Fuel your day!

Hi there!

I’m going to try and get more regular posts out now! I’ll be a bit more room bound now that exams are racing round so will have a bit of time to sit down and write! Today, I’d like to post about breakfast. My favourite meal ever and I love trying out new things to give me a great, healthy kick start to the day! I thought I’d share a couple of my favourite recipes! Unfortunately, there are no photos, except ones of breakfasts I’ve already posted! Unless otherwise stated, all recipes are for 1 person.

1) My Rock n Roll 10k breakfast; I made this just this weekend to prepare me for my first 10km race. I ate it about 1 hour 30 minutes before I started and it kept me powering through! It needs to be left in the fridge overnight.

Ingredients;

• 1 portion of natural/greek yoghurt (your preference here)
• 1 protein scoop of oats (this is about 25g worth of oats)
• 6 frozen strawberries
• Optional; 1 teaspoon cinammon/agave syrup/golden syrup

Method;

1. In a resealable tub, mix the oats with the cinammon (if using).
2. Chop 3 of the frozen strawberries into chunks and pile on top of the oats.
3. Add the yoghurt.
4. Cut the remianing strawberries and place them on top of the yoghurt.
5. Drizzle the agave syrup/golden syrup on top (if using) or sprinkle more cinammon (if using).
6. Leave this covered in the fridge overnight.

2) Power Up Pancakes; follow the link for the recipe!

3) Avocado & Egg Toast; oats aren’t everybodies cup of tea, so here’s a more savoury option for those dreary mornings!

Ingredients;

• 2 slices wholegrain bread
• 1/2 ripe avocado
• 2 medium eggs
• To season; ground black pepper, smoked paprika, salt, tabasco, you’re condiment of choice

Method;

1. Slice the avocado into strips.
2. Scramble the eggs (try use olive oil rather than butter here).
   If you want, feel free to boil/poach/omlette your eggs!
3. Toast the bread whilst the eggs are cooking.
4. Put the avocado on top of the toast first.
5. Add the eggs on top.
6. Season.
7. Devour.

4) Super fruit bowl; for a fresher, lighter start to the day!

Ingredients;

• 1 small banana
• 1 small apple
• Handful of berries (you choose)
• 1 portion of natural/greek yoghurt
• Optional; cinammon, golden syrup, agave syrup, cocoa powder

Method;

1. Chop all the fruit and pile into a bowl.
2. Mix the yoghurt and any optional toppings you fancy.
3. Simples!

These are 4 super easy and healthy recipes you can whip up for breakfast to keep the day starting right! I always find if I start the day on a good, healthy note, then maintaining my healthy eating throughout the day is so much easier. I also feel more energetic and have more energy right through to snack time.

Have a great week guys! Anyone else counting down the days until summer!?

Gym Bug

My first 10k race

Hi there!

I did it! This morning at 8:30am in Madrid I began my first ever 10km race at the Madrid Rock n Roll event. It was really different from my usual 10k runs (obviously) mainly because I set myself a target of 50 minutes. I’m so glad and proud to say not only did I not surpass this target, I was under! According to my Tom Tom Cardio GPS Watch I completed the 10k in 00:48:13, my official time (shown below) registered me at 00:49:48 with my “net time” being 00:48:21. This placed me 558/5408 overall, 48/2468 women and 4/128 category A!

I’m not entirely clear on their timing method because some people with the same ‘official time’ but longer ‘net time’ were placed ahead of me in the official rankings! But it doesn’t matter! I ran a personal best for outdoor 10k (I ran 10k in just over 47 minutes on the treadmill) and I completed my first race, so I’m very pleased.

The atmosphere was brilliant. There was so many people cheering, great volunteers handing out water, medals, bananas, High5 taster packs and so on! Brilliant event that was well attended and everyone was in fantastic spirits despite the rain!

I can’t recommend organised races enough! My next one is May 30th for the Edinburgh Marathon Festival 10k event!

Huge congratulations to all the racers today. And especially those who ran the marathon or half marathon, true inspiration!

Gym Bug

Sometimes others put it way better

Hi there!

Apologies for the gaps. My aunt was visiting! I had a great week (and there wa a gym in the hotel!) I’m now preparing for my first 10k event on Sunday April 26th, very excited! It’s the Madrid Rock ‘n’ Roll 10k.

This is going to be brief, but this post is a MUST READ

http://www.eattoperform.com/2015/04/18/check-wreck-lisbeth-darsh/

I’ve mentioned Eat To Perform before but they are brilliant. Eye-opening, relevant and knowledgable posts.

Also, if please if anyone is looking for protein give Go Nutrition a try, I love their Chocolate flavour Whey Protein! Get a free 250g bag ith your first order over £10 with code A5CJC5, it also keeps me in the Academy if I get 2 referrals per month.

Have a great week team!

Gym Bug

How I drastically cut my 10km run time

Hi there!

When I started running consistently it was during my Christmas break of 2012. I had put on weight in first year (the ‘fresher’s fifteen’) and was really uncomfortable with how my clothes felt and how unfit I was generally. I started running with my dad who had been at it for a while. When I ran my first 10k it was brutal. My time was around 1 hour 15 minutes. It was a struggle the whole way and my evening was spent with me on the couch. It was here I realised just how unfit I had been.

I started running regularly and more and more I started to enjoy my Dad’s and I’s Sunday 10k sessions. By Christmas 2013 we were running 12k’s and made the mistake of doing a 16k too (no one won that one). Our 10k always hovered around the 1 hour mark. My dad is over 50, so we never pushed it.

Fast forward to Summer 2014. I went on a family holiday to Nerja (below you see the view from our villa, which indicates the length of the hill I had to run up). It was here my sister introduced me to hill sprints. Brutal, heart-pounding hill sprints. We only had to do roughly 20-30 minutes to be as worn out as a solid 45 minute run! I fell in love with the new high intensity element, something that I had generally lacked in my running. I continued to do hill sprints when I got home over the summer and I noticed my 10k runs with my Dad were becoming easier and easier (but not faster, because my Dad is over 50, I was warned).

I joined a gym within my first couple of weeks of moving to Madrid for a year abroad for University. I started off with just using the bike, doing some intervals and things. Then I went onto the treadmill and slowly started incorporating more and more intervals and HIIT into my cardio. I now combine HIIT on the treadmill and the bike for 2 cardio sessions a week, I do about 45 minutes each session.
Important; my first stint in Madrid was September-December, and I lost far too much weight. A key part of this was doing too much HIIT and not fuelling my body properly. Even with weight training I ended up being scrawny and unhealthy. If you do HIIT, ensure you’re fuelling your body correctly too. This means good carbs, protein and fats.

Now, onto Christmas 2014. I was limited to my exercise routine because I was putting on weight (because it was absolutely necessary). However, I did go out with my Dad for a 10k during my tme at home. The second we were out the car he said ‘Just you go on and run at your own pace’. I initially resisted, because I enjoyed the time we spent together running, but he refuses to accept it wasn’t my fault we ran a 16k!
It ended up being a mistake anyway, I ran so far ahead he tried to reduce the distance between us and pushed himself to far. However, I ran 11k in 57 minutes! I couldn’t believe it. I thought back to what caused my sudden incrase in speed and realised it was the HIIT. Whilst I did not fuel myself, my fitness and times improved dramatically (the lack of fuel is really bad and embarassing, I’m not endorsing my stupidity, if you do HIIT or speed work, fuel it right)!

My most recent 10k which I did on a treadmill clocked in at 47 mins 35 seconds. I altered my incline and speed throughout to achieve this and I wasn’t wiped out by the end! (I was tired, don’t get me wrong).

So, after this long (hopefully not boring) story, what’s my point? My point is if you want to cut your time and improve your fitness, logging kilometers and kilometers of steady running will not do it quite the same as using HIIT, hill sprints and lots of intervals. You need to speed train to improve your times!

Here’s an example of what you could do on a treadmill;

Warm-Up; 5 minutes at 9km/h

Sprint; 1 minute at 13-15km/h (wherever you feel you won’t come flying off the treadmill)

Rest; 1 minute at 9km/h

Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Cool-Down; 5 minutes starting at 9km/h then reducing by 0.5km/h every minute.

I do this often, I also mix it up with inclines in place of a sprint. The point is to challenge your body and your speed. You also don’t need to workout for as ong when doing HIIT because your sending your heartrate into a higher zone (if done correctly. Check out my HIIT post for more information on HIIT and routines!

Gym Bug

Edinburgh Marathon Festival 2015

Hi there!

I’ve already mentioned in a post a while that I was running the Edinburgh Marathon Festival 10K with my family, but I thought I’d tell you a little more about it!

There are 6 different events taking place on Saturday May 30th and Sunday May 31st. On Saturday the 10K, 5K and Junior Races take place. On the Sunday it’s the Marathon, Half-Marathon and Marathon Hairy Haggis Team Relay runs. There really is a distance for everyone!
Prices vary and can be found on their website. The price includes the run itself with all associated entertainment, a technical wicking finisher’s T-shirt, medal, accurate chip timing, training plan, online results and a race recovery pack! There is also stalls in the finisher’s area with companies marketing their products as well as delicious food and drink to be purchased! The course also has numerous water and energy stations, providing hydration and energy gels (the energy gels are for those running the Half Marathon or Marathon).

The whole event is in support primarily of MacMillan Cancer Support, who you can choose to run and fundraise for when you sign up. You can of course choose to run for your own charity! It’s a great way to raise some money and get fit! My family are fundraising as a group for MacMillan because cancer has hit our family quite hard and we all know the value of support for the sufferers and their loved ones. I know it’s a big ask, but if you can spare anything please donate on our JustGiving page.

MacMillan are a brilliant chairty seeking to provide help and support. I can’t describe them any better than they have on their website;
“No one should face cancer alone. So when you need someone to turn to, we’re here. Right from the moment you’re diagnosed, through your treatment and beyond, we’re a constant source of support, giving you the energy and inspiration to help you take back control of your life.”

                                                                      Enough said.

As someone who has watched loved ones go through diagnosis, treatment and (unfortunately not everytime) recovery, I know how important a solid support system is and how valued it is by everyone involved. MacMillan deserve funding and are a key source of care for those suffering cancer and their loved ones.

So if you’re looking for some fantastic motivation, go for the Edinburgh Marathon Festival 2015! Get your running shoes and get going!

Gym Bug

Sleep Experiment Trial 2

Hi there!

Continuing on discussing the Sleep Experiment, I attempted option number 3 on my list; no screens 30 minutes prior to going to sleep. This was slightly unusual for me, unfortunately I will typically be on my laptop until the very end and then listen to music. I literally follow this pattern;

Just replace the phone with my iPod…

It’s not a briliiant way to wind down, according to some friends of mine. However, I do find music relaxing, but last nights experiment trial proved to me that maybe it’s not the most efficient way of getting to sleep.

Last night I turned my laptop off, got ready for bed, brushed my teeth etc. then read my book; Who Says Elephants Can’t Dance by Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. Which is a book about how Mr. Gerstner turned mega-business IBM aroud after near collapse. It’s a business book I’m reading to try and spread my literary horions beyond Game of Thrones, Harry Potter and the Hunger Games. I quite like it, I’m finding it pretty motivating because I’m abl to understand the more business-oritented language and understand the concepts and why he made certain decisions.

Anyway, back to the matter at hand; did it help me sleep? Whilst it still took me 20-30 minutes to get to sleep, it was quicker than Trial 1 and my quality of sleep wa significantly better. I still get up once or twice to go to the bathroom because I consume a fair bit of water throughout the day and at night (the air can get really dry in my room here in Madrid) but overall I felt a lot better when I woke up to go to the gym!

Therefor, I’m going to rate this option at 7/10!

Tonight I am going to give option 5 a go; using a specific breathing routine.

On another note, I have signed up for the Edinburgh 10k on Saturday 30th May with my family! I reckon anyone who is free should give it a go, or there’s a 5k option, Marathon and Half Marathon. Younger enthusiastists can also get involved and run shorter distances! Check out Edinburgh Marathon Festival for more information! It’s all in support of MacMillan Cancer! I’ll do a more detailed post about this great event after my Sleep Experiment is complete!

Gym Bug

Image 1 Source; https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRAx327COgNEeoWA5zlWtTaaIvqBdXDG_A5-xP1H3ZQ5WHNEZ96bl8HF5Pr 

Image 2 Source; http://www.deletebloodcancer.org.uk/en/content/edinburgh-marathon-2015

My first 10k event!

Hi there!

Just a quick post for just now to share my excitement at having signed up for the Madrid Rock ‘n’ Roll 10k in April! I’m super excited and have signed up with a friend to do it. I’ve ran 10k before a lot but never in an event setting. This race as well gives loads of great perks icluding photos, pasta meal, a huge fitness expo, a commerative gift, T-Shirt and medal! All for £18. It’s incredible and I can’t wait to be part of a big runnig event through Madrid in the sunny month of April!

I’ve written a post already on motivation which explains how signing up to these things can be a great way to kick start a healthy change! Set yourself some realistic goals and you’ll be amazed by how great it is at helping you stick to your plans!

                                               Let’s get training!

Gym Bug