Right this moment, I should be slogging my way along the coastal road in sunny California, heading towards Monterey to collect a marathon medal.  Instead, I’m sitting in my flat in Southampton, nursing a G&T while the rain lashes outside (April showers, who knew!).  I was prompted to write this post because a) I’ve not written anything for a while; b) it is nearly the end of the month, so I’m due to report on how this month’s challenge has gone and c) I’m listening to John Mayer on my Sonos (oooooh, get me!), and his tune “Your Body is a Wonderland” came on.  So what has that got to do with the price of fish? Well, I first heard his song while I was driving up the Big Sur highway in California in 2002, and I’ve loved his music ever since.  That trip was the reason I always fancied trying the marathon one day.  So hearing that track brought to mind that lovely state, and a sudden recollection that right now I should be coughing up a lung (or two) in a bid to get a medal, when instead I’m sitting on my arse, drinking a Hendricks with loads of cucumber (1 of my 5-a-day) and reading a book (living the high life, I’m sure you’ll agree!).

After a momentary feeling of “Oh. I should be running 😦 “, a much greater feeling of relief quickly swept over me, and a realisation that I made the right decision.  I had a quick flick through my earlier posts, and had to laugh that nearly all the grand plans I had at the start of this blog have well and truly fallen by the wayside.  Well, the sport-related ones at least.  The best laid plans and all that……

However, all is not lost.  Honestly.  No, really……

Since the decision not to run, I’ve felt like a massive weight has been lifted off my shoulders.  It is like the feeling of finally admitting to yourself something you’ve known all along, but been too afraid to say out loud.  I’m not a marathon runner.  To be fair, one look at me would tell anyone that, and when I step on the scales and they scream back “ONE AT A TIME!!!!!”, even I can tell I don’t have the lithe body of a runner.  I can run a bit, knock out a 10K and even manage a half marathon, but at the moment, anything more is just torture.  So have I given up dreams of being the new Paula Radcliffe (well, maybe not Paula – I’m not one to shit in the street mid-race) in order to become a full-time gin drinker?  No, but that does sound quite appealing having typed it (the gin part)…  Anyway, I digress.  Plan B, is just to hit the gym, eat better and shift the excess poundage.  Clearly Plan B hasn’t quite started, but tomorrow is looking like a contender.  I’ve even signed up for classes at the gym to whip me into shape, so I’m having a last G&T to say goodbye to the old and welcome in the new.  Or something like that.  Actually, barring the last two wagon-falling-off weeks, I’ve been doing a lot better on the overall health front, in no small part due to the wonderful folks at http://fitterlondon.co.uk/, but that’s for the next post.

I did mention that it is nearly the end of month, as I’m sure you’re all aware, so I reckon I will report now on how April’s challenge has gone.  Amazingly, it has been REALLY easy!!!  No TV was the challenge, and other that watching a bit when I was at my sister’s for the weekend (I’m not counting it as it wasn’t at my house, and I didn’t switch it on 😉 ) I’ve not had the telly on once.  Haven’t even missed it at all.  So I’m chalking that up as a RESOUNDING SUCCESS, so resounding it is worthy of caps lock.  Next month is to cycle to work every day, so I’m crossing everything physically possible that the beginning of May does not herald the start of a new climate-change-induced monsoon season in the south of England.  If it does, I can only apologise.

Chin chin folks, enjoy the rest of your weekend.

p.s. thanks to http://www.hendricksgin.com for the picture above. They have the copyright, so don’t steal it and pretend you drew it. THEY WILL KNOW!!!