I felt like a student again when packing up my car to leave home last Sunday after a lovely few weeks back in Devon.

As well as the usual training kit I had a car boot full of newly washed clothes (my washing machine had broken – I'm not that lazy) plus some delicious home cooked food, but I do have to admit my oven hadn't broken.

I could have carried on in my Christmas routine for another few days I'm sure, but thanks to the convenient timing of the South West Intercounties cross-country in Exeter it made sense to head on up the M5 straight after. Having said that, the timing did not work quite so well for me to deliver a strong race result so soon after too much Christmas cake.

After the copious amounts of food I consumed over the holidays, I, like so many, have started the year with great intentions. I haven't made any actual new year's resolutions but intend to be as healthy as possible in all areas of my life.

The gyms are now buzzing, the fruit and veg is flying off the shelves and I'm sure alcohol sales are down; for how long is the question? Sometimes there can be small distractions away from these best intentions; it was Sunday morning in London that I found myself incredibly frustrated while on my health quest.

In the search of anything that was fresh and not containing additives I came across some fruit in the third shop I visited, I should not have got my hopes up. There was the choice of squeegee red apples, puffy green apples and brown bananas, what chance does our nation have when chocolate and sweets are made to be incomparably more attractive.