Goodbye 2012

WOW! What a year it has been…

It’s safe to say that 2012 will go down as one of those years that changed my life forever.

It wasn’t the easiest of years, in fact, it was one of the more difficult ones for various personal reasons.

But what makes it so special is that despite the ups and downs, I feel like I learnt a lot about myself, what I am capable of doing and what areas of my life and myself I need to work on a bit more.

Here is the shortest picture recap I could make:

JANUARY

I join these fierce ladies of Teams Bangs On The Run and start running for the first time in my life with the aim of running a half marathon within 12 weeks.

I smoke my last cigarette on 3rd January 2012 and through my own stubbornness and will power I manage to stay away from them for good.

I start my half marathon training

FEBRUARY

I pledge to make it count in 2012

I buy and wear lycra for the first time in my life

I run 8 miles for the first time in my life in a south London covered in snow

I brunch with my best friends and am once again reminded of why I love them so much.

MARCH

I start to understand the meaning of crew love…

And the meaning of true love <3

I participate in my first ever “real” photoshoot for Zest Magazine

APRIL

Against all odds I manage to run my first ever half marathon in Berlin on 1st April 2012. It becomes one of the best, and in a weird sort of way, worst days of my life at the same time. All I can say is that I learnt a lot about myself and the people around me from that day and that journey. It will forever be one of the key moments/days/journeys of my life for very many reasons.

But I wasn’t alone and it never would have been possible without my team of badass girls!

Me, Bangs and Candice appear in Zest

Me and Dave celebrate his birthday

Candice runs the London Marathon and mile 21 earns a special place in my heart.

MAY

I run my first ever 10K

I try to get back into running again with Run Dem Crew West after Berlin

I run in shorts for the first time in my life

Throughout the first half of 2012 I am stressed to death due to the launch of the biggest project I have ever been in charge of during my working career – The relaunch of Fat City Records on 1st June 2012.

JUNE

The launch is a success and people love the website. However, the launch turn out to be the beginning of an even bigger project and more work…

After over 10 years in the same place, Jazzman Records (and Fat City Records) moves away from west London

I am featured in Health & Fitness Magazine as one of their “success stories” through SITC Bootcamps

I am featured on the Nike Training Club facebook page with some pictures taken by Simon Wisbey earlier in the year

I get invited to do the Nike Lunar Run and bag a fresh pair of Nike Lunarglide 4s!

A pact is made with my two best girlfriends

And Sunday lunch plus a long catch up is in order when most of my best friends are in town (minus Martin)

JULY

In July London is calling to Bridge The Gap with the British 10K

And Im trying to run away from my problems – literally

And I run so far I end up in Sweden for two weeks

But only to spend some needed time with my mum before the madness kicks off again

And the long road of trying to get better with my stomach begins

The incredible man, friends and runner that is Beefy is helping me cope

I have the most fun weekend ever when Im DJing at my first ever festival in Leuven, Belgium, the weekend before my birthday

AUGUST

I turn 26 and celebrate it by going to a Hip Hop spinning class with some badass ladies

I sign up to run another half marathon, this time in Amsterdam

And Im running up and down hills in south London to earn fuel points

And up and down hills in north London with Run Dem Crew West

And then I get the opportunity to send a warm and sunny postcard from France

SEPTEMBER

I get to go to a fancy dress party with these silly people

And I start popping all these pills to heal my insides

And I meet up with my best friends to cheer me up a bit

Only to jet off once again to Sweden

To run my second (surprise!) half marathon in Copenhagen with this lot

Much love to our crew friends at NBRO!

OCTOBER

Then in October I run my third half marathon in London

Whilst Amsterdam is calling us to Bridge The Gap once more

This time I run the race with my best friend Cata and it is one of my proudest moments ever to see her with her medal. The pact we made was honoured and it is safe to say that friends that run together, stay together.

Still determined to get that sub-2 hour half marathon time, I sign up to the Paris half marathon (alongside Cata and my mum!)

NOVEMBER

I go to the east coast of the UK for some walking

I finally start seeing some progress with my stomach

And I get to spend some quality time with some of my best friends – including Martin this time!

DECEMBER

I manage to get well enough with my stomach to snap a before and after picture of how I look when Im in pain compared to when Im “normal”

I get to go ice skating with some of my favourite people

And I get to dress up to go to the ballet and see the nutcracker

Not sure how, but I somehow manage to squeeze in a last Nike shoot before Christmas

And then it is home and family time with my mum aka The Flash

I decide to chop off  20cm of my hair – the shortest I’ve had it for 4-5 years

I spend Christmas with these two plus my mum

And I get to have a pretend NYE with my best friends (minus Dave *sadface*) before I head back to the UK for the last day of 2012.

THAT’S PRETTY MUCH MY 2012 IN A NUTSHELL!

HERE’S FOR AN EVEN BETTER 2013!

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