Heather Fell, Olympic modern pentathlete silver medalist, writes about her life 'on and off' the track.

I EXPECT I'm not the only one who ate and drank far too much over the holidays; I'm certainly still burning off those excess calories. It wasn't just Christmas day but the week before, involving seven meals out in just six days and when the weather is so miserable and festive songs are playing it would be a sin to order a salad.

This week I have still been meeting up with several friends but we have been a little healthier opting for country walks and the odd coffee instead of heavy meals.

So far I have kept the promise to myself to not leave Devon for the whole two weeks although a trip across the border for a spot of surfing on the north Cornish coast might be on the cards. Saying that I'm actually not planning on getting wet but probably just watching my friends - there maybe daffodils out unseasonably early but the sea still knows it's winter.

I think I'm getting soft in my old age, as I have to admit to not doing all of my running training on Dartmoor. I had one good session on the Tavy track but other than that I have been struggling to find any paths or slightly solid ground to run on, the rest of the moor is literally a bog. So I had to give in and head to the gym. I have found training in just shorts and vest as opposed to several layers usually needed quite refreshing, but the sessions I was set were not as enjoyable. In order to maintain some speed I have been doing some interval sets but was slightly surprised when the treadmill wouldn't reach the miles per hour I required. I certainly got a few strange looks in the gym when pounding away next to people still recovering from Christmas with a steady walk or barely a jog.