12 by 20 November)

Day 578

1.  Having spent years avoiding making the blanket for Al's friend - I am loving it! To the extent that it has become my latest obsession.

2. Forget tidying the house I haven't even stopped long enough to clear the table I'm working on! But as it grows in size it is only a matter of time before I'll have to! 

3.  A new business venture in the making... Blankets from old running T-shirts?! I had thought about it but I don't think so! If making bags wasn't commercially viable that was nothing to the hours this is taking! 

4. Did stop long enough this morning to go for a run but I'm not sure I would have done if I hadn't already arranged it with FMG.

5.  Just realised I haven't stopped long enough to have a cup of tea which is unheard of! Time to get the kettle on me thinks - could just sew another couple of lines first though....

London -157
Distance covered               5.1 miles
Total Distance covered     978 miles
Gym Attendance = 9 (target 12 by 20 November)

Day 577

1.  C may well have given me an 'A' for attendance at the gym, but I'd have been lucky to get anything higher than an 'E' for effort from the Biomechamics Man this morning!

2.  For some reason he didn't seem overly impressed with my forty minute foam roller and stretch program!! 

3.  A trip to the post office this morning to pop the last of the 39 bags from my 100 Day Goal in the post! Whoo hoooo!!

4.  Attempting to balance the books this afternoon I spent a lot longer than I should have done trying to locate a 'lost' bag. I checked my maths, I looked back through old text messages to see if FMG had sold an extra one, I replayed conversations with her in my head about how many we had left, and just as I was about to give up and try and live with the anomaly in my spreadsheet I remembered - I took one!

5.  Made a tentative start on the blanket... 5 pieces sewn together 46 to go!

London -158
Total Distance covered     972.9 miles
Gym Attendance = 9 (target 12 by 20 November)

Day 576

1.  In a dilemma this morning about missing my gym target... I kid you not! Really wanted to make it, but there was just too much to do today that would serve me better, and so reluctantly I have let it go.

2.  C was very helpful in helping me reach this decision and running through the different options with me.  In the end I think I'll settle for 10 out of 12 (if I make it) and try harder next time! For which I will be awarded an 'A' with a target grade of 'A*' apparently!  

3.  Lovely run with Dougal this morning before the rain came.  Remembering that today was photo day I stopped to take a picture of what was at one point going to be Sid's tree only to find it's been felled! Just as well he's still in his vase! 

4.  Had a fairly productive day but seem to have only scratched the surface of what needs to be done. Writing this at 7.30pm  - let's see how much I can get done before writing point five at 10pm. Which kind of depends on whether can drag myself off the settee before I fall asleep! 

5.  Four jobs on the list.... one ticked! But it was a biggy!! T-shirts now all placed and sizes worked out and measurements checked. Now the fun (or not!) part of trying to actually make them the right size!

London -159
Distance covered                 5.1 miles
Total Distance covered     972.9 miles
Gym Attendance = 8 (target 12 by 20 November)

Day 575

1.  I have bitten the bullet! The T-shirts have had their initial cut and lay out... Had to do it in two sections having run out of floor and was relatively pleased with how it had gone until I realised that when added together it was three metres long which isn't going to fit on many beds! Think I'd better start again and try laying it out actually on our bed instead.

2.  I have sold another couple of bags! The lady who had received my bag in the £15 Swap had mentioned buying them for Christmas presents so I sent her some pictures of what I had left and she chose two.

3.  Before you congratulate me on my proactive behaviour it has far more to do with avoiding having to go back on Etsy than anything else. Still whatever works! 

4.  First gym session of the week completed... the attempt by one of the owners to high five me on the way out the door was somewhat disturbing.  I think he must have mistaken me for someone else.  As it was I had my hands full of car keys, phone, and gym bag so it didn't really work.  I don't think he'll try again.

5.  Utterly exhausted.  Fell asleep on the settee writing this earlier but didn't want another day to pass before I caught up... so here it is.  I'm up to date.  Night night!

London -160
Total Distance covered     967.8 miles
Gym Attendance = 8 (target 12 by 20 November)

Day 574

1.  Live life to the full?? I've done bugger  all today!

2.  In fact to quote a friend - I'm surrounded by can't be ars*ed! 

3.  Not all bad though! Lovely catch up with fellow parkrunner over coffee this morning. Only dawned on me that we could have gone for a run as she was leaving!

4.  Starting from tomorrow I now have to go to the gym everyday to reach my target by Friday...

5. Don't wish to sound defeatist but I'm not sure I can see it somehow.

London -161
Total Distance covered     967.8 miles
Gym Attendance = 7 (target 12 by 20 November)

Day 573 - Parkrun 95

1. GOLD! Always believe in your soul   You've got the power to know   You're indestructible....

2.  I did it! First lady home!! The gold medal is mine!!!

3.  It matters not that is was a seriously depleted field, nor that if I'd only run 3 seconds faster I could have gone sub 24, nor that it may never happen again... today I was the fastest lady!

4.  I knew when I was running that there was a chance that I was, as I couldn't see another female runner in front, and this along with a new playlist and running a lot of the way in a pack with H, Al, Dougal and (albeit a rather hungover) parkrunfastfinisher kept me going! A problem uploading the results led to a rather anxious wait until early this evening but thankfully for me and H (who got a PB) they came eventually!

5.  Finding a song for today has caused me a certain amount of deliberation when what I've written above is put in the wider context of the day we learned of the terrorist attacks on Paris.  Trying to find the words to write about why I settled on this has taken far longer than it should and I've still not come up with anything I'm happy with.  As a mum I didn't really know what to say to H this morning on our way to parkrun except to live his life to the best of his abilities, to make the most of the opportunities that come his way, to be true to himself and be happy for as long as he is able...

parkrun 95 -1995

London -162
Distance covered                 3.1 miles
Total Distance covered     967.8 miles
Gym Attendance = 7 (target 12 by 20 November)

Day 572

1.  Ha! Ha! I've sewn my last bag.... a commission in this afternoon and my ego is sufficiently stroked to make another!

2.  In the absence of a better plan of where to start with the dreaded blanket, I spent the morning ironing the T-shirts, staking them into a neat pile and photographing them! Not sure how this actually helps other than to create a sense of order before I start (I would say attacking them with a pair of scis*ors - but I've been here before and the scissor police will stop me posting this!) cutting them up!

3.  Far from the most productive of days - was too tired to go to the gym first thing this morning, didn't make it this afternoon, planned and then didn't do my exercises at home, before settling on going to the gym before parkun in the morning...

4.  Except it doesn't open in time... but I didn't check this until just before I went to bed!

5.  The day wasn't a total write off however, as well as T-shirt stacking and gym avoidance (which lets face it I achieved in style) FMG and I are off to London a little earlier than planned for the Team Barnardo's Christmas get together! Long way to go for a couple of hours, but we may have just booked our trains to enable us to get a bit of shopping in too... which is handy as seeing as my Christmas sorted by the end of October deadline has been and gone, the 16th December sounds like an ideal alternative!

London -163
Total Distance covered     964.7 miles
Gym Attendance = 7 (target 12 by 20 November)

Day 571

1.  A friend of mine once told a story about driving in California and ignoring the 'Road Closed' signs till he came to one that said 'Road Really Closed' - I could have done with a sign like that today (or perhaps just paid attention to the earlier signs?) instead of running towards the closure and discovering a little too late that they meant it!

2.  In truth they might have let pedestrians through but there was no way Dougal was going to trot past unperturbed whilst the road was being resurfaced! 

3.  Didn't enjoy the route particularly but I do love running down roads I've never been down before! I think I'm going to have to try and find some alternative routes to explore...

4.  Busy day at the sewing machine finishing the bags (for the second time!).  That's it!! I really am done now! 

5.  With the bag sewing that is... huge 'blanket from old juggling convention T shirts' project to begin once I've got my head round where to start, and caught up on all the bits I've avoided doing all week.

London -164
Distance covered                    6 miles  
Total Distance covered     964.7 miles
Gym Attendance = 7 (target 12 by 20 November)

Day 570

1.  A couple of months ago I signed up for a stall at a 'Shop Til You Drop' event at a casino in Leeds. I had heard nothing since and had been in complete denial. Neither finding out if it was still on nor deciding to cancel.

2.  Tramping around the woods at lunchtime after a particularly fraught morning I get an email saying how much they are looking forward to seeing me this evening... Oh for the blissful ignorance of my days before a smart phone! 

3.  I had at that point, 3 bags, 4 purses, a dozen greetings cards, and some half finished crocheted snowflakes! A very frantic afternoon, 2 bags and 15 finished Christmas decorations later I made it! 

4.  Among the first to arrive I selected my pitch and set up my stall, opting for a large table instead of setting up my clothes rail (in case of the need for a quick exit... must have seen it coming!). Thought I'd chosen well until Anne Summers set up next to me! Not sure how I was supposed to compete snowflake versus sex toy...

5.  In the end it didn't matter that their glittery handled whip out sparkled me there was no one to see it! Two hours I sat there and the only 'customer' was a mad old woman who came up and kissed me (for fear that her lovely kisses should go to waste), at which point I beat a hasty retreat, packed up and came home!

I'm a charity fundraiser GET ME OUT IF HERE!!!!!!

London -165   
Total Distance covered     958.7 miles
Gym Attendance = 7 (target 12 by 20 November)

Day 569

1.  Boys dropped off at school, by quarter to nine I was outside waiting for the fabric shop to open! 

2. Question is did I: a) just buy enough fabric to make the one bag I have an order for; or b) somehow come away with enough material for a further five?!

3.  Let's just say that I spent all afternoon cutting fabric! 

4.  Didn't exactly get all the housework done before I started - but I did go for a run first!

5.  Finally a break in the clouds!  Warm and very windy Dougal and I made slow progress on our five miles - but we did  it! First run of week 3 complete! 

London -166
Distance covered                 5.2 miles    
Total Distance covered     958.7 miles
Gym Attendance = 6 (target 12 by 20 November)

Day 568

1.  I can have as many good intentions as I like but if I can't actually put them into practice they won't do me any good at all!

2.  To be fair I didn't do nothing today I was just busy doing other things.  No jobs ticked on my to-do list, no gym, and guess what?! I missed them both!

3.  100 Day Goal Challenge is entering it's last 30 days... Two days to get straight and then I'm going in all guns blazing for the last four weeks! 

4.  Going to have to reassess my Goal though... 

5.  An order in from FMG this evening and I'm back off to the fabric shop in the morning!!!

London -167
Total Distance covered     953.5 miles
Gym Attendance = 6 (target 12 by 20 November)

Day 567

1.  All good things must come to an end - sister and nephewofMG750 have returned home :(

2.  But not before our Sunday morning catch up! 

3.  Having put the Etsy question to bed I think I should have spent a little longer on the answer to "What now?!" I might then have avoided saying for the umpteenth time that I was going to tidy my house and bypassed the inevitable response of  "You've been saying that for how long?!"

4.  Except this time I think I mean it!

5.  What is the point of running the marathon to end up at the same point as where I started? How good would it be to finish with all the old clutter and excuses that go with it gone?!

London -168
Total Distance covered     953.5 miles
Gym Attendance = 6 (target 12 by 20 November)

Day 566 - Parkrun 94

1.  I want a different hobby! One that does not entail getting up early on a Saturday morning to go and run in the rain! And when I say rain I mean rain!!

2.  Two weeks of going to the gym and I'm getting slower... this was not the plan! May have had more to do with my glasses being misted up on the inside and wet on the outside, with too many fallen leaves making the path a little treacherous to run 'blind' - but I'm blaming the gym. 

3.  Slower than I'd like to have been or otherwise parkrun 94 is in the bag! And for the hours and hours over the past two and a half years spent running round Crow Nest Park here is 

parkrun 94 - 1994

4.  Half of our extended parkrun family on tour, FMG poorly and the rubbish coffee at the recently taken over cafe meant that we left my sis to have a long lie and opted for the option of coming straight home afterwards. Just didn't feel right - but sitting around in very wet kit might well have felt worse! 

5.  Lovely afternoon with Al and my sis enjoying long overdue post half marathon mojitos - better late than never!

London -169
Distance covered                 3.1 miles
Total Distance covered     953.5 miles
Gym Attendance = 6 (target 12 by 20 November)

Day 565

1.  Thank you Biomecanics Man for having the good grace not to keel over at the shock of seeing me in the gym at half six this morning!

2.  It would appear that my self imposed gym attendance target is working.

3.  Wish the pre-Christmas blitz was going as well...

4.  So far I've only managed some recipe books and the aforementioned nail varnish! 

5.  But for today (and the rest of the weekend) I don't care... sisterofMG750 and the rather tall and handsome nephew thereof too are here! Smiley smiley smiley face!!

London -170
Total Distance covered     950.4 miles
Gym Attendance = 6 (target 12 by 20 November)

Day 564

1.  What a difference a couple of days and the company of FMG can make to a run!

2.  Tuesday's run was hard work and the last mile especially felt like a really long one, by comparison today's run flew by and felt like we'd just got going by the time we reached home - lets hope we feel the same way when the mileage starts to increase!

3.  Forgot to set my running app and haven't remembered to charge my Garmin in weeks so I had to map our run on the computer when we got home. Quite a strange experience, clicking my way around the map not remembering large chunks of it. This may in part be down to the fog and the fact that we couldn't see much of where we were, but I think it was far more likely to be down to the chat. Thank you for your company FMG - been far too long since we ran together. 

4.  For someone who wasn't in the mood to cook, I'm not sure why I decided to bake brownies, lentil croquettes (nicer than they sound) and Christmas pudding.  Actually I do know why, we had nothing for tea, the pudding is for my sister to take home with her, and the brownies are milk free and my alternative to chocolate digestives for our pre breakfast tea and catch up on Sunday....

5.  If it's been too long since FMG and I ran together, it is nothing compared to how long it's been since I've been able to say "SisterofMG750 arrives tomorrow!!!!" More than just a little bit excited at the thought of seeing you sis xx

London -171
Distance covered                 4.8 miles  
Total Distance covered     950.4 miles
Gym Attendance = 5 (target 12 by 20 November)

Day 563

1.  Back in the gym this morning - not sure I can keep this momentum up for much longer!

2.  Fully expect and accept that the Biomechanics Man is hugely fitter and stronger than me, but really did I need to be out gymed by a clearly pregnant woman?!  Not for a minute saying that a pregnant woman shouldn't be fitter than me either, but I am an endurance athlete! Just clearly not a very strong one - yet!

3.  Thankfully fellow parkrunner gave me advance warning of her visit this afternoon, time to do my hair and make-up so as not to be caught unawares!

4.  In truth I changed out of my dog walking clothes.  Just as well I hadn't put too much effort in as I would definitely have been out styled by your shoes alone RLB! 

5.  Goodies from last week's party have been delivered - just need to clear the Underwater Hockey kit from the bath, clean it and perhaps close my eyes... and then the home spa experience can be all mine!

London -172
Total Distance covered     945.6 miles
Gym Attendance = 5 (target 12 by 20 November)

Day 562

1.  Somewhat misty run this morning...

2.  Have decided to try and enjoy the changing seasons by taking a weekly photo between now and April.  I am hoping that this will give me something else to focus on other than being swamped by what lies ahead between here and London (in truth it may take more than a weekly photo!).

3.  FMG has found a wonderful extract from a 1949 Singer Sewing Machine manual instructing sewers to look their best as they wont be able to concentrate on their sewing if worrying about a returning husband or visiting friend arriving unexpectedly and finding them without their make up on! As I said to her, Al would be far more concerned if he came home and found me wearing make up with my hair neat! But it would be following the advice to not start sewing until all domestic chores were done which would make him worry most! 

4. There is however one part that perhaps I should take heed of

"Good results are difficult when indifference dominates" 

5.  Very fortunate to experience my second distance reiki session this evening! (The reiki lady looking for some more feedback).  Different experience from the first and definitely some food for thought, but without a doubt the best thing to come out of my all but forgotten 100 Day Goal Challenge, and more specifically £15 Swap.

London -173
Distance covered                 5.1 miles
Total Distance covered     945.6 miles
Gym Attendance = 4 (target 12 by 20 November)

Day 561

1.  The Biomechanics Man has been writing about the importance of strength training for runners recently, 'playing' with some ideas in the gym and is in the process of trying to start up some training groups which I have said I would be interested in joining.

2.  Took it right back when I arrived in the gym this morning to see him lifting 130kgs!

3.  He has however suggested trying to put a group together at my "end of the spectrum!"

4. This has made me wish that I'd been to the gym more frequently since joining and hadn't wasted all that time and money not going.  Going to try really hard to turn this into action! No point regretting the past, question is where can I get to in the next five and a half months?! (20kgs?!!)

5. Goodbye Etsy - Hello Team Barnardo's! Have set up a Facebook Group so that I can chat with other members of the London Marathon team without flooding my FB newsfeed with tales of my training... there's only so much of me that I feel Facebook can take!  (This is different - you've opted in!)

London -174
Total Distance covered     940.5 miles
Gym Attendance = 4 (target 12 by 20 November)

Day 560

1.  Toyed with the idea of going to the gym this morning but opted out of necessity for the supermarket instead, followed by making a start on my pre Christmas blitz

2.  I fear I may have been a bit hasty whilst tidying up this afternoon - threw out several bottles of nail varnish bought in 2001.

3.   Oh yes! That is the level of hoarding we are dealing with here!

4.  Which is why it is such a huge and overwhelming job that may well stretch post Christmas -especially if I am tackling the job as slowly as I did today. 

5.  Meanwhile according to FB (thanks schoolfriendofMG750) there are people who have time to turn 'Cheerios' into donut treats for Santa's Elves and construct Christmas Tree decorations out of painted 'Rice Krispies'. I'm not sure if I should be feeling sorry for myself that I'm not that patient nor well organised, or grateful that I can pretend my life is full of more worthwhile ways to waste my time - like running!

London -175
Total Distance covered     940.5 miles
Gym Attendance = 3 (target 12 by 20 November)