The Liebster Award

Well this is exciting! Brianna nominated me for The Liebster Award which is apparently something for new blogs as a way to get to know the blogger. Since I struggle to find things to blog about, this is a good way for me to write a blog!

Recipients of the award must complete the following:

1.  List 11 random facts about you.
2.  Answer the questions that were asked of you by the blogger who nominated you.
3.  Nominate 11 other blogs for the Liebster award and provide a link to their blogs.
4.  Notify the bloggers of their award.
5.  Ask the award winners 11 questions to answer once they accept their award.

Random Facts

1. I point blank refused to do PE at school on several occasions. I was the fat kid – hated getting changed in front of the other girls, I was always really far behind everyone when it came to running or… anything and I also wasn’t very popular so it made everything ten times worse – so I just told my teachers I was not going to do PE. I think it was the only class I ever got into trouble in.
2. I used to play the drums. Not very well I might add but the reason I got with my ex was that he was a drummer too. I sold my drum kit when I was pregnant to buy baby things and haven’t picked up drumsticks since.
3. I also used to be a photographer. I did live and promotional band photography mainly but I also went into weddings for a while.
4. I’m not very well travelled. I was a Haven kid so we went as North as Scotland and as South as Cornwall but never left the British Isles. I went to Paris with school at 11, Majorca at 13, New York at 16 and we went to Spain with the family a few years ago. I have dreams of travelling all over and I will one day.
5. I have a sarcastic, dry sense of humour most of the time. Even my daughter often has to ask, “Are you being sarcastic?” since she’s still trying to grasp the art of sarcasm.
6. When I was in my early teens, I was desperate to be an astronaut. Now I have no idea what the hell I’m going to do post-graduate.
7. I write, a lot. I keep a diary, I have two blogs, I write on Word. I started a novel but scrapped it and haven’t picked it back up again yet. I’m scared of failure.
8. I’ve broken my right thumb a few times and as it wasn’t set right the first time, it bends out slightly. I can’t play video games for a long time because it hurts.
9. I’m a big superhero fan. I lean more over to Marvel, unconsciously, but Superman was my first encounter with the superhero genre and will always have a special place in my heart.
10. I don’t really know why I started to run. I have no big story; I just decided one day that I’d like to give that a try and I did. I’m so glad I did.
11. I’m pretty selfish. I don’t like to share.

Brianna’s Questions

1. If you had to describe yourself in one word, what would it be? Indecisive
2. What is your coffee beverage of choice? Latte
3. If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? Peanut butter and jam on a wholemeal bagel.
4. What was the last film you watched? Jane Eyre
5. What is on your bedside table? This
6. Why do you blog? Because I like to write and it gives me some focus.
7. Do you believe magic is real or just an illusion? An illusion.
8. Do you have a favorite flower?  What is it? I don’t think I do have a favourite.
9. I never leave home without ________ my iPhone. I annoy myself at how much I rely on it.
10. What’s your guilty pleasure? I’m pretty addicted to Starbucks right now and spend too much money on chai tea latte’s. I also enjoy smoking far too much although I don’t do it regularly anymore.
11. Sunrise or sunset? Sunset

My Questions!

1. If you could on holiday tomorrow, where would you go?
2. What is your favourite blog?
3. Tea or coffee?
4. If anyone would play you in a film of your life, who would you want it to be?
5. What mobile phone do you have?
6. What would be your ideal lazy day?
7. Do you have any pets?
8. What is the most expensive item of clothing you’ve ever bought that you just HAD to have?
9. What’s your most recent new release (2012/2013) favourite film?
10. How many books have you read this year?
11. If you were a chocolate bar, what chocolate bar would you be?

Several of the people I nominate aren’t really new bloggers but since I don’t read that many blogs anymore, I have to go with what I have!

1. SJ @ Book Snobbery
2. Jessica @ Dancing on Tiptoes
3. John @ Fit For a Year
4. Hannah @ Red Head on the Run
5. Bekki @ Scruffy Viking
6. Marc @ Run, Hemingway, Run
7. Sarah @ Goldilocks Runs
8. Helen @ Afeitar

And I think that’s all I have! Have fun with this, I did!

Threadless for Boston

The Boston 2013 shirt that I ordered from Threadless about a month ago arrived this morning. I pretty much live in Threadless shirts so as soon as I saw this one, and that all the net proceeds go to The One Fund Boston, Inc, I had to get it.

It’s still for sale here so grab one while you can. I plan on taking mine for a run tomorrow.

Legacy 5K

I ran a 5K this morning, the first race I’ve done since the Movember 10K in November which is too darn long. Racing is the best thing about running and if you don’t do it, you really should. Every time I do a race, I remember why I run and why I should race at least once a month if I can. There is a local(ish) 5K I can do every month and I could travel to a parkrun if I had nothing else on. I really wish there was a more local parkrun but the nearest one is eight miles away which isn’t too bad. I might bribe my Dad, like I do for every race, and see if he will take me one Saturday morning.

Anyway. I entered this race about a month ago when I found out about it and my running still hasn’t been great but I went out for a 5K on Thursday and didn’t die so I knew I would be fine for this morning. An 11am start meant I could still lie in bed for a while. Race number collection was before the start so I arrived at about 10.10am and then spent the rest of the time sat in the car, wishing I’d have worn more clothes. You wouldn’t have thought it was May with how cold it was this morning. I was all decked out in my new Adidas capri pants and my Run EHM shirt which I wear pretty much every time I run at the moment.

The race itself was good. I need to stop putting myself right at the back because I’m not as slow as I used to be (I’m not a fast runner in the slightest) and I was held back for a while because I couldn’t pass everyone who I needed to. I’ll make sure next time, I put myself in the middle. It was nice to run on a route that was off road too. It makes a change from my usual running routes.

I don’t really have much else to say about it. The medal was a nice edition and I saw a few familiar faces because it was local. I finished at about 29:53 (Garmin says I did 3.09mi) which isn’t a PB but I wasn’t expecting anyone anyway. I’ll be chasing one for the next 5K I do. I’m just happy to be running and racing again! I’m not scheduled for another race until the end of June but I’m trying to change that. I’d like to do another race by the end of May. I’ll look into the parkrun if nothing else. Has anyone else done one in the North West?

By the way, if you haven’t entered the English Half Marathon yet then have a look into it! They do weekly running meet ups, which I am building my miles up in order to join them, and support local and not so local running events. Its not just a race, its a community.

Marathon Day

Today was supposed to be marathon day. By now (8.30PM) I should be getting ready to head to bed with sore legs, a medal round my neck and a smile on my face. Instead, I’m eating my way through a bag of salt and pepper Kettle Chips and thinking about how I planned to write this blog four days ago and I’ve only just sat on my lazy arse to do it.

I’m not sad I didn’t run the marathon. I wasn’t ready in the slightest.  I’m disappointed that I didn’t carry on with my training and that I won’t do a marathon before I turn 27 but there’s not much I can do about that now. I have years and years to run marathons. They’re not going anywhere.

I’m not prepared to wait years though so I did this on Friday:

A couple of my favourite running bloggers are running this one which makes it more exciting. I’ve booked a hotel room for the Friday and Saturday so my Mum and I have the whole of Saturday to wander around York.

I’m excited. I’m nervous. Right now I have no confidence in myself to do it but I’m going to prove to myself just what my body can do. Eleven years ago, I was fat and lazy and I decided to change things, going on to lose 45lbs. If the overweight, zero confidence, depressed teenager can get herself in the gym and change her whole lifestyle, I think I can get out there and train for a marathon. Because its not the marathon that’s difficult, its the training.

20th October, 174 days away.

Summer Racing

University is over for the summer! I finished my final essay yesterday and although I’m feeling pretty worn out today, I finally feel like I can breathe. I’m letting myself relax with everything until next week then I’m going to start ticking thing off my ‘to-do’ list.

One thing I have been doing though is thinking about and entering races because I couldn’t wait any longer! Racing throughout the summer is one of my favourite things. I’m really not a fan of running in anything that is below a warm temperature and I loathe running in the rain so for me, this time of year is about the time I start to enjoy running again and don’t have to bribe my way out of the door.

So here’s my summer race calendar! Let me know if you’re doing them too or if there are any I should consider!

• 13th May – Warrington 5K Legacy Event
• 22nd June – Lymm 5K
• 3rd July – Forest Park Ladies 5K
• 21st July – XBorder Series 10K (maybe)
• 18th August – Birchwood 10K
• 8th September – English Half Marathon

Boston

I’ve been trying to put off this post all day because I have an essay to write but since I’m not getting very far and my mind is full of what happened yesterday, I thought this might help.

Tragedies happen every day. Whether they are accidental, natural disasters or attacks. Almost all of them I don’t feel the need to write about. This one needs some attention from myself simply because I am a runner.

After hearing about the death of a young man at Brighton Marathon on Sunday morning and getting upset about it, watching Boston last night on the news my heart broke. I cannot imagine being a participant, almost finishing the Boston Marathon to be greeted with a bomb explosion. I cannot imagine being a supporter, waiting for family and friends, only to lose a limb or worse.

I don’t have the greatest way with words but watching it felt like it was happening to friends. Friends who just love to run and love to run with other people. Who have spent months training for this one day. I think the English Half Marathon explained it the best way -

The running community is a great one – welcoming, friendly and supportive.
But most of all we are strong – we were all born to run and brave to do so!
Lets not be defeated and lets keep running!

I cannot run today and I cannot run tomorrow but Thursday I will be running 3 miles for Boston. If anyone wants to join me this week then let me know you are. Run for those who can no longer run and for those who ran further in order to help those who needed it.

Back in the Game

Since right now I should be making a start on 1500 word essay, I decided that this was about the right time to write a blog post. Avoiding essays is one thing I’m good at. I’m almost done with university for the summer – it will be all over by next Wednesday – and then I can really focus on bringing both my blogs back to being active on at least a weekly basis.

The Daily Mile failed which I guess isn’t very surprising. I haven’t been in the best place since January and even when I wrote that post at the beginning of March, I wasn’t quite over the final hurdle just yet. I can say that something happened the following week that made me sit up and think that I really have done the right thing regarding ending the relationship and I suddenly felt better. It really was an instant thing. I’d had enough and I wasn’t going to let it all get to me anymore. And so I didn’t.

I’ve began to run again. Properly. I’m loosely in training for a half marathon which will turn into real training after university is over with. I run twice a week at the moment, just to get out there and get my legs moving and clear the stress from my mind. There’s only so many hours you can sit in front of the computer before you start to go a bit crazy. Yesterday, I had to run. I had so much nervous energy over the essay I was finishing up that I just couldn’t focus. 2.5 fast miles later, I felt a hundred times better. I’ll be doing another 3mi tomorrow to finish off the week and I don’t think I will have time to run again until Thursday.

I’ve entered my first race of the year too, the Warrington 5K Legacy on May 12th. I’m really excited to be racing again and although I like to pretend that a PB doesn’t matter, of course it would be nice. I would love to break the 29 minute barrier but that means running under 9.20 min/mi for three miles and that’s fast for me. I can keep around 9.30 for three miles but another ten seconds? We’ll see.

I look forward to running more, blogging more and racing more. Its great to feel happy again and confident in my running ability. Thanks for putting up with me these past few months of being so up and down with everything. I really hope everything can stay how it is right now.