Errrrrrrr! It's back on our screens again!

Is it wrong to think that the candidates on this year's Apprentice aren't as good as those last year? Or am I slightly biased?

Having just watched the first episode I was again filled with fear and anticipation but thankfully I'm in the position this year where my actions aren't being publicly scrutinised. I can now confidently shout at the TV safe in the knowledge that I could do better - well, at least until week 10!

There's been a lot in the press about some of the candidates purely being there for entertainment value or controversy; whether they are or not Raef has already wound me up and I'd be happy if Sara didn't feature in the rest of the series!

However, there are still a couple of quietly competent candidates and my money is on Claire right now. Willing to lead from the start, she's played a clever game; Sir Alan will leave her alone for a bit and the others will have a level of respect for her for leading them to victory in the first task. Thankfully she seems normal as well.

Simon is also one to watch.

As for the de Lacy boy in the Raybans... I imagine he'll be cringing about his performance for at least the rest of 2008.

PS: For anyone interested in the inside story, interesting how, according to the editing, they all only met in the Board Room at the start of the day yet when the girls were discussing the boys at dinner they seemed to know all of their names, despite having worked separately all day.

Jelly babies and vaseline...

Running a marathon for the third time seemed like a great idea this time last year. As I sit here typing this, I can definitively say, it's not a good idea, in fact, it's a very bad idea!

I blame my father for this obsession with running, from a young age I remember trailing around London with a rather stressed mother and my two siblings following Dad as he ran 'The London' - it was always an event and there is nothing like the atmosphere on race day. Then there was the Duchy, we followed him around that arduous course with a boot full of water bottles and barley sugars, handing them out to the runners.

Juggling other commitments with training is tough and Dad decided he'd make running a family activity and joined Truro Hash House Harriers. Following saw dust trails through the Cornish countryside and occasionally waterways became one of our favourite ways to spend a Sunday and my love hate relationship with running was born.

3 months into my marathon training, me and running are currently in the hate phase of our relationship. I started off well, training 3 times a week and finding the 10 milers relatively easy, then as work got busier and the long runs needed to get longer, training became tough.

My main motivation right now is the charity, Breakthrough for Breast Cancer, who asked me to run for them last year. When I'm pounding the roads in the rain, or desperately searching for a toilet and at least 3 miles from home I think about the fact that someone is going to benefit from my blood, sweat and tears!

I managed 19.3 miles on Thursday and that 0.3 really matters! Jelly babies pretty much got me round that course and I'd advise anyone who is training to put a few in their pocket before they leave the house. By promising myself a jelly baby every time I completed another mile it gave me something to look forward to. I feel surprisingly well for it, although the chaffing is pretty uncomfortable, I should have known better - never leave home without the vaseline!

It's tapering time now, which essentially means gradually reducing your distance and doing short runs to save your energy for race day. Sounds brilliant to me. Only 3 weeks to go...