Ben Does Life

Erm I have basically entered Kitkat Chunky and Mars Celebration land over the last 10 days and with all the snow, the running training is on the backburner.  Not good but since it's Christmas Week, I am fairly relaxed about the current SHOCKING state of affairs (mostly cos the scales are staying static at 10stone 4lbs mark - YAY) Plus it can't snow forever, can it?! But just in case it can, I am looking into getting a two month gym membership so that I have somewhere to train indoors in preparation for 10km everyday challenge in February. Sorry SUPERchicks - Park Training in the freezing bleak midwinter is for more hardcore types than I.

However since I am being a poor model of fitness inspiration, I want to give you all an early Christmas present and share with you my ALL-TIME FAVOURITE FITNESS BLOG HERO of 2010. Seriously I may not train everyday, but I check out bendoeslife.com EVERYDAY WITHOUT FAIL- Ben Davis is INDESCRIBABLY brilliant, amazing and funny.

The legend himself!

There are many, MANY reasons I adore this guy and his blog, but to ensure I do not appear a complete stalker, I will limit myself to my top five reasons why bendoeslife is a MUST fitness blog staple:

1. He has a Ewan McGregor looks thing going for him - so HOT. It's no coincidence Runner's World are putting him on their March/April cover next year!!!
2. His fitness journey started as a Christmas present to his Gran - majorly SWEET.
3. He proves that you don't have to have a perfect physique to be a Marathon runner - this guy started with 5km runs and has completed unimaginably amazing fitness feats including IRON MAN!!!! He inspires me and so many others to push ourselves out of our fitness comfort zone. My next fitness buy is a "do life" teeshirt to wear during my run training next year. You have to love a fitness RETAIL OPPORTUNITY!!
4. Bendoeslife is a bit like a blog soap opera (in the nicest possible sense) eg, his relationship with April, his competitive rivalry with his brother (not over April, I should add) and his CRAZILY FITNESS OBSESSED DAD who generally cracks me up.
5. He is no holds barred - he is frank about how fitness has improved his mental health. He is also quite open about his slightly eccentric obsession for very correct punctuation. (I, on the other hand, freely admit that I have an appalling grasp of the rules of punctuation and so hope to inadvertently pick up some tips!!)

But most of all bendoeslife embodies the community of fitness that I adore - people, even strangers, supporting and checking out each other's highs, lows and progress. As with everything, Ben tells his story best in his own words and in his own way, so I urge you all to:

a) check out his CULT blog at http://www.bendoeslife.com/ immediately, if not sooner and
b) also to check out his YouTube vid of his journey to date (Yup, I also stalk him on YouTube). Please SHARE the video with all your friends - how about getting Ben to 1 million YouTube hits as an early Christmas Present?

Ben you CAN run but you CAN'T hide!! xx