Running and Shopping - What Girls Do Best!

Long before running became a passion of mine, I have loved to shop.For everything! Put me in any kind of retail situation and I will invariably end up parting with my hard earned cash. Take last night, for example. Whilst dinner was baking away in the oven (lasangne...Mmmmm...) I decided to pop down to the local supermarket and grab a bag of salad. Just that - Salad. Now, I know where the 'salad' aisle is in Tesco's.. you go in the door, turn right, and there it is. Unfortunately, I also know where the running magazines are.. and so as I entered the shop, I found myself sidling over to the left, thinking 'I'll just pick up Women's Running while I'm here...save coming back'! And before you know it, almost an hour has passed, my car is loaded up with not only Women's Running, but 2 new cookbooks (lots of pasta recipes, for 'carbing up'!!), some energy bars and gels (for the Sunday long runs.. may as well stock up now!) and some hair masks (um... will come back to that when I have thought of an excuse). And I had forgotten the salad - and burnt the lasangne...! Still.. I had new stuff... ;-)

Now, given how carried away I get when I'm just in Tesco's, you can imagine how I am once I get inside a running shop! As soon as I got into running, I got into buying running 'Stuff'. New trainers (essential - mainly as I didn't actually have any old ones!!), sweat wicking running tops (again...essential, I sweat perspire glow a LOT!) and seamless, non-rubbing Capri's. At first, I shopped for comfort reasons - my old, laze-around-the-house tracksuit wasn't really designed to do much more than slouch on the sofa and by the end of 10 minutes running would feel heavy, scratchy and like it was sticking to some very undignified parts of me!! So, reading around, I headed to the nearest sports shop and started trying on the 'proper gear'. Which is when I made my discovery: Running clothes can look GOOD! Get the right cut of top and some flattering colours.. and you can most definitely run in style!

Unfortunately for me, my discovery of stylish technical clothes did not coincide with discovering the less expensive shops and websites! This took a while - and it took even longer to find all the things I wanted, in the colours I wanted, all in the right size! I did, however, eventually create a list of all my favourite shopping sites - including:

Nike.com Just because I love Nike, rather than because it's generally cheap! They do some fantastic running stuff in bright colours and unusual prints to make you stand out on your run! My only grumble with this is I find the website frustratingly slow - but that may just be my computer!

Sheactive - A great variety of running clothes, all for girls! And, if you go to the actual shop in Brighton, really friendly, helpful staff :-)

Achillesheel.co.uk - Some great bargains if your happy to go with last seasons colours

wiggle.co.uk - A good range of running clothes, as well as catering for other sports - and good prices. Takes some rummaging though but you can get bargains again (can you tell I like bargains??!)


So, all these running shops have kept me happily spending my money for the last couple of years. Now, however, I have decided to go from shopper, to seller! And so, collecting up all my favourite running clothes (a combination of clothes I have tried and recommend, and clothes I have coveted but not yet got round to buying...!), I put them into my running store. But why stop at clothes? Before I knew it, I had added running books (I love to read...so can recommend majority of the ones I picked to sell, and the rest, like the clothes, are on my 'wanted' list!), cook books (LOVE to cook - and they are all running and sport focused!) and nutrition - from Nak'd and Trek bars (completely natural bars which are great for pre and post run - the Trek ones are designed for sport and perfect carb: protein ratio...and taste divine!) to gels, protein bars and the Cliff Shot Blok's that I will be using at the Brighton Marathon. My shop, basically, turned into my 'wanted' list!

Now, the shopping site that I use means that the products are sold through Amazon, and I get a small percentage of the sales. All good, as customers get the same security as if they are buying direct from Amazon, and the same low prices.. however, this did mean I had to search through the Amazon site to add the individual products (you can just add a whole section of the site, e.g. running clothes or sports, but I only wanted to include items I had personally checked I liked!). And somehow, by the end of setting up shop.. I was the owner of a gorgeous new Nike Storm Fly jacket... whoops!

So, please feel free to browse my shopping page - I will be adding to it as I try out new products :-)

Fitness Classes for Runners

During my previous attempts at following training plans, I tended to be a little 'lazy' about doing anything other than the actual running. Yes, I was well aware that cross training and targeted conditioning work could help prevent the muscular imbalances which can arise when you do nothing but pound the pavements everyday.. but, I liked to run. Sitting pedalling on a bike or pulling myself lap - by - lap around a swimming pool just seemed, well, a bit boring really! And as for the squats, lunges and complicated movements involving gym balls, kettlebells or some other equally ominous-sounding piece of equipment - well that was just hard! And not in the painful-but-weirdly-fun kind of way that running was... it was just hard, painful... and if I'm honest, simply left me feeling annoyed and more than a little grumpy! Not pleasant for anyone.

My opinion on this cross-training was however rather forcibly changed when, having ignored all sensible advice being thrown at me, I both upped my training rather quickly and replaced cross training with... well, running! I couldn't get enough of it - or the 'runners high' that it gave me each night. My body, however, disagreed and after a few warning grumbles - and, to be fair to my legs, quite a lot of shouting - I was signed off from running with very painful shin splints. Any kind of weight bearing exercise felt like agony - even walking - and sudden drop in exercise made me a pretty grumpy person to be around!

After a couple of weeks sitting around feeling sorry for myself, I gradually came to accept that I was going to have to find some other form of exercise and so, with a slightly grumpy attitude and the phrase 'I'd rather be running' practically tattooed across my forehead, I started experimenting. Any activity which didn't hurt, I tried - and, to my surprise, I started to find I enjoyed it! OK, maybe not all of it... but using my body in lots of different ways was both challenging and made me much more aware of my strengths and weaknesses - something which, when I returned to running, I was very grateful for!

All the cross training I had done meant that I returned to running a stronger person than when I had been forced to stop - both physically (I now had strong everything, rather than just strong legs!) and mentally (doing and hour and a half of swimming when you find even 5 minutes excruciatingly boring is most definitely mentally challenging!!) - and, at the start of marathon training, I vowed to keep it up!

Given that I do the majority of my running alone, I have now opted for group classes for my non-running days - working out with other is a massive motivation boost and keeps me looking forward to going. Plus, there's the added bonus that, if your not feeling enthusiastic one day, chances are any friends you have made will drag you along anyway! Most gyms these days offer a huge range of classes - many of which can have benefits for runners. The ones I have been going to, and the ones I credit with keeping me injury free (so far...!), faster in speed work and stronger up hills are:

Body Pump

This is a non-impact resistance training class which works every major muscle group in your body. Using barbells and adjustable weights, you squat, press, lift and curl for up to 800 reps - and you feel it! The class is done to energising music and you have control over just how much weight you are using - so start low and increase every 6 weeks or so as you get stronger! I found this class brilliant for helping me with both speed and hill work, finding the hills now that I am stronger. The fact that it works all muscles evenly is good as well, helping to prevent imbalances, and keeping the arms looking as toned as the legs!

Body Conditioning

This class is very similar to body pump, only using handheld weights, or simply your own bodyweight. Again, lots of lunges, squats, press ups and sit-ups - and lots of sore muscles the next day! A great class for toning and a good introduction before body pump if you haven't done any strength work before.

Spin

I love this class! Its a brilliant cardiovascular workout and, being non-impact, is good to give your joints a break from all the running. It will strengthen your legs as well - so a good running alternative. Be warned though - its hard! The bonus is that you choose just how hard, as you control the resistance on the pedals (how hard you have to push...!) and the speed - although the instructor is very motivating and will encourage you to give it your all. The workout is again done to loud, upbeat music, and the setting is a bit like going to a night club (very odd when you go at 9am...) - but that all helps to keep you going! Also a great calorie burner, which never hurts ;-)

Circuits

This is a class which again works all of your body, but in short, intensive bursts. You will get your heart pumping as you run, skip or jump, and your muscles burning as you alternate sets of press ups, sit ups, squats, lunges and more. Because you constantly swop activity, the class never gets boring - and it never hurts for too long!! A good, fun class for both strengthening and cardio work.


Yoga and Pilates

I have grouped these together as I use them for a similar reason - to strengthen my core (I find pilates best for this but yoga is also good) and to stretch out my hard-working muscles - both essential factors in keeping injury free! I have to admit, it took me a while to appreciate the classes as I enjoy high-impact, high-energy exercise - but when you get into to 'zone', these are relaxing and a lovely class to do on a rest day, or after a stressful day at work. I like to follow with a sauna and steam room session when I have time!


So with all those classes, I keep pretty busy! Anyone else use other gym classes to boost their running?

The weeks training - breaking new records!

This week marked the start of my 'serious' training - seen as such simply because the rest of my training plan is now all on the same page! Looking at what I am doing each day, I can now clearly see the words 'Race Day' written in bold, a mere 9 weeks of training away (Gulp!). Only the week before, I could put all the technical details on pace, carbohydrate consumption and recovery details to one side, to be 'looked at later'... now, it is later... and it's time to start thinking! And, as my plan smugly reminded me, time to up the effort...

And so, armed with my trusty calculator and the stores of articles I have been putting off reading for the last 10 weeks, I started on the task of 'getting serious'. First thing was the pace - this week marked the start of sessions which included the words 'faster than race pace', 'at race pace' and 'slower than race pace', so now was the time to finally decide on what that race pace was going to be! Since my last blog about pace, I have been giving a lot more thought on the speed I want to/ will be physically capable of running at for a full 26.2 miles, and I had vaguely decided to settle for 10 min/ miles until at least the halfway point - then if I feel good, I can go a bit faster. This would mean I complete the marathon in around 4.30 hours, a time that seems more realistic for my first marathon.

Now, given that my average pace for each run was 8.30 min/ miles (yes I'm not good at varying it!!), the 'faster than race pace' parts don't seem to be a problem. This covered all of the sessions from Monday - Saturday, so I happily did:

Monday: Rest (I am very good at this....!!)

Tuesday: 40 mins steady followed by 4 x 100m strides (got my maths wrong, so this was actually 40mins steady, 4 x 161m strides.. oops). Loved the strides as like ending a session feeling like I have really pushed myself!

Wednesday: Body conditioning class - full of squats, lunges and sit-ups which made me suitable sore the next day!

Thursday: This was meant to be a 50min steady run, however I have just joined a running club (more on that later..), so did the club session which was half an hour of Paarlauf (basically like a relay, so speed work with a short recovery in between).

Friday: 30 minutes of squats, lunges, sit ups, push ups and the plank (ugh) - at home as couldn't make it to the gym, so all without weights this time.

Saturday: 40 minute hill run. This was tough (still not liking those hills!) but again, really makes me feel like I have achieved something at the end so secretly do enjoy it! Was very, very muddy though (as you can see from my shoes!) - I was covered in mud from head to toe by the end!

So, that was all the 'fast' sessions done.. and then there was Sunday - the day of the long run! After last weeks attempt, I was feeling a little nervous about this. I was scheduled to run 12 miles - and last time I had failed to do 9! So, wanting to make it a little easier on myself (I figured it was important to get the miles in and have a good run than massively push myself and potentially not make it!), I chose to go along the Cuckoo Trail - a nice, flat, tarmac (mud free!) path. Now, according to all the information I had read, I needed to be doing the long run at about 30 - 45 seconds slower than my marathon pace, so for me, that would be between 10.30 and 10.45 min/ miles. So, I plugged all the distance/ pace details into my garmin, filled up my water bottle, and off I went... at 8.30 min/miles!

Quickly realising my error, after the first mile I forced myself to slow to an easy jog (weird how hard it is to go slow! Or, slower than I am used to anyway..). Even a slow jog however only got me to 9.20 min/ miles - and I simply couldn't make myself go any slower! Giving up on the 10.30 min/mile plan, I decided to go for consistency - and this, I found, I could do! Every mile from then on was between 9.20 and 9.24 - and it all felt comfortable! All giving me confidence in my training plan - I had just completed the longest run I have ever done (only ever run 10 miles before, and that was in a race. Longest training run was 8 miles...) and I felt... fine!

Well, I say fine... my water ran out at mile 9 (need a bigger bottle!), and by mile 10 I felt STARVING! So, next time... more water, and something to snack on or give me a bit on energy - I am tempted to start trying out the gels, but I have to admit, I am putting it off as I just can't imagine them tasting very nice! But, in term of my legs coping... I was feeling great :-)  All in all... a good week of running!

Power lunches for work days - my favourite lunch time recipes

Now that I've decided to pay a bit more attention to my diet, I have had to start being much more organised during the week. Grabbing a quick sandwich on the way to work - or, on my 'healthy' feeling days, a supermarket salad - may be quick and easy, but it wasn't doing much for my post-work running, or my bank balance for that matter! So, back to planning my weekly menu's (a much cheaper way to shop, once you get into it and make sure you're using up any leftovers, or making additional portions to freeze for later). Sunday evenings are now spent cooking up a batch of runner-friendly dinners which can be quickly reheated after a late night of working/ running/ gym-ing and sorting out the horse - essential for me as anything which needs more than about 10 minutes prep when I get in is far to easily ditched in favour of the local take away, or a bowl of cereal depending on my bank balance!

Work-day lunches, however, proved to be a little trickier - mainly because I am a) easily bored if I eat the same thing all the time, or if I have anything that tastes bland, and b) I am lazy at making lunches the night before!!! By the time I have got home and cooked reheated dinner (usually about 9.30 - 10pm), the last thing I want to do is head back into the kitchen and start making more food! So, I have been on a search for some tasty, nutritious lunches which are quick to make, or can be made in advance, and that will give me plenty of energy if I go running straight from work. 


So, having tried out a few different recipes, these are some of the ones which have made it onto my 'make regularly' list:

Lunches I make in advance for the week ahead:

These are the lunches I make when I know I'm really not going to have time in the evenings to get cooking every day - so I make a few batches, separate them into individual portions and just grab whichever I fancy from the fridge each morning!

1. Soup - So many varieties that I won't write out all the recipes for each, but generally I opt for veggie version's which contain either lentils or beans - my favourite being butternut squash and white bean soup! Warming (I heat in the microwave but if you don't have one, heat it at home and take in a thermos flask), filling, and packing a powerful punch of vitamins and minerals from the veggies, alongside carbohydrates, and good quality protein from the lentils and beans. 

2. Ratatouille with baked potatoe - Love this one as its so easy to make, but tastes great and is an easy way of getting to your 7 a day (as recommended by Runners World this month, so the number I am aiming for!). I make a huge saucepan of the ratatouille at the start of the week (recipe below), then cook a jacket potatoe or sweet potatoe in the microwave at work, top with a few spoonfuls of ratatouille and put back in the microwave for a few minutes. Another good dose of carbohydrates - and if I want a bit more protein, I grill a couple of sausages (go for quorn ones if want to restrict calories), chop them up and add to the last few minutes when cooking the ratatouille - yum!

Ratatuoille recipe:

Chop up equal quantities of:

• Aubergine
• Courgette
• Red pepper
• Onion
• Tomato (can use tinned but use less in proportion to the other veg if you do)

Heat some oil in a saucepan and add all the veg, saute for a few minutes. Add 1 crushed garlic clove and a few coriander seeds, cover and simmer gently for 40 minutes, or until veg is soft and cooked through (add sausages after 35 mins if using). Season with pepper and stir in a little chopped basil.

Recipes I make the night before:

These recipes are ones that don't take too long to prepare, and taste better when made fresh (although will keep if you want, except the rice salad).

3. Pasta salad - Again, lots of versions you can make to keep this interesting! My favourite is wholemeal pasta with diced cucumber, chopped red, yellow and orange peppers with a few halved cherry tomatoes added, and a small amount of diced cheddar cheese. Toss with a dressing made from 3 parts olive oil/ 1 part white wine vinegar and serve with a rocket salad.

4. Pasta and homemade pesto with rocket salad - I love pesto, but find the shop version a little salty and less healthy, so I like to make this version. To make the pesto, I blend 6 tablespoons  of pine nuts with a small bunch of basil (I use leaves and the finer stalks), 2 cloves of crushed garlic and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add salt to taste (I don't usually add any, but I'm not keen on salt!) and mix with cooked wholemeal pasta (approx 300g - the recipe makes enough for 3-4 days worth!). I have this with a rocket, watercress and spinach salad to up the nutrient levels even more, and sometimes chuck a tablespoon of toasted pine nuts on top for added flavour.

5. Tuna and rice salad - This is a recipe my friend told  me, and its my absolute favourite! The most filling of the lot - and so delicious I never want to stop eating it! To make it, cook 50g of brown rice. Mix the cooked rice with 50g tinned tuna (I use tuna in oil, as prefer the taste, but to be ultra-healthy and reduce calories just swop that for the version in spring water), 1 finely diced carrot, 2 sliced spring onions and a tablespoon of fresh peas (uncooked). Make a dressing by mixing 1 tsp sesame oil, 2 tsp soy sauce and 2 tsp lemon juice. drizzle over the salad and mix well, add black pepper to taste.

So, those are some of the recipes I make when I am in the mood for cooking.. I will admit that some (very occasional..!) days, I still get to work without making my lunch - so I have a few more 'runner friendly' versions of lunches that I keep in my desk drawer for 'emergencies'. My favourites of these are the Food Doctor 'instant' pots - these are basically along the lines of a pot noodle, but with a much more powerful nutrition 'punch'! Just add water, wait a few minutes, and tuck in - I love the bulgar wheat and quinoa with asparagus, leek and mint - but all the versions honestly taste very good, and are surprising filling! The other option I have is the Merchant Gourmet Puy Lentils, which come in variety of flavours (I have the one with sun dried tomatoes and basil) - just heat the sachet in a microwave and you have a meal in minutes :-)

I'm always on the lookout for new recipes, so if you have any other good lunch ideas, let me know!

The weekend's training - post-snow running!

Before I started running, I was a huge fan of snow. Seeing even the slightest speck of a possible snowflake would instantly revert me to a state of complete overstated excitement as I rushed to find my sledge (often followed by acute disappointment as I realised that what I thought was snow was actually turning out to be nothing more than slushy rain, but that never deterred me..!). To me, snow was full of potential 'snow days' from work (I work in a rural area so get enough of the stuff and we get sent home before being stuck there for the week). Not being able to drive my car anywhere (it seems to enjoy snow as much as me and will take any opportunity to go 'skiing' - sideways, backwards, through the neighbours gardens - rather than just driving in a straight line) was the perfect excuse to wrap up, spend a happy few hours on the sledge followed by crunching down the lane to the local pub while something delicious and, most importantly, HOT cooked away in the slow cooker. Yes, snow made it a pain to get to my horse, or do anything with it for that matter, but the positives definitely outweighed this!

So, when the snow started to fall - and actually settle - this year, I was just as over-excited as ever. And this time I had an even better excuse to get out and play - I had running to do! As I already had the perfect winter running gear, the cold and icy conditions didn't faze me and I happily spent the first few days crunching along the trails, enjoying finding routes that hadn't yet been used by others - the satisfaction of being able to leave the first footprints in an untouched, perfect layer of fresh snow is addictive even now! 

However, by the end of the week, the novelty of Lapland-style running conditions began to fade. Yes, the snow was very pretty and it still sounded lovely underfoot, but in the interests of staying upright, my pace had slowed considerably. Now, running through snow is hard work, so yes I was still feeling it a little in my legs, and the ice-dodging was great for my agility. All good for my easy and steady runs.. but attempting speed or hill work was impossible! Speed because of the slippery conditions and the need to be more observant about where I was placing my feet (i.e. not on an unexpected sheet of ice!) and hills because, once at the top, the only way down appeared to be sliding on various parts of my anatomy (usually my bum, which is the most dignified methods of descent..). I was therefore starting to feel a bit conscious that my running was deviating somewhat from my running schedule, and have never been so pleased to see the back of snow as I was this weekend! Never has a bit of rain made me smile quite so much!

And so, back on schedule, I was ready to up the speed and get back on track with the marathon training. Saturday was marked as a 5 mile hill run. Never a big fan of hills, this is one of the sessions that I have been finding the toughest - give me speed work any day! The idea of this hill run is to keep the same pace up and down the hills as I do on the flat - completely contradictory to my bodies preference of going fast on the flat, slowing down to practically a walk as I struggle up the hill, followed by a try-and-keep-up-with-my-limbs free-fall down the other side! 

For the hill run this weekend, I had chosen a route which I have done, in parts, before - giving me a bit of confidence that I knew just how long and steep each hill was! The route  includes one mile-long hill which has  more gradual gradient (climbing from Jevington to Willingdon hill, if anyone knows the East Sussex area!), a short but ridiculously steep hill that leaves me gasping for breath as I just  about make it to the top, a more gentle slope which is a bit easier on me in between - and a few flat sections linking the 3. Now, the first thing I noticed as I set off up the first hill, was how much easier I was finding it on my legs! Normally they are screaming at me to top before I'm even halfway up the first hill, and despite my best intentions, I usually end up slowing down a little. This time, I was almost heading down the other side before I had even noticed! Considering the lack of hill practise during the 'snow season', I am putting this down to the body pump classes I have started doing on my non-running days. All those agonising squats have definitely had an impact on my leg strength - and it was showing!

The second thing I noticed about my run was my speed. Normally, my legs would automatically settle into a pace of about 8.30 min/ mile - other than a quick check of the Garmin as I headed up a hill, I could be reasonably confident that my speed was pretty much dead on this. Saturday however, a glance at my watch as I finished the first mile shocked me with a time of nearly 9.15 minutes! Clearly my body had gotten a little too used to running at 'snow speed' - and I had to make a concerted effort to get back to the pace I wanted. Still, I got there, and stayed there, for the remaining 4 miles and felt pretty satisfied with my run- it helped that it had been an absolutely gorgeous sunny day as well, perfect running weather for me! Crisp, clear and sunny and just the right amount of exertion to give me my runners high - bliss!

And then came Sunday. The day of my long run, which is steadily creeping up each week. This time my schedule said to complete 8-10 miles - so I had decided to go for 9, with the option of adding in an extra mile if I felt good at the end (haha..). Now, the day was promising to be as good for running as yesterday - yes, it had rained overnight (quite heavily..), but the sky was now clear, the sun was shining.. what could go wrong!?

Everything, apparently! Full of love for the South Downs from yesterdays glorious run, I took the car and headed off up Butts Brow, one of my favourite running spots. Getting out of the car, I did slightly question my decision on the route - it was blowing a gale up there! - but I was well wrapped up and figured that even if its hard work against the wind on the way out, on the way back it would practically push me home, minimal running effort required! The weather, however, was clearly having a bit of a laugh at me. Every time I changed direction, so did the wind. Meaning I ended up battling against what basically felt like a hurricane the whole way around - it was tough, both physically and, more surprisingly, mentally!

And then there was the matter of the rain. Yes, it was now brilliant sunshine, but last nights downpour had turned the ground underfoot into a quagmire - so much so that, as I battled through some particularly deep mud, it managed to suck my trainer right off my foot! Unfortunately, the momentum I was having to use to power through the field meant I kept on full-flow for a good few strides before being able to slow down, stop, and retrace my steps to find the now sunken shoe. Even more unfortunately, this was only 4 miles in, leaving me another 5 to squelch through with one very soggy and uncomfortable sock!

Between the cold and wet foot - which by mile 6 had started to rub more than a little - and the constant battling against the wind, I was not entirely enjoying my run! This was combined with the fact that the ground, in the areas it wasn't knee-deep mud, was so slippery with surface water that for every stride forward, I was sliding 2 strides back. By mile 7 I was knackered, grumpy and seriously wanting to stop. My legs had also started to remember they had done a hill run yesterday (up to this week, Saturdays had been for cross training, so this was the first week they had to cope with a  long run after being properly used the day before!). And. as much as I hate to admit it, at mile 8 I did actually stop.. mile 9 involved running past the car and back around another short loop and, with the '8 to 10' option in my head, I decided that reaching the minimum requirement for the day was quite enough!!

So, what have I learnt from this run? Well:

Number one - check the full weather report before going out - and choosing an appropriate route for the conditions! I'm sure, had I picked a flatter route out of the wind, I could have done the 9 miles much more comfortably!

Number two - Put a spare change of clothes in the car, if running away from home. My cold feet were begging for a dry pair of socks to drive back in!! And an extra jumper would have been good, as once I stopped it felt cold pretty quickly!

Number three - Leave some food in the car! I was starving when I finished, and would have been hugely appreciative of a quick snack rather than having to wait to get home. Something other than water to drink could be useful as well - I need to start trying out the sports drinks now I'm approaching the hour long runs as I'm sure I could they would help with recovery, as well as performance on the actual run.

Number four - Don't beat yourself up if your run doesn't go to plan! Yes, I stopped earlier than intended, but then, I had a great run yesterday, I did the basic amount I needed to... and its only one run! and therefore isn't going to completely derail my marathon aims! learn what you can from it, forget the rest of it and get on with enjoying the rest of the running - it can only go better!!

What (not) to eat and when (not) to eat it

Ever since starting my training, I have been aware of just how important nutrition is for running. Not really rocket science when you think about it - the only thing fuelling my legs is what I am putting into my mouth - so eat 'properly', my legs go faster (or for further... in theory!), live on a diet of chocolate and take aways and my legs, along with the rest of my body, will start to protest. And then stop , or at least slow down. Of course, look into it in a bit more depth, and there is much more too it. What you eat will effect everything from how much energy your body is able to make, and at what speeds it can go whilst making it, how soon into your session you will start to fatigue, how quickly you can recover before the next run - or how long you will feel exhausted for... even how well you can fight some of the less positive effects of the training plan, such as keeping your skin looking healthy and happy despite the regular attacks of sun/ wind/ sweat/ rain!

Whilst I understand all of the above, and, having obsessively read every article I can find on nutrition for both health and performance of runners, have a pretty good idea of which foods are high in the key nutrients I need - be it simple or complex carbohydrates or healthy fats for energy, protein for recovery, or vitamins and minerals for.. well, basically everything!, I am the first to admit that the 'finer' details of what to eat - or, just as important, when to eat it - leave me a little baffled. Now, this is probably largely due to the fact that when I get to the part of each article which carefully details exactly how to calculate how many grams of carbohydrates you should be eating on different training days, or what percentage of each meal should be vegetables, or the ratio of carb's: protein you should have in your recovery drink or meal, my brain instantly responds with an 'uurghh.. maths..' and shuts down. Leaving me cutting out (or printing) the article and adding it to the pile of 'read later' things - a growing pile which also includes calculations for mile splits, water requirements and electrolytes - basically anything which could be vaguely interpreted as maths related!

Now, my fear of maths is not a new phobia - I have hated the subject ever since leaving school (well, starting school if I'm honest..). I am, however, very aware that at some point in the near future, I am going to have to 'get over it'. I don't want to arrive at the marathon start line un-fuelled and unprepared - or with zero idea of how fast I need to be running each mile (I am aiming to run a negative split, so this does require a little maths!). The time for complicated dietary arithmetic has not yet arrived - I am saving this for when my mileage on the long run is over 12 miles (no rational explanation for this cut-off point, its just when I have decided to 'get clever'..!). In the meantime, I have been aiming to simply eat a healthy, balanced diet - one packed full of running 'superfoods' so that, even if the amounts are a little off, I am essentially supplying most of what my body requires.

This determination to eat 'properly' got off to a pretty good start, especially with my 'super cleanse' in January. I was eating well, and, by a trial-and-error type approach, was slowly working out how close to running I could eat different foods. So far, any high fat foods were out at least 3 hours before running - longer if I want to go at any speeds. Evening meals seemed to have a bigger effect on the next days running than my breakfast (although this definately has an influence as well). Low fat meals can be eaten between 2 - 2.5 hours before a run, as long as it's not too large (no complete pig outs!), and eating within 20 mins of finishing a light snack with a mix of carb's and protein makes me feel better faster - and stops me suddenly having a sugar crash and eating the entire contents of my fridge later on!

So, overall, I was feeling pretty healthy, and enjoying it - it's amazing how much more energy eating well gives you! But somehow, over the last couple of weeks, I have found myself... 'slipping'! It started with the morning tea-break at work. Now, after the Zest Super Cleanse, I had cut my caffeine consumption right back (I was on about 5 cups a day before this - slightly above the healthy limit I think!), so I had avoiding tea breaks. However, gradually I have started to join the rest of the office... and somehow, along with the cup of tea, I have started to join in on the biscuit eating. And then the chocolate bar run... and the afternoon cakes.. (my office likes sugar, clearly!). So, blood sugar levels throughout the day are rocketing sky-high one minute, crashing the next.

I had also stopped planning my meals. Claiming a lack of time now the hours of running had gone up, both the weekly food shop and the making of healthy lunches the night before had faded out - meaning I was grabbing a quick cuppa soup or shop sandwich on the way to work. Not exactly filling - which meant that, before I would head out for an evening run, I would grab a quick bowl of cereal - essential as without I wouldn't have the energy to run hard enough, but... I was still eating exactly the same sized dinner when I got in, despite my best intentions not too!! So, my ideal weight, something I was pretty much spot on, was creeping up - not something I want, I don't want more of me to have to carry around a marathon! I was also feeling the effects of not eating as much of the 'nutritious' foods (chocolate may be delicious but a bar of dairy milk doesn't have quite the health-kick for my body as a pile of fruit or veg!).

Now, although I had noticed the quality of my week-day runs going a bit downhill, the final kick up the bum which has made me want to sort it out was my run on Tuesday night. This was meant to be a relatively easy, 40 minute steady run. Being absolutely STARVING when I got in from work (Cuppa soup day....!), I opted for having a proper dinner, which I could cook and eat before 7, followed by gym at about half 9 when I had finished digesting it. All well and good, in theory - however.. my hungry brain seemed to interpret that decision into 'I will eat as much as humanly possible until 7pm'..! And so, I did. A huge portion of lasangne, garlic bread and (less huge) portion of salad later, I attempted to do the 40 minutes training. Of course, having now digested food and calmed the part of me screaming 'eat eat eat', I was well aware that that had not been a good idea, and that the run was going to be painful. So, when the stitch kicked in within 5 minutes, I grumbled at myself for self-inflicting pain and pushed through it. Previously (yes, I may have made similar mistakes in the past....!!), I have managed to hobble through the run - admittedly at a ridiculously slow pace, but I always completed it - and then told myself off for being so stupid!

This time however, slowing down did not help. by 10 minutes in, I was barely out of walk.. worse, I was steadily feeling more and more ill as the run went on. By 20 minutes, my stomach gave me a very clear choice - throw up in the middle of the rather busy gym, or stop. Quickly! I opted for the latter... halfway through my planned run, I had to give up! I had never, ever given up on a run before - I have had times when I have hated being out, but give it 5 minutes of pushing though and I always get past it and enjoy the rest - so having to stop this time was frustrating, to say the least! More so as I knew it was all my fault - I was not happy!!

So, now that I have had a bit of a kick from my body, I am back to being planned and organised - having a pre-run luch packed, plus nuts, fruit, veg sticks etc to snack on, leaves me no reason to sneak down to the snack bar for chocolate - and the lunches  can make at home are much more runner-friendly than the shop versions (and, actually, often taste nicer - when I stick to the recipe!!). There may be something in the saying 'fail to plan and you plan to fail...' - and this time I'm sticking to the plan! And on the lookout for some new lunch ideas, if anyone has any suggestions :-)

Post Run Pampering - Winter Treats for the Skin

As the temperature dropped in the last few days, I have been out braving the snow for my runs (out of necessity rather than choice - I couldn't get the car out to make it as far as the gym!!), and my skin had started to complain. Always a little reactive to the weather, and to the drying effects of my workout-induced sweats, my skin now felt permanently tight and dry, and I was getting increasing prone to the kind of pronounced redness that couldn't be hidden by any amount of make-up - not a look that I was particularly aiming for, and so I decided to give my skin a little TLC after this weeks Sunday long run. Having opted for an afternoon run (or rather, having gotten up so late that a morning run was out of the question...), by the time I got home, re-fueled and completed all my post-run stretches, I felt justified in being able to spend the rest of the evening having a luxuriously long soak in the bath. And so, lighting a few candles and dimming the lights in order to recreate a 'spa-like' setting, I got out all my favourite pampering treats, and prepared to indulge every part of my run-weary body.

First of these was my Sanctuary Spa Relax Nourishing Bath Soak. This is a rich, creamy bubble bath which is packed full of delicious-smelling essential oils, which fill the bathroom and help to completely relax and unwind me after a hard run. The bath soak also contains milk, honey and sweet almond oil, which soothes my skin and leaves it feeling nourished and moisturised without being too oily when I get out - bliss :-)

Whilst I'm letting my body soak up all the moisturising goodness from the bath, I get going on the facial. After cleansing with my usual cleanser - L'Occitane Immortelle Cleansing Milk (love this - brilliant at getting rid of all traces of make-up without being too greasy or drying out my skin. Slightly fragranced though, for anyone who can be sensitive to this), I give my face a scrub with Nivea Daily Essentials Skin Refining Scrub. This is a gentle scrub which exfoliates thoroughly, leaving a smooth, even surface for my Sanctuary Spa Brightening Facial Moisture Boosting Mask.

I use this mask regularly, particularly during the winter months, and find it invaluable in rehydrating my skin. It smells light and fresh, and the creamy texture glides onto the skin and is easily absorbed - I usually put on a thick layer, relax for 5 minutes, then top up where it has been absorbed before relaxing for another 5 minutes (you apply for 10  minutes or overnight, although I have never tried leaving it on overnight as have visions of very messy sticky pillows the next morning!). The mask contains shea butter and honey to nourish the skin, rosehip seed oil to help skin restore any damage, and lavender oil - which adds to the relaxing experience as well as calming the skin.

While the face mask is taking effect, I take the chance to smooth some John Frieda Frizz-Ease Miraculous Recovery Intensive Masque onto my hair, which has also suffered from the weather recently - like I said, I like to indulge all of me! Letting the hair mask smooth my locks into something more frizz-free, shiny and manageable, I give my body (especially arms and legs!) a good scrub with the Sanctuary Spa Salt Scrub, then shower all the products off ready to apply lashings of moisturiser - Garnier Skin Naturals Summer Body Moisturing Lotion for the body (I like the slight summer glow it gives, plus its the best/ longest lasting moisturiser I have found so far!), and L'Occitane Ultra Rich Face Cream for .. well, the face! 

This is another Shea Butter product, which is perfect for protecting my skin during winter months without making it too greasy - light and quickly absorbed, but hard working moisturising effect, well worth the money compared with some of the cheaper alternatives I have tried so far! I also love the packaging - a satisfyingly heavy glass bottle with pump-action top.

So, after all that pampering, I feel blissed out and ready to face the elements again... and bare my face in public afterwards without a rather over-zealous 'glow' from the great outdoors!