Couples that run together, stay together

I love my boyfriend, he is my best friend in the whole entire world. We hang out with each other A LOT and so it was only natural that when we started running we took it up together. But I have a confession...

I HATE MY BOYFRIEND WHEN WE ARE RUNNING! (Phew it feels good to get that off my chest.)

When we signed up to the 2012 Run to the Beat neither of us had any experience of running and we were excited to start our journey together. As the months ticked by our lovely evenings and afternoons of running became full of arguments and silence. As his fitness improved and his focused shifted from completing the half marathon to completing it in under 2hrs he became more interested in running quicker and further than me.

We did the Run to the Beat and when we were waiting at the start line I would not have wanted anyone else next to me... and then we crossed the start line and he raced off into the sea of yellow running tops as I plodded on behind.

Fast forward to now and we have done a 10k and the National Lottery Run together and still do our regular runs with each other. And even though we are more evenly matched in pace and I have even beaten his times in races we still spend the whole run hating each other.

I run behind him staring at the back of his head raging over him trying to beat me, seething about the dishes he hasn't washed or the mess he made in the lounge. He runs behind me snapping at me for going too fast or too slow, for taking up all the room on the canal path.

But after all that, we get to share the highs of getting a PB together, the post run endorphins hit us both when we finish a run and all the stresses we were feeling disappear as we talk through the run and celebrate how far we ran or commiserate together when its been a tough one. We push each other to achieve more.

And THAT is why I think that couples who run together, stay together.

"Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness" Joseph Pilates

For months I have had my Brighton Marathon training plan ready but have been waiting for cooler temperatures and the start of September before I really took a good hard look at it.

The other week I did just that and was surprised to see it wasn’t as full of the long, mile pounding runs I thought it would be. In fact, up until Christmas there is much more of a focus on building strength than there is on racking up the miles!

A new thing for me, which brought more fear than miles and miles of running, was the introduction of weekly Stretching/Yoga/Pilates sessions. I was afraid of this for two reasons:

1. Yoga Bunnies – my visions of yoga classes are lots of beautifully toned and flexible ladies cracking out wonderful shapes and being able to hold them FOREVER!

2. Price – a quick internet search resulted in lots of fun and exciting looking classes but with a price that made my eyes water. The thought of spending £10+ a week is an impossibility on my wage.

Fortunately, the charity I work for was just beginning a 10 week Pilates course… for FREE and for beginners. Without a moment’s hesitation I was signed up and looking forward to my first class.

For someone who has little to no core strength I pleasantly surprised myself with my ability to keep up and even cracked out a 1min plank – it has been awhile since I have even attempted a plank after taking on the Shock Absorber Ab Challenge earlier this summer!

I found the focus on breathing really beneficial and the hamstring stretches were like a gift from the heavens for my poor tight legs. Earlier this summer I saw how much strengthening my core helped my running and I am looking forward to seeing the benefits of the Pilates. I am already enjoying a more ache free existence.

What other training do you do to complement your running? Have you tried Pilates?

Baked: XXL Jammie Dodgers

The Great British Bake Off is back and the nights are drawing in, This can mean only one thing - my baking addiction is back in full force.

This Friday night I opted to stay in and get my bake on for my friend's charity fair on the Saturday. I usually opt to bake cupcakes for special occasions but inspired by the biscuit towers on The Great British Bake Off I decided to give Jammie Dodgers a go but with a twist... they were to contain custard and be bigger than your average biscuit.

How I did it:

I decided to use Edd Kimber's Custard Cream recipe which makes very short biscuits with custard powder in the biscuit mix. These are very tasty biscuits but not overly sweet which can be an issue when you then layer custard buttercream and jam inside.

Due to the size I was making my biscuits I had to make a couple of batches of these custard creams but it is quite an easy recipe to follow so this wasn't a hardship.

I then cut small heart shapes into half the biscuits so that the jam could poke through typical of a Jammie Dodger. For the jam I just used a homemade raspberry jam but you could use any jam depending on your preference.

These biscuits are very crumbly so a steady hand is key and so is patience. A couple of my early tries went wrong because I didn't let them cool completely and was heavy handed with the pallette knife when spreading the custard buttercream on. I opted to do a thin layer of custard buttercream topped with a generous layer of jam.

Unfortunately, due to a continued bug since my trip to Tunisia I didn't get the chance to try the biscuits once assembled just tasted the mix as I went along. However, judging by people's faces during the charity fair I think they were a huge success (no pun intended!)

The only downside to these biscuits is that they are just too big to dunk in your cup of tea!

What biscuits would you like to see made bigger?

“Running’s pointless. All you do is start at one point and run in a big circle until you are back where you began.”

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard this, most of the time given as an excuse from people who don’t want to run and see no value in it. And I must admit at times I feel the same which is why GoodGym is a great incentive!

In short, GoodGym takes groups of people who want to run and gathers them all in one place on a weekly basis. From that meeting place everyone runs together to a local community organisation or project which needs volunteers for a short amount of time. The runners run in, get the job done and then run away again, back to where they started.

I have been going to GoodGym (almost) every week since Christmas and the range of activities and community organisations I have gotten to know over that time has been fantastic – one week I could be turning compost on Stepney City Farm to painting the inside of a local Church. I must admit there has been A LOT of poo shovelling and compost turning and although it is smelly work it is something I wouldn’t have a chance to experience if I was running for hours on a treadmill staring at a wall in my local gym.

But GoodGym is even more than this; they also match runners up to local older people who could do with a bit of company. The idea is that you run to your GoodGym coach (older person) have a chat and run away again. Seeing my GoodGym coach, Veronica, is always the highlight of my week. She gets me out there for a run even when it is the last thing I want to do because I know that she is waiting to see me. We get the chance to chat about everything from how gorgeous George Clooney is to the lack of local pubs and the subsequent breakdown of community!

So, there you have it, running doesn’t have to be pointless!

If you would like to come along to a GoodGym run just drop in to any session, they run from different areas on different nights – Monday = Tower Hamlets, Tuesday = Hackney and Wednesday = Camden. Visit their website for more info: www.goodgym.org

Autumn will always mean new starts

Ok so the idea behind this blog was to prove that you can still be feminine, eat cake and be a runner. After taking a break away I realise that I have drifted a little from this original ethos so I am going to focus on demonstrating the balance that I have in my life more on my blog.

So, as Autumn signifies new starts to me - a hangover from school days - I thought I would start today with this new refocused blog.

Black Tied Midi Rings

When I found Black Tied on twitter I was instantly in love. I have been obsessing over midi rings for months but knew if I was going to wear them regularly they needed to match the rings I wear every day.

As soon as I spotted the Silver Plated Twisted above knuckle rings I had to have them. They were affordable and matched the ring bought by the Mr for our anniversary earlier this year.

Black Tied didn't disappoint. They arrived so quickly and were beautifully packaged in a pink pouch with a cute little Thank You note. And the rings themselves are stunning.

I know I am going to be purchasing a lot of Christmas gifts from these guys over the next few months!!

Autumn Wardrobe

Being a girl is so fun when the seasons change. Don't get me wrong I love summer and will miss it deeply but... I am so excited about chunky jumpers and autumnal shades. As autumn seems to have hit all of a sudden this week I hit Westfield.

And came away with this outfit...

I am in love with my H&M chunky jumper and bought it in the biggest size going to make sure it was suitably slouchy. With a love of vintage as soon as I spotted the pattern on this Topshop skirt I knew it had to be mine. It is tight and high waisted but still so comfortable. I am looking forward to teaming it with a cream blouse for smarter work occasions but love wearing it casually like today.

Let the training begin!

Now that the weather is cooling down and September is well underway it is time for me to stop coming up with excuses and to knuckle down to the Brighton Marathon training. Monday will signal the start of my training plan which focuses on stretching, strength and stamina building until January when the mile counting begins.

I am always excited to have a training plan to follow - I find it focuses my mind and gives me that extra bit of motivation to get out there.

To kick start my new plan I have signed up to 10 weeks of Pilates... exciting!

What is the arrival of Autumn bringing for you?

How *not* to keep fit on holiday

This was supposed to be an enlightening blog post on how it is easy to go away on holiday and keep fit whilst still enjoying your time away. Unfortunately, I didn't succeed in keeping fit and healthy on holiday... in fact, quite the opposite.

To put this post into context - It has been a busy year at work and at home with a lot of changes and challenges. For the first time in my life I decided to book a week away at an all inclusive hotel by the seaside for some much needed chill out time. The Mr and I decided on Tunisia and I have literally been counting down the days until we flew away.

I packed my trainers and running kit with visions of running along the beach and saw that the hotel offered free exercise classes including yoga at sunset... and, honestly, I had every intention of making the most of these. And then I arrived there... and the non stop FREE food and booze happened, and the sun was shining, and there were sun loungers on the beach and an excursion to the Sahara Desert... and, most importantly, I realised I was exhausted.

By the second day away I made the conscious decision to keep my trainers in my suitcase unless I genuinely wanted to go for a run not because I felt guilty that I hadn't. I decided I would join in the exercise classes only if I wanted to because it looked fun not because I felt I should. As it happens, in the end, I didn't do any sport (unless you count Aqua Gym following one too many G&Ts...) and I am ok with that.

I have returned to London refreshed, feeling more positive, ache free and genuinely excited about embarking on my marathon training.