It's been quite a while since I posted about running and in all honesty, I think it's because I didn't have any races in the pipeline so I was feeling like I'd lost my running mojo. I was still running but instead of going out 3 or 4 times a week and following a strict plan, I was just running as and when I felt like it.  I have to say, I am definitely one of those people who needs a goal or something to focus on.  I really like have a training plan as it means that I can quite literally tick off my training and get a sense of accomplishment from that...I do love a list! After all the marathon training, I was genuinely worried that I might lose my love for running.  I had heard horror stories of other marathoners who, after accomplishing the marathon, just completely fell out of love with running and stopped completely. I went out on the Sunday after the marathon to run the 3.7 miles for Matt Campbell, the man who sadly died in this year's London Marathon. ...

We've all been there....you're training for a specific even and at some point you just think 'what the hell am I doing?' and want to jack it all in... This week has probably been my hardest week in terms of staying motivated throughout my marathon training.  I've felt knackered every day and all I've wanted to do is eat and sleep.  It's made me question how much I'm putting my body through.  However, coming out of the other side of this mindset, it has also made me very grateful and proud of just how much my body is capable of. I have had IBS since I was 18 and when it flares up, which it does and often unpredictably, it can be incredibly painful - inconvenient at best and debilitating at worse.  It gets worse when I'm tired or stressed or not sleeping well.  As I've been suffering from all three of those triggers the last couple of weeks, its not been great. However, rather than giving into it, it's got me thinking about how to sta...

"How's your marathon training progressing?" That's a question I get asked on a regular basis.  I'd definitely say its going well but it's been somewhat hindered over the last few days with the arrival of the 'Beast from the East' and all its wintery havoc.  We should, by rights, be moving into Spring now; I have definitely seen crocuses poking their little heads up although I'm guessing that they're now completely smothered in about 4 inches of snow! It's also probably worth mentioning that I HATE snow: it's cold, it's wet and it's very slippery!  Yes, like everyone else I coo at the pretty snowflakes when they first start to fall on Christmas Eve but after that, I'm done! Training outdoors for a Spring marathon has been an absolute nightmare this year for me.  My circulation isn't great and I've come home on a number of occasions from long runs barely able to feel my legs let alone my fingers!  I have invested...