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