Sarah Marsden: Runner and serious about an S Club Party

Did you hear that? Someone just ran past with some serious tunes blasting on their headphones.  I think it was Sarah, putting all the other students to shame with her awesomely witty running enthusiasm, and claiming to be obsessed with porridge and 'scampering around Leeds encased in Lycra.'

Hi, I'm Sarah and I write over at Goldilocks Runs- on my blog I get to share things I'm learning about running, silly stories and quite unflattering pictures of me trudging around cross country in the snow. I've currently had to shelve my plans for Brighton being my first marathon in April, so am focused on getting fit and strong to make my debut at York marathon in October.

When I'm not running, wearing Lycra and procrastinating or blogging about it, I'm learning to be a doctor at medical school in Leeds, which I find requires similar attributes to running- the ability to blag knowing what you're doing, fuel whenever the opportunity arises and wilfully ignore that you've needed a wee for hours now! When I'm not in serious student doctor mode, I can be found beer racing with my university's cross country club or baking industrial quantities of my beloved banana cake. 

1. I started running a year ago, and it's got me fit, kept me sane through the demands of medical school and given me a newfound love of porridge, early mornings and mud.

2. I run because I enjoy it, and lack the hand-eye coordination to play any other sports. At the moment, I wear a pair of Brooks Ravenna 3's when I'm not running barefoot in the pool wearing the flotation belt of doom.

3. The last run I did was on Sunday and I ran a grand total of 2.5K on the treadmill. It was shoddy and painful because I am nursing a very reluctant right hip and trying to persuade it running IS possible.

4. My current favourite bit of kit is my foam roller- although I swear loudly at it and kick it whenever I walk past, I think it's doing my muscles some good and helping my mystery hip injury.

5. I'm eyeing up the York marathon in the autumn, for when my hip is hopefully fixed- I'm glad now that I entered on a whim after a bottle of wine...

6. Running made me feel alive the first time I pushed past the tiredness and exhaustion and experienced my first elusive 'runner's high', where my brain and legs no longer felt connected and I felt like I was flying (inwardly. Outwardly I probably still looked in pain, sweaty and like a tomato in a blonde wig).

7. When I'm in the gym, I'm currently listening to a lot of 90's pop- think Spice Girls, Blue and S Club 7. It makes me forget that I've been on the exercise bike/elliptical for what feels like a lifetime. Side effects include minor bopping and accidentally singing along- though I call anyone who wasn't cheered up by my rendition of 'Wannabe' a fibber.

8. I participate in my local parkrun on Saturday mornings when I'm not injured or hungover, and it has helped me get out of bed on a Saturday morning, meet new people and race 5K without the faff of race entries or travel. You can find out more at www.parkrun.org.uk. I also participate in my uni's cross country club, but unless you are a) a student b) have a penchant for yellow clothing and c) enjoy drinking pints of bitter whilst people shout 'eat it!' at you, I'll leave that one there...

9. I started eating more breakfast before my long runs, like a bowl of porridge and some toast, and found it gave me much more energy- I'd recommend it! I wouldn't recommend eating pizza to cure your hangover and then almost immediately going out for a run- Leeds has surprisingly few litter bins and hedges when you're feeling queasy.

10. I'm currently obsessed with training plans. Whilst I'm injured I'm reading them until my eyes go blurry and it's rebooting my enthusiasm for when I can finally run properly again- I want to do ALLLLL the sessions!

11. I'm bringing Body Pump classes to this blog, and throwing them down on the table. They're fun, more female-friendly than the weights room full of hulking meatheads and protein shakes, and are making me feel stronger and generally more awesome.

12. I'm currently having issues with my right hip, which is producing some very annoying pain and some very alarming crunching- can anyone offer any suggestions beyond 'see a physio' and 'learn to like swimming'?

13. Finally, here's my inspirational quote. It gets me going. Now, go run!

Catch Goldilocks on twitter, her blog and at the Yorkshire marathon in the Autumn!