Magpies and Running. A superstition that drives me crazy.

One for sorrow,

Two for joy,

Three for a girl,

Four for a boy,

Five for silver,

Six for gold,

Seven for a secret never to be told. 

This has to be one of the most annoying superstitions of mine. I spend a lot of time outdoors, running, walking to lectures, cycling to town and yes, you guessed it, I see plenty of these bad boys! It was my Nan who first got me into the whole saluting and saying “Good morning Mr Magpie, hows your wife today” that is then ‘supposed’ to bring the others along. My Nan is incredibly wonderful, but incredibly annoying with her superstitions, to name a few, she tells us that no new shoes are allowed on the table, no spilling salt and no crossing on the stairs (just as well she lives in a bungalow!).

Saluting magpies drives me crazy and is highly embarrassing when you are in company of others! Some of my friends have now too caught onto the whole superstition, but I don’t think they’re quite as bad as me! I have come to the point where I now have to do it otherwise it could be bad luck and if I see just one, then I start panicking franticly to find another one hidden amongst the trees or in the parkland. Anywhere, just as long as it isn’t one. I saw just one once in the in-field of an athletics track a couple of hours before my race...let’s just say the race didn’t go as well as I wanted. Coincidence maybe, but there was still just one magpie.

Superstitions come along with the occupation of being a runner. As runners we search for perfection. The problem with that is I truly believe perfection doesn’t exist. Making the journey one of persistence, hard work and set-backs. I could have just run my best ever session, or ran a personal best (PB) in a race and still come away wanting more. But without this internal drive for success, we wouldn’t have world champions. Life would be boring if everybody sat around being complacent about their future. I can’t live like that. I want the best for myself, my family and unltimatley my life. This is why I have superstitions like saluting magpies, touching wood and crossing my fingers. It is almost like a ‘security’ blanket that re-assures me that the bad things that I think may happen won’t happen. Superstitions aren’t all bad though, as like the poem suggests, two for joy can bring you confidence. It changes my whole mindset if I see two or more, settling my nerves and doubts about anything that could happen in my life.

I suppose its a love-hate relationship.

Anatomy of a Cupake

I discovered this little beauty called Anatomy of a Cupcake and thought it was only fair to share! It is a fun poster by Allen Hemberger and Sarah Wilson. The poster is also available for purchase here, but unfortunately it is inedible! How delightfully sweet! 

Cookies and Cream Fudge Brownies

Ever since I was able to pick up a wooden spoon I have been in love with baking, cooking and anything else that involves food! My first love is baking. My Nan used to work in a bakery when I was little and my Mum, like me, has a love for baking too, so I blame them for my 'addiction'. I could pretty much say it is an 'innate' characteristic of mine :) That much so, I would love to own my own 'Cake Shop' when I am older! Baking used to occur a few times a week at home, this being homemade cakes, tray bakes, pies, crumbles or pre-packaged cup cakes and large cakes, such as the animated 'Barbie' or 'Scooby-Doo' ones! My brother and sisters would get stupidly excited about who was 'licking' what after the mixture was put into their little cases or in their tins, because lets admit, we all love to slide our finger along the bowl of left-over cake mixture!!

I plan to post my baking adventures on my blog, and to begin, I thought i would share this fabulous recipe from the TV series 'Baking Made Easy' on BBC 1. Lorraine Pascale delicately shows us how to make these devilish 'Cookies and Cream Fudge Brownies' (Oreo Brownies as I call them!). As soon as I saw this on the TV I practically ran to the shop to purchase the Oreos! They were so easy to make, like any brownies, and they are a HUGE hit with my friends at our weekly 'Games Night' that my housemates and I host every sunday. You haven't experienced Brownies if your haven't put your lips around these, trust me.

The recipe can be found on this link:

Cookies and Cream Fudge Brownies

Enjoy, and you chocolate lovers out there, be sure to share!! x

World Cross Country Championships 2011, Punta Umbria, Spain.

Running for your country is like a child being told they’re going to Disney Land. The excitement of the unknown fills you with nerves but you know all that hard-work in training has paid off and you are ready to take ride on the biggest roller coaster of your life to date.

The World Cross is the biggest event in the cross-country calendar. Nations from across the globe arrive in search for their peak performance. Every single athlete approaching these championships will have been training and racing with an aim to race at their best against the best in the world. 

I have been lucky enough to have competed in these championships twice before, once as a junior in Mombassa, Kenya and last year as a Senior in Bydgoscz, Poland. But I was determined to have my best run yet at these championships on the fast, dry course in Punta Umbria. 

I was selected to run for GB for my ‘track’ orientations. I prefer to run on a track where there is no MUD and shorter in distance! There was talk amongst all the team managers out there that they thought the course was going to suit me. I tried to convert this pressure into a positive and told myself that if they believe in me then I should believe in them and take confidence from their words. That I did. I finished 37th overall, 7th European and 3rd British athlete home. Considering I had pressure from back home as well as from the team managers to prove my selection, I think I did very well! I was so happy with the way I ran and even wanted the race to go on for longer than 8k! Something that you very rarely hear after the ‘toughest race on earth’.

My race pretty much went to plan, although I did start off very slowly due to a sore gluteus muscles that I had been having problems with. The race was 4 x 2km laps and for the first two laps, my right bum cheek was cramping up big time! I then realised I was last for GB which gave me a huge kick up the back side. Once I got moving I felt like a completely different athlete-and that is why I wanted the race to be longer. I was feeling great and looking back, would have loved to have made the top 30! 

Next time maybe.

That is it for the cross-country season for 2010-2011. The following weeks consist of lots of training, transitioning into the track work-outs. They are tough but the feeling you get when you wake up the next morning after a great session the day before is what we runners thrive off. We know that pain is only a temporary feeling and that the feeling of success lasts so much longer.

“Everyone is an athlete. The only difference is that some of us are in training, and some are not.” - Dr George Sheehan. 

I am an athlete in training.