Christmas Races 2015

It's that time of the year - where the tinsel and mulled wine comes out, everyone is drinking more and everything has a 'festive' feel. I'm so happy that races this time of year also have a festive feel - choosing race comfortable fancy dress and a well deserved mulled wine and mince pie at the end. Here is my chooses of festive races available across London:

Saturday 5^th December – Christmas pudding race

This race is a fancy dress which raises money for the Cancer Research and is located in Covent Garden which is a pretty great central location find out more info here.

Tuesday 8th December – Santa Dash London

This race is a 5K round the streets of London in compulsory Santa uniform. You will be asked to raise money for children with additional needs but in the price of the ticket it includes a costume, medal and Christmas cocktail! More info here.

Saturday 13th December - Osterley park 10K

I’m actually doing this race as well as it’s a local race for me and set in the beautiful National Trust grounds. I haven’t sorted out a fancy dress yet but hope to put something together. If the atmosphere or organisation is anything like the Ealing Half then it should be a good race: Find out more here

Saturday 20^th December – Greenwich Park 5K/10K

I have done a run through half before and it had a really good turn out. These races are a decide on the day and decide on the distance race. Friends have done the Christmas race last year said the fancy dress was great and even rumours of a mince pie at the finish line afterwards: Follow the run through site here

Christmas Day / New Year Day Parkruns

Christmas can be an expensive time with all the extra costs of socialising and the other Christmas plan me and me partner have is to complete the parkrun local to my parent’s house on Christmas Day. With most of my family having a Christmas hangover and us having a later Christmas breakfast we are hoping to get up and walk to the ground for a festive run in the community. To find out if your local parkrun is running on Christmas day please check here.

Free Fitness Classes in London

Are you interested in attending the hottest gyms but don't have the money to pay £10+ for a class? No neither do I! But I got an email in my inbox this week that I thought you guys might be interested in....

The lovely people at Be:Fit (FYI the most amazing fitness expo that comes to London) are offering 2,000 free classes to people when they register with nimble booking. To book a class all you have to do is register at the nimble website here and search for 'Be:Fit' in London and it offers you a selection of classes to book across London next week.

I managed to book myself onto Bounce - Dancefit class at the YMCA studios on Friday and 'Fight club/Urban Raw/ Cycle + Metafit' at Edge cycle on Sunday (it sounds very scary to me too!) There are plenty to choose from so sign up and let me know what your trying out.

Why you need a slow cooker in your life

When I moved in with my boyfriend one of the first things that he purchased was a slow cooker. At the time I thought it was a bit strange but I let him get on with it. Since we have been living together it has completely changed my cooking an now I'm here to tell you why you need to have a slow cooker to make cooking healthy food quicker and to save on the washing up!

Easy to make Stock or Bone Broth
I don't digest gluten well and the majority of store brought stocks have gluten, loads of salt and other nasties in them. The hassle of making my own stock hasn't interested me before now as leaving bones boiling on the hob all night feel like a real waste of energy and e pensive for my bills. Now I throw bones in the slow cooker with onions, garlic some other herbs and it makes beautifully tasty stock without the hassle. The energy used costs less then a lightbulb which makes its a far more cost effective way. 

Quick Meal Prep
On a sunday I can throw in some veggies and stock, leave them all day to stew, come evening time I have soup for the week with no hassle from me. I easily throw together some meat and vegetables go off to work and then I have a enough food to feed a small army or two hungry adults and a couple of portions for a freezer. With a slow cooker you don't need to spend your sunday meal prepping as spices and herbs stew to make tasty meals. 

Cook Cheaper Cuts of Meat without it Getting Tough
I would love to buy organic grass fed meat but my budget doesn't always allow it. Sometimes I buy cheaper cuts of beef because its getting dangerously close to payday my. Often they're so tough I really wonder why I bothered wasting my money but now with the meat slow cooked in liquid the meat doesn't end up being tough and I'm happy eating a tasty meal without my bank balance suffering.

Add Flavour and Tenderness without Extra Calories
Cooking food with herbs and spices allow the flavours to really develop over the day, I then get tender and flavoured meat without having to use cream or butter. Also roast chicken cooked in the slow cooker is the juiciest roast chicken I have ever eaten, I actually can't go back to oven roasted chicken as its just not juicy enough.

Do you have a slow cooker? What do you use it for?

Royal Parks Half: The race that wasn't!

The problem with setting goals is not reaching them. Worst then not reaching them is realising half way through a race that you never gave yourself a chance to achieve the goal. I love running, I love racing but I will never be the fastest. I run because I love the space to think. I race because I enjoy the atmosphere and achieving a goal (the medal and eating afterwards also help)

The reason it's taken me so long to post this race report is because I'm disappointed in my time. But I would be dishonest if I didn't talk about the good as well as the bad. If for no other reason then to make sure that I don't make the same mistakes again.

I love the Royal Parks Half Marathon-it was my first half two years ago and the reason I started to run when I signed up on a whim for a charity place. This year I signed up for the ballot (and will continue to do so in the future) because it means a lot to me and the views around the parks are beautiful. It is also a massive race-something I should have remembered because I didn't allow enough time for the toilet queue and got myself into a tizz as I ran off to join my starting pen. But I had 2 minutes before the race started to find the pacers, but I stood in the blue area (the one I had signed myself up to) looking at the pacers for 1:50-2:10 - I knew I had put myself in the wrong time and was in trouble. It was too late to change pens so I just ran and did what I can and tried not to be too speedy. The problem with being in a faster pen is that EVERYONE overtakes you, you hold them up and you can feel their frustration. I also didn't have my Garmin so I didn't know what pace I was running so it all went wrong from the beginning.

I gave up trying to get that PB around mile 7 and tried to enjoy the run but to be honest not having the right pace had made me lose my steam. I had also been to my first ever barre class the day before and I hadn't realised that it would be so hard on my thighs (foolishly I'd read low impact and thought I would have been okay!) But I tried to just run and enjoy the race but I could escape the niggle I had in my head that was telling me that I hadn't even given myself a chance and need to work much harder if I'm going to get my half PB.

I finished the race and am well enough to run again, and attempt to get a PB again, but if I want to give myself a chance then I need to make sure I don't make these mistakes again!

There is also a distinct lack of photos in this post-the amount of runners meant that my photographer (boyfriend) completely missed me running round and I was fed up enough that I couldn't even muster a selfie.

Is social media bad your health?

 As an active social media user I've followed the posts with interest and do sometimes wonder if social media is a good or bad influence on my life.

I use social media on a daily basis to learn new information, to find out about events and products and to keep up with friends. (I look at millions of baby photos) My boyfriend has no interest in any kind of social media, he doesn't understand why I spend so long glued to my phone but he respects that I enjoy it. If I go on holiday I am happy to go days without checking my newsfeed and I am far from addicted. If I'm busy at work social media is the last thing from my mind, its just something I choose to check in my spare time.

But with recent famous instagrammers talking about the 'fakeness' of what is online. I'm not naive, I know people get paid to post pictures and wear products. At 29 I'm balanced enough to know people only post positive pictures online. No one shows them chilling out in their pjs on a Saturday night-but I'm not the impressional young girls maketing teams are trying to get through too. I can't justify spending £40 on a sports bra and I doubt many females my age have that disposable funds. 

Recently I've been having doubts about myself and the world of instagram. While going through my digestive issues I got really down about the state of my stomach. I made myself worst by looking through instagram and seeing lots of people eating burgers and having abs. I'm not one to comment if people are photoshopping instagram photos or if people are being truthful online but I couldn't look at those feeds. I went through my instagram and I deleted any account that I felt didn't show a balanced healthy lifestyle. I also deleted any accounts that just put up body shots and didn't educate me, inspire me or make me think. I also added more balanced accounts such as some inspriring yoga and mindfullness accounts so my feed is no longer full of abs & people eating green juices thankfully. 

I love social media and I will continue to use is everyday. But if it doesn't add to my life or make me happy then I will delete it, there is more to life outside a phone. Also I strongly believe every workout completeyl counts even if you don't publish it on social media.

Ealing Half 2015 - The Hangover Race

I've lived and worked in Ealing for over 6 months now and I've become very fond of this little Borough. When the local half marathon was advertised it wasn't perfect timing for my Royal Parks plans but I didn't want to miss the opportunity of running a local race.

But after a weekend of drinking and lots of beer I didn't feel like I was going to make it round the course, let alone be able to run. I regretted the (very tasty) beer, I regretted the (also tasty) burger and I hated my stomach for what it was going to go through for that morning.

But I did enjoy the relative snooze, not having to wake up until 7am to stroll down to the start line. I was very shocked about the amount of people who were running. I wasn't expecting the large crowd-it was double the amount of people who had run the Hackney half. So understandably waiting for the start was very slow. I put my self at the back towards the end of the 2:30 marker as I was aiming for 2:45 to save my legs for my next half in 2 weeks.

My plan had always been to take it slow and walk the hills. As I'd forgotten my Garmin I didn't really have a choice but to go with what felt natural and see how my body holds up. As I started to run I felt good, my stomach was a bit tricky in bits but the fresh air and exercise surely sorted it out. I was towards the back of the crowds (as you can see in my un-busy pictures) and got very happy in my own pace. I have no idea of my pace or my splits which is completely new to me for a race and I really enjoyed not having the pressure to either slow down or speed up. Somewhere after the 10 miles I knew I could finish and looked forward to the eating afterwards. I crossed the finish line with a finish time of 2:34 and I was mighty proud-I did walk the hills and run comfortably and got 10 minutes faster then my desired time.

I loved the race, I didn't think I would but it was great and I loved the atmosphere and running. If this was a test to see if I can run on too much booze then I can! As long as I get the training runs in and build up the strength in my legs.

For anyone wanting a Autumn race I would recommend Ealing-the hills aren't as bad as reviews make it out to be and has been voted best UK half marathon for the last two years at the UK running awards so they are clearly doing something right. It happens every year in the last Sunday in September.

Review: INNER ME 28 day Gut Cleanse

So after having stomach problems for such a long time with little improvement I started researching what I can do, after coming across the inner me page I decided that the gut cleanse would be worthwhile for me trying. If you want more information is this is the right step for you click here

The cleanse consists of 4 weeks of cutting out and reintroducing food that are problematic such as gluten and dairy. There are also limits on different foods such as one portion of brown rice of quinoa a day and only one portion of greek yoghurt. Oddly there is also limits of fruits and you can only have berries and citrus fruits, but that didn't feel limited to me. You also take a digestive enzymes and probiotic with breakfast a fish oil supplement with lunch and a vitamin D supplement with dinner. Although I forgot a lot of the vitamin D supplements, I didn't struggle going from none to that many supplements. I also didn't find the meals too restrictive but I did have to include snacks as well as if I don't eat reguarly I am a massive grump. The other part of the detox which was really easy to include was having a peppermint tea within 30 minutes of a meal, this was great for whenever I eat out and really helps settle my stomach after a meal.

But there have been marked improvement in some areas from doing the detox which I want to go into more detail about:

Skin

Here is a benefit that I completely didn't expect, my skin massively improved. Apart from a few hormonal stress spots to my face I have a big improvement to the usual spots that I get on my chest and across my back. I'm not sure if its down to a reduction of dairy products or cutting down on sugar by no longer having processed food. I am going to try and continue with both and see if I can work out which is causing the spots because I will happily avoid if it gives me the confidence I have from having clearer skin.

Bloat

I've included this photo about how my stomach has shrunk, although I clearly do still have my beloved belly. The first photo was a morning shot and the second at the end was taken at the end of the day. Before I tried this detox I was spending my afternoon unbuttoning my top button of trousers and generally feeling uncomfortable around my stomach. I don't feel uncomfortable anymore and I can wear the same pair of jeans all day long without having to unbutton trousers. I also haven't had any stomach cramps after eating which have been plaguing me for months.


I paid for this cleanse out of my own money and would happily do so again if I needed it. I would encourage everyone to visit a doctor and make sure your digestion troubles are not linked to a more serious medical condition.

High End Workout Buys

High end workout buys by susie-miller featuring a green cami

Well as my budget workout was so popular that I thought I would do a bit more imaginary workout shopping. Trying to save for the future makes my desire to blow all my money on an really awesome workout wardrobe!

How amazing are these trainers? I absolutely love the Mary Katrantzou/Adidas line and I love these turquoise palm and tropical print.
I'm also loving this vintage style nike jumper-perfect to throw on over my gym kit on my way home from a workout-although not technically high end this jumper is still currently out of my budget.
The leopard print rucksack is another adidas delight-this time design by Stella McCartney. I think the monochrome would work well with most outfits.
The sports bra is from Lorna Jane- I've been told that their sports bras are supportive and give ladies a nice little bit of padding to give a more feminine figure.
Below I've selected this yoga top from Sweaty Betty-I love their quality of sportswear and this colour is lovely.
Finally these Lucas Hugh tights have the most amazing print-at £270 they are most definitely high end and only in my wardrobe if I win the lottery but really a girl can dream.

What would be in your dream wardrobe? Do you prefer high end of budget to update your outfits?

I think I found my mojo...for the time being!

Hello, fortnightly updates were not working for me so I've decided to update you weekly on my training. As usual my blog post is later then intended, but one day soon I will improve my scheduling.

Well, I think I found my mojo-by that I mean I had 2 runs this week where I didn't feel like a failure and that was great for me! So here's how I got on this week...

Tuesday-upper body kettlebell workout. As I enjoy my kettlebells so much I've decided to be more structured and split my workout into upper & lower body. This 30 minute session included plank pull ups, floor to shoulder pulls and a kettlebell hold. Sweaty but satisfying. 

Wednesday- I did my first ever 'runch' as in running in my lunch time. As I only have 30minutes I was worried for time but I came in early to give me longer and managed a good run round my local park. 

Thursday lower body kettlebell session-this included goblet squats, weighted lunges and wall sits. I felt this the next day  when going to the toilet. 

Saturday- I ran 9 miles! No tears, no complaints! I had an audiobook and my water pack, got it done and felt proud. My double marathon at the end of September is seeming more achievable after a successful long run, but we will wait and see

How is your training going? Are you training for an autum race or just working out?

Budget Workout Wardrobe Update

Have you heard the well used phrase of to find your motivation you should treat yourself to new workout gear? Well I think this is constantly on my mind as I am constantly looking at workout clothes and as I am trying to be better with money I thought I would show you my picks of the best budget clothes. With fitness being so fashionable the high street has some amazing pieces around. Here what I would choose if my wardrobe wasn't bursting: (L-R)

1. This misguided vest looks so cute. I love the detailing on the back and think it would look amazing through a heavy weight session. I love the fit and the colour-a great top I think.

2. I love this purple new look top, it reminds me of a dupe for the lovely Lorna Jane vests that I see all over instagram. Who doesn't want motivation on their chest in the gym?

3. I think this H&M bag would be the perfect size to fit all my gym essentials and has a nice neutral shade to go with all the bright workout outfit I have.

4. I have these leggings in two different prints and they are simply the best fit, no elastic needed but a nice snug fit so I can run in. I can also vouch that after quite a few washes they still pass the squat test which is crucial for leggings.

5. Another well used part of my workout wardrobe. I adore this bra-I generally use it for HIIT workouts where I need a lot of support and like how comfortable and well supported my chest is in this bra.

Budget Workout Wardrobe Update by susie-miller featuring a Missguided activewear

Missguided activewear
£13 - missguidedus.com

H&M Sports bag
hm.com

Purple Believe Achieve Sports Vest
newlook.com




What are you workout recommendations? Are you a budget or high end clothes shopper?

Getting back on the horse! Training update

Okay confession time- I stayed lazy and continued to not run last week when I probably should have done. I could have forced myself but my heart is not in running at the moment. I enjoy running when I do it...but getting out of the door seems to be very difficult.

• Last weeks exercise consisted of 1 x 20 minute HIIT kettlebell session - I'm having the right motivation to do HIIT at the moment- maybe dreams of bikini bodies.
• Unfortunately no running until the weekend- Saturday morning I managed to attend Lululemon's Hyde Park outdoor yoga. It was lovely and warm and although I struggled with the downward facing dog I enjoyed the class and having a good stretch. I then went to an amazing talk about nutrition with a complimentary green juice and goody bag. This was my first special Lululemon's events and it won't be my last-its amazing.
• Then in the afternoon I ran a very slow 7 miles along the canal path-it seemed a lot of hard work. 

This week much of the same story-my diet has been generally good, better then it has been in weeks and my skin is a lot clearer (but more on that in another post) On the Saturday night i feel over and drunkenly hurt my wrist which meant no kettlebells and push ups (boo hiss)

• On Wednesday my boyfriend got enough of me feeling sorry for myself and forced me to run. Running 3.5 miles to his pace gave me a 10.52 minute per mile average pace. Yey! Go someone else's pace
• On Saturday I tried to run 8 miles. It was hot & my stomach was playing up. I couldn't find my running mojo and cut the run short at 5 miles. 

How has your training been? Any advice to kick me out of the front door and actually to run?

Training update!

Hello there! Sorry long time no catch up! But I've sat down to inform you how I getting on with my training (hint not very well) and a general exercise etc. The picture above is the table settings to my brother's wedding (which is a lot of the excuse why I haven't worked out) 

On Tuesday last week I did my usual interval run and packed up to go home ready for the wedding prep. I found time on the Thursday morning to run a very speedy 4 miles before it all got crazy. 2 days of cooking food, decorating my parents garden and setting up the reception meant I didn't have anytime to work out and after the wedding I was too tired to push myself for my long run. 

Coming back to work and my normal routine I was very run down & full of cold so I have been nourishing my body and resting. Although there is a lack of exercise guilt I'm trying to listen to my body more these days and rest & nourish rather then pushing and running myself down more then I already am. 

This weekend I'm still full of cold but had a gentle 14km walk yesterday and will restart my training next week. But I'm proud of myself, I am usually someone who throws out healthy eating when I'm ill but this weekend I've eaten salads and smoothies and feel better for it. 

How's everyone's exercise going? Are you sticking to your plans?

Yoga to help IBS

So at the moment my stomach has started to play up and is getting quite painful in the evening again. I was recommended yoga and meditation to try so when my tummy hurts I can take sometime for me. I've enjoyed it and although it's not helping yet, I hope in time it will be better.

Here are some of the videos that I have been using to give me time to relax and giving me some time to myself when my stomach is feeling crappy.

They are both simplistic in stances which is great for me as I am a complete beginner. Please let me know how you get on or if there is something that you find that helps.

Starting training again...

How's everyone's weekend going? This beautiful shot was taken on my long run yesterday as I officially started my next half marathon training-it's actually for the royal parks half on October 11th but I have the Ealing half marathon I'm doing as well in September. 

As I love to hear how people's training is going I thought I would do Sunday updates to keep me accountable and to keep enjoying running. Do people prefer weekly or fortnightly updates? Comment below and let me know. But here is how I got on with training this week:

Monday- 20 kettle bell HIIT- in an effort to loose weight I'm doing 2x HIIT sessions a week. On Monday it included lots of kettle bell swings and goblet squats

Tuesday- 3 mile interval run. This was 2 miles steady pace followed by 30 seconds sprint and 2 minutes steady repeated 5 times

Wednesday- rest

Thursday- 2.5 miles steady run followed by 15 minutes kettle bells-it was meant to be longer but I was knackered. 

Friday- rest

Saturday- 10k along the canal path in the sunshine & heat. 

Sunday- 20 minute body weight HIIT 

So that's my week but as its only the first one I'm full of enthusiasm let's hope I can continue with this for the whole 12 weeks. 

Why I quit the low FODMAP diet

So after having some tests done and then coming back as 'normal.' The GP suggested I try a low FODMAP diet. She printed me off some information for the Internet and sent me home to investigate further. 

For those of you who don't know...

I read so much contradictory information on the internet I ended more confused then I had started. Though I started on a Monday morning going for the more restrictive option just to be safe. I pack up a low FODMAP salad & had berries & carrot sticks for snacks-as I'm a girl who likes to snack. I had high hopes from reading the reviews that this might be what would finally make me feel better. 

What followed was 7 days of bad mood, bad skin and a lack of concentration and energy. I have never felt so low of energy in my life and that even following any long runs. I felt tired, super tired and all I wanted to do was lie in bed and not talk to anyone. I searched the Internet for evidence of anyone of similar and it was suggested that it might be down to a lack of food/sugar. 

What you see above are low FODMAP almond cookies. I baked these to sort my problems but then read I could only have 2 a day because of the use of almonds. They were tasty and I certainly didn't feel I was depriving myself of everything but they didn't solve the problem. 

What made the diet harder was that my stomach problems didn't improve. I was still getting dizzy and feeling naseous. I was still having painful stomach cramps after eating and I still felt like crap. After 7 days I stopped the diet because I was in pain and my mood swings were making me feel like I wasn't a very nice human being any more. 

I haven't written this post because I'm anti-low FODMAP. Quite the opposite I think a diet that means many people can now live pain free is an amazing thing. I however couldn't maintain my normal lifestyle while following it and really any diet that effects your day to day life isn't worth doing. I'm also writing this as when I googled I only found positive comments about how amazing it was. I wanted to put a balanced view and say that if the restrictiveness doesn't work for you then try something else. I can't say what else to try but life is to short to stay on a diet that makes you unhappy. 

Triple Threat at 1Rebel

Post marathon I wanted to change my exercise routine-having mainly run for 4 months I wanted to try different classes and with the selection in London I decided to buy myself a 'Triple Threat Class' at 1Rebel near Liverpool Street. This 30 minute run, 30 minute cycle and 30 minute HIIT at the time didn't alarm me.

So on a nice sunny afternoon I headed to gym thinking that I had this prepared. I was nervous but felt that I had strong legs and this was me starting to improve my core and burn some serious calories. We started running for 30 minutes and I followed the pack, everyone appeared to have a faster pace then me but we kept together as a group. I was quite relieved to have the traffic lights to stop and take breathers. They normally do the class on Sunday mornings where the instructors assured us it was usually quiet. But I finished the run section feeling slow and a bit tired already.

Following the run we then went to cycle studio for a what they call their 'ride' class. Having only done my first spin class over a month ago I was keen to see if I did love spin or was it just a one off. Answer I do really love spinning-loud beats that make you cycle in time and strobe lights made me feel like I could really push. Where I felt a bit behind the group in the run, I felt I kept up on the ride class! I could cycle to the beat and feel the resistance in my legs but it felt good. I was a sweaty mess in the class and a happy bean to be burning some serious calories. I felt my legs buckle under when I got off the bike which made me sure that I gave them a good workout.

After the ride class we went downstairs to the 'reshape' class. This is a class split into treadmill hill sprints and then weighted exercises in the centre area. This was not a class for the lighthearted, the treadmills were full on and the smallest weight they have on the bench was 4kg (certainly heavier then I'm used to!) Although the class was great, it was probably too much for me too soon. When we did the first sprint I followed the instructions and went to a speed of the treadmill that made me see spots and I had to stop the machine as that made me feel that I was going to faint. I took one of the exercises out but tried to follow the class when I felt I could. I didn't want to waste this chance to do the class but on reflection I should have probably tried to get stronger before I threw myself into such a hardcore class.

After the class was over I was looking forward to my favourite bit. If you've read other reviews of 1Rebel then you would have heard about the amazing changing rooms. I was not disappointed- cold towels, GHDs, luxury toiletries and electric lockers were all quite impressive. After the class I made sure I took advantage of the posh toiletries and sat and did my hair and make up feeling like I was having a nice treat. The changing rooms are everything you've heard about and the poshest changing rooms I've ever seen.

On reflection I think that the triple threat class was well worth £20 you get to try both 1rebel classes as well as a group run. I'm not so sure I would do the classes separately- I think I would die if I did the reshape class for the usual 45 minutes. I am hoping to go back to do triple threat again when I'm a bit stronger to prove to myself that I am as strong as anyone else!

*I paid for this class with my own money and all opinions and reviews are my own

Getting healthy

I've not made it any secret that I haven't been feeling myself recently. It's taken all my energy to just do my daily routine so exercise, blogging and generally having fun have taken a back seat. I'm sorry I've not blogged regularly and I'm kicking my butt to do it more often.

But before I move on and concentrate on positive healthy endeavours. I want to reflect on feeling crap in my little corner of the Internet. If I'm being honest I want to be able to look back at this when I'm feeling healthy to think how far I've come. I also think it would be untrue if I only blogged when I'm feeling fit and healthy. 

To put it simply I've had problems with my digestion system for the last 3 months. If that sounds like a simple problem then you've never had digestion problems. The knock on effect of having this problem is that my energy levels, mood and self esteem have all been low. My skin has broken out (all over my body) my sleep is disturbed and I've lost my appetite due to all food causing me pain. I've put weight on, been an emotional mess & cancelled so many social events I'm lucky I have friends left. 

I've been going to the doctors regularly over this period-explaining that I don't feel myself. That my bloating and my discomfort is at a higher rate then what I consider normal for me. I don't want to be down on the doctors they have tested me for more then my previous GPs and was very sympathetic to my tears. But after the multiple blood and other tests the conclusion is that I have a slight deficiency in calcium and vitamin d but not enough to do anything about it. Therefore I am left not knowing what has made my body change or how to make it better. 

I've decided to take control of feeling like crap and I've started making small steps to improve things that I can control like my sleep routine and my weight. I will update you all on what has worked and what hasn't as I step towards getting better the natural way. 

Edinburgh Marathon 2015

So I may have mentioned it once or twice but I have been training for a marathon for the last couple of months and finally on Sunday 31st May I completed it.

It's taken me a while to put this review up as I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I don't have a proud feeling I'm just relieved it's out the way and there isn't another marathon that I've signed up to complete.

My pre-race face is clearly not a happy one. I woke up the most rested I have ever felt for a race, going up early and staying in a hotel obviously works for nerves better then waking at silly o'clock and travelling across London. We got there very early thanks to the event coaches and had plenty of time to walk to my start at Regent Road. When we arrived it was very quiet and wet and nothing like the atmosphere I've expected from other races. There was music and lots of toilets which was ideal but there was no organised warm up or stalls selling food that I expect to see at events (is that just a London thing?) I stood on the start line holding back the tears and ready to run the race as best I could feeling that this would be my last marathon.

For the first 10 miles I was happy plodding along, there was good company my legs were holding out and when I passed my support group at mile 10 I smiled and said "I can do this!" And up until mile 12 I really thought that I could, at mile 12 my hips started to hurt and my strength slowly eroded. I took longer and longer walking breaks but managed to still achieve good time for me and kept on going. At mile 21 my legs stopped wanting to move and I walked the majority of the distance from mile 21 to the end. Having never hit the wall before I felt absolutely shattered, I wanted to sit on the side of the road stop right there. The only thing that kept me moving was that it was cold and raining and if I didn't finish I couldn't collect my bag and get back to the hotel.

I will say that the scenery going around the course was pretty beautiful. You run along the coast and part of the course is around a beautiful country estate. But all the lovely scenery couldn't take away from the fact that I was just running back on myself and having already run that way I knew how long the journey back was going to be! The confident hills I had run down on the way out were now uphill struggles (they weren't really steep I was just shattered.) And the wind which was incredibly strong was now blowing against me. I finished the 26.2miles angry, cold and wet and boy was I grumpy.

You would think after all that I would be done, but at the finish of the marathon you then have a 30-40 (dependent on pace/injury) walk to the buses to take you back. It's crowded and there are queues which I struggled with, possibly because I was disappointed in myself or maybe just because I wasn't prepared. 

I didn't want to take a post race photo. I didn't want to celebrate I just wanted to get back to my hotel to shower and forget about the marathon. I had a nice dinner booked for the evening as a planned celebration but over dinner I didn't feel I had anything to celebrate. 

Two weeks later and I still feel I should have pushed myself more but I wouldn't know where that energy would have come from...but I still feel safe in the knowledge that Edinburgh will be my last marathon for the foreseeable future. 

Race Review: RUN HACKNEY

Warning this might the fewest photos in a race recap ever!

On Sunday 10th May 2015 I completed my first half marathon of 2015 and ran the Vitality Hackney Half Marathon. This race was the end of my marathon training and signalled to me the start of my taper. Having cancelled a half marathon in February due to ill health and with an unhappy body for the last two months, I wanted to finish this race feeling strong.

I got to the race eventually after sunday engineering works, I will run a local race on a sunday where I don't have to trek across London. I arrived on time with a very efficient bag drop and not massive toilet lines which always makes me happy. I missed the organised warm-up (but usually do) but did my own stretches while waiting in the pens.

The pens were split up to 1:00-1:30, 1:30-2:00, 2:00-2:30 and 2:30+ and I clearly went to the end, having an achievable goal of 2hrs 45 in mind. I was going to stick towards the back and casually run my own race. Having done all my previous training runs with audiobooks I wanted to test out running without headphones for the majority and my plan was to run without music until 10 miles and then have it kick in for a boost until the end. 

I started slowly and ignored all the other runners around my rushing off, I wanted under 12 minutes mile and I constantly kept my pace between 11:20-11:35 up until mile 8. I smiled and enjoyed the atmosphere, Hackney had a great amount of supporters and it really felt like a community race which I loved. I was happy plodding along telling myself my mantras 'its just a training run' and 'slow and steady' which funnily enough I managed to do. When I got to mile 9 where they were meant to have energy drinks  but they had unfortunately run out! I ran past all the discarded bottles from other runners feeling mighty thirsty. I then decided to put my music in to push me through and decided the finish line was close enough to push for it. As the sun got higher I saw more and more people struggling and I did hear the phrase 'dropping like flies' over the securities walkie talkies. If you are one of those people I hope you are feeling better, I have never seen so many people at the St John's ambulance stations and although I felt comfortable during the run I was worried about the other runners.

Post finish line selfie! I finished the race in 2 hrs 41 and even managed a sprit at the end (mighty proud)

I loved the support around the race and the atmosphere during the whole race. I love how well organised the vitality events are and would absolutely sign up to the Hackney Half again.

Struggling through the long runs!

Hello! I'm sure everyone is aware I am struggling through my 2nd time marathon training. I was reading a company refer to a blogger as a 'two time marathon runner' and I thought - in five weeks that will be me. Now I've changed my mind-frame with every other part of my marathon training except one-the prospect of long runs still reduces me to tears. I have been known to cry by the front door before I leave and the fear is made worst by being 5 weeks away from my event and not got my fuelling or pace sorted.

So I have followed as many online tips as I can-audio books saved just for long runs (good idea) fuelling with nuts and dried fruit (bad idea) but nothing has consistently helped me. I can not lie that I'm worried that I'm going to run out of energy and that I am simply not going to be able to do it. My plan this week is to watch the London Marathon and be inspired by all the runner to kick myself up the butt and tell myself if they can do it, I can do it (again!)

So with two long runs left before my marathon I am planning on fuelling my run with mars bars and jelly babies and run along the long flat Thames path that is not preparing me for any hill. I am not caring about times I'm just doing the distances and as it stands I will run my marathon without a watch and just enjoy the route and Edinburgh.

This is my new 'I'm going get this done' pre long run face!

Summer Wishlist

How beautiful is the weather at the moment? I'm enjoying the sunshine while it's around and it's making me think of summer plans and what I'd like to do over the spring/summer months. If your interested here is my list:

1. Not get sunburnt!

2. Go to Brighton and enjoy being by the seaside.

3. Hire bikes and ride round Richmond Park.

4. Go to an outdoor cinema viewing - and hopefully stay awake.

5. Get a PB (Beat either my 5:30 marathon 2:31 half or 1:06 10k)

6. Have a picnic in Hyde park - sparkling wine is compulsory.

7. Get my swimming confidence a bit better so I can swim in either the Olympic pool or Hampstead heath ponds

8. Run in 3 different Parkrun events.

9. Have a summer feeling confident and not wearing about what I'm wearing.

10. Take a Boris bike out in the sunshine (eyeing up riding along either the Thames path or Regents canal)

How to Snap Yourself Out of a Bad Spell

I've been struggling recently with a bad IBS flair up and while I have been struggling I have been feeling sorry for myself and being very negative. Although I don't have full control of what my body is doing I've been blaming myself. Beating myself up for not sticking to my training, feeling guilty for having time off work and trying to force my body to do things that it simply isn't up to. The more I push myself the worst my body feels and the cycle goes on and on.
As I know I'm not alone in having these negative thoughts, I decided to do a post to what I've done to help when I'm feeling down:

1. Go outside! I know this is easily said as the weather at the moment is sunny so sitting outside in the sunshine reading a book in my lunch hour is very appealing. But even when it's grey I have found that a walk round the block clears my head and makes me more productive in the afternoon.

2. Talk to someone about how your feeling. If it's your mum, your boyfriend or your best friend they will tell you the truth or give you practical advice that should help. I know its hard to admit that your feeling down but sometimes it helps to just know that your not alone.

3. Treat yourself- do a face mask, paint your nails, have a long bath whatever makes you feel like your winning at life. I know it can be hard to find the time or motivation but a bit of time to yourself can give you a pick me up.

4. Avoid anything tight. When I'm feeling like my body is is not in it's best shape I don't go near tight clothing. I personally can't wear anything without an elasticated waist when my stomach is a bloated mess. Bring in my wardrobe of loose fitting dresses where I feel I look like I have my stuff together and not putting too much pressure on my sensitive stomach.

5. Nourish your body right- I don't always do this but my body feels better when I'm eating healthier and if I'm not feeding it well it shows in my face and bloating. Although eating ice-cream and chocolate will give me short term satisfaction I will not benefit in the long term.

What do you do when your not feeling 100%? How do you stop negative thoughts?

How I survived a Marathon

I just tried to rename this post so many times and I feel this should come with a disclaimer, I am amateur runner and these are the things that helped me survive. As April is Marathon month with Brighton, Paris and London all this month I thought I would share how I survived my first marathon last year.

1. Watch the video of the course you are doing!

26.2 miles is a lot longer then you think, I was shocked the first time I watched the video of the Brighton course as it was a lot longer then I thought even with a motorcycle riding it. I watched it plenty of times before my race and it really helped my visualise the course. When I was struggling running round the quieter part of Shoreham I was safe in the knowledge knowing how until I was back on the seafront.

2. Pack Supplies!

I can not recommend this enough, in that little bum bag I had jelly babies, plasters, Vaseline and paracetamol. I didn't need the Vaseline or plasters but was happy I had them just in case.  Its better to pack something and not need something then be hitting 15 miles and not having it. 

3. Have a variety of weather options.

Have you seen how changeable the weather is in the UK? My bag for Brighton had 3 different outfit variations which were all well tested gear. I go with dressing for cold weather as I can always take clothing off but if I'm cold and I haven't got any more layers I will struggle on that run. I always end up wearing more then the majority of the other runners but I do what works for me.

4. Get all the support that you can.

Its completely acceptable to put what your doing on social media-this is a massive achievement and people should send you messages of encouragement. The texts and facebook messages put smiles on my face as I was running round and they will help. Also having a name on your vest so people on the sides can cheer and get your attention by name, you really appreciate it.

5. Have fun and finish the race!

On my first race all I had to do was finish and that knowledge meant that I didn't push myself too much and could comfortably run and enjoy the race without hitting the dreaded 'wall.' I have friends who have run a marathon and hated it and I'm happy to say I enjoyed my first marathon and it continued my passion for running.