Follow the leader, leader, leader

So last night, for the first time EVER, I lead a group training run... not only a group training run but a run for 18people... on a 10k route... that I had only run once before.

I have probably mentioned elsewhere on this blog that I am a member of GoodGym - a running group who also does good deeds - and whilst the usual GoodGym Hackney run leader is away on holiday I have been asked to cover a couple of runs... and last night was the first of these runs.

Earlier this year, I did my Leadership in Running Fitness qualification and was keen to put it to use so jumped at the chance to lead the run.

I must admit I was more than just a little bit nervous - my main worries were losing people on the run and/or getting lost myself. I did a practice run on the Sunday and was feeling pretty confident I knew the way but there was still a small part of me which was sure I wouldn't remember. In all my briefing and dynamic warm up worries I did end up heading out on the run in my fur snood... this was probably for the best because I am suffering with a chest infection... however, I did look absurd!! I did enjoy wearing a nice big scarf though and have been trying to track down a good running scarf so can someone make one please?! Thanks!

Anywayyyyy...Despite my worries, everything went to plan and I really enjoyed it!! I mean, I am not sure if I enjoyed it at the time but I got a buzz from people saying "I enjoyed that" and "thanks for a great run".

I am looking forward to hosting a GoodGym Hackney run again next week but am keen on leading some of my own runs, along a route I choose... maybe it can be a new goal for 2014!

My first Yoga class

I have blogged before about my preconceptions and worries about starting Pilates but that I decided to take the plunge and sign up to some classes. And I loved it but it was only a 10week course of classes and to be fair they were at a community centre... so perhaps I didn't confront my fears as much as I could have done...!

However, I have now confronted my Yoga fears and, as with the Pilates, they were completely unfounded! As I am a bit skint at the moment I was loathed to sign up to some Yoga classes having not cased out whether I even liked Yoga! So I signed up to a Sweaty Betty Yoga class in their new Jubilee Place Canary Wharf store.

I LOVE Sweaty Betty and have always been intrigued as to how they manage to run classes in such a small space. Arriving early for the class meant that I saw the magic happen as islands of clothes were pushed back, lights lowered and yoga mats set up ready for a class of nine to fit in.

Looking around at the group I started to feel pretty nervous - not many of the girls seemed to know each other and I quickly got chatting to a girl who hadn't taken part in this class before. I was reassured that the class was for beginners and we started.

The class was great! I felt like I was supported with each move but offered opportunities to try more advanced positions. I wasn't as bad as I thought I was going to be, I think a lot of that was down to the Pilates.

To be honest as much as I enjoyed the yoga, which was A LOT, I was feeling a bit like it was just a less core focused version of the Pilates I had been doing. But what was different, and will make me book another class, is the few minutes at the end laying on my mat with my eyes closed taking the time to let the stress of the day melt away. It is so rare in my life that I just stop and relax... it made me realise that it is something to cherish and something to actively make time for if not every day at least once a week.

Do you do Yoga? What does it give you?

Doing it as a team!

This Saturday… as in tomorrow!… I am joining 8 other Bromley by Bow Centre supporters on the start line of the Men’s Health Survival of the Fittest. This will be the first time I have attempted an obstacle course but it will also be the first time I have taken on a challenge with a team!

Over the past couple of weeks, depsite my training being minimal, I have discovered just what it is that is so special about taking on a challenge as part of a team. I am a runner normally and whilst I do run with groups such as GoodGym and with various friends it is, on the whole, a very solitary activity. Whilst the active running community on twitter can make it feel like you are part of a team nothing beats really being a part of a team.

Some of my team for Survival of the Fittest I am yet to meet so our contact has been largely virtual however, the remainder of my team are colleagues and in fact some sit in the same office as me. We all get on well as work colleagues and have visited the pub together after work a few times but I think taking on a challenge which we are all equally as excited and nervous about has brought us together in a way other team building activities may not have done.

Creative Stimulation
Taking part in this event together and wanting to share our experiences has meant that we have been able to pull together our creativity and bounce ideas off of each other better than if it was one of us alone. Hence the birth of our spoof training video.

Motivation Boost
We have done some core workouts in the office before work or during our lunch. We have been there when one of us has had a wobble of confidence about the weekend’s undertaking and we have shared our training plans with each other. It is great to have others that you can talk to about your challenge to get you motivated!

Expanded Social Circle
Whilst two of my team sit in the same office as me one other lady who is taking on the challenge, whilst working at the Bromley by Bow Centre, sits within a different project. It has been great to get to know her through the build up to the challenge and have an experience that we have shared together.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the process of working towards the weekend’s challenge as part of a team and hope that our cameraderie continues on the race course!

You can support me through Virgin Money Giving - www.virginmoneygiving.com/jasminemorris 

What are you experiences of being part of a team? Do you prefer to take on challenges solo?

Wednesday Inspiration - Who do you want to be in life?

Today's inspiration comes from an unusual source but it is, perhaps surprisingly, one of the most beautifully articulated pieces of motivational speaking I have heard.

Who do you want to be life?

Never be afraid to fail.

Work your butt off.

Autumnal run along Parkland Walk

I am trying to get back into doing longer runs after a summer of short sweaty runs thanks to the humid weather. I am also keen to find some new running routes in preparation for post Christmas long runs during my marathon training.

A few runners I follow have tweeted about Parkland Walk in North London and as the Mr's mother lives in North London it seemed an ideal way to visit family and try out a new route. And I am so glad we did!

It was a beautiful route. I joined it at Muswell Hill and ran to Highgate, through Highgate Wood and then rejoined the Parkland Walk to Finsbury Park and then back again. The first part from Muswell Hill to Highgate Wood was stunning as you are on a hill and can look across London - in the autumnal sunshine I felt like I was on top of the world.

I absolutely love running through woods so enjoyed the trip through Highgate Wood and loved passing under the disused railway arches and past the old platforms. The only annoying thing was that I kept having to come off the Parkland and then attempting to rejoin it was tricky at times. The sign posting could have been a bit clearer but it was a small price to pay for such a beautiful route.

I hope to do this route again soon and do it from beginning to end.

Can you recommend any London running routes? Where is your favourite Sunday run location?

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.

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?

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

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.

Turning that frown upside down

This week has been horrible. I have been exhausted, run off my feet busy and anything that could go wrong has done.

It has been so easy for me to be negative this week, to be pessimistic and wallow in self pity. But today I have decided to stop being a moody bum and to start being positive. But it is hard to do something which, for a majority of the time, comes naturally. So this is what I have resolved to do...

1.  Remember that it is ok to have take time out for me.

So often I try and fit too much in, to prove I can take anything on at work, that I can keep up my training in the evenings and have a social life. My motto, up until now, has been to say "Yes" to any challenge that comes my way and work out how to tackle it later. But, this week, I am going to make time to listen to my body - if I need to go to bed early, I will. If I need to miss the run or boot camp, I will. I need to realise that if I run myself into the ground then I will burn out.

2. Remember that as bad as you feel now, it wasn't that long ago you felt good

I am dramatic. When things go wrong I tend to react as though nothing has ever been right and that nothing will ever be right again. When I think back to this week, it has been pretty awful but on Sunday morning I was in Surrey, I went for a run on the heath and took a few minutes to stand here and just soak in the peaceful atmosphere. I felt happy, content and positive. Just thinking about that makes me realise that it has only been a couple of days and it won't be long until I feel like that again.

3. Remember that you can't blame everyone else for how you feel

It is easy to blame everyone else for how you feel and I know I do. But it is time I realised that I have to make my own sunshine - I have to make myself happy whether that is through letting things go and not letting them get me down or whether it is doing something that makes me happy.

How do you cope with the low days?

Race Review: The National Lottery Anniversary Run

Today I had the opportunity to race around the Olympic Park and finish in the Olympic Stadium... and it was AWESOME!

I wasn't too excited at the prospect of The National Lottery Anniversary Run, in fact I was dreading it. I thought it would be another case of more event than race, long waits and over hyped. The oversized running top and my boyfriend's missing race pack did nothing to fill me with confidence. But, despite this, crossing over the bridge into the Olympic Park the atmosphere was contagious.

The organisation seemed pretty good once we entered the park - my boyfriend sorted out the race pack dilemma and we hung around taking a few typical cheesy pre-race photos.

There were plenty of toilets - perks of being at a venue designed for lots of people. However, it was freezing and I did expect more entertainment before the race began after having been encouraged to get there 2 hours early. I couldn't even get a cup of tea as I saw too late, via twitter, that there were no cash machines in the park. Something which should have been highlighted in the booklet a bit better.

The starting blocks had a fantastic atmosphere, seeing Paula Radcliffe and Chris Hoy was a great addition. The warm up had a bit of the Mr Motivator about it but it was all a good laugh. The best bit though - setting off almost exactly on time which, in my previous experience, is almost unheard of!

As training hasn't gone well for me the past couple of weeks I vowed to myself that I wouldn't put too much pressure on myself. In fact I just wanted to finish! My boyfriend and I decided to run together (normally in a race one of us pulls away and we spend the whole time racing each other) which made this race something really special as we coaxed each other up the hills and sang out loud to the songs on the course. Parts of the route were amazing others less so but overall it was fantastic to find yourself winding round getting closer and closer to the stadium.

The finish was almost indescribable - running through the tunnels under the stadium, Chariots of Fire playing, hearing people cheering on the runners ahead of you then moving into the light and seeing row after row of seats. Breathtaking (if not a bit cheesy).

The best bit - high-fiving my boyfriend at the 100m mark and sprinting alongside him to cross the finish line.

This run was dubbed the "Back to the Stadium" run but to me it was the run that put me back in love with running and made me believe in myself again.

Were you there? What was your highlight?

Pppush it real good!

Just in case you hadn't noticed it is HOT. It is also muggy. This is great of a weekend laying in a bikini at the Serpentine Lido but not so great for running.

Although I am not training for anything at the moment I am starting to get frustrated at my inability to deal with this heat on my runs. I haven't managed to go further than 4miles for a couple of weeks now. My pace is a minute slower per mile than it has been for a long time and I don't know what to do...

But what I do know is that I have to just keep trying to push through it. I have to acknowledge that I won't be breaking any records for the next few weeks. I have to come to terms with 5am runs to avoid the heat. I have to drink lots of water instead of tea.

Most of all I have to learn to push harder, both mentally and physically.

What are you doing to combat the heat and keep your running on track?

Who wears short shorts...

It's official, summer has hit.

I feel like I have spent months running through rain, snow and hail stones dreaming of summer evening runs. But now it is here, and a few sweaty runs later I have found myself dreaming of the colder months.

I love my Sweaty Betty black running tights - I have come round to wearing lycra in public, in fact it has become second nature. But the past two weeks the temperatures have been so high there was no choice but to crack out the shorts.

A few weeks back I bought some Nike tight little black shorts thinking that I would look like all of the hot runner babes in their promotional materials. Unfortunately, I was blessed (or cursed depending on the way you look at it) with big thighs and a bum to match. My first run in my Nike shorts left half of east London reeling from my constant wedgie as the shorts rode up to places no shorts should go.

Which left me back in my running tights sweating like nobody's business... that is until I indulged in my other love... Vintage Shopping.

At the wonderful To Be Worn Again Kilo sale I found myself with arms full of dresses and jumpsuits but still under a kilo so, to get my money's worth, I ventured to the vintage sports gear and picked out these shorts...

They are probably men's shorts but I couldn't care less. They are flattering, brightly coloured and baggy enough that they don't ride up but still short enough to feel feminine. I am in love. Better yet they probably cost me less than £1!

So... do you brave shorts on your runs? Are there any you recommend? 

A change is as good as a rest

Today finally felt like summer had arrived - I woke up at 7am to the sun shining and bright blue skies. I couldn't wait to pull on my trainers and just get out there for a quiet sunday morning canal run.

Unfortunately, my body had other ideas. I was aiming for a leisurely 10miler but by mile 3 I was struggling, hot, tired and running low on water (which is unlike me as I tend to run for an hour before needing a drink) I was close to quitting and getting the bus home.

Taking a detour through Mile End Park in order to make my way home I saw the stepped hill and opted for three sets of squat jumps to the top with walking lunges back down. Then some leg strength exercises. I then did three Kenyan Hill sprints before making the 1.5mile run home.

Instead of being disappointed that I didn't get the miles under my belt I was feeling tired and had that pleasant aching in my thighs.

So, my new philosophy is that when I feel like I can't do the length of run planned I can only cut it short with a good workout in the middle then, and only then, will I have earnt the right to bail.

Afterall, a change is as good as a rest!

Book Love: Running Like a Girl

I have made no secret of the fact that I don't think there are enough positive female role models for the "average" woman looking to get into running. A lot of what I see around keeping fit and running created for women is focused on cutting corners and quick fixes. Which led me to pick up Alexandra Heminsley's "Running Like a Girl".

Alexandra begins the book as a normal girl going through a bit of a break up, dissatisfied by her weight and bored of gyms and yoga she decides to start running. Like many of us, her first run doesn't go well neither do some of her subsequent runs. She experiences cripplingly embarrassing moments attempting to purchase trainers and falling over during the London Marathon. She has trials and tribulations, relapses and successes.

What I really like about this book is that it is brutally honest. She doesn't struggle in her training then complete the London Marathon without a bead of sweat ruining her make up. She does it, she is emotional, she cries and she falls over but importantly she does all this and completes her goal.

Ideal for the first time runner or even those of us who are considering running as the second part of the book is full of handy tips and advice all aimed at women. I appreciate some of the tips like buying a sports bra (continual bug bear of mine as you can see here) but the tips about wearing nail varnish and what sort of make up stays on during a marathon I found a little bit unnecessary. But then I am not too concerned about sweating off my eyeliner. 

Overall, I do suggest any lady thinking of starting their running journey should read this book but so should their significant others as it demonstrates really well the emotional pressure it can put you under, the self doubt you can experience after a particularly rubbish run and the importance of people there who will support you when you have to get up at 6am in the winter to bash out that 10mile run...

Some of my favourite quotes from the book are:

"The secret that all runners keep is that they don't do it for their bodies, but for their minds. Slim legs can get boring, but a clear mind never does"

"[Running] is the discipline to stick to what you need to do to get where you need to go. It is the courage to leave someone you love in a warm bed, hoping that they will still love you when you return an hour later, sweating and cross"

Mojito Cupcakes - a Father's Day Treat

This Sunday is Father's Day but as I am a bad daughter I will be spending this Sunday recovering from a hangover after a Flat Crawl on Saturday night. So, to redeem myself, I visited my Dad last weekend and baked a batch of the Hummingbird Bakery's Mojito cupcakes.

My Dad is a massive fan of mojitos and the sun was shining on Saturday so these were the perfect treat enjoyed outside with a pot of tea. I was surprised I liked them - I am not usually a fan of alcoholic sweet treats but the zingy lime and fresh mint off set the rum really well.

And... they aren't too tricky to make either... although I did deviate slightly from the recipe choosing to cut my lemon and lime zest into small cubes instead of grated as I like to get that sharp taste of lemon or lime in a hit rather than dispersed throughout the cupcake. I also chose not to decorate the top with caster sugar coated mint leaves as suggested but instead opted for more cubed lime zest and a mint leaf - sometimes you can just have too much sugar!

Mojito Cupcakes!

Makes 12 medium sized cupcakes or 20-30 mini cakes

For the sponge:

100ml White rum
170g Caster sugar
40g Unsalted butter, softened
120g Plain flour
1/4 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Grated lime zest
1 tsp Grated lemon zest
1 tbsp Finely chopped mint
1 large egg
120ml Milk
1/2 tsp Vanilla essence

Preheat oven to 170deg C and line a muffin tin with cases

In a saucepan bring the white rum and 30g of the sugar to the boil, reduce by half and set aside.
Beat together the butter, flour, salt, baking powder, lime and lemon zest, mint and remaining sugar. Mix until you have a crumb like consistency.
Mix together the egg milk and vanilla in a jug and gradually pour this into the dry mix mixing until you have a smooth batter.

Spoon cake batter into the cases up to 2/3 full. Place in the oven and bake for 12-15 min's for mini cupcakes or 15 to 20 for bigger or until the cakes are a light golden brown and springy to the touch.

While the cakes are still warm spoon the rum reduction over them (1/2 tsp for mini cakes 1tsp for bigger approx) Then leave to cool completely!

For the frosting

80g Unsalted butter
250g Icing sugar
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp lime zest
4 tsp milk
4 tsp White rum

1tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp chopped mint or lime zest

Using and electric whisk, beat together the butter, icing sugar, lemon and lime zest until combined in a sandy consistency. Stir together the milk and rum and pour this into the butter mixture while still beating, whisk until light and fluffy.
Divide the frosting between the cakes. To finish, mix together the caster sugar with either 1 tsp of mint or lime zest and sprinkle over the top.

This recipe is from the Hummingbird Bakery's Cake Days and one of my favourite cake recipe books. My only niggle is the typical over use of butter icing or frosting which seems to be typical of american cupcakes but that can be easily substituted for a cream cheese or yoghurt frosting.

Now to try the Pina Colada cupcakes...

Fitness Freak Rave Up

What happens when you mix 90's club classics, glow sticks and a dance routine? Well on Wednesday night I found out at the Fitness Freak Rave Up!

Fitness Freak is an amazing resource for finding your local exercise classes from yoga to hula. For two nights this week they hosted four Fitness Freak Rave Ups - dance workouts with a strength session to 90's classics for an hour in the tunnels under Waterloo.

I am not one for dance exercise classes - I am uncoordinated and have the memory of a goldfish. In fact I normally stay clear of them... for everyone else's sake as well as my own... but the lure of 90's music and glow sticks meant that I was signing up without a moments hesitation. And it was worth it!

The tunnels are known for hosting a variety of weird and wonderful pop up events and stood surrounded by graffiti and street art with groups of people dressed in their best neon I was beyond excited. On entering the tunnels the music was pumping and we were guided to a room full of boxes and after hesitantly relinquishing all of my worldly belongings I ventured, glowsticks in hand, into the main room.

Huge neon and UV prints decorated the walls and free UV body paint got everyone in a raving mood way before the class officially began. The class itself was fun, energetic and sweaty with a variety of moves repeated to different tracks increasing in speed. Even I was able to follow the routine and doing it with glowsticks in the dark meant that even when I didn't quite get it right no one was able to notice (apart from the poor soul whose foot I trampled!)

I was surprised by a good strength session in the middle with squats and lunges meaning that by the end my legs were feeling like lead and I felt like I had properly worked out which is something I haven't experienced in similar dance exercise classes.

The evening finished up with a good stretch and some Vita Coco which is fast becoming my favourite post workout treat!

All in all, I really enjoyed the class and am almost a dance exercise class convert... as long as it is in the dark... with UV... and I can sing "THERE'S NO LIMIT" at the top of my voice...