Month One.

Month one.The climax of January will take place on Saturday. Me, Max and Jack will be running from Redhill to Box Hill, its around 8 miles. This is a distance I have covered many times this month. However this will be much harder for two reasons. Firstly Box Hill is one of the highest points in the south east of England. From the top of it you can see all of Dorking out to Guildford and beyond. To reach the top we will have to endure a savage incline for nearly two miles, I have cycled this route and it did not hesitate to turn me and max into mush. And secondly we will be running "live". We will be carrying the full weight (30 pounds) just to make things that much harder.

During my first few days of training I could not run 5 miles with Bertha (my backpack...it has a name now) without stopping for a break or needing a drink. I remember thinking to myself whilst running for the first time that I had bitten of much more then I could chew! Fast forward a month and I run 10 miles daily without breaking a sweat with 20 pounds on my back, climb 162 flights of stairs and weight train. I have lost weight and feel sharper then ever.

It then dawned on me what three more months of this will do to me. I don't think I will ever be fitter.And that is even before I have ran the route. Stepping into Rome I would not doubt myself against against any athlete in terms of raw physical fitness. And this thought (as well as the growing amount of donations to Water Aid) really keeps me motivated in these dark winter months.

However training has also led to some negative side effects. One being, developing a new fear of small dogs. Last week I was running along Portmouth pier parade and a rat like creature began running after me. I carried on but suddenly I felt a tug on my pullstrings of my backpack. It was a dog attempting to tear off half my bag!! The owner ran up to me and apologised and prized this pathetic excuse of a canine away from Bertha. I told her that the only person she should apoligise to would should be her (pointing to my back). She looked at me as if I was mad.

I am also having dreams about Stairs  (non erotic...for now).  Last night I was convinced that my lectures had been moved to floor 14 of Trafalgar halls and we all had to run up to get taught. If I see stairs I have a convulsion and start running up them and then doing press ups. This happened today on the way to the Mountbatten centre..

Next month things get harder. Every week the amount of miles I have to cover increase and I start lectures again which means 7am runs. Fun times.

I'm also doing quite a few gigs this month so will be juggling my time between music,studying, training and attempting to socialise in between them! Busy busy times ahead.  But would not have it any other way.

Peace out.