Petite Feet Runaway

It's complete. And I conquered. The Marcothon is very exciting. It goes a bit like this; run, run, run again, put the washing on, run slower, try to run fast, feel happy to run slow, put the washing on, run for a curry, run to work, just run. And then put the washing on again. I thought I'd find it much harder than I did. To be honest most of my runs were slow 25 minute plods but they counted. There were less temper-tantrums than I expected. One evening feeling sorry for myself after too many seven day work weeks in a row, Scott told me that I didn't have to go for a run. But I did have to. I could deal with the cold dark run better than I could deal with the guilt of not going. So I returned home to chocolates and wine.   Who let this loose in Yorkshire?  My Christmas list looked a bit like this: Running tights without holes . My current faithful’s are six years old. Socks . These are essential to any Christmas list. While I have pre...

Yes Hillary, this Marcothon business is serious stuff We had no heating for a month. So if running the Marcothon in temperatures of -5 wasn’t enough, I’ve also been living in a flat where none of my running kit will dry. To add to my hardcore-ness my running tights also have holes in them. Now you’ve probably got a picture of me as a heroic runner, pounding the icy pavements whilst wearing a cape and spreading the love of running and Christmas joy to all. And obviously, that’s totally what I looked like (just don’t ask Scott). So if anyone saw a big-haired lycra-clad ninja tearing through shoppers on Princes Street, that was me. The key is quick side-steps, dropping the shoulder for the duck and dive between shoppers, and plenty of ‘oops, sorry’.  I also find that making zooming noises as I run is a good way to lighten people’s moods. It doesn’t make you look nuts at all, especially when you’ve got bottles clanging and bells chiming in your backpack from the Christmas shopping...

The challenge: run every day in December The rules: minimum of three miles or twenty-five minutes The benefits: gloating and a smaller bottom The obstacles: snow, ice and general can’t-be-bothered-ness  All the cool kids are doing it so I thought I’d join in. Whilst I can run, I only do it 3-4 times a week.  So lacing up the shoes and pulling up the lycra everyday will be a challenge for me.  I'm  a whopping two days in and already grizzling about sore knees and smelly running kit so I can imagine that I’ll be a joy to live with for the rest of the month. My legs were set to fly on day one. I negotiated the Haymarket tram works without smacking into any fences or swearing at any suitcase-pulling tourists. Unfortunately this early success was short-lived as my chosen route along the river had succumbed to the frost. That’s ok though because on day one of the Marcothon I probably  shouldn't  be running too fast anyway.  So I try a...