My next BIG ADVENTURE!!!

So the time has finally come. I've just spent a week ailing between my bed and sofa in the relative isolation of my parent's house trying to rid myself of tonsillitis. And now that I feel like I'm returning to my usual self, I am feeling confident enough to announce my shiny brand new adventure - HURRAY!!!!!


In keeping with the 'discover my own backyard' theme that I have set myself this year, I have decided to try and complete an off road run. A rather long off road run through the wilds of Shropshire, taking me to places I've only heard about from folk down the pub...or rather, seen on a road sign that I haven't chosen to follow.

No, I'm not planning on wandering around Whixall for six days wondering: 'how the hell do I get out of here?' I'm actually planning to run the long distance route of the Shropshire Way. That's a healthy 130-odd miles (if you exclude the out-and-back bit from Wem to Grindley Brook, which I am) to tackle over a period of six days. So it breaks down into roughly just under a marathon each day for the first five days, and then what I'm anticipating will be a shorter limp towards the finish line.

Nothing like a bit of off road muddy fun!

I'm hoping to start on Monday 12th September, and complete it on 17th, starting and finishing in my home town of Shrewsbury.

So yes, this is what I've been plotting for a wee while now...and as this is going to hurt me ALOT, I've decided to try and put my madness to good use, and to raise money for charity. I've gone for local charity Shrewsbury Ark, because I feel they are doing some incredible work for the vulnerable and the homeless in our community, and would I would like to see them continue to do so. I have no intended minimum or maximum in terms of fundraising aspirations, all I'm hoping is to raise as much money as I can for this great charity.

I'm still very much in the early stages of planning, training etc....so I'm hoping to have some fun checking out parts of the route, looking for sponsors (already thrilled to say that the fantastic guys Dan and Steve have been roped in from Crossfit SY1 - they are incredible and crossfit is brill, so get yourself down there if you fancy a brutal but rewarding workout!) and attempt to document the build up and actual week of the event on the blog.

So now it's finally out there, I suppose I should start some running training?!?...maybe after this brew...after all, it would be insulting to the biscuits if there was nothing to wash them down with...

From the end of one adventure to the start of another...

My problem with #StrongnotSkinny

I’ve not written an opinion piece before, but this is a topic that has been on my mind for a while, so I thought I’d attempt at putting my personal perspective into legible scribbles…

The relatively recent appearance of the hashtag ‘#StrongnotSkinny’ has been considered by many as a step forward in encouraging women to embrace their bodies for what they can achieve, as opposed to solely their appearance. This is something I’m constantly trying to advocate: I have never been skinny, but my enthusiasm for all things sport and fitness has forged a positive focus on what my body is capable of.

However, as every sportsperson knows, the mind is overwhelmingly important in pushing the capabilities of your body to the limit.

One of my toughest days of cycling in Canada - plenty of tears and gritted teeth, but I came out with renewed mental strength and confidence in what I could achieve

And this in turn, has brought me to think about the importance of a healthy mind working in partnership with your body’s physical output. From my own personal experience, fluctuations in my mood (for whatever reason) can easily affect my performance, or even lead me to stop exercising completely (which I realise is rather counterintuitive, given that exercise is likely to release endorphins to boost my mood rather more so than sitting on the sofa stuffing my face with chocolate…but good luck trying to convince me of this when I’m suffering the usual bout of PMT).

So why create a hashtag that may praise one group of women whilst simultaneously vindicating another group of women. I understand that it’s meant to empower rather than condemn, but I feel like it’s very much a sidestep in attempts to move away from the continuous body-shaming that is exacerbated by western culture and media.

I have plenty of ‘skinny’ friends, some of whom are just as, or even stronger than I am – yet this hashtag puts them down for having a body type that they may not be able to change – just as am more powerfully built and would not be able to make myself skinny even if I tried – I can be lean if I make the effort, but I enjoy eating too much.

Mmmm...baked goods

I know it’s meant to be taken as a positive message, but I just feel like it negates any positivity it can create by continuing the pattern of advocating and praising one body shape whilst condemning another.

How is this supposed to foster a positive change in the global female psyche that we are worth more than how we look? This is an exclusive hashtag: one that isn’t embracing diversity, whilst continuing to maintain the focus on physical attributes.

It’s your mind, first and foremost, that is pushing you to your limits; praise your brain for being the part of you that forced you out of the door to go for the run that will release the endorphins and boost your mood…from this perspective, the resulting external changes to your body are merely a bi-product.

So yes, be strong, be and achieve more than what you thought yourself capable of. But first embrace who you are and realise that you aren’t simply a body with moving parts.