Kit and Caboodle

The caboodle - "collection or group of people"

This is Lucinda and I, post our 30 minute run around St James' Park and Green Park this morning. The last time I ran continuously for more than 10 minutes (excluding the Love Run) was on the 9th February with Lucinda - what are the odds?? Thank you Miss Gorgeous Dimples for making this morning's run happen!

It was a really gentle jog today as, as you can tell from my pic, I'm about to have a heart attack any sec. Running for that long after such a long hiatus from running truly was a shock to my system - I had to sit down for 10 minutes after Lucinda left and wait for the feeling of imminent death and nausea to subside before I could go on my way. Fortunately aside from a slight headache and sore legs I am feeling almost like new.....now! Physical pain aside, I feel like superwoman ;-)

Lucinda is an amazing running partner - so entertaining and so convincingly legit about not minding even slightly about crawling along at my pace. It couldn't have been easy as FYI: Lucinda's normal running pace is probably double mine.  When you are a shockingly rubbish runner like moi - it can be so stressful running with good runners as trying not to slow them up is basically an impossibility and feeling like a failure is a certainty.  But I didn't feel like that once and never do when Lucinda is around. Though next time I need to cajole some equally brilliant runners to our Sunday Run Caboodle to ensure Lucinda gets run off her feet - I want to see Lucinda go equally luminous lobster colour!

Our 4.5km route. I can't seem to stay away from Buckingham Palace this weekend!

Next the Kit: As the past year has demonstrated, worryingly and uncharacteristically, I am not even slightly organised when it comes to hill walking. Typically I leave my brain, lunch, shoes, socks, water, anything and everything behind when I venture up a mountain. No idea why. But this time I am determined it will be different so I've started preparations early. 5 days early.

• Christine of NikeGrid Orienteering Fame has kindly lent me some kit in preparation for the 60km challenge next Saturday - specifically waterproof trousers and a head touch as modelled by yours truly:

 Chiaroscuro effect (that term alone is responsible for me passing my degree ;-)) :

 The light is soooooo bright - everything goes dark by comparison.

Thanks Christine xx

• The First Aid Kit - as I don't have the required first aid knowledge to know what to do with half the bandages, tape and other stuff on the recommended kit list, I used my initiative and devised my own first aid kit ;-))

From top down:

1. Deep Freeze Cold Patches  - for when my back gives in

2. Savlon Anaeseptic Wipes - for when I fall down a cliff face and get dirty

3. Adhesive Dressings - to prevent soiling the countryside with my blood

4. Compeed Medium & Small Blister Plasters and Compeed Anti-Blister Stick - err self explanatory

5. Strepsils - to alleviate sore throat of 12+ hours of chatting with Han

6. Savlon Cream - for when I get bitten by a grass snake or any kind of bug

7. Nivea Hand Cream - remedy for painful swollen fingers/ really dry skin from over exposure

8. Magicool Body and Face Cooling Spray - for sunburn and for scaring off any four legged wildlife that might be tempted to eat me.

8. Jointace Gel - for when the deep freeze effect wears off.

Will also be adding  Jelly Babies to the First Aid Kit - purely medicinal of course - to combat blood glucose dips.  For any real emergencies I'm calling 999.  

Han - anything I've overlooked? 

Now all I have to do is remember to pack the first aid kit!!

• Lastly kit wise, I decided that I am long overdue for some new training kit a) to give my training buddies something different to look at b) just for surviving this morning's run c) to inspire me to run more and d) to remedy the hideous tan lines my teeshirts have given me - check out the goodies:

I like bright colours!!

Well I'm now prepared for walking during the night or a solar eclipse, through a flood, dealing with 'Girl on a Mission' medical emergencies and trotting down a fitness fashion catwalk/ attending a rave  - so that's the whole kit and caboole. xx