Take this week for instance. With Blue Peter back in full swing days off are rare but on Tuesday morning after being on the road from 7am until midnight the day before I thought I deserved a lie-in. So I did. It would have been nice but for the feeling of guilt hanging over me for the rest of the day, I kept thinking I should have ran, I would have ticked the box, I would have been able to enjoy my day off knowing i have trained well. It's so frustrating being a martyr sometimes!!!  I decided I would go out but in the evening when the rain dried up - yes, that's why I waited, I was waiting for the rain to ease off. I was in Stirling, it didn't ease off.  My next distraction came from my big brother. He may be 29, a clever and relatively trendy being, but he has up to this point refused to get a computer or access email. So I wasted another half hour helping him set it up, (between you and I, I hate computers too but I told myself it had to be done, or at least the little fellow in red on my shoulder told me that!).  Eventually at 6 I went out, rain mac on, hair slicked back and stupidly sporting those flared jogging pants that feel like your dragging a lead weight on each leg once they get wet. (I know it's not flattering but stick to leggings ladies, the flares just aren't worth it).  The next hurdle was the most unlikely: cooking. Yep that's right I had promised to cook dinner and with a run and the England game still to contend with, my day of leisure with hours to fill had all of sudden ebbed away. I had three things to do with no time to do it.  I went for a half hour jog, talking in as many hills and slopes as I could find. Went back to the flat, cooked Master Skelton's dinner and then went out for a second half hour making it back just in time for kick-off and allowing myself some guilt free Revels. (Chocolate people, if you are listening please get rid of the Malteasers, I'd buy Malteasers if I wanted Malteasers!).  The long winded morale of the story is get your run out of the way, tick the box and forget about it.  There aren't many days to go but make them count!  PS - Mocking friends, who I know will have already concluded that I merely poured a bowl of cereal for my brother's dinner take it back now. I made chicken fajitas actually, even if it was out of a packet it was good. There wasn't a crumb left.  - The Bupa Great North Run takes place on September 19 in Newcastle/Gateshead and the Bupa Great South Run will take place on October 24 in Portsmouth
Bupa Team Telegraph captain Helen Skelton says the trouble with training is    that there is often a little devil on your shoulder persuading you there is    more fun to be had elsewhere.