For those of you who don't know, I am running the London marathon this year.  I was a little lost last summer and just decided I needed a goal to get my butt into gear and to get me motivated. Every year I go and see it and, no doubt like a lot of people, I come away saying...'I'm going to do it next year' but never really get round to actually doing it.  My Husband ran it in 2002 and I've always wanted to do it before I was 30...So this is the last year I could do it.

I am loving it!!
I never thought I'd hear myself say that but yes...I am loving my training.  I love the constant eating (Although it is bloody expensive) I love working out when to stop eating so I won't get a stitch, I love my dance pants and my gross trainers.  I love getting up and going for a recovery run before breakfast, I love doing a a 40 minute Threshold run round the common and I love the fact that my ass is the highest it has ever been...Ever!!!  It's strange how much my bodyshape is changing gradually.  Last night I went for my longest run yet - 1 hour and 45 minutes and I just felt so great afterwards.  I ran from work and zigzagged across all the bridges all the way down to Albert bridge which was just soooo beautiful.  If you can get somebody to kiss you whilst standing on Albert Bridge, you are a very lucky person.  Remember to look up as you cross it:




I then went into Battersea Park where I had to go for a wee behind a tree because I was desperate and I still had another 45 minutes to run!  By the time I got out of Battersea park I was pretty much going back the route I had come and so needed an extra boost to push me on home.
Out came the ipod.  Now I don't like listening to music with headphones mainly because I like to sing along at the top of my voice, or I can't help but dance..Not great when you're on a tube.  But the main reason is because I don't like being that unaware of my surrounds.  I will always take a book on a long journey as opposed to an ipod.  However I knew I would need something if I was going to be running for 5 hours so I asked Bro dude and Sister with massive laugh for an Ipod shuffle for christmas and My Husband put her treadmill track on it. 
It is amazing the difference it makes.  I have discovered my favourite tracks to run to are all of Girls Aloud's songs, Eminem 8 mile and The Pussycat dolls.  All have brilliant beats that make you believe you can do...You can actually run a freaking marathon!!
And all that - believe it or not - relates to my show.  Music.  I always need music or the radio on in the background when I'm working and it influences what I put on stage, the ideas that I come up with.  I always like to have music in a show - dancing, singing or just with regards to the front of house music which I spend a lot of time picking.  It's an important factor.  I went to a comedy night of a really big double act and the music I walked into made me want to kill myself.  On the other hand, I went to see Graham Poole's film night at the Albany and their FOH music was absolutely brilliant.  It was all old school rocking tunes that got me and my friend bopping away in our seats.
I also saw The beautiful Mighty Boosh on Jonathon Ross and he was asking them who their influences were and they mostly named musicians and bands.  Music had influenced them more than comedy.  I'm not saying that is entirely the case with me but unfortunately there is so much shit comedy out there these days that I guess it's not surprising that people are looking to other artistic forms to inspire and encourage them, me included.  Film, I think is a very big influence on my work.

In the next show - Easter extravaganza on Tues 11th march - I am doing another solo piece which has come about from Jamie Lee Curtis in True lies and Marion Coutillard as Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose.


Whether it's funny or not is another matter...Hopefully you'll be able to judge for yourselves.
Until next time
Love
matt's little sister xxx

Ps.  If you want to sponser me for the marathon is for a really worthwhile cause, would really appreciate it: My sponser page.
Hopefully I won't end up looking like this: