LaraLoves Liiiiiiife

Yesterday I had an awful start to the day, I woke before my alarm, groggy, tired, sore. And my first groaning thought?... oh fucking Wednesday. Time Trial morning. That all too familiar 3 mile loop. I know the mile markers now, the corner of that first left hand turn, the third tree after the bus stop. I know when its going to start to hurt, when ill regret not drinking more water the night before, or getting more sleep, its the top of that first hill when im still cold but my heart is hammering when ill think why.are.you.doing.this?

Why am I doing this? Because as I turned the last corner, with 800m to go, I knew I had done it, new PB. Whooping in the street at 6.30am in the middle of Tooting isn't going to gain you any friends, but I did it anyway. Pathetic.

This could be classified as insta boasting..(more on that in a minute) And, I'm well aware not everyone gives a fuck about running a sub 20min 5k... BUT that's because for most people running a sub 20min 5k.... or any distance that they're used to running, faster than they've run it before, is just fucking admin. It hurts. And you have to sacrifice other stuff in order to achieve it.

Recently I've been studying for a post grad marketing qualification. That's more fucking admin right there. Ever tired to learn something academic almost 10 years after the last time you were in an academic environment? I make up 75% of Investopedia's web traffic googling definitions and marketing and business guff. One thing that has resonated with me is the concept of opportunity cost.  I.e. by doing this marketing course that will give me a (hopefully) improved CV or at the very least another opportunity to be right all the time, I have to pay 10 hours of my week in reading and related coursework admin, that I would rather spend drinking espresso martinis with men, at Barry's or, well, sleeping.

The point of all this is that nothing worth having comes easy. And if it does come easy you're really not going to value it that much, and neither is anyone else, which, lets be honest is part of the reason you're bothered about it anyway, right? #Instaboast. In order for me to feel like Jess Ennis winning Olympic gold (except on a back street of south London on a cold May morning), I had to spend time in the hurt locker.

The thing about Jess, as an aside... is that we always see her like this....

but once upon a time Jess spent a lot of time like this......

Just because we see success all over social media does not mean that everyone else isn't struggling through something. What I've learnt about being a little more vulnerable  is that you actually make better connections with other people as a result. And with that in mind...

This year I've spent a lot of time just feeling really uncomfortable, physically (again thanks Barrys). Out of my depth, professionally. Nervous, emotionally. Scared, and happier than I ever have before. Those who know me will say that im not a tentative dip your toe in the cold water type of girl... im either in or im out. Fuck yes or Fuck no. This is a pretty risky strategy, as my fellow triathletes braving the first fucking freezing open water swimming of the season will attest to, the slow immersion technique is actually much safer, but no less uncomfortable.

Back to the why of all this uncomfortable early morning running and cold water swimming and extracurricular studying and professional boundary pushing and nervous (yeah not really) dating.... Because happiness requires struggle and opening yourself up to failure or............ a new 5k PB, a promotion, a new skill, or at least a really funny story to tell once you've got over the disaster.

Putting limits on your capability is safe, it keeps you in a comfort zone whereby everything is just nice and easy. If you're not careful though, you come to believe them and then months, years later you realise that you've spent too long just being instead of really living.

The thing with running fast(er than you've run before), is, yeah it's training admin and yeah it's diet admin, but really it's just believing that you can, and if you don't the first time, that you'll come out of the hurt locker knowing that you're stronger and braver than you thought.

LaraLoves breaking all the rules

Here follow 50 rules by which I try to live my life; 

1. No one cares as much as you do
2. Be gracious and kind to everyone
3. Have goals. Write that shit down. Marriage is not one. 
4. You only have one body, health is wealth.
5. Just because it’s a trend, doesn’t mean you should wear it, ditto clothes that you think are your size, because they have a pre-determined number on the label.
6. Your only competition is yourself
7. Pretending you don’t know may get you further than pretending you do
8. Leggings are not trousers.
9. Being respected is more important than being liked
10. Never take an ex back
11. Thank-yous and apologies should be said in person or be hand written
12. Your appearance does matter, people are wired to make assumptions, and once you’ve passed the 10 second barrier, you can convince them you’re also wonderful inside.
13. Be your friends biggest fans
14.  Know what makes you feel better; a run, gin, a hot shower. When you feel the mean reds creeping in, do what you have to do to get back to yourself.
15. No regrets. You did it for a reason.
16. Always be ready to host, drinks and snacks are Greek heritage.
17. Three strikes and they’re out.
18. Reserve your fucks. 
19. You can, and should, go for dinner/ to see a film/ to a class by yourself
20.  Pay it forward without expectation, it will come back.
21. Let him pay for dinner, most of the time.
22. Question everything.
23. Know how to tie a tie and iron a shirt, only do it when you’re asked nicely, never out of routine.
24. Your family love you no matter what. Don’t forget to call them, never miss their birthdays, and thank them often.
25. Always tell the truth, unless 7, 26, 27.
26. Your friend is never fat
27.  You're under no obligation to tell the truth when asked the number of your sexual partners
28. Even the most stoic confident people have fragile egos, nurture but don’t indulge 
29. Never buy a fake. If you can’t afford the real thing buy leather that isn’t designer.
30.  Admit when you’re wrong, and then forgive yourself
31. If you can’t buy it without credit, you probably shouldn't buy it.
32. Feel the fear and do it anyway
33. Time really does heal all hurts
34. You're probably over thinking it, trust your instinct. 
35.  If you have wealth, share it, decadence is more fun in company.
36.  Men are to be loved not depended upon
37. No one at the party is talking about how it would be better if you were there.
38. . …don’t go if you weren’t invited
39. . …and never be the last person there.
40. If a relationship is secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
41.  Never buy perfume named after a celebrity
42. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, and wear the expensive lingerie, because there will never be a perfect occasion.
43. Never be late, always have a plan B.
44. Know how to cook at least three different dinners
45.  Nothing worth having comes easy, get it girl. 
46.  Your ego is not your amigo.
47.  The kiss will tell you everything you need to know
48.  After 25, jewellery should not leave green marks on your skin.
49.  Men are different and that’s a good thing.
50.  Rules are made to be broken. 

LaraLoves being right all the time.

Have you ever smelt the pages of a new book? High quality GSM and fresh ink. Some people love the quiet of bookshops, but, for me there is a white noise, like the covers are muffling all the words within. I always feel a little ripple of anticipation, all the things I could be, if I could obtain all the information those pages hold. 

I know what you're thinking, first cake addiction, now sniffing around bookshops for a kick; get this girl a hobby. But therein lies the problem; I follow fashion, I work in and watch sport, I'm interested in politics, I'm a fitness fanatic, I love to bake and I am epistemically curious about all of those subjects and more. Part of my sniffing around bookshops, reading blogs, listening to podcasts, following people on twitter, is partially fueled by the practicality of needing to..... know my shit, and partially by an embarrassing personality trait which drives me to speak with utter conviction about everything. My parents said that my choosing to study Law, was simply a means of improving my chances of being right all the time. 

A degree that requires you to be able to back up your argument with precedent or fact and to always question the validity of information you're given, was pretty useful for someone who is innately gullible. Law gave me the ability to research, and to question everything. In terms of law this is pretty fucking dull stuff, but in our modern age where everyone and their dog (literally) has twitter and instagram and believes their entitled to their opinion...it's useful. I mean look no further than @KTHopkins 

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression ‘everyone is entitled to their opinion.’ Perhaps you’ve even said it yourself, maybe to head off an argument or bring one to a close. Well, despite you having a platform such as Twitter to voice your opinion, you're actually only entitled to what you can argue for. If “everyone’s entitled to their opinion” just means no-one has the right to stop people thinking and saying whatever they want, then the statement is true, but fairly trivial. No one can stop you saying that being gluten free is healthier, despite the little evidence there is to corroborate your claims. But if ‘entitled to an opinion’ means ‘entitled to have your views treated as serious candidates for the truth’ then it’s pretty clearly false. Jane Austen said “To yield readily--easily--to the persuasion of a friend is no merit.... To yield without conviction is no compliment to the understanding of either.” 

I recently had an 'opinion exchange' with a friend over the merits, or lack thereof, of social media, or even the internet more widely. For me, Twitter and instagram hold that same potential as a bookshop; thousands of opinions, on thousands of topics, thousands of authors each with a unique life story that informs that opinion. Access to journalists and CEO's and Sport-stars and celebrities, teachers, doctors, directors, politicians and charity workers; all sharing links to articles and pictures and videos and their thoughts on the same. Breathe. 

Twitter also presents the same pitfalls as a bookshop; are you buying intelligent, researched, well crafted prose or the hype that surrounds that authors' new fifty shades of complete BS? 

There are a lot of inane 140 character entries, some used for abuse, for hate, for inane updates on uses for cauliflower (just eat a regular pizza), for, as my opponent in this debate phrased it; "useless gossip". This one from Women's Health (a supposed font of knowledge in fitness) really made me laugh over Christmas...

WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN!?! There are some really great fitness professionals out there with years of experience, creating great content. But the internet is also full of opinion masquerading as fact.  If you're in doubt, question everything... and go buy a book. 

LaraLoves a treadmill

Yep, it's grey and rainy outside and i've got half marathon training to do, but its not the rain that's driving me into my local dungeon of a fitness first, it's the draw of the tread. I hate treadmill training. I'd much rather be outside, however, my hatred does not stem from boredom, but from fear, and that's the way it should be. Boredom is the enemy of fitness gains, it kills motivation and it basically means you're just not working hard enough. If you've ever been on a treadmill and your mind has been free to wander away from the task at hand, you're doing it wrong. 

With that in mind, here are a few do's and don'ts to really get the most out of your treadmill training;

1. HAVE A GODDAMN PLAN

This is key to a good treadmill session. Running fitness is earned by training the body to work in a variety of different heart rate zones, for different periods of time. Running sessions are generally grouped-

• Steady-state runs, long runs, easy short runs - all best done outside. 
• Progression runs, great on a treadmill! as you can see and control the increase in your speed, find a comfortable pace and then increase by 0.5kmp every km. e.g. start @9.5kmph, then increase 10kmph, 10.5kmph, etc etc. for  5k. the last km should be uncomfortable!
• Intervals, also great on a treadmill as again you can set your speed and force yourself to stay there. Try using the below timings pyramid and play around with the speeds to suit you. 

• Hill sprint runs, another great treadmill session for those who live in london with limited access to hills! For this one you can change the incline only or the speed and incline to include period of work and recovery;

• Fartleks, haha! Sorry. Meaning SPEEDPLAY, this one is great for practicing race surges and takes you through different energy systems. Try this; 

Interval	Speed/ incline
Warm up	5 minutes - walk/slow jog at 3.5 MPH, at a 7% incline.
One mile	Run at 6.0 MPH, at a 1% incline.
Rest Set	Slow it down to 5.0 MPH and run for 3 minutes.
Work Set	Speed up to 6.8 MPH for 30 seconds.
Rest Set	Go back to 5.0 MPH for 3 minutes.
Rest/Work Sets	Keep repeating the 3 minute/30 seconds intervals until the clock reaches 25 minutes.
One mile	Run at 6.0 MPH for another mile.
Cool down	Slowly jog for 5 minutes at 3.5 MPH at a slight incline (5% to 7%).

• Tempos,made for the tread! teach your body to finish fast- Warm up for 1.5 to 2.5 miles, then run a mile at 15 to 20 seconds slower than half-marathon pace (talking should take some effort). For the duration of the run, pick up the pace every mile by five to 15 seconds until you're running the final mile 15 to 20 seconds faster than your half-marathon pace.

Now that you have your session WRITE IT on a piece of paper, wrap it round your water bottle and secure with a hair toggle (elastic band boys).  Now, you can easily check it, and it wont fly off the monitor. 

2. INCLINE

Your treadmill should always be at a MINIMUM incline of 1.5 - otherwise you're basically running down a hill. Remember you've got none of the variables of outdoor training; wind, terrain etc so you need to replicate them. 

3. WARM UP

This is as important for your mindset as for your body. You need to fire up the signals in your brain that tell your muscles to WERK. So, warm up for about 10 minutes before hitting the sprints, increase your speed gradually, start with a walk or steady jog and add a couple of points to your speed every few minutes until you reach a pace that feels just a little uncomfortable. AND FFS Do not stretch cold muscles. 

4. POSITION

DON'T STAND SO CLOSE TO ME. I see a lot of treaders running so close to the front of the treadmill that they box in their arms and legs, altering their natural running stride. This also means that when the speed kicks up they underutilise their arm drive. Think about the whole length of the tread and position yourself in the middle. 

LaraLoves a Race Report

Now that's been officially printed in 220 Magazine here's my full unedited race report from Blenheim Triathlon back in June.

I took up triathlon due to a combination of curiosity and a need to do some training that was less impactful on my legs. Coming from a 100m and 200m athletics background, my concept of pacing leaves something to be desired for an endurance athlete. All of my triathlon experience has therefore been at sprint distance, where I have, depending on the size of the race, generally placed in the top 20 women. Since moving to London 9 months ago the time I’ve spent on my bike has decreased, although I’m fairly confident in my fitness ahead of the race.

The night before, I check previous years’ race times and settle on an optimistic 1hr 25 as a target. I embark on the night before kit-faff. I usually also prep food for the morning, but I realise my wave isn’t until 12.30 and I’m filled with confusion; do I eat lunch before I race? 

Race day! I wake up excited before my alarm, much to the disgust of my boyfriend. I check my bike whilst eating peanut butter porridge and remind myself to keep hydrated. The drive to Oxford from London is traffic free but as we merge with the M4 the clouds close in and the rain starts to pour. On arrival we park in a row somewhere the wrong side of “g” in the alphabet and follow the buzz of the event village to transition. 

I rack my bike chatting to fellow competitors and answer questions about talc and body glide, through mouthfuls of banana, from two baffled first-timers racking next to me. 

After a lake side briefing and the customary “ogi ogi ogi!” we jump in. The water is warmer than expected and I position myself at the front near duckzilla. 

Klaxon! Despite the other 249 people all thrashing through the man-made lake, (a fact I picked up in pre-race briefing), I can’t seem to find anyone to draft and only manage to get into a rhythm with 300m to go. 

The run from swim out back to transition probably has its own ‘king of the mountains’ award on Strava and my feet and lungs are grateful to reach the red carpet of transition. Out on the bike the rain begins again and within 5 minutes I’m covered in flecks of dirt from passing Cervellos.  The bike is the section where I typically loose time, so I get out of the saddle on the climbs and attack the tight turns and descents despite the wet weather warning. There’s lots of spectator noise on the return, which results in a challenging but enjoyable 3 lap course. 

I respond to my boyfriend’s cheers with my best ‘look like a pro’ face.  Back in transition my trainers are sodden; did I mention it’s raining? I always enjoy the run leg of a triathlon, whether it’s that I know I’m near the end, or historic favoritism I’m not sure. I pass a few people on the undulating course and sprinting up the finish funnel, I hear the commentators struggle with my surname which brings a huge smile to my face. I climb onto the podium for a picture and my boyfriend tells me I’ve managed a 1hr35 ranking me 18th in the 25-29 category. 

Not my best but I’ve loved racing round this beautiful green estate in the rain. Next up are a few summer 10ks and a sprint distance relay with my club Clapham Chasers. 

LaraLoves Earning it

It's 6.30am. The black outline of Tower Bridge's turrets and wrought iron majesty sits against a sky of marshmallow pink clouds underlit by a warm gold of the rising sun.... and ten people in unicorn and rainbow leggings are hugging hello.

I've dragged myself out of bed at 5.15am every Wednesday for nearly a month now to meet 50 fellow fitness and house music lovers at The Scoop by More London to run up and down the thigh high stairs, hug complete strangers and generally elevate my PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) for the day ahead. This is Project Awesome, a completely free fun fitness enterprise set up by Danny Bent, whose experience of November Project in Boston inspired him to set up a similar movement in London. The group has grown from 5 people to 50 in a few short months via word of mouth and social media and once you've experiences the hugging, whooping house music and general good vibes of the #justturnup ethic, its easy to see why.

London has a wealth of fitness offerings; bootcamps, spin studios, yoga, dance, barrecore, as well as all the different classes from ten different gym chains, all at different price points. Some are better than others and at upwards of £15 a class, ill only be giving you my money again  if  Im left limping around for a few days afterward, I want a challenge and an energy that I can't create myself. Project awesome is just that, the workout is tough, the energy is high and you meet like minded people. There's no pretension. No one is motivated to come for the juice bar or the luxury products or the heated or chilled towels. We are here to run, burpee, press up, mountain climb, high hive, holla, hug it out, and carry on with our day. 

Adharanand Finn, author of Running with the Kenyans wrote "Somewhere a primal essence stirs deep within us; this being born not to sit at a desk or read newspapers and drink coffee.. as we run the layers of responsibility and identity we have gathered in our lives.. all fall away leaving us with the raw human being underneath."  

In today's society, where the relationship between work and success is fragmented, overnight "success" and celebrity created by reality TV and social media, being fit remains an asset that cannot be faked, it must be earned. 

It is this truism that has become blurred of late, because the marketeers sell you an idea of fitness. Bright speed facilitating Lycra, detoxing elixers, muscle building protein bars, good for you because its 'agave' (FULL OF SUGAR) snack bars. This is where my love of fashion and fitness, instead of merging into Stella@Adidas synergy flail about like Lindsay Lohan@Ungaro.  Fashion; trend follow to your hearts content. Fitness; follow trends and you'll still be skinny/fat and unfit in six months time.  That being said I'm a fool for the following;

• Nike; I love your designs, I like that you were first retailer to design womens' specific training kit that wasn't pink. I can soak you in sweat you hold up. 
• Skins; you break my bank but nothing compresses and soothes post half marathon muscles like you. 
• Lululemon -I love that your leggings don't flash my crack in a developing crow pose. 
• Barry's Bootcamp; I love that I don't have to bring a towel to class and that your peppermint shampoo makes my scalp tingle with delight.  
• Nutribullet; I love that you could blend a concrete block into silky smooth drinkableness and that you're oh so toteable. 

But let me be very specific about all of you, you did not make me strong. or fast. or flexible. You cant fake fitness it you have to   

Fitness is a state of mind, a never ending aspiration to improve. To be faster, stronger, leaner. Raise the bar, set a new challenge, bring a friend and sweat it forward. Spot the fit fakers a mile off- wearing Nike Roshe runs in the gym makes you look like an amateur not Arnie, plus you obviously skip leg day. Teaming your Lululemon with pristine cashmere for a saunter around Chelsea means you are sartorially lazy, not a zen master yogi. Taking your phone into a Barry's Bootcamp class to selfie makes you look about as athletic as a cast member of a Made in Chelsea fitness DVD.  WHY ARE YOU HERE? Also you're taking up valuable class spaces so you can tell all your friends about the hot instructor and chocolate protein smoothie and I need to do some goddamn HIIT,

Stop instagramming and start sweating. If your trainers have never seen hill repeats, you "don't even sweat" and think a juice/tea/food fast is the answer get out of my way, im fitter than you.

LaraLoves a POA

So really im just writing this post because I have nothing else to do. I trained at lunchtime today, I got out of work at a reasonable time, I had prepped dinner ahead of time, I have prepped lunch for the morning... it is a rare occassion where I have an evening with nothing to do. I felt a little nervous, as if I had forgotten something. My weekly routine has become pretty watertight of late, fitting in work, coaching duties, training, jobs on the side to supplement my intern income, friends, family, a boyfriend... it really is awful when you start scheduling in time with your parents.. and you LIVE with them.

Sunday night I tend to do a mental week ahead POA (plan of action) and I schedule in training, prep food, check if I have any meetings in the evenings etc. This may sound overly dramatic but if I dont do it I find the shit hits the fan and the first thing that suffers is my training, because, unlike my job, it is negotiable.

I read an article in the New York Times a while back  where the author complained about people who complain about being busy all the time. It struck a chord with me and I can imagine, many of my peers. Tim wrote "Almost everyone I know is busy. They feel anxious and guilty when they aren’t either working or doing something to promote their work. They schedule in time with friends the way students with 4.0 G.P.A.’s  make sure to sign up for community service because it looks good on their college applications."

I try not to complain, because lets be honest no one else cares about my busy week, chances are they're too busy worrying about their own. More importantly if I didnt enjoy all the things that fill up my time, I wouldn't do them.  Mum told me I need to relax or I'll have a heart attack before I'm 30. I tried to tell her that training is my down time, but seeing as her idea of HIIT is hoovering the stairs, I didn't make much progress.

What's fantastic about working in a sports firm is that people believe that their health and fitness is important. They find time, it is a priority and no one judges you if you go for a 45 minute run at lunch. In law firms all I ever heard as I chatted about training or asked if anyone wanted to join me for a pre work/ post work/ lunchtime run was "I'm so busy", " I dont have time", " I dont know how you fit it in". Well suck it up snooze button / desk-munching-daily-mail-readers / evening TV watchers, I fit it in because I want to. I get up an hour earlier, plan a short effective workout for lunchtime, run home (OK so ive never done the last one- but I would if I lived in London). If you want something badly enough, you'll find the time.

One advantage Beyonce does have is reason to look shit hot in a barely there bodysuit.  So my problem, shared by even the most dedicated of my fit friends is how to motivate. The best laid plans and all... so why and how do I actually drag my self to 6am swim sessions and lung busting lunchtime 400m reps? Here are my motivation boosting tips to encourage you to PULL YOUR FINGER OUT.

1. P.O.A - Plan your training.  Write it down, plan time for cardio time for weights time for rest and recovery. By keeping a training log, not only does it make me more likely to stick to a schedule but if I have to miss a session, I can see when else I could fit it in or think, you know what, ive got another three sessions this week- leave it and move on. - a P.O.A reduces stress. 
2. Wise up. Admittedly there is a lot of conflicting information about training on the web, but there is also a lot of free motivation- check tumblr, use pinterest, follow fit people on instagram, read mens/womens health, follow famous trainers and gyms on twitter. Start with +TheSBCollective @tim_weeks  @calgaryavansino and see what happens..
   
   
 
3. Get it! This is a little phrase I use a lot when friends are being awesome. The key to consistent training is a changing your mindset, you're not just getting on with it, you're getting AT IT! You have to make a positive choice.
4. Special workout friend. (ref the in betweeners) I hold my hands up, I am lazy when im by myself. At luntime today a colleague and I ran 400m reps with decreasing time allowance. If he handn't been there, breathing in my ear bellowing times at me, I would've binned it off and gone for a lovely jog in the sun. Find a friend to hold you acountable to workout time, you'll work harder due to the (friendly?!) competition and people love mutual suffering.
5. Work it. I couldn't go without mentioning stash. It's a running joke at my club that I have the most outrageous workout gear, people used to joke, now they want a piece of the Jane Fonda action. Feel sexy and strong in your gym kit and you'll want to wear it more. Fitness fashion is all over the highstreet now, so find your own style and werk, werk, werk. Instagram it. Make a soundtrack for it.
   
 
6. GOAL. Set a time phased goal and write it down. From a coaching perspective there's nothing worse for motivation than junk training, going through the motions but with no specific objective will increase boredom. Book a race, choose a specific body fat %, aim to be able to do 30 press ups consitently. Having a goal large or small, with a deadline will mean you work harder towards it because your brain recognises the sense of urgency. Write it down as a positive statement and have it with you to re-read when you lose motivation. e.g. "Its summer 2014 and I can run 10 miles no problem". or "I am a sub 50minute 10k Runner at Run to the Beat" or "Catch all the ladies looking at my abs on the beach in Ibiza" By stating your goal as if its already happened you programme your subconcious to work towards your goal. It sounds horrendously cringe but it works.

 For some ideas heres a link to my Clean Lean Machine pinterest board! GET IT!