She's already competed in the five mile National Lottery Anniversary Run and the Virgin London Triathlon and now she's preparing for her biggest endurance feat yet - the Great North Run.
The singer, 39, will take part in the half marathon in October with a team of runners raising money for the charity Shelter. As well as completing the gruelling 13.1 mile distance, their challenge will be to beat former GB 400m athlete Iwan Thomas, who will be raising money with his team for Macmillian Cancer Support at the Great South Run in October.
Sporty Spice: So far this year Mel C has
competed in the five mile National Lottery Anniversary Run, left, and
the Virgin London Triathlon
But that hasn't stopped the pair getting competitive. 'Mel is pretty fit at the moment but I think I could beat her over a half marathon,' Iwan, 39, told MailOnline. 'I guess I have a bit of an edge being an ex-professional athlete as you always have that mental strength, so when it starts to hurt, you know how to push yourself through that pain barrier.'
The race is on: Mel and Iwan will compete to see whose team can raise the most money for charity
She admitted she is slightly daunted by the distance: 'It will be the furthest I’ve run in my whole life. I have been having lots of fun in the triathlon and enjoying the different disciplines of the swim, bike and run but I have never done long distances,' she said.
'I have always wanted to do a half marathon but I am putting myself in the deep end with the Great North as it’s the biggest half in the world, everyone knows about it and it’s not an easy course, it’s quite undulating. Iwan’s told me it’s really hard but I’m not sure if he’s just psyching me out!'
Mel said she is enjoying the running training as it gives her some 'me' time as she juggles her singing career - she has a single out with Matt Cardle and will go on tour again later this year with Jesus Christ Superstar - alongside being a parent to daughter, Scarlet, four.
Catch me if you can: Mel has been training hard and hopes to finish the half marathon in under two hours
'Like everyone I just have to try and fit it in. I’m lucky in the respect that I don’t have a 9 to 5 job so sometimes I will have a morning or afternoon free.'
Mel, who has been open about her battle with eating disorders in the past, said she now prefers to stay in shape by exercising and eating healthily.
She said: 'When you are exercising you can be more relaxed about your diet. When you are in the public eye there is a lot of pressure to stay slim and look a certain way but if you are active and eating well then most of the time it takes care of itself.
'I'd say to young girls it’s always better to exercise and eat healthily than diet. There are no quick fixes, diets really don’t work.
'There are times when I was younger when I have gone with the trends and tried different diets. I did a low carb one once but that made me feel awful because I am so active.'
Benefits: The singer said she loves running as it clears her head and keeps her physically healthy
'It’s just a case of making sure you have enough fuel when you are demanding more of your body. So I am having more carbs for energy. I also have to make sure I eat regularly and never leave long gaps so I always have something in the tank,' she said.
She revealed she did try the Alkaline Diet earlier this year - beloved by her fellow Spice Girl Victoria Beckham - but she can't sustain it long term.
She said: 'I have done the Alkaline Diet before we went on tour with Jesus Christ Superstar. I’m really into eating to benefit what you were doing and it was recommended to me so I tried it. I enjoyed it and it gave me a lot of energy.
'It’s basically vegetarian and involves taking acid out of your diet, so no meats or processed foods. It’s the things we know anyway about not eating things that are bad for you and sticking to whole grains, soya and pulses. But it’s hard to stick to when barbecue season hits as I do like a burger!'
Mel added that her exercise regime means she can find it difficult to find clothes to fit her toned arms - 'but then I just get the guns out!' she joked.
If the Great North goes well she said she would be tempted to do double the distance at next year's London Marathon.
ompetitive: Iwan and Mel are good friends as well as rivals
He said the transition from sprinter to long distance runner wasn't easy.
'Every year I do the London Marathon and people overtaking me saying, "what are you doing, you should be faster than this!" But it’s completely different,' he explained.
'It’s a different pain to what I was used to. Racing over 400m you get lactic acid and have to dig deep and then you may feel sick for ten minutes afterwards if it was a hard race. But the marathon, the first year I did it I couldn’t walk down the stairs until the Thursday after! It's the toughest thing I have ever done.'
Iwan was also keen to set the record straight about a recent triathlon at Blenheim where it was reported he 'nearly drowned' when he pulled out of the swim.
'It's the toughest thing I've ever done': Iwan said swapping 400m running for marathon training hasn't been easy
'It hasn’t put me off triathlons though, they are such great fun. I was furious with myself afterwards for not finishing.'
Iwan added that he's delighted more people are getting into sport after the London 2012 Olympics and that Brits have been coming out top this year in everything from the Tour de France to Wimbledon.
But he said he's disappointed drugs scandals has been overshadowing clean performances in athletics.
He said: 'When I heard about Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell I was really angry and disappointed for the sport.
'It is a good thing we are catching the cheats out but the danger is people tarnish all athletes with the same brush. People might be put off the sport because they think the very best are on drugs but that’s not the case. It’s just a handful of idiots who see the benefits of being the best in the world and take short cuts to get there.
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