Autumn favourites

With September well under way I’m ready for knitted jumpers, pumpkin spice lattes and all the cosiness Autumn brings. I decided compile a list of what items I’m hoping will get me through training in the Autumn months.

Eco Recovery Magnesium Oil Spray

I’m really loving the Eco Recovery Magnesium Oil Spray

I picked up recently. The Magnesium is supposed to ease sore muscles and I find it really works. I just spray it on to my legs and my upper arms straight after a run or gym session, and again anytime my muscles feel tight or sore. It also contains Thyme and Marjoram Oils “to soothe and relax tight muscles” and Pink Grapefruit and Black Pepper Oils “to increase circulation and rejuvenate muscles” so it smells nice too! I bought mine from Home Sense for £4.99!

Mindset with Muscle Podcast

I’ve only recently started listening to podcasts and this was one of the firsts I listened to after hearing that Zanna Van Dijk and the Lean Machines had featured in recent episodes. The podcast is hosted by Jamie Alderton who I proceeded to stalk follow on snapchat, twitter and Instagram. Every week he talks to a new guest about how they got to where they are now and asks them about their training philosophies. What I love about this podcast is that Jamie emphasizes the importance of having a healthy mind and a holistic approach to training and reaching your goals.

Elle Pink Foam Roller

It’s a foam roller and it’s pink – need I go on. I’ve been wanting my own foam roller for ages because I find it’s great to use after a run to sooth my tight calves. I still don’t really know if I use the foam roller correctly so having my own means I can copy youtube videos in the privacy of my own home without the humiliation of rolling back an forth on my arse in the gym! The fact that it’s pink – icing on the cake.

Earthmiles

Ok so this is definitely not a new discovery but it continues to be one of my most used apps. Earthmiles essentialy works like airmiles – the more excersize you do , be in walking, running or cycling the more earthmiles you get. With these earthmiles you can then get a disciount on a tonne of healthy food, fitness clothing and accessorize and even some fitness classes.  I’ve used my earthmiles to get 25% off my first Sourced Box, 20% off Nakd Bars and 15% off Runners Need to name but a few. Definitely a must have if you spend as much money on leggings and snack bars as I do!

O’Neill Black and white leggings

In case you didn’t guess, leggings are one of my favourite things in the world. I picked these up from O’Neills for £19.99 and while they’re not “sporty” leggings (i.e their cotton) they’re really comfy so great to just chill in. They’re also a bit more exciting than my go to plain black leggings for day to day wear. I can’t find them any more on the O’Neills website but still go and check it out because the leggings they do have are equally as snazzy!  The 360 Harmony Legging and white surf legging have just been added to my wishlist!

70s Running 420 Mesh Trainers in Black

I actually squeaked in the shop when I bought these I was so excited! I’ve been wanting some black day to day trainers for a while and these definitely fit the bill. I’m not planning to wear these to train in the gym or when I’m running but I’ll wear them to walk to lectures and maybe to a dance class. These are actually under “mens” trainers on the website but it does say the sizing is unisex and I preferred these to any of the womens trainers. They’re lightweight and will go with basically everything I own!

Nakd Carrot Cake bar

Last but not least are the naked carrot cake bars which genuinely taste like carrot cake! A few months ago Nakd launched three new flavoured bars: peach crunch - which I haven’t been able to get my hands on yet *crying emoji*, peanut butter – which I LOVE and will write more about in a post to come, and finally the carrot cake. I love all the nakd bars and was not disappointed when I tried these. It tastes like a mash up between the cashew cookie bar and the ginger bread bar and I really recommend grabbing one next time you see it for a healthy snack!

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Why running is awesome!

I’ve been wanting to write this post since I started blogging and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to write it! I love running. I never thought I’d say that four years ago!

I’ve always been a dancer and dancing was a huge part of my life for so long. Since the age of eight I had three hour dance lessons four times a week and competitions on weekends  but as I got older, with exams looming, I decided that it was to much of a commitment and I had to quit. I needed something to fill that void in my life and for me that came in the shape of running. 

1. Fitness  

Running was a great way to keep up my fitness after I stopped dancing and is still my favourite form of cardio. It’s also really easy to see your progress whether that’s being able to run an extra kilometre or cut a minute off your personal best. I also found that at the beginning I progressed quite quickly from not being able to run a single kilometre to running about two or three kilometres in my first few weeks.

2. No excuses

You can run practically anywhere, and with trainers as your only essential equipment, there are NO EXCUSES. This means even when I’m away for a week or two with no access to a gym I can still go out running. I find it really hard to motivate myself to train when I watch youtube workouts or app workouts and often find myself cheating with the times or only putting 50% of my energy and effort into the workout. When I run I can’t cheat, or maybe I’m just less inclined to cheat. I find I always want to do my best when it comes to running.

3. Sociable

 Sick of going out for food or drinks EVERY TIME you meet up with your friends? How about going for a run together instead? It’s so much fun! I have one friend who I don’t get to see very often and when we meet we go for a run and then a catch up in starbucks. It’s something special that’s ours and although we totally don’t break any personal bests it does mix things up a bit! I’m also hoping to join a running club when I get to university as a way to meet like minded people and make friends.

4. Mind

One of the best runs I ever went on was after a really horrible exam. I’d got home and cried hysterically for a good half hour and I was left feeling empty and angry. I was angry at myself for some really stupid mistakes, angry at whoever wrote the paper for giving us such a hard paper and basically angry at the whole world for existing, so what did I do? I went for a run - and kept running until I worked off all my anger and had cleared my mind of all negativity. I use running as an outlet whenever I’m angry, not thinking clearly or just plain sad. I always feel better when I get home.

5. Motivation

I love going running first thing in the morning when the rest of the world is still asleep and the only sounds I can hear are my rhythmic steps on the concrete and my heavy breathing (and some squwaky birds). Going running in the morning sets me up for the rest of the day. I’m more motivated to get stuff done and also find it easier to make healthier decisions when it comes go my diet. Basically a day that starts with a run is going to be a good day.

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London - What I did!

This blog is so late but this is what I got up to in London a few weeks ago!

THE TATE MODERN

Staying so close to the Tate Modern I thought it would be a crime not to pop in even though I've never been a huge fan of modern art. I decided to go and visit the Georgia O'Keefe exhibition because I'd heard a lot of good things about it and I didn't have a clue where else to start. Georgia O'Keffe was an American artist originally from Wisconsin and the exhibition celebrates the centenary of her work. I was taken aback by the vastness of the collection and the variety of themes that she explored, from her earlier  abstract charcoal drawings to the use of watercolours depicting the plains of Texas, oilpaintincgs of New York city and finally her most renowned paintings of cow skulls in the landscapes of the South West. If like me you have no pervious knowledge of art I’d definitely recommend buying an audio guide which made the visit even more enjoyable as I was able to get a better understanding of the inspiration behind the paintings.

I enjoyed my afternoon so much I went back to the Tate later in the week but without prior knowledge of which exhibits to go and see I was slightly overwhelmed by the sheer number of works at the Tate. Luckily there is a great display to get you started call the Start Display which features some of the “best loved artworks in the Tate collection” including works by Matisse and Kandinsky. I’m definitely planning to spend another afternoon in the Tate next time I’m in London even if that’s just to justify spending all my money the the Tate Modern shops! 

BENEFIT BOAT

Seeing the big pink boat on the bank of a the Thames honestly made me giggle, partly because of it's pinkness and partly out of nerves. I let myself be intimidated.  Was I cool enough to walk on this boat? Would everyone stare because I obviously didn't belong? There was no need for me to worry! The staff were smiley and helpful and within ten minutes I was sat at the bar in with exotic looking cocktail in my hand. 

 The main reason I was on the boat was to see Desiree Birch perform stand up comedy as part of the Funny Women Festival 2016 - Edinburgh Fringe Previews. I’d never seen any stand up comedy before (except for on television) and I wasn’t really sure what to expect but I have to say, I was laughing out loud for the whole hour! Between the small intimate room and Desiree’ s chatty friendly style I felt like I was just listening to an older hilarious friend impart her knowledge on everything from body image to sex in your thirties. I even had a chance to chat with Desiree later in the night and she was just as bubbly and animated then as she was on stage an hour earlier. I had a great night and I really hope to get the opportunity to see Desiree Birch in action again soon!

MORNING RUN

I’ve only ever really gone running in Cardiff, so I made an extra effort to pack my trainers and running gear and vowed to go running at least one morning in London. I wasn’t looking at my time or distance but just wanted the experience of running in such a crowded city! I actually managed to go out twice which I’m quite proud of. The first time I ran from the Tate over London Bridge and back around which was certainly an experience as I dodged businessmen and women hurrying to work - a world away from the Taff’s trail in Cardiff! The second time I decided just to run in the other direction towards Westminster Bridge which was a much nicer run as it was basically straight and the wide pedestrianised banks made zipping in and out of commuters a little easier! Next time I think I’ll try running in a park such as Hyde Park to avoid being trampled! 

What do you like to get up to in London?