Tuesday 6th October

Today is my last day off and I was planning to go for a nice long one today but frankly just felt like staying in my PJs in bed.... and as soon as I did the nursery drop off, I do just that. Get up about 3pm - not sure when I nodded off. I feel rough and really the only thing that will sort this is exercise. Don't do coffee or tea so got to do something. Get dressed fast before I change my mind.
My run round the neighbourhood coincides with the afternoon school run. Bump into mummies and daddies and big brothers and big sisters and childminders and grannies picking up their charges. That's gonna be me in...3 years time. How the hell will I do it cause neither my or his Dad's job finishes in the middle of the afternoon so going to have to shell out money for a childminder on top of school fees, unless of course I miraculously don't need to work....

Time :21 minutes

My Marathon Madness - Thurs 1 Oct

Third time lucky this week. Got to take Baby Boy's Daddy's car to the garage for a service and MOT. Means I can try another route today. New routes are great cause it makes the time go by faster. I head off for Crystal Palace. Never been there before, now is my chance. Got to get up a goddamn hill first though and these hills here are VICIOUS. I mean NASTY! Halfway up, I am literally at snail's pace but I dont want to stop cause I would never start again. Make it to the top by Grangewood Park - no relief cause there is another slope in sight. God please help me. He obviously did cause I get to the other side and can now safely make my way to the Palace. Run through some trendy shops first then I see the entrance to the park. Oh my God - it is a GEM this place. Why haven't I been here before! Aaah I see why it is called Crystal Palace; the remains of a palace and its walls are still visible, complete with statues of sphinxes copie. The views across South London are amazing. The grounds are vast. This must have been some residence back in the day. I must research the story on this when I get back if I don't get caught up in something which of course I will... I could run in here forever but I can't 'cause I would still have to negotiate the hills on the way back home. I am going to come here again and really explore, but I may drive the car and park it here then run. NO, in fact I WILL drive the car here! And I must bring Baby Boy - he will go crazy here when he sees he can run ad infinitum!

Nothing interesting on the way back. Stop by a carwash place to find out how much to valet my car which needs fumigating really. £10 not bad considering...Will bring it next week.

Home at 1h 4 mins

Marathon Madness Week 4 - Tues Sept 29th

Spurred on by the fact that I did that impossible slope yesterday - I am on a roll. Today I head back home after the nursery run cause I need a change of scenery. Head off from my house. I feel slow today, check my timer to see how long I have been running, and see it is only 5 minutes when it feels like 15. Ugh. Head towards Lloyds Park - probably the biggest green space in Croydon. Oooh I love this park. Getting to my favourite part of running her: a big open space with no one in sight, so I start dancing to Akon's 'You're so beautiful' on my ipod - the house remix. Feel happy. Stop dancing when I see an old woman coming towards me with her dog - don't want to give the mongrel an excuse to bite me. Run through a path under some thick bush. Meet a man with a walking stick - probably had a stroke and rehabing himself - good on you. He says a big hi - I say hi back - he looks happy too, just like me. Pass a lady walking her dog. It's about 45 minutes now and decide to head back home. Pass by this mansion which has been under construction for about year now. It is nearly done and looks soooo glorious. My house can fit in there at least 20 times. LOL!

Green space behind me now and grey slabs bekon me home. That's the contrast that is London! Do my usual sprint at the end - and it feels alright!

Time 57 minutes.

Marathon Madness Week 4 - Mon Sept 28th

Get off to a great start this week. Monday, not at work, sun is shining.. in Sept at that! Drop Baby Boy off at nursery, leave car in car park and set off round the neighbourhood. Go through a huge park running round the edge to avoid any encounters with dogs and their owners. Today I am avoiding the hills cause it hurt last time and I dont want to hurt today. I love the world at this time of day - everyone is cooped up in the offices, kiddies are in school, housewives at home so the streets are all MINE! Oh God, I took a wrong turn and to get back to the car I MUST go up a STEEP hill. Whichever way I try to avoid this one, will still have to go up another. OK, either I walk or like Nike said, just do it. 5 minutes later, I am at the top but I can't feel my legs. A driver passing by is just staring at me - I must look a sight. LOL! Thank god its down hill all the way now.

Time - 46 minutes

Marathon Madness Week 3 - 24th Sept

My first (and at it turned out) my only run of the week. Dropped Baby Boy off at nursery, left the car in the car park and set off. Ran past a Granny walking her presumed grand-daughter to nursery with 2 Peppa Pig Bags in tow - why she needs 2 who knows, cause she has a way to go till she is a woman; guess the madness starts early. Grandparents are soooo necessary. I am not in the mood to run today and on top of that I do a hilly route. Pass a sister walking a dog. Hardly see any one else - guess everyone is at work. I'm not - ha, ha!

At last run is finished. Legs feel heavy.

Time 41 minutes