Jhooming JOGLE 2012

Eating like a caveman

2012-02-23T22:03:00.002-08:00

I've been getting lots of questions about what I am eating and how I fuel my long runs. This post addresses how I eat on a day to day basis and whilst I do adapt my diet to my training, 90% of the time I follow the Paleo method, also known as the Caveman diet. In a nutshell this is basically eating any natural and unprocessed food, so if it wasn't available for a caveman to eat then you don't eat it. The main reason for staying well away from processed foods is the amount of salt and sugar that is added to them. Even in savory products you will find that if you check the ingredients list, sugar is normally high up on it. Everything in moderation is ok but if you eat a few processed items per day you will soon be at your maximum RDA without thinking about it and sugar especially is something that your body can do without.

When I am having weeks with less mileage I tend to stick to a higher protein paleo based diet basing my meals around lean protein and lots of green veg, but at the moment when mileage is high I am eating a lot of root vegetables like sweet potato, parsnips and carrots. Things like sweet potato chips have become a real favourite with my children.

So, that's the way I aim to eat 90 % of the time. I have regular cheat meals every week which I find stops me from becoming obsessive about things and helps to keep cravings at bay. It also means it’s a little easier to eat socially although these days restaurants are happy for you to request changes.and at events such as summer BBQ's and picnics it can be easy to stick to Paleo principles.

Below are a couple of my favourite recipes that I have adapted from Paleo Food. As you can see, eating like a caveman doesn't mean you can't have cookies!

Shish Kabob

Ingredients (per skewer):

- 3 medium sized shrimp
- 3 cherry tomatoes
- 3 small chunks courgette


For the marinade: (enough for around 20 shrimp):

- 1tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried parsley

Make the marinade in a large bowl.

Toss in the shrimp and rub in the herbs.

Leave the bowl in the fridge for around half an hour.

Take a skewer and alternate your 3 ingredients.

Grill for 10 - 15 minutes until the veggies have just softened and the shrimp are slightly crispy.

Serve with garlic mayo.

Almond Cookies

(makes roughly 4 dozen)

2 1/2 cups honey

2 cups ground walnuts

2 1/2 cups ground almonds

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 cup chopped dried fruit



Preeheat oven to 180 C.

Lightly grease a baking tray, or line with parchment paper.


Warm the honey in a saucepan then leave it to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, sift together the ground almonds, walnuts and ginger.

Pour the warm honey into a  mixing bowl then gradually add the dry mixture and

stir until well blended.

Stir in dried fruit.
Place teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto the prepared baking tray.

Bake for ten minutes.

Time to cross train

2012-02-21T08:04:00.001-08:00

Since my trial run last week I have continued to struggle with my left calf which is still feeling tight and uncomfortable when I run. After a quick phone consult I have been advised to jump on the bike for the time being until I can get to my physio. This should have been yesterday but life got in the way as so often happens and I had to cancel at short notice so it looks like more cycling for me this week.

Half term is never an easy time to fit training in. I love training at Phoenix but I am finding it really hard to find the time to get over there when work is manic and the kids are off school. However, it is always so worth the trip and it is one of the things I am looking forward to post JoGLE. Without the need for so many long runs I will have more time to get to do more gym based work. To see more of why I love training at Phoenix, follow the link and see if you can spot me in the video: Training at Phoenix Pro

JoGLE seems to be coming round at a rate of knots and I am so excited about the coming months training and events. My kids are also very excited but are far more impressed by Grandad who is going to drive the length of the whole country rather than their Mum who is attempting to do it by foot - love them!

Chafing..any suggestions?

2012-02-17T01:15:00.000-08:00

It is now almost a week since my 100 mile weekend run. I am feeling great and back to normal training but am looking forward to seeing the physio next week as my calf is still extremely tight which is still shortening my stride. I must get this sorted before it starts to have a knock on affect with other joints/muscles.

I have been looking back at concerns from the run and the main problem I had over the weekend was chafing. This may sound minor considering the distance I covered over the two days, but it can make a run so uncomfortable and over a 12 day period, running 70 miles a day, this could become a real problem. The main problem area is at the top of my legs in my groin. I have tried many different products which aim to prevent this like body glide, Vaseline, numerous different plasters to cover and prevent the area rubbing but I am yet to find something that works consistently. Whilst plasters have been very effective, I cannot find any that stay put for any length of time.

I would be really interested in hearing anyone else’s solutions to this problem, what works for you?

Off the record

2012-02-14T10:33:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to fill you in on some news to do with Jhooming JoGLE. As you all know I have based my training schedule around completing the 800 odd miles in a world record time. We have been in contact with Guinness World Records and my team and I have been working hard to apply to all their rules and regulations to make my JoGLE run an official world record attempt. Unfortunately, despite all our efforts we have hit a stumbling block.

For part of the evidence criteria I need to have two individual witnesses travel with us for the whole duration of the run to prove I am not hitching lifts, rides or piggy backs along the way. We have put people forward to GWR as potentially suitable candidates but all have been rejected as they all have some link to me through family or friends. To ask for two random strangers to give up two weeks of their time unpaid and come and slum it with my back up team for a complete stranger is not something we have managed to get anyone to commit to funnily enough! For me to pay for an official GWR ajudicator to acompany us for the run we are looking at thousands for their fee and accomodation (I can't really expect them to squeeze into the motorhome with stinky me and my family of snorers ;-) I wanted to do this run to raise awareness and funds for Mind and CRUK, so for me to be paying out all this money just seems wrong when I could give those funds straight to the charity. I therefore (very, VERY sadly) am going to have to give up my official world record attempt. I will still be going for the record and wanting it just as much but if I am to achieve it, it will be unofficial and unrecognised. I am completely gutted but need to remember that I origianlly took on this challenge for reasons other than personal achievement. I have put off writing this blog as I kept hoping that we would find a solution but we have reached a stage where we need to finalise arrangements, so now is the time to write this post.

Thanks again for all your e-mails, texts, calls and tweets! Every one of them helps me to get one step closer to my goal.

Trial run: 100 miles of the JoGLE route.

2012-02-13T02:25:00.000-08:00

Fuelling up before the start

Day One: Severn Bridge to North Petherton

This is me fuelling up before breakfast and looking very sleepy! We packed up the car with kit and food and I set off to Bristol with my two members of my back up team made up of my Dad and my sister Rachel. They have both already put so much work and time into this on the route and loads of other aspects of the run that I could not have got to this stage without them - thank you guys xx

We got to Bristol and it was freeeeeeezing but the most glorious morning as dry and sunny. As Rachel said in her blog we had a bit of a humourous but worring start when we could not find our way out the services car park and then I went down the wrong path as soon as I set off. Thank goodness for horns on cars as Dad was able to correct me before I disappeared off elsewhere. I felt great running and soon got into my comfortable pace stopping for my first foam roll at ten miles, and then every 6 miles thereafter. The part I found hardest about running through Bristol was all the other runners. When running this distance you have to slow from your normal pace and I find it so hard not to see someone ahead of me and try and catch them! It feels very lazy just plodding along.....

Coming down the A38

From the beginning I started to take on a small amount of food every 2-3 miles. This seemed to work well as my energy levels stayed the same throughout the day and I felt just as great when I finished as when I started. Foam rolling is definitely worth taking the time to make a quick stop for, as I run off again with fresh legs and it's great to sort out any niggles as they start.

Foam roll at sunset

I finished the day feeling fresh and had the best feeling as knew I could have comfortably done more. We had a short deive home for a waiting ice bath and my Mum's roast - perfect, it's just a shame we are not going to have this luxury when we are on the road. I definitely need to find a way of having an ice bath each day though as the difference it makes is amazing. When I finish running and travel home I struggle to walk from the car to the house as I am so stiff it is hard to believe that I have just run that distance as I can barely walk! Post ice bath, massage and stretch I'm still stiff but when I wake up in the morning my legs feel great and a lot more relaxed. This is something I am going to have to think about before the JoGLE. My fitness is good and I could just run and run, it is however the niggles and tightness that will slow or stop me so I have to have an action plan for this.

Day 2: North Petherton - Copplestone

Warming up for day 2

I woke feeling fresh and happy and had breakfast of museli and yoghurt before jumping back in the car to travel the short distance to North Petherton. I warmed up outside and enjoyed the fact that the temperature was above freezing and the air moist. On day one at 40 miles I had begun to wheeze quite badly. This has never happened pre pneumonia so is a concern for me. My back up team raised their concerns but I just don't listen and kept going as I rarely listen to my body (not advised) and am too stubborn to stop. We had discussion that evening about the fact I will have to let others decide when to take a break or stop at some point as I am unable to see anything but my goal and I need to see that sometimes stopping and resting for a shorter time will actually help me reach my goal more quickly than simply carrying on regardless. My sister is the only person who can stop me running and I don't envy her one bit as know I will sulk and throw my toys out the pram if she does ;-) I promised them that on day two if the wheeze got worse I would stop as we don't want a repeat of pneumonia this close to the event. The milder weather was great and thankfully the wheeze was was improved.

How to multi task: eat, stretch and map read

20 miles in to day two and I felt even better than the day before. I was kemaintaining the pace I had set on day 1 and considering it was mainly up hill I was pleased with how it was going. I began to get some stiffness in my left calf muscle at around 15 miles but it was not causing me too much pain.

Stops today were longer due to this as I needed to stretch out regularly. We have learnt we need to make my stops more efficient however as at times I began to get cold and one break was for 25 mins so this really added on to the duration of the day. In future I will have quick foam roll every 6-10 miles but apart from that I will get passed food and drinks and keep walking with Rachel whilst I take them on, who can then take surplus supplies back to the vehicle. I had planned to walk more during the two days but actually did very little so again this is maybe something I need to do more regularly to stretch the legs out.

Can you spot me?

Running circles in the dark at Tiverton

One of my main concerns before the run was the traffic and actually bar the odd loony driver and tanker that came passed at speed I felt really safe. I need to find some good high viz wear as mine is clearly not good enough and we found that I was not visible at all to cars when their headlights were dipped. Due to this when we were 33 miles into the run we hit a part of the route which was a lot narrower and enclosed by high hedges and no verges to jump on. With concerns about my visibility and daylight rapidly disappearing my support decided it was best we found somewhere in Tiverton with pavements to loop instead. 17 miles left and looping a 0.6 mile route with no music, and then on top of that it also started to rain. In some ways it was ideal however as I passed my back up team regularly and also could use the toilet at the local garage so a luxury really! The last 17 miles were so funny as I felt I was running really fast but was actually getting slower. Due to my tight left calf my right ITB was playing up where I was over compensating and all was fine when I ran but my stride was noticably shorter and when I stopped to walk and take on food I look hilarious hobbling to get back in to my stride again. The rain got no worse and I finished comfortably with the same amount of energy as I started the day with but just a lot more niggles. Snuggled in the back of the car with duvet and frozen peas on my knee on the way home to the same routine as last night, ice bath, massage, dinner and then sleep :-)

Nearly finished

I have woken up this morning feeling good and I will run at some point today too. The weekend was so worth doing and has really given us a taste of what its going to be like. I am pleased with how I felt but need to look in to getting some decent massage whilst in on the road and also find some way of having a nightly ice bath. I think the nutritional side of things went really well and I will stick to this routine for the main event.

I just want to say a HUGE thank you for all your texts and comments on Facebook adn twitter as they made me smile throughout and were a real motivation. I also want to thank my lovely Mum for looking after four of her granchildren during the weekend to enable me and my sister to be away. It was great to return home to children happily tucked up in their beds and a delicious roast dinner waiting for us. Like I said earlier none of this would be possible without the support of my family and friends and I hope to do you proud in May.

'That's not a good start when you can't find your way out of the service station!'

2012-02-11T12:54:00.001-08:00

It didn't get much better when we then couldn't find our way out of the car park next to the Severn Bridge. Beccy is currently having a meal and massage after her ice bath to help her legs recover for tomorrow so today's blog is coming from the support team. This was the first chance we have had to accompany Beccy on one of her long runs. Whilst a lot of talking and planning has gone on, Paul and I (aka Beccy's Dad and sister) have no experience of ultra running and how these things work so this has all been a huge learning curve for us. Whilst neither of us doubt Beccy's determination or ability, her sense of direction is often called to question so our main aim today was for her to cover 50 miles of the actual JoGLE route she will follow in May, using the directions we had written out to make things as simple as possible for her. Our role was to drive two miles ahead and wait for her to catch up at which point she would take on some food and drink, foam roll if required and then carry on.

Foam rolling in A road laybys attracts plenty of attention!

The day has gone amazingly well despite various concerns we had on setting out, not least being that the temperature was at -5 once we reached our start point. Beccy's fuelling strategy worked well and her energy levels remained constant throughout and she averaged a steady 5mph for the entire 50 miles, bringing her home in just over 10 hours.

Time for a Bounce Ball, one of many snack stops

Hopefully, weather permitting, we will be setting out to cover a further 50 miles tomorrow and will be able to use some of the things we have learnt today;

Beccy's high vis top is not very high vis at all,
We need to consider making some placards saying 'Beccy stop here', perhaps including flashing lights as she has a tendency to run straight past me. If anyone was in the Clifton area of Bristol today and saw a woman waving madly and shouting, that was me trying to get Beccy to go the right way.
I do not need to have a snack every two miles just because Beccy is. The flapjacks are for her.
I should not put my brother-in-laws i-pod down on top of the car as I will forget I have put it there until it is too late (sorry Baz, it does still work!).

Thanks for all the support on twitter and facebook, it was great for Beccy to be able to read the messages when she stopped and things like this will really help when the going gets tough during the Jhooming JoGLE in May.

Something has to give...

2012-02-05T13:53:00.000-08:00

Miles to run and mountains to iron.

... and that has been my social life and ironing pile. This week has seen me have a few conversations with friends and family who have expressed their concerns about the fact I seem distant and my only focus is this run. They feel I have dropped them and I'm sorry that this has caused upset. My life since I decided to go for this has very much been kids, work, run, eat, sleep and repeat and that is just how it has had to be to fit it all into my life.

Whilst I hate the thought I am upsetting people, when I decide to do something I give it 110% and will go out my way to make sure I achieve it. Training to run 70 miles a day is time consuming to say the least and I hope people will understand it is not a personal thing, it is temporary and it's just how my life has to be at the moment to enable me to achieve this. People who know me well know that I would never cause anyone upset on purpose and also know why this run is so personally important to me and something I feel I have to do.

I have just finished planning my last 15 weeks training in prep for the run, and the mileage plus the ten classes I teach a week is going to be a mega challenge. However, the end is now in sight and I am soooooooooo looking forward to catching up with everyone post run. In the mean time I will do my best to keep in touch, and you are all more than welcome to join me for a chat whilst I train :-D x

Not such a long run after all

2012-02-01T23:25:00.000-08:00

I set off for my long run on Monday as normal. Tucking my key into my pocket I did a seven mile loop so I could grab a quick drink and snack before heading back out again. However, on trying to let myself back into my flat I found I had taken my car key off instead of my house keys! I have seven spare keys, one with the boys Dad (at work in Reigate), and the other six were all in the flat! After leaving a message for Baz I headed off for the rest of my run but having wasted quite a bit of time trying to break into a three year old, very well sealed flat, I decided to up the intensity rather than sticking with my normal plod. I did various intervals and hill reps and came home feeling exhausted.

Once I'd picked up my youngest from nursery Baz had returned my call so we drove to pick the key up, getting rather lost on the way home. This once again highlighted how much I need to study the route. My first real test of both following the right directions and really high back to back runs is in half term when I will be running a 100 mile section of the route over two days. Wish me luck!

Adding some bounce to my run

2012-01-29T23:11:00.001-08:00

There was more cycling than running last week in order to give my calf a rest and some time to recover. A rather painful physio session at the end of the week has hopefully helped and I will be testing it with a run today so fingers crossed, all will be well.

I had a lovely email at the end of the week offering me a supply of Bounce Balls to help with my training. I was first introduced to these a few years ago by my PT and have been a huge fan of them ever since, often using them when I need to grab a quick snack in between classes. Since upping my mileage and training for ultra distances I have found they are also great to fuel my runs. Most energy gels and sports drinks which a lot of runners tend to rely on during long distance events, really disagree with me and will have me heading for the nearest bush! My body seems to prefer a more 'natural' diet and the Bounce Balls fit this brief perfectly. Whilst perhaps not the most obvious choice of fuel for an ultra run as they are a combination of carbs, fats and protein, I find they're really easy to digest whilst I'm running and anything that stays down has got to be good!

Club motivation

2012-01-26T20:53:00.000-08:00

I have owned a Garmin Forerunner for years now and always wear it on my long runs so I can see how far I've gone, but I have never actually taken the time to figure out how to use it properly. Now is definitely the time to learn, my reputation for getting lost on runs precedes me and hopefully the garmin will help to keep me on track in May. So, a big thank you to the Cranleigh Tortoise and Hare Runners whose committee have taken on the task of teaching me how to use it properly and to help me prepare the technical side of things for my JOGLE.

I joined T&H over ten years ago and now volunteer as one of the trainers. I know many people are hesitant to try their local running club, the most common concerns I hear are fears that they will be left behind, hold others back and are just too nervous to give it a go. People seem to associate running clubs with serious, ultra competitive types always looking for the next race. This is so not the case with most clubs being filled with a diverse group of personalities and abilities but all looking to help and support you with your running. Joining a club means not only reduced race entries but plenty of support, motivation, advice and great company to pass the miles.

If you are near to Cranleigh then why not give Tortoise and Hare a try? It caters for both men and women of all abilities, from joggers to top club standard. There is also a beginners ladies club, Cranleigh Sunflowers, that you can join even if you have never run a step in your life.

Natural works best

2012-01-24T09:57:00.000-08:00

No time for long runs this past weekend, but two long days training some new Just Jhoom! instructors, so still plenty of exercise! This morning called for 30 miles, so after fueling up at breakfast on porridge with blueberries and apple, cottage cheese and a spoonful of flaxseed oil, I set out after dropping the boys at school. 18 miles in, my calf started to play up so I switched from pavements to trails and continued for another 8, deciding to stop at 26 miles to go home to stretch and foam roll.

So whilst my calf may be feeling tight, everything else felt good. I have been experimenting with different foods whilst I run and am definitely finding that the more natural foods are suiting me better. Today I had some banana, homemade popcorn, nuts and dried fruit and my energy levels felt great throughout.

Running club tonight but I will wait and see how my calf feels, may switch to the gym and do some cycling instead.

Marathon Miles

2012-01-16T23:39:00.000-08:00

After a couple of weeks of sticking to shorter distances on the treadmill it has felt great to get two longer runs in the last couple of days. On Sunday I found time for a nice 18 miles which gave me confidence that my lungs are now fully recovered so I followed this with Marathon distance on Monday, the furthest I have run outside since the beginning of December.

I managed a steady pace throughout and felt fine except for extremely tight calf muscles getting used to the roads and trails again. My body is getting used to taking on food now and when I got to 18 miles I had to stop briefly for a snack at a friends house and after that felt great to the end. I returned back to a yummy lunch at my friends and then finished the day teaching two back to back fitness classes.

I'm still feeling slow after the pneumonia, but endurance wise, all is feeling good.

Another ten miles

2012-01-13T13:34:00.000-08:00

Well I've definitely failed the blogging everyday part of Janathon having missed the last couple and just time for a really quick one tonight. I will try and get back to doing long and boring ones next week :-D

I have struggled to find time to blog as I am now back to teaching, training, assessing and PTing as well as running again yay! Ten miles on the treadmill tonight but I am well and truly ready to get back to doing most of my runs outside again as my chest feels great and energy levels are good.

I cannot believe we are midway through January. The London Marathon is not far off now and this week I made the decision that I will run the equivalent of a marathon everyday for the 6 days leading up to it, so London will be my seventh consecutive marathon. This means I will be well off my PB I expect but will be good training for the JOGLE in May. I am beginning to get really excited but also pretty scared too, only 132 days to go, EEEEEKKKKKKKKKK!

Plank... too easy for abs?

2012-01-10T14:09:00.000-08:00

There has been some debate recently between those participating in Janathon over whether the plank is an effective and challenging exercise for your abs, or whether your time would be better spent working up a sweat with more traditional sit ups. Many people on twitter are currently tweeting about #plankaday, doing a plank everyday throughout January, so is it time well spent?

Personally, I much prefer planks to sit ups. It is a great functional exercise that strengthens all your core muscles. With exercises like squats and lunges, when they become easier you can add weight to make them more challenging. With the plank there are also numerous variations you can do to make it more challenging. If you can hold a plank for more than 90 seconds then try raising one leg or raising one arm, ensuring you keep your hips square at all times. Still not challenging, try one arm and one leg together

or try 'stacking'. Start in a press up position with a stack of objects on one side, keeping your hips square move the stack one item at a time to the other side, then swap hands and move them back.

No running today but three Just Jhoom! classes, one body conditioning and one hours PT, and a couple of planks to round the day off.

Banishing the blues

2012-01-09T10:23:00.000-08:00

Currently still in January Blues mood and I need to snap out of it and re-focus so today I decided to head out for an 11 mile run, in between party shopping for my youngest and nursery pick up. Whilst yesterday I enjoyed the peacefulness of a solitary run today I decided to invte along a good friend who is injured at the moment but allowed to cycle, so thought I could chase her.

When I arrived at her house to set off she informed me she, 'just had to pump up her tyres', before we trained. Respect to her as I have never managed to pump up my tyres without making them flatter... now I know Bec has the same problem :-s

Whilst it was a great warm-up pumping for our lives we were still left with two very flat tyres. Fortunately help was at hand from a passing delivery guy who could do better than a pump and came to the rescue.

Thank you so much Tony, I don't know what you put in those tyres but they made the girl fly!! I was running some 7 minute miles and I could not see her for dust. At one point I was a little concerned as I lost sight of her completely, but she appeared out of the wilderness having stopped to feed a horse... love her!

Thanks Bec for making that 11 miles so enjoyable. My January Blues are now well and truly gone and my cheeks hurt from smiling so much, looking forward to the next time!

So, 11 miles, 1 hour and 29 minutes, and my lungs are feeling good :-D

Peace and quiet

2012-01-08T13:25:00.000-08:00

First run outside since I went on the second lot of anti-biotics and boy what a difference a week makes. I felt loads better and my lungs almost felt to expand to full capacity with no pain finally – whoopie! I feel a little slow and unfit but mentally it was great to be outside again and enjoy the scenery rather than staring at a magnolia wall!

I love running with a group but some days it is just nice to escape by yourself, especially if you are feeling as pants as I was this weekend. It’s what I love about running, you just put your trainers on and pretty much off you go, take your bad mood out on the road and usually return feeling a little better.

I took this picture when I was running through some local woods and it felt like there was no one around for miles – loved it!

Ten miles covered in 1 hour 25 mins which is slow but was part trail and I just wanted to go out and enjoy the run which is what I did. I returned home and the boys Dad dropped them off and stayed for post run bacon sarnies and chocolate brownies with us. I have one cheat meal a week and this was most certainly it! If I don’t have this cheat meal then I think of myself as on a ‘diet’ which I hate. I try to stick to the super clean food variety 90% of the time but for me having that 10% of normal foods keeps it sustainable rather than short term.

Really looking forward to this weeks training and hopefully will soon burn off my Christmas chunk I put on whilst I was ill and also over Christmas. Lean, mean, fighting machine here I come ;-)

Food for fuel

2012-01-07T11:25:00.000-08:00

Mum on the treadmill

10k run on the treadmill today and I hope to do the same if not further tomorrow, venturing back outside for the first time since i've been on anti-biotics. I am so glad I went back to the doctors as this second round has made me feel so much better. I am so excited now about the next few months and know that over the next few weeks I will will be building up the miles and be right back on track. I have a place in the London Marathon in April and then not long after that will begin to taper for the JOGLE start on May 25th!

I am really watching my diet at the moment, without getting obsessional about it (as I usually do). Most people go into the new year with the main aim of weightloss but for me 2012 is going to be the year I find a way of eating that suits me with the aim of building a strong and healthy immune system as well as training to build a strong functional body. Seeing my Olds at Christmas and hearing about the bad health of some of their friends really makes me think about old age and how I want to be as active and fit as they are.

I am a strong believer that you are what you eat and I like to keep things as natural and healthy for myself and my two boys. I am looking to eat very naturally throughout the run too so if anyone has any great recipes for energy bars or shakes, or any suggestions on what you use to fuel your long runs I would love to hear them as I am trying out different food all the time to see what works and what doesn't. I've also stocked up on natural tonics and supplements from our local health food shop to give me a boost during these next few months when mileage is going to get high - whoopie!!!!!

Running and dancing again

2012-01-05T13:35:00.000-08:00

Four steady miles back on the treadmill today, not far but soooooooooo good to work up a little sweat once more. I'm really looking forward to being able to run outside again as the view from my treadmill is dull to say the least!

I spent the rest of the day working out choreography for my Just Jhoom! classes that start back next week. I cannot wait as it feels like I have been away from classes for ages what with the pneumonia after the Grim and then Christmas. I never used to rate Bollywood music at all, but now there are numerous tracks on my i-pod, not just for work but to listen to when I'm running. It’s a great time to think about new steps, routines or just getting to know a piece of music. Some of it is super cheesy but I like cheesy when I run!

Another days walking, with some climbing and mud sliding thrown in!

2012-01-04T14:13:00.000-08:00

I took the boys to Winkworth today, such a beautiful place at any time of year. The boys enjoy coming here as much as me and love climbing up the banks and sliding down as fast as they can. It made me feel very old as they seem to bound up steep slopes with no effort at all where as it takes me what seems like forever in comparision! No idea how far we rambled, we just had fun. Whilst I enjoy walks like this I find it very hard taking it easy and cannot wait to run again.

I don't tend to watch much TV but I really enjoyed watching Charlotte Ord on ITV last night as one of the Biggest Loser trainers this season. I found it really motivational and it reminded me how lucky I am to have found her as a trainer (as well as her fantastic team at Phoenix Pro Fitness). Cannot wait to be back in the gym, chest feeling good so fingers crossed it will be soon!

Happy Training x

Good for the mind

2012-01-03T22:05:00.000-08:00

Loads of energy today but back on anti-biotics as my chest has still not cleared up. No run today to give the antibiotics time to get to work so just a walk in the wind and rain with the kids. I was wrapped up warm and toasty so no worries about it affecting my chest but so good for the mind just to get out and be doing something.

Thanks to everyone who has been reading and to those who have commented. It is only day 3 but finding the time to blog everyday is definitely the hardest part of Janathon at the moment!

Janathon #3 stats:

Exercise: Walking
Duration: 40 minutes
Distance: 2 miles approx

Soooo frustrating

2012-01-02T12:40:00.000-08:00

So, after my incredibly dull first long run of January I was pleasantly surprised to find I was feeling a bit stiff but otherwise fine and was looking forward to getting back out for a trail run today followed by some kettlebell drills.

I set off but had to stop after a mile as I was struggling to take deep, full breaths without my chest hurting. I headed back inside to complete another 5 miles on the treadmill and whilst my chest improved I will be taking myself back to the doctors for a check up tomorrow. The last think I want is start this year with the pneumonia flaring back up. So for now the kettlebells may have to stay where they are and hopefully things will improve tomorrow.

Running into 2012

2012-01-01T15:13:00.000-08:00

Well so much for easing back into things. Back home from visiting family over Christmas I was eager to get back to running and having struggled with my lungs and the cold air on Christmas Eve I decided to take advantage of a child free day, blow the dust off the treadmill on New Years Eve and see how I got on.

35 miles later energy wise things were feeling good but I can safely say I was having the most boring run of my life. I knew there was no way I wanted to repeat this mind numbing experience again anytime soon so with my New Years resolution in mind I decided to just 'keep on keeping on' and try and complete my goal of achieving 70 miles on a treadmill in one day then and there. I took breaks to stretch and foam roll regularly and took it easy by walking at regular intervals and also had an hour or so break when the boys came home and I put them to bed.

The last 10 miles were a struggle as I began to feel sick and couldn't keep my water and elite drops down and began to suffer from some cramping but overall it was far tougher mentally than physically. From start to finish it took 18 hours, finishing at around 3am this morning... not everyones idea of a great New Years Eve but I'm glad I did it.

New Year resolution time...

2011-12-31T02:13:00.000-08:00

I hope this blog finds you all well and happy, ready for the start of the New Year. My family have had a bug infested December but are all alive and kicking, ready to start what looks to be a very busy year.
I was talking to my boys about what New Year resolutions were today and they had their own ideas of what mine should be. One was to give up Diet Coke (which I have failed to do so miserably this year) and the second was to let them have more sweets! Well, I am happy to give one of those a try so as of the 1st of January …………………….bring on the sweets! ;-)

I am looking forward to watching my boys try and stick to the comical resolutions they have made for themselves whilst I struggle to ditch the diet coke habit but my second resolution does not require me to give something else up. For me, tomorrow is the start of what I hope will be a very challenging and exciting year in many different ways. Thomas Edison once said,

'Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time',

so my second resolution is to learn from my mistakes in 2011 and just keep on keeping on.

Happy New Year x

Janathon 2012

2011-12-30T08:18:00.000-08:00

The countdown clock on my virgin money giving page tells me there are only 146 days until my world record JoGLE attempt begins, so when I read about Janathon it sounded like a great way to ease back into training in 2012, having recovered from my bout of pneumonia. For those of you have not heard of Janathon (or its warmer associate, 'Juneathon'), the idea is that you jog, blog and log (your runs or other forms of exercise) every day throughout January, so be prepared for daily updates from the beginning of 2012! These will hopefully include at some point my self imposed challenge of completing 70 miles on a treadmill in one day, and continuing to build up my back to back long runs. If you'd like to join the Janathon challenge or read some more blogs from other participants then click here.

Back on the road

2011-12-26T11:51:00.000-08:00

Happy Christmas!

I am writing this after a lovely few days with my family in the West Country. The day I travelled to Somerset I heard the fantastic news that Sharon Gayter has absolutely smashed the World Record for furthest distance run by a person on a treadmill in 7 days, completing 517.33 miles - amazing!

I am recovering well from my bout of pneumonia and have completed several modest 4 mile runs on Trinny the treadmill. The runs on the treadmill went well so I decided to venture back outside once I got to Somerset and completed 8 miles on Christmas Eve. Running outside was a completely different story, as soon as the cold air hit my chest it felt like my lung capacity had halved. I feel I have lost the small amount of speed I had, but apart from that my legs felt good because of the enforced rest. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise.

My plan for the time being is to split my running 50/50 between Trinny and the pavement, and will also be back in the gym from this week, yippee!! Meanwhile, behind the scenes the route is nearly finalised (thanks Dad!) and the search for sponsorship and transport continues. If anyone knows someone who may have a motor home to spare for the end of May / beginning of June then please get in touch!

I will aim to complete 70 miles on a treadmill.

2011-12-13T22:34:00.000-08:00

No, not today before everyone starts worrying! I hate running on treadmills as a large part of why I love to run is exploring trails, yes, sometimes getting very lost, but just enjoying the outdoors. I regularly read the blog of Sharon Gayter, an ultra runner who has competed in over 100 ultra races all over the world and has many British records to her name. Today at midday she is attempting to break the world record for running the longest distance on a treadmill in seven days, (updates available here). I love running but this for me has no appeal whatsoever. It got me thinking however that to run 70 boring miles on a treadmill would be a great challenge for me as part of my build up to JoGLE. We are going to be looking to cover up to this distance daily if we stand any chance of covering the ground in the time we want next year, so it would be great mental and physical prep and just another crazy thing I would like to try.

Obviously I need to ease back in to training first but I know my body better than anyone and am learning to trust what it is telling me and will do this when I feel the time is right. Don’t worry family, my health will come first but it is followed very closely behind by my desire to complete this goal.

When I want to stop...

2011-12-12T02:46:00.000-08:00

Firstly, just a huge thank you to all of you who have offered your support this week. I am well on the road to recovery and am feeling better every hour.

Many of you have sent me messages commenting on how much you are looking forward to reading the book I am writing!! Just to clarify I am not planning on publishing a novel anytime soon... the book, entitled, 'When I want to stop', which I mentioned in an earlier post, is more of a notebook in which I am writing down my motivation for doing this run along with positive quotes, pictures, stories and memories, anything that inspires me so that when the going gets tough I can look through the book and find some motivation, remind myself why I am doing this and gain some mental strength to keep going.

A couple of examples from my quote collection:

'Always do what you are afraid to do', Ralph Waldo Emerson

'Find your limits and exceed them', Lynn Strickland

'Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever', Lance Armstrong

Do you have any quotes, stories or images that I could include in my book? If so, please post them in the comments section below or post them on the Jhooming JoGLE facebook page here.

Dobr den!

2011-12-09T22:59:00.000-08:00

In October this year I was lucky enough to visit Prague whilst launching Just Jhoom! in the Czech Republic and I am looking forward to working there again over the coming year.

Before I fell ill I had decided to use some of my mileage time wisely and learn (well, attempt to) how to speak Czech. I downloaded a programme onto my ipod to help me learn the basics and I hope that by the time I go back out there next year I will be able to understand and speak a tiny amount. Hopefully as Just Jhoom! grows I will continue to travel to new countries and can continue to use my running time to broaden my international language vocabulary!

Due to the pneumonia I cannot listen to the lessons whilst running at the moment but I am trying to do this thing I keep hearing you all talk about and relax, so I will sit on the sofa, put my feet up and continue my lessons like this for the time being.

Na shledanou x

The Grim

2011-12-07T04:21:00.000-08:00

Spot the odd one out!

On Sunday I was in my element as I spent two hours running the Grim in the company of my good friends, dressed as Santa and his elves. For those of you who have not heard of the Grim Challenge, it is a roughly 8 mile race held over the Army’s vehicle testing tracks, so lots of mud, hills and water. It is one of those races which sounds a fantastic idea when you sign up for it on a lovely summer day, but has some people questioning, ’Why?!’, when the event rolls round in December. Most people were puddle dodging and running for time but we very much spent the duration jumping in the puddles, swimming through the mud, chasing marshals to give them muddy cuddles and riding on inflatables! Many thanks to Judy Gillett who provided these photos of how we looked at the start. Photos of how we looked post-bog can be found on the facebook page here!

Santa and my fellow elf!

Whilst the event itself was great, post run I could not warm up and spent most of the afternoon wrapped in a million layers. On Monday I trained at Phoenix as normal, followed by teaching one of my regular Just Jhoom! classes. During the class I became more and more breathless and went home to have a restless night of coughing and chest pains. A quick check up at the doctors on Tuesday morning ended with me in hospital having blood tests, a chest x-ray and a diagnosis of pneumonia in one of my lungs. Hmm, not the best news but I am now on antibiotics and hope to recover quickly.

Sitting down and relaxing is not something that I take the time to do very often. I am not a great sleeper, usually getting an average of 5 hours a night, so maybe this is my body's way of telling me to find more of a balance and to learn how to chill! I will try to do this as I don’t want this blip to eat into any of my training time.

A message to my lovely physio David; just a warning that I am going to have more time on my hands in the next few days whilst recovering so will be able to bore you with even more detailed blogs! My knee is feeling great post treatment, thank you!

New logo revealed...almost!

2011-11-30T01:02:00.000-08:00

The Jhooming JOGLE! logo should now (hopefully) be displayed across the top of this blog... well, part of the new logo anyway! Due to the fact that my team and I are still concentrating on mapping out the shortest route we cannot put the fully completed logo up yet as this will play a part in the final design. We would like to say a huge thank you to Angela Basker, not only for designing it but for being incredibly patient with us as we have kept changing our minds about everything!

Quick update on my knee, I did some speed work with the club last night and it is feeling good. Physio this Friday and looking forward to the GRIM Challenge this weekend!

Ouch!

2011-11-27T14:54:00.000-08:00

42 mile run completed today in around 7 hours, and whilst my fitness levels feel good my knee certainly does not. I would have liked to continue for another 6-8 miles but after a very sensible chat from my fellow running buddies I decided to turn back and ice my knee instead. It's not feeling great now but I have a physio appointment this Friday so can hopefully be sorted then.

I learn something new on every long run and todays lesson was that Lucozade definitely does not agree with me. I rarely train with it but whenever I do it makes me feel nauseous and upsets my stomach so I will be trying other alternatives in future. I do however love the Elete drops I added to my drinks recently. These have decreased my cramping on my longer runs which is fantastic!

Training this week will all depend on my knee. Ideally I hope to get in two resistance sessions at Phoenix as well as another 20-30 miles (including some speed work) which would be a training week of 72 miles :-) If physio gives me the thumbs up I will increase this slightly for the next few weeks before having an easy week to recover before building up again.

Never give up

2011-11-23T22:00:00.000-08:00

Since hearing the sad news this morning that Angie Dowds body was found at Beachy Head I have been able to think of little else.

I was lucky enough to have the experience of training with Angie at her gym in Islington in London. I had contacted her in 2005 after reading an article about her use of kettlebells as part of her resistance training workouts and was keen to see if they lived up to the hype. Kettlebells were reasonably new to the UK at this time so good instructors were few and far between and I began making weekly trips to London to have an hour of grueling kettle drills with Angie.

We can all probably think of moments and people in our lives who have given us direction and helped us make a change for the better. One of these people for me was Angie. Over the weeks not only did she help me build a stronger, more functional frame for my running, she was also the first person to start me on the long and on going journey out of my lowest state. I remember her saying to me that you have to hit rock bottom before you can rebuild and that was definitely where I was.

A tiny, strong lady who, if I am honest, made me nervous every time I met with her as she was so driven and motivated that she was almost scary- until she smiled. She expected 110% from you but when you did master something new or reach one of your goals she was genuinely overjoyed.

Angie openly spoke about her battle with drink and drugs and I was overwhelmed by the strength she had gained through these bad experiences and found her most inspirational. Straight talking, honest and down to earth is what Angie Dowds was, and it is why she touched and changed the lives of so many different people whilst finding the strength to continue battling her own demons. Her words to me were, ‘Never give up’, and still now I hear these words when I am feeling negative about where I am at, or doubting myself after blips in the lead up to my goals. Through dark times, when my depression is bad, I often think about her and it has always been a comfort for me to know that someone has come out of their bad times even stronger than before. Angie outwardly appeared as mentally strong as she was physically and I still cannot believe this has happened. My thoughts go out to her friends and family, I can’t even begin to imagine how they are feeling now.

Thank you Angie, for all you taught me and supported me through. I hope you know how much you will be missed x

Running High

2011-11-19T13:58:00.000-08:00

I arrived back from my 23 mile run today to be confronted by worried faces. It turns out my sisters (who were looking after my boys for the afternoon) thought I had said I'd be gone two hours, I'm sure I said 'a few', not two! The run took me from Worthing to and around Littlehampton. I love running new routes, seeing new places and this is something I am looking forward to on the run itself next year. A few minor mishaps during todays run didn't deter me, I was in the zone and felt like I could have gone on and on.

Heading out

The path I was following wasn't always obvious along the coast and I somehow found myself in someone's back garden at one point, having to make a hasty retreat through a hole in the wall!

Apologies if this is your garden!

Getting lost on the way home has led to a lecture from my sisters about the need to learn how to use my garmin properly and to practice map reading, and a brief encounter with a dog has left me with a slightly stiff knee, but none of these nagging annoyances can ruin the high of a great run.

Heading home

You can’t out train a bad diet

2011-11-15T21:49:00.000-08:00

You can do all the training in the gym, and pound the streets for miles, but if you are not fueling your body correctly then you won’t get the results you are looking for. Food is going to be a key factor in how successful I am next year and, to be honest, is probably the most challenging aspect of preparation for me.

In 2010 I was lucky enough to be invited to travel to Brive as part of the GB support team for the 24 hour World Championships. I stood in the GB tent set up track side and watched as some of the world’s best ultra runners ran for one whole day and night round and around a 1200m loop to see who could cover the furthest distance. Boring? No way!!! I did not want to leave the tent for a second, managing to restrict myself to just one toilet break! These athletes were amazing, and I learnt so much from being out there simply spectating. I re-named this event ‘The Giant Picnic’, as from the word go the runners were taking on fuel in the form of gels, food and drinks. They were eating a huge range of things from sugary doughnuts, flapjacks and cola to mash and cheese, lentil soup and dried ginger to help settle their stomachs. Not only did this event open my eyes to how I was going to have to learn to eat and run, but it also inspired me to fuel my body properly.

Since a very young age I have had disordered eating; a fear of unhealthy food which has led me to eat a very restrictive diet. Despite being well versed in how to eat healthily, and being able to advise others how to follow a well balanced diet, I have struggled to apply this to myself and have pushed my body through many events with little or no fuel, on top of over training. I would never expect anyone else to put their body through the punishment I did, this was just pressure I put on myself. In the last year, Charlotte Ord at Phoenix Pro has played a huge part in helping me learn how to look at food as fuel, something which is essential for training, and how to apply these habits to my day to day life. I have also learnt how important rest days are for recovery, and how they help improve your performance, not hinder it.

I am not your typical long distance runners shape and am a very athletic build. I had always seen this as a negative but I am learning to accept that we cannot change our make up, or the activity that we love, so instead we have to learn to like how we are and make the best of what we have got. Easier said than done I know! Brive was a wake up call for me, to face the fact that if I wanted to achieve my running goals I was going to have to sort this issue out and accept that although I look more like Popeye than Paula Radcliffe, ultra running was still achievable for me.

My running has gone from strength to strength since I have started to tackle this (strange that!). It is still a huge concern for me that I am going to have to eat sugary foods and large quantities to see me through this run, but getting to the end and having fuelled my race properly will mean more to me than any world record. The world record is something to aim for and will be an added bonus ‘if’ I achieve it, but what this run is really about (besides raising funds and awareness for Mind and CRUK of course) is over coming my fears whilst I push my body to its limits.

‘The will to win means nothing if you haven’t got the will to prepare’ (Juma Ikangaa)

2011-11-13T13:31:00.000-08:00

Those of you who have not seen the Jhooming Jogle Facebook page (you can join here) may not have heard that my aim in May is to beat the world record for the fastest journey on foot by a woman. This is currently just one of the records held by the amazing Mimi Anderson, an ultra runner with so many inspirational achievements to her name and who didn’t start running until she was 36. Her record stands at 12 days, 15 hours and 46 minutes when she ran JOGLE in 2008.

Making a world record attempt, although very exciting, means my team and I have even more to prepare. Obviously finding the shortest route is essential and I will post details on here when we have it confirmed. I was excited to see that I will be running at the same time as the Olympic Flame is touring the country, hopefully I will be taking a more direct route though! To make the run a valid attempt for the record we now need to ensure we have video footage of the entire run, gather evidence such as photos, newspaper clippings, signatures of people from different places that we run through, as well as needing two independent witnesses who can travel with us and write statements confirming what took place.

The easiest part of the preparation at the moment in fact is the training, things are going well and my energy levels couldn’t be better. I am currently seeking advice as to how high I should push my weekly mileage given the number of fitness classes I teach each week on top of my running. On top of the 8 dance/fitness classes I taught, last weeks training looked like this:

Sunday: 18 miles

Monday: 10 miles followed by resistance training at Phoenix Pro

Tuesday: split sessions, 5 miles am, 7 miles pm.

Wednesday: 6 miles

Thursday: rest day

Friday: 20 miles

Saturday: resistance training at Phoenix Pro.

Really looking forward to tomorrow when Fit Hire are coming to install a treadmill they have given me a great deal on for the next few months. I have been worrying what would happen training wise if we have another winter like last years but now with a treadmill and my kettlebells I know I can still keep the training up even if I am snowed in.

‘If you can dream it, you can do it’ (Walt Disney)

2011-11-06T22:39:00.000-08:00

Wow! I have just heard that Chris Finill and Steve Pope have completed their run across America, ‘From Golden Gate to New York State’. They arrived on Saturday, just in time to take part in the New York marathon on Sunday morning! I have been lucky enough to run with them both in a charity event earlier this year when we ran the 45 miles from Charing Cross to Cranleigh. These guys have been covering this distance every day for three months! If you would like to read their blog and find out more about their amazing journey then please have a look at their website Run Across America

Growing up in Cranleigh I always knew Chris as the ‘Running Man’ whom I would see heading over the field as I walked to school, with his rucksack on his back, speeding along. He was an inspiration back then and continues to be so now not only by achieving the things he does but also by being extremely kind and providing me with loads of information and tips on ultra running itself. This has made me think of some of the other people, along with Chris and Steve, that inspire me to run today.

The Cranleigh Sunflowers Women’s Running Group

A couple of years ago I started a beginners running club with a friend who, over tea and cake, had been laughing at me because I run so much. She didn’t believe that she could do it and continued to mock me (in a friendly way) so I said that in three months I would have her run the 5k Race for Life. Three months later she did and almost tackled me to the floor with joy! She has since gone on and completed the London Marathon in a very respectable time and now runs Sunflowers on her own with at least 50 members, who each continue to inspire me through their own achievements. Seeing Becky knock two minutes off her 10k time the other week was amazing as she had worked so hard to get to this level and I am so proud of her, so proud of them all. So many people have benefited from Sunflowers and it has been great to share all the fantastic things that running can bring to your life with these ladies.

Ben Hammond: Free to Dance

I was lucky enough to take part in a different sort of ultra endurance event a few weeks ago; the Free to Dance world record breaking Silent Disco at the Scoop in London. Ben managed to dance for 131 hours straight and Just Jhoom! were there (for four hours anyway) to get people up and dancing as well as the main task of keeping Ben awake! I love meeting people who aspire to do things like this, things which many people would dismiss as crazy ideas. It was an honour to be part of this event, raising funds and awareness for Burma. For more information on Ben’s amazing record breaking event and what staying awake and dancing for 131 hours straight does to you, please see his website Free to Dance

The courage for someone to put on a pair of trainers and run for the first time inspires me just as much as someone like Ben who breaks a world record. You will never know if you can achieve something until you have the courage to try.

I have started to put together a book called ‘When I want to stop’ which I will be taking with me on the JOGLE. I am collecting inspirational stories, e-mails, texts, pictures and articles, anything which inspires me to keep going when things get tough. I will share some of these with you in future blogs and if you have anything you think could go in the book then please e-mail it to me at jhoomingjogle@hotmail.co.uk

‘I don’t care how poor a man is; if he has family he is rich’ (Wilcox & Mumford)

2011-11-03T15:34:00.001-07:00

The above quote is something I have often heard my Mum say and it could not be more true about not only family but also real friends. This has certainly been one of those months, with car repairs, new shoes for the boys on top of the usual bills and Christmas just around the corner. I’m sure this is the same for everyone which is why I have been over the moon to hear all of your fundraising ideas for JOGLE. I have heard some fantastic ideas, some of which I cannot wait to be seen pulled off as they sound hilarious!! I have been overwhelmed with how many people are supporting this event and just wanted to say a huge thank you to you all and let you know it is very much appreciated.

A text from my eldest sister this week who will be cycling part of jogle with me, made me smile.

“Went for a cycle ride today in my fat bum cycling shorts and all. THAT’S how much I love you and support what you are doing! Will have to tape amusing slogans to them to make it bearable for you!”

Knowing my family are behind me 100% and are so excited about Jhooming Jogle and are helping out in so many ways, and also my friends doing all these crazy things to help raise money for my charities makes me realise how rich my life is and how lucky I am.

I have always hated asking people for sponsorship money and instead have always held a Quiz evening to raise funds so I feel I am giving something back for all the generous amounts people give, and this time round will be no different! I will be holding a Quiz night on the 9^th June 2012 to celebrate the end of the JOGLE, so keep the evening free if you would like to join me there. Location and final details still to be decided but everyone is welcome!

‘Try and fail, but don’t fail to try’ (Stephen Kaggwa)

2011-10-20T13:49:00.000-07:00

Email Subject: Why do I run? Because I can.
I love marathons, not because of the running but because of the inspirational people you meet. As I crossed the finish line in Dublin a gentleman using a wheel chair laughed at how I had to stagger around as I could not walk properly. He said to me "That’s the bonus of not having legs, I never get that awful leg stiffness the next day". Jeez, if he can be positive after losing his legs then I figured I could be a little more positive about my life at the moment. It’s true that there is always someone worse off in the world and just reading people’s t-shirts running round a marathon highlights that and makes you very grateful for the cards you have been dealt.

My sister forwarded me this email recently that I had written to my family after completing what I class as my first taste of ultra running in 2009, when I completed a marathon in Snowdon and then jumped on a plane to complete a second in Dublin the following day. Yes, I was on a total runner’s high but what I wrote feels quite relevant to all the positive and negative/concerned feedback I have been getting since announcing this run.

The main concern everyone has for me is what will happen if I don’t achieve it? Those who know me well know how much pressure I put myself under with things like this, that I am a little bit of a perfectionist. I know it is going to be a massive ask but it is something I have always wanted to do and I don’t want to have the ‘I wonder if…’, feeling in years to come. Some people think I am laid back about it and almost cocky that it won’t be hard for me. Believe me this is soooooooooo wrong. At the moment this event, after my kids of course, is very much my life. Yes, this may seem sad to some but for the next 7 months all my focus is on this goal. Getting to the starting line for me is going to be just as much of a challenge as the run itself. A superman dive whilst out running this week for example has set me back slightly, as has the virus I am trying to shake off, but you just have to go with it. The email brought back so many emotions but also just reminded me that I have nothing to complain about and all the obstacles that come up between now and the 25^th May, and during the event, can be overcome.

So what happens if I don’t achieve the complete JOGLE? Yes, I will be gutted and grumpy for a few days as I do not want to let all the people supporting me down, but at the end of the day I know that I will have given 110%, raised money and awareness for Mind and Cancer Research UK and I know that I would rather try and fail than to have failed to try.

Tsunami Sportswear and Phoenix Pro are Supporting Jhooming JOGLE!

2011-10-16T09:38:00.000-07:00

We are still in the process of finding sponsorship deals which I will fill you in on as and when they happen but I would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to the first company to come on board: Tsunami Sportswear who have offered to supply me with some much needed kit.

Tsunami Sportswear design and produce high quality, distinctive custom made team wear for clubs all over the world, from international teams and professional premier league clubs to village teams and schools. I will be getting through a ridiculous amount of kit during my two weeks and Nigel Clarke has generously agreed to produce t-shirts and running vests with all my sponsors printed on the back, so a big thank you to Tsunami Sport, I cannot wait to run in your super kit!

I would also like to give a mention to Phoenix Professional Fitness in Godalming. Having worked and trained in various gyms in the Surrey and Sussex area I have seen my fair share of gyms and instructors over the years and every gym has had its own strengths and weaknesses as well as having both good and bad instructors. Not at Phoenix. Charlotte Ord and her team run an extremely professional gym where everyone is catered for. Every member of her team is knowledgeable, passionate and approachable which is why it is such an awesome place to workout. Char, Matt, Richard, Scott and Sarah are all playing an important part in my preparation for this run. These guys give me weekly advice on nutrition, training and recovery, and are helping me to reach the start line in the best shape possible. If it wasn’t for them I would still be over training, running with injury and not going anywhere fast. No question is too small and no goal is ever too big. I think Charlotte is the only person who, when I told her what I wanted to achieve said, ‘Brilliant, do it!’, compared with the more common ‘What on earth do you want to do that for?’, reaction. Not only are the team fantastic but the other members also make training at Phoenix a joy, so thank you all.

If you are reading this and thinking that you may know of a business or friend who may be interested in sponsoring Jhooming JOGLE in some way then please get in touch at jhoomingjogle@hotmail.co.uk

‘Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they are worthless but because they are priceless’.

2011-10-12T00:03:00.000-07:00

Planning this run has made me realise how true this quote from Sherry Anderson is. In my first blog entry I wrote that I would be doing this crazy adventure with just the help of my running shoes, but this is very far from the truth. I am very lucky to have not only the support of my very special family but also others who have offered sponsorship and support along the way.

Whilst I take care of the training side of things there are people who have taken on the enormous task of contacting and arranging corporate sponsorship, liaising with the charities I am running for, planning the route, calculating what supplements I will need, searching out transport and accommodation. The list of things we need to do to prepare is endless and I could not even think about attempting this if it was not for the family and friends who are playing such a huge part in organising it.

Thank you to everyone who has come forward and offered to help either by running with me in training or for part of the journey or for offering to be part of my support team. I am especially grateful to have had offers of help from a physio and a paramedic which is fantastic, let’s just hope that the only medical care I will be needing is of the blister and muscle soreness variety!

This weeks training has been limited by a long weekend spent Jhooming in Prague so mileage has been less than desired though I did manage to sneak in a 7 miler whilst out there. Total mileage this week is only 40 miles as I have been struggling with sore throats so am being careful not to over train during these periods. I will be upping the mileage this week and aim to be up to a comfortable 80-90 miles a week by Christmas.

Buckets, Spades and Kettlebells!

2011-09-29T22:33:00.000-07:00

Fitting training around two little people and work means that sometimes my running and resistance training sessions have to be split throughout the day. This is not always ideal but just the way it has to be with a young family and I’m very grateful to have the time to do any.

On Wednesday I completed a steady ten miler after nursery/school drop off and before work, and then picked up the boys for a picnic tea on a beach in Worthing to make the most of this wonderful sunshine. I had everything I needed for a lovely afternoon: kids, picnic, swimming things, buckets, spades and kettlebells!

Whilst the boys played happily by me on the sand with their diggers and tractors I managed to snatch a 30 minute kettlebell workout followed by an ice bath courtesy of the freezing sea! A post workout picnic on the beach watching the sun beginning to set with the boys and then a quick game of cricket before we jumped in the car to head home- perfect evening and two workouts complete.

You're going to need a jet pack Mum!

2011-09-28T14:03:00.000-07:00

These were the words of my six year old when I told him my plans to travel the length of the country for charity next May. Although a jet pack would be handy to get me through the 800 plus miles, I will just be relying on my feet and my running shoes to cover the distance from John O’Groats to Land’s End in, hopefully, under two weeks.

So, some background on me! My name is Beccy and I live in West Sussex with my two gorgeous boys Toby, 6 and Isaac 3. I am a dance and fitness instructor but spend most of my working time Jhooming around the country instructing and assessing Just Jhoom! candidates. Just Jhoom! is a Bollywood inspired dance-fitness programme which I have helped to develop along with director of the company Shalini Bhalla, who is keen to help support my run for charity. Just Jhoom! 's 2nd birthday falls during the run and we are organising a series of Just Jhoom! fundraising events across the country to coincide with the different stages of my journey, which is why we have decided to call this event ‘Jhooming JoGLE 2012’ and I am hoping that some of the Just Jhoom! instructors from across the country will come and join me for a few miles as I make my way down the country!

‘Why?’, is the word that comes from most people upon hearing my plan, generally followed by the questioning of my sanity. So is it a crazy idea? Well, maybe a little but there are strong roots to my desire and drive to complete this challenge and I believe they will help me through the tough training and long journey that lies ahead.

The idea of completing this journey in some fashion has been with me since childhood when a friend of the family told me how he had cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats. But why run it? I have always been into running and fitness but over the last few years I have developed a real taste for the longer distances. I have completed various marathons and really discovered my love for it when I did back to back marathons on consecutive days in October 2009. It was then that I began to feel completing LEJOG was a real possibility.

I would like to use this opportunity to raise money for two charities whose work means a lot to me. Mind is the leading mental health charity for England and Wales. I have suffered with depression for a large part of my life but am lucky enough to have a very strong unit of family and friends who help me through the difficult times. I am very aware that not everyone is this fortunate and that is why Mind is such a fantastic charity. They aim to help people to take control of their mental health by providing information and advice as well as raising awareness about mental health and trying to drop the stigma attached to it. I hope that over my journey I will also make small steps towards doing this.

Cancer Research UK is my second charity. I, along with most people reading this, have had my life affected by cancer in different ways. I have family and friends fighting various forms of cancer right now as well as sadly knowing many who have lost their lives to this awful disease. There are more and more happy endings with the great cancer treatments that are now available but we are a long way from finding a cure which is why half of what I raise will go towards supporting Cancer Research in the work that they do. Two weeks before I set off on this journey will mark the 10^th anniversary of one of my good friends death from melanoma cancer at the age of 23. He is still and always will be very much in our hearts and minds, so ‘Big Dave’, this one’s for you.

If you would like to follow my progress on this crazy little adventure then I would be very grateful if you would read my blog and spread the word about my run. If you would like to support me by donating any amount that you can spare then you can do so at Virgin Money Giving / Beccy Davis

If anyone would like to arrange a fund raising event or get involved in some way then please contact me at jhoomingjogle@hotmail.co.uk