Funny Running

...hee hee, ooo, ha ha. Oh dear, I still can't believe it.

On Sunday morning I participated in my first organised run. I prepared myself for it - I only smoked one cigarette on Friday night, and had a four-course meal at the amazing London House restaurant on Saturday night. Beans on toast were breakfast on Sunday (more carbs than Shreddies and amazingly, Start, which is the athlete's cereal of choice). I was ready for the 5k.

And I bloody won! Out of 31 people, I came first, with a time of 21 minutes 43 seconds.

Of course I was pleased - it was my first run and the course 'undulated', having a hardcore hill. The route was later described in a press release put out by JW Training, the people who organised the run, as "gruelling."

I am probably making my win sound far more impressive than it was.

In fact, I have a confession, and a few things to point out.

I cheated. The run was a fun run, for which people were asked to wear fancy dress. I didn't. I wore my running shoes, t shirt and shorts.

I dressed as a runner. Everyone else was wearing fancy dress. A huge shark attack outfit. A fruit machine. A monkey onesie. You name it.

So I had an advantage. Although I must admit, a couple of guys dressed as the 118 118 chaps, in vests and shorts, so I had little advantage over them.

And I was out to win. I took part in the second of the two races, and got off to a good start, running in a group with two other people.

One of these was dressed as a cheerleader. I quite easily ran past him halfway through the first lap.

I then spent the rest of the race pretty much on the shoulder of one of the 118 118 guys.

I was breathing heavily, and must've sounded like a steam train, letting 118 118 know I was there.

(Actually, I'd often dreamt of chasing the 118 118 blokes round a park, ready to clobber them.)

I then waited for the opportune moment, about 50 metres or so from the finish, and simply sprinted passed 118 118, to finish first and win by two seconds!

The poor guy had been leading the whole race.

I am really pleased to have won, but realise I am not as fit as I was two or three months ago.

I won five personal training sessions with the owner of JW Training.

He's the man-mountain dressed as Lady Ga Ga on the right. He is scary. I politely declined the offer of the five personal training sessions - my excuse was that I wanted the proceeds from the prize to go to the charity we were raising money for, Youthline.  


So all in all, an outright success. I am running further and further each week, trying to build my fitness back up, and trying to stop having cheeky fags when I'm drunk at the weekend.

What do you think?

I am frustrated. I am thankful that my three-month contract in my current Communications role was extended - by a month - but, worst case scenario, I will be unemployed again very soon.

I remain positive, but my frustration comes in here - I am considering taking an expensive intensive NCTJ diploma course to help me get a journalism job. NCTJ stands for National Council for the Training of Journalists, and it seems that most of the jobs I apply for require this qualification.

But - and this is a big but - I studied Journalism and News Media for three years at university. After that, I worked for three and a half years at a national, consumer magazine. I have written freelance articles for a local paper and several websites, on subjects such as music and travel.

After working for the magazine - as some of you may know - I went travelling for eight months, and arrived back in the UK at the end of last year.

I was unemployed until May this year.

I am frustrated because I consider myself a journalist. What do you think? Rather, am I a charlatan, a dreamer?

I feel I will already know much of what is taught on this course and would spend a large amount of money - money that I don't have - to simply get those four letters on my CV.

This is where I would like some feedback from you. Should I do the course? Should I carry on looking for work with my current qualifications? Should I get a job in Sainsbury's?

Should I carry on intermittently writing on this blog, having no one commenting on it?

I had promised an article on Spanish swearing. One will follow. And I had promised myself that I wouldn't begin this blog post by saying sorry for having not posted, but I wanted to get something written and this is what I wanted to write about.

I didn't want to start by apologising, so that's how I'll end.