I could hardly believe when I posted on Christmas Eve that my previous post had been over 2 months ago. About a week before that I had completed my first official half marathon race and I don’t really know what happened after that, but my posting and my running have gone downhill since then. My Mojo had definitely upped sticks and left home. That, combined with having a whole bunch of work commitments and singing gigs to contend with meant I wasn’t having time to run more than a couple of shorter runs a week or to post in the forum.
But then, my friend Hidden has shamed me into finding some get up and go. I had been battling with the gremlins for a day or so:
“You can’t travel to London to run.” “What will you do with all your stuff?” “It’ll involve too much faffage!” “You have way too much cooking and preparing to do on Christmas Eve, no way can you waltz off into London for a run.” “You’ve never run in London, it’ll be full of tourists, you’ll hate it.” “You’ll get lost.” “You’ll be all sweaty on the train coming home.” “Who will pick up the venison joint from the butchers?” … and so the voices in my head went on. But it was too late, I had already asked Jan if she wanted company for the final leg of her 2018 challenge, thinking she would probably prefer to run alone, but she had got back to me and said she’d love it.
She also started the ball rolling on conquering the gremlins: Mr JCR was volunteered to hold my coat and bag. I wouldn’t need to faff as drinks would be provided by the same good chap. I was given a promise that we would only be running 5km and that it would be at a pootling pace – so no chance of breaking into a sweat. Mr Razouski sent the remaining gremlins flying with the offer of sorting out the butchers and doing some of the other last minute bits and bobs for Christmas, also pointing out that London would probably be pretty quiet. SO I really had no excuse.
The next day I fitted in a cheeky 7.5k, and then three days later an 8. I couldn’t let the side down and needed to be on good form.
The run on Christmas Eve was truly fabulous. Having been virtual running buddies in C25K we have met a few times, but never actually run together. I’d never run in London before (except when nearly missing a train home), and the opportunity to run in St James Park right on the Queen’s front doorstep was great. Not only that but we got to see some fabulous water fowl, including a couple of flamingos that flew in especially to wish Jan well on her way. It was like being in some Disney fairy tale, with small birds and squirrels surrounding us and wishing us good fortune on our way, and ducks and geese clearing the path ahead of us and carpeting it in the softest downiest feathers (I may have made that bit up). We even had two handsome princes to greet us at the end of the run in the guise of Mr JCR and one of his and Jan’s friends, cheering Jan over the finishing line with rapturous applause and a heavenly bottle of champagne and 4 glass flutes to drink it from. And to top it all a brass band from the Queen’s Guard then started up a fanfare and proceeded to serenade us with some festive tunes, while the crowds cheered (I like to think they were cheering Jan, not, as rumour has it, that they were there to see the Changing of the Guards – whatever! 
)
Drinking champagne in St James Park at 10:45 on Christmas Eve morning seemed to be exactly what was needed for me to do something about finding my errant Mojo. I knew I wouldn’t be running on Christmas Day and I’d promised Mr Razouski that we would do a long walk in the country yesterday, but this morning I was up with the lark and raring to go. I had my Christmas Running Playlist which I was thinking of using on Christmas Eve if Jan didn’t want to run naked and chat, and in 58 minutes I had 10km under my belt. Not fast but not too slow either, and I’m looking forward to getting another couple of runs in before the end of the year.
Back..... I think
Got my mojo back !!!!
I've lost my mojo!! 
Phew take that pesky gremlins 🤜 I'm chasing that balloon...... 🎈
