From being young I have Loved to run. When I was tiny my parents owned a Hotel and the maids used to call me the exocet missile because I spent so much time bombing up and down the corridors. Whilst at school my PE teacher used to make me run with the boys... I could run 100m in 12s flat. I'd hate to race my 16yr old self.. as I'd undoubtedly loose.
These days I mostly run for #Love.. and as therapy. If i've had a bad day i'll throw on my favourite kit, lace up my trainers and step out into the fresh air, free to run as fast and as far as my legs will take me. Admittedly when you first start running it's hell. The hardest step is the first one out of the front door. You're exhausted; lungs burning, sweating, dead legs, brain telling you to slow down, stop! And some days its still like that. I'm well aware the runners high often comes from stopping... rather than the run itself. Mostly though it is pure bliss. Nothing but the thud of your feet and your own thoughts... whirling past people, places; problems melting away.
Dean Karnazes, a fellow Greek, puts it perfectly; "I run because if I didn’t, I’d be sluggish and glum and spend too much time on the couch. I run to breathe the fresh air. I run to explore. I run to escape the ordinary. I run…to savor the trip along the way. Life becomes a little more vibrant, a little more intense. I like that.” If youre ever in need of some inspiration I reccommend you read his book RUN.
For me, one of the best things about sport is STASH. I have draws full of hoodies, Ts etc from hockey, netball, basketball, snowsports and running. I just love the way cool kit makes you feel.. ready for the world. Recently big sports retailers have developed kit that is for us ladies, more colourful, better fitting, flattering and well, fun. Two of my personal favourites are Nike and Sweaty Betty. Its almost spring(?!?!) and the word for 2013 is colour! Here are some of my picks;
These are all from Nike's s/s 13 lookbook.
Bodyism, one of London's top gyms loved by the likes of Rosie Huntington-Whitely and Elle (the Body) Macpherson have also recently launched a workout collection. It also has a lot of prints and colour but is fairly expensive. Many highstreet retailers are now doing sportwear collections. H&M's sportswear collection is very affordable. Its fairly new to the market and I havnt tried any of it in terms of performance, but theres some nice pieces. Gap has also recently done a range with lots of comfy yoga /cool down wear. I even saw sports kit in Primarks windows this weekend!
The New Year New You bonanza is upon us. the world of technology makes it ever easeier to track goals and get advice. Most of the runners I know have Garmins, they are an invaluble piece of kit if you're serious about your training, splits/ miles/inclines etc. Here are a couple of cheaper nutrition/ training apps I have tried and would reccommend....
Nike Training Club is great for when you can't be bothered to write up a workout. You can choose from the four catagories; lean, toned, strong or focused and then choose the length of workout you want to do and whether you're begginner intermediate or advanced. Then just hit do workout and the voiceover will tell you what to do. You can set a playlist to play in the background and there are video clips of the various exercised so you use good technique. It gives you tips on posture and encouragement when the going gets tough. There are even reward badges as you use it more often; set workouts from olympic athletes and famous personal trainers and recovery drink recipes etc.
Map My Run is runner specific but I also use it for road cycling. You can either map a route and then follow it, or just turn on the GPS and go and it will track your route/speed inclines etc as you go. Great if you need to cover certain mileage.
Primal Paleo (69p from the App Store) is an amazing database of clean foods and recipes for primal eaters (primal eating is eating as a hunter gatherer, no wheat/cereal produce or sugar (except from fresh fruit) and limited dairy produce). I have to say that eating like this 80% of the time (always allow a cheat day) has made me leaner and healthier with bags more energy!
Good luck to everyone going back to training routines after Christmas, or starting a new one for 2013! Stick at it! I have several friends who are personal trainers/ nutritionists/sports therapists who can give tailored specialst advice should anyone want it.
