some one should invent running proof make up

Had to get up at the crack of dawn to meet the team mates. Being prepared, we had checked TfL and planned our alternative route to the start in advance. Being stupid, we had not appreciated that the Jubilee line was in fact going, and this was a completely unnecessary detour. Other team members were raring to go, overdosing on lucozade, though it was very cold and no one really wanted to take their jumpers off. Got into the Glastonbury spirit early with many trips to the portaloos.

Then off to the start line, where Jeegar joined the elite athletes on the start line and the rest of us lined up many miles behind. We were live on channel five, though I hope that no one saw me. First couple of kms went fine, Rihanna saw me past the Houses of Parliament. Embankment was a bit hideous, as we were running straight into a wind tunnel and I think I must have swallowed several leaves. Then I got passed by Sally, Andy, and Liam in quick succession, as well as Batman and some clowns. So now I was near the back, with the other stragglers. Realised that Poker Face is more of a song to listen to while playing beer pong than to run to. By now I was deep in a deserted City of London, which was interesting as I do not normally go to that part of London. This was the hardest bit though, as there were hardly any spectators to cheer you on/embarrass you into running. I think it may have been at this point also that I realised that I actually walk faster than I run, which was a fairly low point. However, Gwen Stefani helped pick the mood up, as she told me that I was a super hot female, that I had wicked style, and asked me what I was waiting for several times. By now, I had picked out a helpful pacemaker and so basically copied whatever she was doing. Weirdly, though, it soon became clear that I was acting as her pacemaker too, and so this system was less effective than it might have been. After a while we had a chat: this was her first ever 10k and she was just doing it to prove that she could, which I thought was pretty awesome. I said goodbye at 9k in order to pick up the pace a bit and make more of an effort on the run in. It is sort of awful when you can see the end. Despite a sprint finish with help from Girls Aloud, I was still overtaken on the line by a lady with a 60th birthday balloon and a couple of girls doing a three legged effort.

The British record was actually broken in this race, which was cool, and Jeegar was 418 which was pretty awesome, beating some of the elite types and all the other Afrikids runners were amazing too. No one did a Paula Radcliffe which is all anyone asks. And we were all rewarded with medals and lemon flavoured raisins, which although a crime against nature were actually a lot better than they sound. If you are at all into running, I do think this is a good course to do next year: seemed a lot flatter than the British 10k.

We have now raised more than £1200 and if you can contribute at all, please visit:

www.justgiving.com/afrikids10k.

I must remember this feeling for next time I can’t be bothered to go training.

Today’s rigorous preparation has consisted of eating some pie, drinking pimms, only having one, feeling virtuous about only having one, realising that feeling virtuous is the last feeling I deserve, playing some bowls, playing some cards, worrying about all the training I haven’t done.

Actually race related activity has included:getting kit out, reading book about the race, realising that there is no jubilee line tomorrow and therefore will literally need to be up at the crack of dawn, making running playlist.

In case you are interested, it goes like this: I think a good mix of classic and cheese, new stuff and stuff that reminds me of going to ikon when I used to use dance music for the purposes of dancing rather than training.

Ladyhawke: Magic

Kate Nash: Foundations

Rhianna: Disturbia

Dar Williams: Are you out there?

Lady Ga Ga: Poker face

Chicane: Saltwater

Fragma: Toca’s miracle

Lady Ga Ga: Just dance

Eric Prydz: Call on me

Blondie: Atomic

Ladyhawke: My delirium

Gwen Stefani: What you waiting for

Gabriella Climi: Echo beach

Rihanna: Umbrella remixed

Girls Aloud: Call the Shots

Kelly Clarkson: Since you been gone

Girls Aloud: I think we’re alone now

Sarah Mclachlan: Silence (the fast one, obviously)

Sugababes: About you now

Outkast: Hey ya

Men not heavily represented.  Jeegar likes to run to angry, shouty music, but I prefer to sing along in my head.

21 songs, lets assume 3 and a half minutes each – that means I have to finish in around 75 minutes or less in order to avoid having to repeat music.  Right then.

In other news, the fundraising total stands at £1 180 which is pretty amazing, and I will keep this in mind every time I want to stop, which I imagine will happen more or less at fifteen second intervals.

If you have not yet visited www.justgiving.com/afrikids10k please have a look!

Race day report will follow tomorrow, assuming survival.

1) running to catch the aeroplane in Heathrow, owing to stupid woman checking our bags to the wrong place
2) running to catch the aeroplane in Chicago, owing to flight being delayed

Obviously Jeegar was very disciplined and good in Nashville, endlessly running everywhere despite the serious humidity. I did not. I did go for a nice gentle stroll, and squished a dragon fly between my flip flop and foot. It was seriously ick.

In Mexico, we needed to conserve our energy in case of needing to run away from stampeding pigs. Many of the other people on the trip did go for early morning runs, returning sweaty and sunburned. I was unable to drag myself away from US weekly long enough to join them.

So with 13 days to go, I think I will be adopting a new approach of “winging it” and “hoping to not die”. Fortunately, that seems to be consistent across the whole team. And only fair to concentrate efforts on fundraising, rather than training, right?

The website describes Jeegar and I as veteran runners. Hah. I can only assume they mean veteran as in old. Which is probably even worse.

And here is what the other team members have to say:

Lissa –

For 2 months now, I’ve been telling people every day that I’ll be spending the evening in training for the 10k. I haven’t been for a run once, and that includes running for a bus, running to catch up with the ice cream van or running to get away from the big dog that resides at number 18. This is basically due to laziness and fear. Having been working for AfriKids for nearly 10 months now, I felt it was time to do something more. This inspiration stems from the passion flowing out of the staff in Ghana. They go above and beyond the call of duty every day to make sure all of AfriKids’ beneficiaries are living a safe, healthy and happy life; I hope this 10k shows them how much we appreciate all that they do.

Andy-

I bracket distance running along with street licking and oil drinking in the list of things I’d like to do and I generally think of those who engage in it through choice as a mildly sadistic. However, if there’s any good reason at all for engaging in this joint bashing, chaffing experiment it would be for AfriKids. My inspiration (or reason that I couldn’t say no) is our all local team of 120 AfriKids Ghana staff, they regularly work through blistering heat, over treacherous terrain and for extremely long hours to ensure that every penny raised in the UK has a huge impact in changing the lives of children in their communities. It helps in the ‘training’ knowing that 90p in every pound we raise will be going directly to make this incredible group of people’s work possible. My basic target is not to humiliate myself on the day but if anyone wants to sponsor me per minute under 60 that I manage to finish in, I’m sure I’ll sweat my way round that little bit quicker; £2 per minute anyone (don’t worry there won’t be many minutes under 60, if any)?

Sally-

I am taking part in this 10k partly because the Kakaad conspiracy to get me running has finally worn me down after three long years, partly because AfriKids like all charities is going through a difficult period and we all have to go the extra mile to ensure the projects keep running, but mainly as a tribute to all the fantastic and challenging things people do for AfriKids each year. A 10k may not seem the biggest challenge to some people but trust me, to me it is- I cannot stand running and can’t think of something I want to do less than trudge around London’s streets on a Sunday morning every week between now and the 25th when I could be asleep in bed! So as I drag myself through the training muttering bitterly about perky sporting types, I shall be thinking of everyone who finds the time energy and commitment in their busy lives to do a bit extra for those incredible people and projects in northern Ghana, and if you’ve not done your bit for AfriKids yet this year why not sponsor us and make all that pain a bit more worth it!

Liam-

Having recently made my first trip to Ghana, the staff and beneficiaries of AfriKids Ghana are my inspiration and motivation for this run. However, it seems that there’s nothing I can do to find to find inspiration or motivation to actually train for the run. My training has so far consisted of drinking less, eating (a little) less, and going to the gym once back in February. If pushed for a time, I’d say I’d like to finish in under an hour and a half. In all honesty, I’d simply like to be able finish the run alive.

You can sponsor us at http://www.justgiving.com/afrikids10k
And learn more about afrikids at www.afrikids.org

It is now a month to go, but fortunately none of the rest of the team have been training either.  Though Sally has her natural fitness to fall back on, and Jeegar may say that he is not training but he still goes and runs for two hours without thinking anything of it.

I forgot to tell you that I can now do boy press ups, not girlie ones. Again, Jeegar was a bit sceptical about this, but it is true.

This is how motivated I was today: I went to the gym despite three separate invitations to go to the pub. (Motivated, or sad, you might say).

I managed to print my programme out and then accidentally leave it on the printer – there are all kinds of ways to sub-consciously sabotage yourself.

Anyway, I remembered quite a lot of it: I did cross training, lunges, squats, rowing, triceps, biceps, plank, sit ups on the ball, and this other thing which you do on the ball which I don’t know the name for. And then I did some running but only for a kilometre. I’m not going to feel bad about that.

There’s something about exercise that makes me all emotional. When I saw Michelle Obama hugging those school kids from north london, I wanted to weep with joy. Even though I’d already seen exactly the same clip about four times on the news today. She is glorious. The Standard did a whole page about how she is not wearing tights. Right, that’s what’s important. And she’s from Chicago! This is probably sub-tropical by comparison. Even I’m not wearing tights. I went to vote in my shorts. I think Michelle would be proud of me.

I went on a training course today about confidence and so I am in kind of a self-aware, introspective mood.  (Jen will like this).  Here is what my training course has taught me about this running project:

1) I am deathly afraid of failing at anything

2) More specifically, I am afraid of other people thinking I am a failure/I am weak

3) This is basically a good thing, because it makes me a very determined person

4) But the downside is that I am much too hard on myself and do stuff even when it genuinely hurts too much

I guess any of you could have told me that though.

Jordanna says my arms are very good and my legs are ok, but my core is very weak. I guess this is where I store my wispas.  So I can’t do things like lifting the swiss ball with my feet without hurting my back quite a lot.  We are going to work on that.  And then I will be a running machine.  Maybe.