We might both have blonde hair, and a wardrobe full of pink clothing, but that’s where the similarities end. I certainly do not think of myself as a Barbie.

Last year, just before the London Olympics, a Track and Field Barbie doll was released, complete with running tights, race number, and pink running shoes. A friend bought this ‘running Barbie’ for me, kind of as a joke. Since then, she has become somewhat of a mascot, coming along to several races and events:

Here she is, packed and ready to go to the Blue Mountains for Wild Endurance in May this year.

And the Macleay River Marathon.

For the Gold Coast Marathon, she even got promoted out of the bag and into the front of the car.

A few months ago, when I decided to start a running blog, I jumped online, went to the website, and one of the first things I had to come up with was a name. All the names I liked were already taken. The Daily Grind, and Rise and Grind, to name a couple. As I sat at my computer trying to come up with a name, I looked up at my bookshelf, and saw my Marathon Barbie looking down at me from among my medals and old race numbers. I was surprised to find that the name had not already been taken by someone else, and my blog, Marathon Barbie, was born.