My Morning Ritual

So in a last ditch attempt to finish Blog Every Day In May this blog post is about "Morning Ritual".

My morning ritual is basic and mostly focused on breakfast. I love breakfast and can't remember a time that I didn't find it an important way to begin the day. In fact it deeply concerns me that a large amount of people skip breakfast but more worrying are those who skip breakfast to lose weight! FACT: Those who eat breakfast are a third less likely to be obese (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2824987.stm) as it increases your metabolism and stops you from overeating during the day.

I have recently changed my breakfast routine after seeing a Nutritionist who suggested that my constant sweet cravings could be down to the fact that I was starting my day with homemade granola (seriously, no reason to buy granola when you can make it with oats, honey and a little oil then baked in the oven), seeds, natural yoghurt and fruit. Starting the day with such a sweet breakfast, although healthy, may be kick starting me wanting sweet things from then on.

So, my current breakfast routine is this... Wake up at 7:45am, straight to the kettle to make a Green Tea with a slice of Lemon (Green Tea has been linked with lowering cholesterol  raising metabolism, lowering risk of cancer and fighting off dementia and has just enough caffeine to kick start the day).

Now for my savoury breakfast - I pop two eggs in to boil and go away and do my make up. Exactly 5 mins later I am ready to have my multigrain ryvita, wilted spinach, tomatoes and boiled eggs on top.

I make sure I take time to sit down to eat my breakfast and take time to relax before heading to work.

Review: ShockAbsorber Ultimate Run Bra

The sun has been elusive so far this Spring so when it showed its head today there were only two things I wanted to do... 1. Eat Ice-cream and 2. Go for a run.

Armed with my beautiful new ShockAbsorber run bra and Nike running shorts I jumped on a train for Richmond ready for a sunny 7miles around the park.

This was the first time I had visited Richmond Park and the first time I had actively got on a train and left central London for a new running destination... and it paid off. It was absolutely stunning weather, beautiful surroundings and made today's run one of the best this year. Plus... it ended with a 99 flake ice cream in the sunshine!

It was also the perfect opportunity to try out my new ShockAbsorber Ultimate Run Bra. I am not known for my ample chest and it was awhile before I thought it was necessary for me to get a sports bra - in fact it wasn't until seeing the disgusted face of a personal trainer when I told her that I didn't wear one that I was shamed into buying one. Since then I have sworn by my Shockabsorber Multi Sports bra so when Shockabsorber sent me their new Ultimate Run Bra to try out I was on cloud nine.

The bra is everything you want from a run bra. It is comfortable thanks to its soft fabric, seam free lining and wide padded straps. It is also stylish and feminine being a vibrant pink and purple it looks great under my running vest or worn by itself.

Perhaps it was because I knew I was wearing a new run bra but I couldn't help but notice how many women were running without sports bras with one woman running in a halter neck bikini top! It shocks me that women can spend hundreds of pounds on getting the perfect shoes after having their gait analysed and spend hours picking running leggings and tops in the most high tech fabrics they can find but will still go out without a sports bra.

I cannot recommend the Shockabsorber bras enough - and have the tan lines to prove it!

To my 13 year old self...

Ok, ok... I know I have fallen awfully far behind on the Blog Every Day in May challenge but I am still here and still inspired by the challenge.

Today's topic is "To my 13 year old self..." and this has really got me thinking.

When I was 13 I was not a happy bunny, in fact I was horrendously unhappy. Worse than that though is the fact that I thought I would never be happy. This is largely due to bullying and a lot to do with not liking myself very much.

You will be pleased to hear that after leaving Secondary School (worst days of my life!) I found a good group of friends at University and am now very much comfortable with who I am. So, to my 13 year old self I would say three things...

1. I know that people bully you at the moment and tell you that you "dress funny" in your leggings, oversized denim/check shirts and ox blood Doc Martins but don't let them force you to change. Also, in 10years there will be a shop called Urban Outfitters which will sell these clothes again to something called "Hipsters" and all of those who bullied you will be wearing it, trying to fit in!

2. All of those times you nearly broke your neck walking home from school with your nose in a book will pay off. You will go to University and study English Literature and have the time of your life! Don't let that passion for literature die it will always be your retreat!

3. Sit down, take a deep breath... I know you despise PE lessons and Cross Country makes you want to hide in the changing rooms but you will start to like... wait, LOVE... running and will run just because you want to not because someone is shouting at you to do so. And it will be FUN!

We Own The Night

Last night saw thousands of women dressed in glowing orange t-shirts descend on Victoria Park for Nike and Elle's We Own The Night - women's only 10k...and I was one of them!

There had been a lot of hype leading up to the event and I tried not to get too caught up in all of the hype after the let down that Run To The Beat was and what with this being another Nike run I worried that the hype would be bigger and better than the run itself.

I was disappointed on arrival at the "running festival" as I was running alone and the Mr was not allowed in with me so I was facing an hour of wandering round on my lonesome... but the atmosphere in there was amazing! I met a couple of other girls there on their own and joined them to discover the delights awaiting us - there was free vita coco drinks, glowing bracelets, DJs, Nike and Elle tents. Unlike other runs there were plenty of toilets and a really nice relaxed atmosphere.

The run itself did take awhile to get going and I am not sure how I managed it but I ended up in a slower starting group than I would have liked (not sure whether this was because I didn't understand the importance of the coloured glow bracelet or because I was never asked what time I wanted to do it in!). This was a little frustrating as it meant when the race started I had to fight my way forward and it was a busy start! But once the race got going it opened out a little more and I was able to make up my time lost at the beginning.

The atmosphere around the course was fantastic - DJ stations blasting out music, pacers carrying boom boxes, large glowing globes marking part of the route and lots of people cheering. There was of course some less than favourable shouts around the course... as was to be expected... "Oi Nice A*RSE" and the like... but it wasn't as bad as I expected it to be.

The finish was brilliant - you were made to feel like you had really achieved something, given a gorgeous "We Own The Night" bracelet instead of a medal and plenty of really useful goodies such as wet wipes, deodorant and dry shampoo. And with a huge changing room area it meant getting ready to go out and celebrate my new PB of 50mins was easy!

I would, without a doubt, do another We Own The Night Run... so, when's the next one?

Collections

Today's Blog Every Day in May Challenge topic is "Collections" which I am very chuffed about as I LOVE collecting things!

You will find me rummaging through a vintage sale, charity shop or car boot sale most weekends (and today was no exception!) I am drawn to anything vintage... and I mean anything! I have cupboards full of vintage tea sets and wardrobes full of vintage clothes... I am even due to pick up two typewriters next week.

But... as I have moved so frequently recently - 3 times this year alone - I have found myself having to justify the existence of some of my collections which is when "Afternoon Tea Lights" was born. Afternoon Tea Lights is my little sideline of handmade soya wax candles in vintage teacups scented to reflect the Great British tradition of Afternoon Tea.

Afternoon Tea Lights puts good use to the odd teacups and milk jugs missing their full set that would otherwise be stuck in a cupboard or moved from charity shop to car boot sale until they were finally thrown away. I wanted to encourage people to rediscover the beauty of the teacup and make it something to be put on display and enjoyed.

You can find Afternoon Tea Lights on Twitter: @ANoonTeaLights

Book Love: Born to Run

I have fallen behind a bit on the Blog Every Day in May Challenge but I refuse to give up! Today's topic is "Book Love". Being an English graduate I have a list as long as my arm of my favourite books and quotes but I thought instead of share all of these I would write a post about a book which has recently changed the way I think about things.

"Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World has never seen" bu Christopher McDougall

Besides being the book with the longest name ever it is also a book which looks at the runners who run some of the longest and craziest races in the world - we are talking 100 miles through the desert! It introduces you to some of these runners, why they run, how they got into it, how they feel when they run - it makes you realise that running is such a personal past time!

Running throughout the book is the character of Caballo Blanco (a crazy almost mythical character who lives remotely in a Mexican Canyon and runs miles with nothing but the bear essentials) who is attempting to organise the worlds greatest race between the Tarahumara (the original and only remaining tribe of "Running People") and some of the world's best Ultra runners. This race isnt for publicity but for the love of running and a desire to get back that ancestral connection to running.

Which leads me onto another aspect of the book - the science behind running. I get so sick of hearing people say "It is unnatural to run regularly" and "we weren't built for running" that it was liberating to read different scientific theories for why we are meant to run and why so many of us do so.

It is hard to express the way this book will change the way you view running but everyone I know who has read it uses one word to sum it up - "Inspiring". So whether you are a runner, a fan of epic journeys, science or anthropology this is a must read for you.

And here are just a couple of my favourite quotes (although I could have picked hundreds!):

“If you don't think you were born to run you're not only denying history. You're denying who you are.”

“Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up, it knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're the lion or a gazelle-when the sun comes up, you'd better be running.”

First Job

My first "proper" job was working Saturday and Sundays as a checkout girl in my local coop supermarket.

I hated being a checkout girl. I hated giving up my weekends. And I hated working with people who just couldn't seem to get my name right.

But one thing I did love was the newly released blue ipod mini. And the only way I would save up enough money to get one was to work at the coop as a checkout girl.

I got my blue ipod mini and swiftly quit the coop getting myself a new job in the library.

I still have my blue ipod and it reminds me of the first time I truly saw the importance of working hard to get what you want.

Bank Holiday Fun

Oops - I have fallen behind on the Blog Every Day in May challenge but that is because I was having too much Bank Holiday fun over the weekend! The topic for day 6 of the challenge was to blog about your perfect Bank Holiday and, thanks to the sunshine, I think this Bank Holiday was damn near perfect.

For me this Bank Holiday weekend was a chance to remember what it is I love about living in London so I was determined to get out and visit places. Highlights of my Bank Holiday weekend were:

To Be Worn Again vintage clothes kilo sale
Rails upon rails of vintage clothes and priced by the kilo - I managed to bag myself three dresses and two tops for the grand sum of £17.20! Bargain!

Sunday morning run along the canal
After last weekend's beautiful heath run I was less enthused about heading out to hit the streets in London but running along the canal in the morning sunshine with blues skies was a joy.

Cocktails at the Town Hall, Bethnal Green
To celebrate mine and the Mr's anniversary we went for cocktails in the Town Hall Hotel, Bethnal Green. Beautiful bar space with the most amazing furniture and cocktails to die for: refreshing but with a kick. Not too pricey either.

Canal Cavalcade, Little Venice
If you love barges, bunting and real ale then the Canal Cavalcade is for you. Stunning array of canal boats gather in Little Venice for the long weekend and there was a real summer festival atmosphere. Market stalls and real ale tents mean that you can spend the day soaking up the sun here.

Sunbathing in Hyde Park
Spent the day making the most of the sunshine and sunbathed in Hyde Park, alongside hundreds of other Londoners with the same idea. Far from feeling overcrowded it was great to see people getting outside and enjoying it together.

So there we have it, a Bank Holiday taking in the sites of London and remembering just what it is I love about this city.

Fit and Healthy

Another great blog topic for the Blog Every Day in May challenge. I am not going to preach and share a load of tips I have found the internet about eating your 5 a day or drinking lots of water. Instead I am just going to share a typical week for me and my running.

After years of paying a fortune to slog it out in the Gym and join exercise classes which highlighted my lack of coordination to "get fitter" which in my world, at that time, meant "to get skinny". After watching the Brighton Marathon 2012 and seeing runners of all different shapes and sizes taking on the challenge I decided to give running a go... and I haven't looked back since! Now when I go out for a run it is truly to "get fitter" and with that has come some weight loss but also a lot more. I now view my body as a machine which only puts out what I put into it.

So a typical week for me at the moment (when not training for a specific race):

Monday evening - GoodGym group run usually 6-11k - we meet up, run to a local organisation who needs lots of people to do a task such as shifting soil and then run back. It is great to discover the wealth of great organisations in my local area, meet like minded people and beat the Monday blues!

Tuesday evening - Visit my GoodGym coach usually 5k - As part of GoodGym I have signed up for a coach, Veronica. She is local elderly person not far from my work so I run from work to hers, have a good chat and then run home. This gets me out for a short fast run but is so much more than that as Veronica and I always have a good laugh!

Wednesday evening - Fit-City Training - This is an intensive 1hr training session with the wonderful Ade. It includes a good dynamic warm up, usually some speed/hill interval training, core work and a good stretch session. I have only been going to this since Christmas and it has increased my stamina, fitness and technique hugely.

Sat/Sun - Long run - At the moment I only have a couple of 10k races coming up so these aren't hugely long runs and for now I am just taking it easy and enjoying getting out for a run whilst the rest of the world has a fry up! My Mr is training for a half marathon so these are a great opportunity for us to get out together.

I am also trying to work on my core strength so am fitting in some core work after each of my runs ready for my Brighton Marathon training in the Autumn. Once Marathon training begins a typical week of running for me will look a lot different but for the next few months I am running for the sake of running... and loving it!

What is your fitness schedule like? How do you mix it up and keep it interesting?

My top five blogs

I am so glad that today's Blog Every Day in May topic is about my top five blogs because this is something I have been keen to get down for awhile now.

My top five blogs are along a theme.. I am sure you can work it out...

1. Am I Really Running - this blog is right at the top of my list for many reasons. Firstly, it is written with such honesty sharing the highs and lows of her relationship with running. I feel like Sarah understands how running can make you feel on a good day and a bad day. I also love that she has a sister blog, Sarah's Scribbles, which shows her other side - a side interested in fashion with wonderful lifestyle tips and product reviews.

2. Guardian Running Blog - this blog has a great variety of posts and topics but what I particularly enjoy are the comments by other runners all of mixed abilities. It makes me a feel a part of a wider community which can only be a good thing when running can, at times, be really lonely.

3. Spikes and Heels - the tag line for this blog sums up what I love about it: "The fitness site for badass women. Be pretty on rest days". I love the reviews on fitness classes, exercise fads, trainers and more. And you get to look at high heels too... what's not to love?!

4. Pretty Fit - Honest, passionate posts from a runner who seems to run just for the love of it. When I first discovered this blog I got lost in the previous posts for hours!

5. Life Laura London - This is a really sweet blog which began as a way of keeping her family up to date on her adventures. I love that it is the blog of a running fanatic but who also demonstrates that you can also have other interests and adventures outside of and alongside running. Running is all consuming if you let it but Laura demonstrates how to have the perfect balance.

So here you are my top 5 running blogs, mostly by ladies, who show that running can be an important part of your life but you can also do lots of other things alongside it and influenced by it.

What are your top blogs? And how do they inspire you?

Day in the life...

Today's Blog Every Day in May topic is 'A Day in the Life'. I thought I was going to struggle with this one and end up creating a really boring post about a day spent mostly sat at my computer. So, to combat this I decided to chart the highlights of my day... and honestly it made me appreciate these little things which I would have otherwise overlooked.

Highlight 1: Waking up to blue skies

Highlight 2: Eating this for lunch...

Next to this...

Highlight 3: Walking home in flip flops and avoiding cramming onto public transport

Highlight 4: Eating one of these... ok,ok... two!

Highlight 5: Getting into this...

"Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!'" Robin Williams

I love this quote about Spring by Robin Williams and it seemed apt seeing as today, as part of Blog Every Day in May, I am due to write about Spring and I have spent the day at a May Day Celebration Event.

There are lots of things I love about Spring - the chance to get your toes out in sandals and flip flops, a chance to get your legs out in cropped running leggings, a chance to explore further afield with longer evenings (especially the canal paths which I feel are a distant memory after the dark winter days) and a chance to shed off the thick winter jumpers and get out the colourful dresses and bright nail varnish.

Today I saw in Spring with a May Day Celebration event - there was bunting, folk music, afternoon tea and dancing all following the country fayre theme. I hope to celebrate Spring by getting outside more and discovering the hidden parts of London.

5 lines about me...

Today is the 1st May and the first day of Blog Every Day in May.

Today's topic is "5 Lines about me". As I am a prolific waffler I have chosen to interpret this as 5 points about me... so here it goes...

1. I love cake - I love baking it, eating it, giving it to others, talking about it, the smell of it and people who bake cakes! After all, anyone who takes the time to bake a cake for someone else must be a nice person... right?

2. I am mildly obsessed with running - Discovering running was a breakthrough for me after years of slogging it out in the gym and hating almost every second of it. Running challenges me, frees me from the stresses of the day and encourages me to get outside and explore!

3. I love literature - As an English Graduate, literature is in my blood. I love reading and the way it can transport you to a different time and place. I love the way a phrase can inspire you and I collect quotes which do just this.

4. I love tea - everything is better with a cup of tea, and if it isn't then you haven't had enough tea!

5. Vintage - I was born in the wrong era but the problem is I can't decide what era I was supposed to be born in! I love the patterns and colours of the 60s and 70s, the 20s glamour and the role women were forging for themselves in the 40s and 50s.

So that's me summed up in 5 points! And this is me feeling very nervous before my first EVER running challenge... which happened to be a Half Marathon!