"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?

Fit not thin

For years I have been obsessed with the what the scales have to tell me, sweating over a pound, always aiming for a new target. I even had an app on my phone that let me chart my weight loss only adding to my obsessive weighing.

I have never been skinny but equally I have never been overweight. But it didn't hit me until I started to run miles a week and physically see that my body was toning up that I realised maybe what I weighed wasn't the most important factor. My weight hasn't dropped drastically but my body shape has changed hugely.

Which is when I started to look into other ways to measure my changing shape and stumbled across the Body Fat Percentage Calculator. I used the measurement method putting my height, waist, neck and hip measurements into a calculator online and was given a percentage which then fitted into one of the below categories:

Women

10-12% Essential Fat
14-20% Athletes
21-24% Fitness
25-31% Acceptable
32%+ Overweight/Obese

Men

2-4% Essential Fat
6-13% Athletes
14-17% Fitness
18-25% Acceptable
26%+ Overweight/Obese

I was pleasantly surprised to see that I fell almost smack bang in the middle of the "Fitness" category. Now for a girl who loves cake and big dinners it really did show that what I am doing is right. I don't have to live off salad leaves and steer clear of carbs. I can eat healthily and heartily as long as I am willing to focus on exercise rather than starvation. It seems obvious but this was a big realisation for me having opted for diets over exercise terrified of looking unfeminine and "ripped".

So now that I have had my epiphany and am determined to be fit not thin I won't be so terrified of the extra helping of pasta after a particularly gruelling run.

How do you chart your progress?

Review: YFumble

After years in the Brownies I have learnt to prepare for every eventuality which results in my handbag being full of everything from a pack of bobby pins to nail varnish to a magnet (don't ask why!) This is fine when matching an oversized bag to your outfit... not such a great quality when heading out on a run...

When the weather was cooler I could fill the pockets up on my Sweaty Betty Running Jacket (probably the best running item I have ever bought) but since the temperatures have started to climb I have been hunting for an alternative for carrying my:

• Oyster Card
• Bank Card
• Asthma Inhaler
• Mobile Phone
• Keys

After sending out a request on twitter a surprising amount of people suggested the YFumble and after spying the pink camo version I could not wait for it to arrive.

The YFumble passed the first test - my obnoxiously large phone (Samsung Galaxy Note) can fit into it along with everything else... yes everything!

Second test - it looked great - I love the pink camo.

Unfortunately, the third test didn't go so well. Running with the YFumble is fine, it is comfortable and takes up hardly any space when chucked in my gym bag. But, as I run with an app on my phone I often want to take a glance at the screen or pause it to do some strength exercises which is where the issue lies. Taking my phone in and out of the YFumble when on my arm and when having got my sweat on becomes trickier than taking off a sports bra. Then putting it back on is another ordeal.

I really wanted to like this product and was desperate for it to be a solution to my problem but, after several runs with it, I am finding it more of a frustration than a help.

Anyone got any other solutions?

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?