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.