Easter Weekend.

It's been a hectic few weeks since my last entry and I've been very busy being a mum, athlete, sister, auntie and friend. My training has been severely curtailed by the freezing weather but I have managed to get on rollers and work out in the gym. The season begins in earnest in April but I'm feeling very good physically and I'm really looking forward to getting back into competition.

Last Saturday I had the great privilege to be a guest speaker at the 'Women Mentoring Women' Conference held in London. There were lots of inspirational women present who are very successful in their own fields, such as politics, pastoral, charities and entrepreneurs. I was reminded of how bad it is to judge others as I mingled with these women whose faces were full of confidence and determination. I really enjoyed the sessions and came away knowing a lot more than I did when I arrived.

Today, Saturday, I have just returned from spending a lovely couple of days in Oxford with my good friend. I really enjoyed myself. The world's first ever museum, The Ashmolean, was a fantastic place to visit. It is full of beautiful paintings, sculptures and historical objects. We left after my friend started feeling uncomfortable surrounded by mummies - The whole experience was amazing. Oxford is a very beautiful place and the sense of history is almost overwhelming as we wheeled through the streets full of ancient buildings.

Life is full of surprises, at least mine is and every moment is an opportunity and we have a choice on how we live it. When we are curious, we are in love with life and one just can't fail to be reminded that genuine friendship is important to most human beings. So these few days have been about opening my heart and allowing wonderful things to flow to me - enjoying and being taught that when I let go of who I am, I become who I might be -

I Wanna Be Elected.

As I woke up this morning I was pondering about what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breath, to think, to enjoy, and to love and be loved. Each day I learn more about how to enjoy every minute of life, and something that really aids this process is being around positive people because at times our own light goes out but can be rekindled by a spark from the energy of others. All of us have suffered in the past but it is very important that we shouldn't allow our past to define our present and our future. Now that's what I call a philosophical start to the day!

As usual life has been busy but I have to be honest and say I haven't been putting in the amount of training I should have done at this stage of the year. I can't blame it all on the bad weather, or the fact I sustained a neck injury that was extremely painful and debilitating and made me miss my favourite half - marathon at Silverstone the other week. However, as ever, my self will and determination will overcome all the setbacks, starting this coming Sunday when I will be competing in the annual St.Clare's Hospice 10k . As part of a prize that we donated to AbleChild Africa I did  a training session down in Kingston with the prize winners, Larissa and Leah Lockwood, and the other part of the prize, arguably the best part, was to meet with David Weir. I think they both enjoyed themselves, and I certainly enjoyed the short training session I did with the youngsters that David is training with his coach, Jenny Archer.

Another election is currently being held in Rome and the Catholic world awaits with baited breath for the baffling smoke signal to rise whitely from the Vatican,where 115 cardinals are in secret conclave casting their ballots. Is it true that religious leaders are appointed by God and politicians are elected by humans?? I would love to be a fly on the wall inside the Sistine Chapel, knowing I'd be safe from being swatted as those Cardinals in their finery concentrate on who will be next among them to wear the ring of St.Peter. Could God be preparing an African for this role ??