ExPoSeD

Last night I went to the London Marathon Expo at the Docklands Excel Centre, where I picked up my race number, timing chip and lots of useless leaflets.

Very exciting - no going back now, I am OFFICIALLY REGISTERED. Gulp.

The Expo is a weird place. It's basically corporate sponsorship hell, where lots of people try to sell you lots of things you don't need, like shoes with calf-strengthening soles, and where you can also pick up a wide and extensive range of disgusting samples of food and drink supplements. We had fun though, and it was nice to meet the people from the charity. Big thanks to Grace who came along to join in the pasta party fun times. 

We sat down at some lovely white formica tables, and watched an adidas sportswear fashion show, where some beautiful people walked out onto the stage, showing off the latest in adidas lycra sportswear, then broke out into a full on street dance routine. Bizarre.

Here's me having my own personal pasta party:

But wait, what's this on the stage?

It's only the adidas street dancers! 

Look at the partying!

I also had a souvenir photo taken with the trophy, which will obviously be mine on Sunday afternoon. I'm pretty sure I might actually be in with a chance, especially what with all the volcanic ash.

I think the carbs have actually tipped me over the edge.

Beyonce for President

The tapering is driving me nuts, it's official. I'm extremely bored and irritable so in order to take my mind off the disgusting amounts of carbohydrates I am currently ingesting, I've been working on my playlist.

Sometimes I think Beyonce should actually rule the world. Just her and Jay, sat on two thrones, lording over everyone with their sweet music. Big shout out to Jeffrey Haddon for recommending Destiny's Child's 'Survivor' for the final stretch - a true powering home anthem if ever there was one.

My current playlist consists of 125 songs and 9 hours of music (I'm really hoping it won't take that long) but at present my top 10 tunes is mainly consisting of the songs below. These are the ones that I am REALLY going to appreciate when all I want to do is jump in an ice bath, or the Thames.

- Guns N' Roses - Sweet Child O'Mine
(I gain an extra mile per minute just with that opening)
- Bjork - Army of Me
(GET OUT OF MY WAY)
- Destiny's Child - Survivor
(hats off Jeffers)
- Girls Aloud - Something Kinda Ooooh
(couldn't do it without these shiny ponies)
- Whitney Houston - I'm Your Baby Tonight
(Dronez Mix - nothing less)
- Devo - Snowball
(and it rolled back down.. and it rolled back down.. and it rolled back down..)
- Brakes - All Night Disco Party
(spooky.. makes my head bob)
- Vampire Weekend - A-Punk
(brings a smile to my face)
- Hercules & Love Affair - Blind
(an epic)
- Gus Gus - David
(another epic)
- Ministers De La Funk - Believe
(the ultimate epic)

Okay so that was more than 10. However, I have to say that my ultimate running song must be The Prodigy's 'Smack My Bitch Up'. It's just awesome in so many ways. Makes my head go funny. Makes my legs go faster. Makes me want to cry. I just love it.

I would love any more suggestions; nothing is final on the iPod until M-Day! Any ideas?

Ps. THANK YOU so much if you've already donated. You're all totally amazing and I can't honestly believe we're nearly at £3,000! Your generosity has been incredible and truly inspiring.

If you haven't had a chance yet - in the name of Honey B, please..... http://www.justgiving.com/paulandgracelondonmarathon2010

Taper Worm

This tapering lark isn't all it's cracked up to be. In the build up to a marathon, the training in the last few weeks actually "tapers" down, as you conserve energy and rest before the big day. Now, this obviously sounds like the ultimate joy, no more long runs. But you begin to feel like a caged animal - pumped up with nowhere to go.

I've had a lovely weekend but seem to have spent quite a lot of it hydrating and eating carbs. Anyway, I'm going to channel energy this week into getting my survival kit ready. Today I was hand delivered a special treat, in the form of my sister's breastfeeding nipple cream. Apparently it's quite expensive and more effective than vaseline. I'm not ashamed to admit this on a public blog. I'm not even drunk.

Have bought all of my carbs for the week ahead, and am looking forward to a week of:
(a) porridge breakfasts
(b) baked potato lunches
(c) pasta dinners

I feel like the michelin man just even typing that.

ROLL ON SUNDAY 25th!

Ghosts! Ghouls! Girls Aloud!

Talking about fundraising, I threw a party last year in aid of the Marathon cause for my favourite holiday of the year, Halloween. Actually maybe second favourite after Christmas. Anyway, it's up there.

Everyone looked brilliant and there were some really awesome costumes! Had I not been too drunk to remember the Best Dressed Award, I think a strong contender might have been Mattie as the kid from The Orphanage - I'm still having nightmares. We managed to have it in the basement of the Princess of Wales while it still retained some spookiness and hadn't yet been converted into a hideous Primrose Hill gastro pub.

And you amazing people raised over £220! Thanks to everyone who came, dressed up, donated, bought decorations, carved pumpkins, baked cakes, danced to Cheryl Cole or smashed the pinata and wore the remains as a decorative head trophy. Truly terrifying.

Merci. Gracias. Thank U.

Had an amazing delivery this week. The wonderful Alex Reyto, of Toronto, ON, sent me the most beautiful set of hand-made jewellery pieces to sell for the Marathon fund. Some pictures are below, and you will see the amount of time and effort that has gone into this project - I just can't ever express enough gratitude. Aren't they incredible? I'll be hawking these round in the next few weeks, so if you'd like to reserve a piece, let me know.

Anyway, it got me thinking about how amazing everyone has been since I started this whole thing.

So just wanted to say a huge, massive, enormous THANK YOU to everyone who has donated so far - friends old and new, family, even people I don't know. If you've sat and blown up Halloween balloons, dressed up as ghosts and witches and My Little Ponies, come on gruelling training runs, stood in the pouring rain cheerleading, collected money on my behalf, or just listened to me moan about my chafed nips - a heartfelt thank you xoxo