Last Minute prep.. or is it all a bit late now!!!!!!

So this is it! excuse my language but 'SH*T!!!!' I'm not sure I ever thought it would arrive. Suddenly the butterflies in my tummy have turned into frigging great pigeons flapping about like nobodys business inside me.

My last minute pre probably should have been looked at previously - buying new headphones the week before was possibly not my best ever idea. But they are super bass sound enhancing, have hooky things round the back of the ears ones; so in buying them it does mean I don't need to find a headband to wear over my ears to keep my old headphones in place for the 26.2 mile course. I do now need to find a cap that matches my outfit though! As my mother pointed out over dinner tonight - Lamb Shank and Sticky toffee pudding; Thanks Dad!! Probably not a real runners pre-marathon diet but works for me! - if its like this weekend next weekend I'll have sun stroke by mile 12 running without anything on my head! So this week need to find a Black/ White or Turquoise cap! Ideas Anyone!!???

Nail varnish colour has been decided on - and I'm sorry to say that at the moment it looks like it will be clear! A friend of mine who is a nurse says they like you to not wear nail varnish as they check the colour of your nails in surgery apparantly to check you're still alive. She obviously also has a little feeling I may be in an ambulance at some point this Sunday. So like having an umbrella stops rain I feel not wearing nail varnish will stop a health crisis on the day. Sadly due to the new headphones the earring choice has also been taken out of my hands. Prior to their purchase I was going for the crystal drops; but they bash against the new headphones and click so can't wear them as this will drive me insane after 2 miles let alone 26.2!!!!

This week I plan to concentrate on eating well; trying to eat less processed food. Limited chocolate and sweets. Jelly Babies are obviously allowed. And as sods law would have it I have finally begun to loose weight! 4lbs off this week; helped by my feeling sick pretty much most of the time!!! Don't worry I will not let this sway me into becoming a fan of running!! The draw of a big old glass of chilled champagne awaiting me is far too great for me to become a real runner; or even a novice runner!!! Rest assured we are 6 days and counting away from normality coming home to roost; watch out Speedy you may come home to your wife drinking vodka martini's in the bath at 6pm....

And the final weeks stats are:
Running: 12 miles; 4 little runs; escorted by the lovely Leah round the bypass. Thank you once again for being a brilliant running person and helping me carry on the whole way through this hellish time some people like to call a training plan!!!
Weight: As I said 4lb down! a cruel twist of fate! Frigging sods law!!!!
Alcohol: Still not a drop; not even mouth wash!!! 6 days and counting......

Now onto the sponsorship... My original target I wanted to raise by doing the 26.2 mile long London Marathon was £4000. So far I have rasied £3614.65p!! Something to be proud of I know but! Not quite the full nine yards and I don't like to fall short! Which is actually why I don't normally do sport! I hate loosing and as I'm so bad at all sports this can be a tricky pill to swallow!! So heres the big ask... IF YOU HAVEN'T SPONSORED ME YET.... PLEASE DO IT NOW!!!!!!!!!! I'LL LOVE YOU FOREVER!!!!
So here is the link:

http://www.justgiving.com/Emma-Burbidge

Any amount you can give will be super greatfully received - firstly by me for helping me reach my targets & secondly by the charities I'm raising money for who I'm absolutly certain will do fabulous things with the money you have kindly donated!!! So click away people, credit cards at the ready, ready set go...........

So this week, I'll mostly be running a Marathon..............

Running Goddess coming through.......

So two weeks and counting until race day. I have finally got my running outfit; it was delivered at last and touch wood & fingers crossed so far so good.

The new super shock sports bra isn't so super and I do need to wear another sports bra with it to make sure the puppies aren't bouncing round like nobodys business as I run. And sadly the dry fit leggins and t-shirt aren't as I imagined. I had thought they may be more like Spanx; holding me in in all the right places - slimming down my bingo wings and baggy tummy. But no not a chance; its like wearing tissue paper you can see every inch of cellulite through them. Also as they don't really hold anything in my fat is free to wobble and wave to the crowds as I plod along. The running vest is the right blue though and it does match the blue highlight in my trainers; and the dinky i-pod Speedy gave my for my Birthday so at least my accessories are working to pull the outfit together.


With little - actually if I'm honest no running last week - I really need to maintain my fitness levels this week with a 3-5 mile run each night. So I kicked of the week with a little 3 mile skip round the bypass with the lovely Leah; maybe we'll do five tomorrow. I'm pleased to say we were running everytime we passed another runner. My runners terets seems to have subsided as the Marathon ebs ever nearer - possibly the nerves having a calming effect on me - and surprisingly I didn't feel the need to swear at any of the runners this evening; we even got a wave from one of them!!!! I am however considering a victory lap of the bypass with my medal - if fingers crossed I finish - swearing at every runner. Could this possibly be classed as anti-social behaviour? obviously I wouldn't want to be arrested; that's not particularly glamourous. However a lap of honour actually running in heels could be fun; provocation with out four letter words has a far more ladylike feel to it.

So outift sorted finally; after party wear also arranged, accessories now need to be considered. I can't decide if I should wear my drop crystal ear-rings or diamond studs? I think I'll have to wear my hair up as it won't hold its volume post about mile 12 down - even with strong hold product - so the drop crystals will set off a ponytail more; however they do bash a little bit when you run. A classic manicure is planned; pale pink for the colour. I've never been a big fan of rainbow nails and don't want to be too matchy on the day so blue is out, as is black and white. I could do silver? But this may look a little too experimental teenager - oh so many decisions to be made before the day!!!

To this weeks results:
Running; Weight & Alcohol: All of the above a big fat 0! Worrying? Yes a little bit I am now dreaming about wine! oh and the lack of running is worrying too but this is the first and last and only week I haven't run the planned miles and am assured by the real runner at work this will not effect my performance on the day.

Finally to this weeks plans:
* Running - 5 runs of 3 to 5 miles each; in my running outfit to check it doesn't rub or chafe and most importantly I look the thinnest I can whilst running 26.2miles. maybe try out a few nail varnish colours?
* Get name printed on running vest - I have decided to go with a straight forward Emma; I've never been a fan of strangers being overfamiliar and using nicknames your frends and family use!
* Find a good waterproof mascara and practice running in it to make sure it doesn't run; eyelash extensions were far to expensive and they couldn't guarentte the sweat wouldn't have an effect on the glue!!
* Consider foundations? to wear or not to wear!

Gosh so much to do so little time all whilst holding down a full time job; cleaning the house; ironing the clothes; babysitting for a friend; and attending the wedding of the Year - just call me the Running Goddess!!!!!!!!!

The Big One...

So where to start; sorry for the lack of blogging over the last two weeks. A lot has happened so this weeks blog will indeed be the Big One!!

Firstly I celebrated turning the ripe old age of 26 at the end of March; without any wine! I must admit I amazed even myself managing this great feat, as staying on the wagon has been one of the more tricky aspects of training for a marathon!! But no - no wine, or vodka, or alcohol of any sort, just a lot of lemonade and other varieties of soft drinks! I did have the most lovely birthday filled with gifts for running and treats from those who know how much I hate running. A big thank you to all those who made my birthday so scrumptious; looking forward to celebrating a little more raucously next year though!

Then following my birthday my grandparents celebrated 50 years of marriage together!! AMAZING; the whole family was so very proud of them; so although no drinking went on much eating ensued and not much running happened. The 18 mile run I had planned for the Sunday following the party turned into 8 miles due to poor preparation both mentally and physically on my part. I hate running so much and even more so when its sunny and other people are out enjoying the sunshine! So I only did 8 miles and then went off shopping with speedy for garden things! This year - post marathon - is the year of the garden for me; both finishing it and then drinking wine in the evenings after work in it!

Anyone get the feeling I'm having a cold turkey moment; apologies for the obscene number of times I mention alcohol and drinking again, I am not an alcoholic I promise!!

However although I failed to complete the 18 mile run required on the plan; and won't go into the lack of little and medium runs that have been happening I have managed to do 20 & 22 miles in the last week!!!!

So here are the stats for the past few weeks:
Alcohol: None!!! its been hell and continues to be so. I dream of Ice cold wine on a summers evening; Vodka on the rocks with a slug of Martini; the feeling of the little bubbles tickling down your neck as you sip champagne - again not that I have a problem...
Weight: not a bean of difference; hopefully post running when I can reroute my willpower to stop me putting so much in my mouth I will loose weight. Exercise is not the answer; I repeat RUNNING LOTS IS NOT THE WAY TO LOOSE WEIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Running: Lots and lots; well lots of big runs, one 20.76 mile walk that took 5hrs 57mins completed with my lovely Mummy and Moss. Poor Moss was not impressed by mile 14 and kept trying to find the car! he spent the whole of the next day sleeping; but Jane Moss who is 50 was fine! I am very lucky to have such a lovely parent who is that supportive they are prepared to walk all that way in the wind, rain and mud! Yes mud we were covered in it; which is why I walked and didn't run. The route we had planned was so muddy it was simply impossible to run without breaking your ankle or worse falling in the canal! Then finally to finish off the week I ran 22 miles; the first 20 of which was finished in 3hrs 57mins 22secs! I then had to walk the last 2 miles as got my first blisters in training. So as I write this I am tending to blisters hoping they go down before I begin my maintenance runs for the next three weeks as we count down to race day.

I also held my final fund-raising event pre-marathon. We held an Easter Book and Bake sale in Rowde village hall last Saturday and raised a further £480 for the Cancer Research UK & WHSmith Trust. A big thank you to all of those lovely people who helped on the day; donated books for sale; made cakes for sale & those who braved the rain and came along, bought books and ate cake! I really couldn't have done it without you!

So 20 days and counting till race day; I have finally ordered my race outfit!! As you know I have had the after party outfit sorted for quite some time; and was reticent to spend so much money on running clothes I will never need again post the 25th of April. However this is one area where you cannot scrimp as you'll only end up with red raw skin and blisters. So £102 later I have a running outfit; black and turquoise as planned, with highlights of sliver and white. Hopefully it will be delivered early this week so I can get a good few runs in in it before the race just to check it doesn't rub etc.
The only things left to do now pre race are:
- Get my name printed on the running vest I have bought.
- Raise as much money as possible – please go to the links at the top of the blog page to sponsor me! Every penny counts and whatever you can afford to give will be greatly appreciated!
- Run in the running outfit
- Break in the heels for the after party outfit
- Sew pockets into the running vest to hold sweets and pain killers on race day!

I think that's it; so a busy few weeks are in store for me....