KATIE BULMER-COOKE: Facing down my 30th birthday

I’ve been clinging onto being 29 years old, but it’s almost time to let go and say hello to my thirties.

I feel like turning 30 signifies growing up and being a proper adult, despite the fact I’ve been a mam for almost six years and a wife for five years, both of which I consider to be pretty grown up things to do.

This week I’ve been to a beautiful part of the world that I’ve never been to before, Oxford. I was there speaking at the Pro Mobile DJ conference. It’s the annual conference where mobile DJs go to learn how to grow their businesses.

Now, I know what you’re thinking as you read this: “Katie, you are not cool and you are not a DJ, what on earth were you doing speaking there?”.

Well, I agree, I’m not very cool and I certainly don’t know how to mix the old ones and twos (or whatever the cool kids say), but like DJs, I’m a small business owner in a service-based business and there is a lot of crossover between the fitness and DJ industries.

I had a smashing time at the conference and while I loved delivering my keynote talk, my absolute highlight was meeting Mike Lewis.  

Who is Mike Lewis I hear you cry? He’s only the DJ from N-Trance, the group that released the iconic ’90s anthem Set You Free.

Now I’m a total ’90s dance music nutcase. It’s my favourite music genre, so it’s fair to say I was more than a little star-struck. I lost any coolness I may have had and within 30 seconds of meeting him had gone straight in for the selfie.

I’ve been upping my running game this week, pounding the pavements getting ready for the Sunderland 10k on May 1. I’d determined to run it in under 47 minutes and set myself a 10k personal best.

I love running and the buzz it gives you, it’s an fantastic way to de-stress. Are you entering the Sunderland 10k? There is still time to enter and to train. 10k is a nice distance, challenging yet do-able, so why not give it a shot?

If you’re a regular reader of my column you’ll know that I’m going to be performing in Strictly Sunderland in less than seven days’ time.

The routine is complete, the music is sorted and I have a costume, but I also have a skip load of nerves to go along with it.

I keep having bad dreams about forgetting my steps, having a wardrobe malfunction or falling over. I have to say though, my good pal and dance partner Stuart has been very patient with me and an excellent teacher, so despite all my worries, I am still looking forward to dancing our Charleston ... wish me luck (I really need it).