WWMMD?

When most women start a new diet/fitness regime, they'll plaster their fridges and mirrors with pictures of Megan Fox/Beyonce/Giselle/insert starlet of choice here, cut out of the pages of heat magazine's 'Beach Bodies Special'. Let's be honest - we've all poured over those pages and squealed 'I just want to BE her!' before trying to crawl into the pages (we've all done that, right?).

Now, as much as I'd love B's legs and Giselle's everything else, they're not at the top of my 'Most Coveted Celebrity* Attribute' list. That spot belongs to the spirit and attitude of this guy:

Mr Motivator greets every hideous fitness task with the smile of someone on quality uppers and a signature grunt that puts Tom Jones to shame. Bright, patterned lycra is his best friend, and he doesn't judge us for exercising in front of the TV. Plus, he rocks a bumbag like no one else on this earth. 

You just know that Moat wouldn't have a problem getting up at 5.30am in the middle of winter to exercise in a park, or run all the miles set out on his half-marathon training plan -  I need to BE him. As the sponsorships roll in for our run (thank you all so much!), it's time to get on the training and ask 'What Would Mr Motivator Do?'


*please don't question Moat's celebrity status, I will have to beat you down.

Why sponsor us?

So now you know all about Team Bangs on the Run and Refuge, the fantastic charity we're supporting. But perhaps you'd like to know exactly where your money might go before you donate?

£10 could allow a woman to buy her child essential materials for school – many women arrive at Refuge with nothing but the clothes they are wearing and do not have the means to buy the things they need.
£50 could fund a session of play therapy for a group of four children, helping them to overcome the trauma of witnessing or experiencing violence.

£75 could fund a local support group session for women who have experienced domestic violence.

£200 could enable a Refuge Advocate to meet and to discuss and plan the escape or rescue of a woman identified as being at high risk of homicide or serious injury.

£500 could support a woman through a trial, helping her to give evidence against her abuser and keeping her and her children safe through the process. Advocates provide intensive support from the point of her partner’s arrest through to sentencing and beyond.

£5,000 could ensure that twenty prosecutions for offences relating to domestic violence take place which might otherwise have been dismissed, owing to lack of evidence or witnesses.

Refuge support 1,500 women a day in their refuges and community outreach schemes across the country. If you'd like to donate to Team Bangs on the Run for Refuge, drop by our JustGiving page. And if you are kind enough to sponsor us, don't forget to leave a comment in the box below or leave your twitter name on the JustGiving page so we can give you some love!

A massive THANK YOU to those of you who have already donated!

Run Sweeney Run: The Challenge

Last month, my dear friend and fitness buddy GG launched this across the Twittersphere at me:

Obviously, I assumed she was drunk (she's Scottish and it was 6pm on a Saturday):

And then:

I took this as a promise that she'd buy me Louboutins if I agreed to do it (you see how I got there, right?), and I'd be stupid to turn that deal down - I was in. 

As it happens, GG wasn't drunk, and I'd just signed up to run the Semi Marathon de Paris - that's the Paris Half Marathon to you and me. 

Since then, 16 other amazing women have signed up to be part of Team Bangs on the Run, headed by the fabulous Bangs and a Bun. We're running for Refuge, an incredible charity who provide emergency accommodation and support for women and children experiencing domestic violence. 


Now, dear strangers/friends/family, this is where you come in. The lovely Muireann (aka Bangs) clearly has a lot of faith in us all if the fundraising target she's set us is anything to go by, and we'll need your help to smash it. Please take a minute to visit Team Bangs on the Run's JustGiving page and donate anything you can. And if you have been kind enough to donate, don't forget to drop me a comment so I can let the world know how fabulous you are!


If you haven't already, you can meet Team Bangs on the Run and our fearless leader here.

Well hello there!

Let's be friends. Here are some things you should know about me:

• I'm training for the Semi de Paris 2011 as part of Team Bangs on the Run, a team of 19 uber-fantabulous ladies headed by the amazing Bangs and a Bun. More about this later.
• I have a problem with open cupboard doors. 
• I have never been to a funeral.
• I talk to myself a lot. I'm hoping that will stop now I have you. 
• I think two meals ahead. Always. 
• The top five things that make me want to die inside are: 

1. LOL-ing (see also: ROFL, LUSM, etc)
2. Crimped hair
3. Dungarees
4. UGG boots 
5. Shoreditch  

Now, your turn!