Wednesday Inspiration - Just Do It!

This video is all the inspiration I need at the moment to get out there - if you beat one goal reach for the next one.

I love the emphasis on competition in this and I have started to try and add this competitive element to my runs whether it is beating my own time or overtaking THAT runner at Parkrun who is always in front of me.

Review: Shock Absorber Active Zipped Plunge Bra

I have been a huge fan of Shock Absorber sports bras for quite awhile now and have two of their running bras which I swear by. You can read my thoughts on these here.

I am also consistently appalled by the amount of women who don't wear a sports bra - there really is no excuse. Shock Absorber are doing a lot to make women realise that wearing a sports bra is important as well as making them sexy.

Recently I was sent the Active Zipped Plunge Bra to try. This is a gym bra and as someone who gave up her gym membership when she started running I wasn't sure when I would get the chance to wear it. However, I have recently started Pilates and it seemed the best time to give it a whirl - here are my thoughts:

Appearance

I love the look of this bra. It is sporty, it isn't overly girly, and most of all it is sexy. I LOVE the plunge neckline and the zip, front opening is a great touch. I think it looks great under a baggy vest with leggings but also worn on its own.

Comfort

This bra is really comfortable and easy to put on. Even after the sweatiest work out I wasn't left struggling to break free as with my running bras. I was worried about the zip and thought that it might rub but there is a piece of fabric under it which stops this.

I have worn it for Pilates every week now for the past 6 weeks. On the most part it was super comfortable but I have experienced some rubbing under the arms but nothing too bad.

On the whole I would encourage anyone who regularly uses the gym or attends work out classes to invest in this bra - nothing better than being supported and feeling sexy at the same time.

And if you aren't sold on the benefits of sports bras then have a go at Shock Absorber's Bounce O Meter - I guarantee you will be shocked!

My evening with Scott Jurek

For anyone who has read Born to Run the name Scott Jurek will mean something to you. Scott is one of ultra running's elites having victories in the historic 153mile Spartathlon, the Hardrock 100, the Badwater 135mile Ultra and the Western States 100mile Endurance Run.

Having read Born to Run (see my review here) and being completely inspired by it I was excited to read Scott Jurek's Eat and Run which didn't disappoint. I will write a review of this at another time.

When I saw that Scott was due to be speaking at the Bloomsbury Institute I jumped at the chance - it is one thing reading an inspirational story and another meeting a real life legend in the flesh.

Scott was charming, funny, open and honest. He answered questions, which undoubtedly he had been asked a million times before, as though he were answering them for the first time. What I found most striking was the way he looked back on all of his victories and what he hoped he would be remembered for:

"I want to be remembered as somebody who has been true... true to the sport... to being real and who hopefully inspires other people to find their own path"

He openly admitted that he was competitive and winning was important but that now he feels that he may have lost the ego to be so focused on winning. Scott definitely seemed keen to inspire other runners something that kept coming through when talking about his career now, the purpose for his book and his legacy:

"I'm doing my thing and maybe it will inspire someone to do their thing"

And that is exactly what Scott is doing. Hearing him talk didn't make me want to go out and run ultras but it did make me want to go out and run, get out into nature, explore, have my own adventures and find friends a long the way just as he did. The way he talks about his journey into running and the impact this had on his life is eye opening and many runners can relate to these sentiments:

"I was running toward something. It was helping me to sort out my life. You get those moments where you just have to survive on the trails just like life. Racing helped me push through the boundaries that I thought were there"

It truly was a privilege to hear Scott speak and he took the time to talk to and sign everyone's copies of Eat and Run. The message he wrote means a lot to me and he wished me good luck with my first ever marathon in April 2014. With Scott's blessing the only option is to do well, surely?

Track Night

I am still now haunted by memories of school sports days and the expectation that everyone in a form group should take on an athletic challenge. One year I was off ill on the day the different challenges were assigned and my wonderful peers opted to put me down for the 1,500m running event.

On my worst runs now I get flash backs to how I felt struggling round and round and round the running track whilst my entire year looked on... it was awful. I hated every second of it, I thought I was going to die and ended up faking an asthma attack just to make the humiliation and pain end.

Which is why when GoodGym advertised that they were holding a track night I surprised myself by not only signing up but also being really excited at the prospect.

A small enthusiastic group of us turned up at Mile End Stadium ready to try and do our fastest mile and then a fun relay race.

In true GoodGym spirit there was a great atmosphere within the group, an emphasis on pushing yourself and doing your best but a focus on having fun and enjoying it. After a great dynamic warm up and slow jog to get used to the track we lined up ready to take on a speedy mile.

It felt like the longest mile of my life.

As one of only two ladies in the group I was prepared for the boys to dash off ahead of me but it acted as a fantastic incentive to keep pushing myself... and I am chuffed to say I hit a new PB... 7 minutes and 6 seconds... with a sprint finish!

With a fun relay race to finish with each of us sprinting 100m the only logical end to a Friday night track night was the pub.

Unfortunately, I was too excited about running to remember to take any photos but I will definitely be frequenting Mile End Stadium track again - at £3 entrance it is a bargain! The track was quiet, beautiful condition and as the evening got darker Canary Wharf lit up in the background.

Thank you GoodGym for a wonderful experience and putting my track fears to rest.