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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Why Dubrovnik should be on your travel Bucket List

Dubrovnik is stunning. I saw pictures on the internet before going but I didn't believe it could possibly be that pretty. It was. Here are a few things I'd recommend doing if you ever get the chance to visit Dubrovnik.

Go on a private tour! 

Tour's are great because you get to know the city and get an idea of where you want to visit. If you get a private tour then you actually have a chance of hearing what's being said and get to choose what you want to see. I learnt a lot about the history of Dubrovnik on our tour and seeing the marks in the walls of Dubrovnik Cathedral caused by bullets and shrapnel brought home the sadness of Dubrovnik's recent history.

Brave the heights!

A trip up Mt Srđ in a cable car is a great way to get some stunning  photos of the city. At the top, there's a bustling restaurant that serves decent food for a reasonable price and a small shop. You can also go up the mountain on buggies which looked like so much fun!

Walking the city walls is another great way to see the city from above. There are four or five cafés along the way and plenty of places to take pictures. 

Explore local cuisine 

I can't say that the food in Dubrovnik was amazing. I think on the whole we probably chose badly but there are a few places I'd recommend trying. The Arsenal has the best view in Dubrovnik. The food in the evening was average so we preferred going there for breakfast. Ordering a croissant and a coffee rather than choosing one of the breakfast options on the menu is a good idea because it's cheaper and that's the best part! 

Being by the sea most restaurants serve mainly seafood but if you're sick of fish I'd recommend the Taj Mahal (definitely not a name I'd associate with food in Dubrovnik!) The Bosnian Restaurant offers mostly meat on the menu and the traditional, tasty food is full of flavour and different to all the other restaurants in Dubrovnik. We finished our night with some Turkish coffees which were served with Turkish Delight and it was the perfect end to a great meal.  

Relax with a Beach Day

The drawback of going to Dubrovnik is that there aren't any sandy beaches - there all pebbly! To get your white sand fix go to Lupud Island. The boat journey is an hour  but it's really worth it! When you come off the boat you can then catch a buggy to the other end of the island where this treasure of a beach hides. This little island honestly took my breath away. Between the turquoise water and the biblical fig, grape and pomegranate trees I was pretty sure I was in paradise. Being pale and ginger a day on the beach doesn't scream relax or fun to me but with plenty of sun loungers available and a bar serving various cocktails I was more than comfortable.

I really enjoyed my time in Dubrovnik. Being right by the sea there are a tone of opportunities to go kayaking and snorkelling which I'm gutted I didn't get the chance to do because I wasn't feeling great but there's always next time! I'm so glad I got to visit Dubrovnik as it's a place I'll never forget. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Bloglovin

I'm not a beauty blogger!

My blog has just had it’s one month anniversary! Woo! If I’m honest I didn’t even think I’d still be blogging a month later but here I am so I thought this would be a good time to reflect on what I’ve learnt so far.

It’s 24 hour job

Blogging definitely isn’t a matter of sitting at your computer for an hour, typing a few paragraphs, adding a few pictures, publishing and leaving it be! I feel like I’m constantly tweeting, posting photos on instagram, commenting on instagram photos, commenting on blog posts and just spending so much time on social media to try and build a following! This doesn’t include the hours I spend reading other blogs and just searching the internet for inspiration!  

Writing is hard

Continuing from above, writing a blog post I’m proud of takes TIME. Something I’m yet to mention on my blog is that my first language is Welsh not English, and because I’ve had my education through Welsh, I haven’t actually written anything in English for about two years! I think this has contributed to me struggling to find my voice and actually finding it quite hard to write posts I’m happy with. I’m just hoping that practice makes perfect and I’ll get better the more I write!

I’m not a beauty blogger

Before I created Life in Lipstick and Leggings, I didn’t really know what exactly I wanted to write about. I decided I’d write about what I felt like and that so far has seemed to be very health and fitness related and also a little travel related (Dubrovnik blog to come!). I did write one blog about my favourite beauty products but I deleted it a week later because I really wasn’t happy with it! I don’t know how to write about products and I have no expertise so who should people listen to what I say about make up anyway! I might attempt to write about make up in the future but for now I’m going to stick to things I find easier to write about.

Twitter Chats

I didn’t know there were such things as twitter chat’s before i started my blog! They are so much fun and a great opportunity to meet other bloggers and to get more readers for your blog! I also didn’t know that there were twitter account you could hashtag and they’d retweet your blog. I’m definitely learning something new every day.

It makes me happy

I’ve never really thought of myself as a creative person. In primary school I wanted to be a journalist but over the past few years subjects like maths and science have definitely taken more of my attention than English and Literature but I really love writing. I might not be any good at it but I certainly find it therapeutic and at the end of the day if I love the process of writing and get excited by coming up with ideas for posts or pictures who cares if anyone’s reading!

I really haven’t got that many followers and I have less than ten posts but I’ve had such a busy month and I’m even more motivated now to put more time and energy into Life in Lipstick and Leggings! 

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Hooray to Healthy Books!!

I’ve never really been one to cook myself - I mean why would I when my parents are such good cooks themselves and actually make a lot of healthy food! I’d love to say that I just wanted to cook for them out of the kindness of my heart but in all honesty my mum forced my to! She told me I needed to learn some life skills before I went off to university and that learning to cook would be a great place to start. I flicked through the cookbooks we had in the house but they didn’t inspire me with their twenty step instructions and fifty plus ingredients. That’s when I decided to buy the books I’s been lusting after for a few months but never bought because I never cooked so what would be the point! So I order THREE books from amazon : 

• Lean in 15 - Joe Wicks The Body Coach
• The Body Bible - Clean Eating Alice 
• Eat Well, Move Better and Feel Awesome - The Lean Machines 

These books are more than just cookbooks as they include workouts and advice on staying healthy in your daily life and I’m really really glad I bought them but with so many similar books on the market I thought I’d do a quick review to show you why these are great!

Lean in 15 - Joe Wicks The Body Coach 

Cauliflower Couscous Salad

Ok I know I’m really behind with this book and that there already a second book out and a third out this November! This book is great for beginner chefs like me as nearly all the recipes can be made in fifteen minutes using ingredients that are easy to get hold of. At the beginning of the book there is some information about nutrition and some useful day to day tips about food prep and store cupboard essentials. The recipes are then separated into three sections : Reduced carbohydrate recipes, post-workout carbohydrate refuel recipes and Snacks and treats - this makes it easier to decide on the right meals to support your training. At the back of the book there are two circuit workouts, one without equipment and one with weights. Both routines are simple and are more suited for beginners but I liked the weights workout because it can be hard to find weight circuits like this one for beginners.

Favourite Recipes : Thai Green Curry, Teriyaki Salmon and Cauliflower Couscous Chicken Salad

The Body Bible - Clean Eating Alice 

Sea bass with roasted Veg

Another book packed with delicious, easy recipes. It took me so long to decide what to cook first! I love that at the beginning of the book Alice writes about her personal experiences with eating and exercise and even includes photos making her story instantly relatable. The book is also filled with motivational quotes to help you along with your journey! The best part of the book is the chapter on exercise which includes five different HIIT routines targeting different parts of the body and with optional equipment meaning they can be completed at home or in the gym. 

Favourite Recipes : Banana and Fig Sweet Omelette, Prawn Masala and Sea Bass with Roasted Vegetables  

Eat Well, Move Better and Feel Awesome - The Lean Machines 

Monkfish and Coconut Curry

The first chapter in this book is all about being happy with your life and talks about issues from anxiety to sleep. It’s followed by a thorough introduction to nutrition and even explains how to calculate your macros - something I’ve wondered about for a while. My favourite thing about this book is that every recipe has some information about nutrition such as calories and grams of protein like you get on supermarket meals. I’m not one to meticulously count calories or track my macros but I feel like I can make better judgements about what choose to eat when numbers are involved! The workouts in the back of the book are separated into beginner, intermediate and advanced sections all including home plans and gym plans and although the plans look quite complicated at first, I’ve learnt about terminology and different ways to write exercise plans since reading this book. The best thing about the workouts is that every movement has a whole page explaining proper form giving you confidence that your doing each exercise correctly!

Favourite Recipes : Cod Parcels with White Beans, Monkfish and Coconut Curry and Moroccan Turkey Kebabs with Chickpea Salad

The next books in my sights (when I have money again! #poorstudent) are Shape and Sustain by The Body Coach, Eat Clean by Niomi Smart, Strong by Zanna Van Dijk and finally The Food Medic by Dr Hazel Wallace. I hope you enjoyed this review! What are your favourite health books?

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Today

Ok this post is totally unplanned but I feel like I need to get something off my chest. 

And credit to the amazingly talented Ffion Chant for the images - love you lots!

Today at 8am I opened my A level results and was devastated! Not only did I not get what I need to study medicine at Birmingham University but my grades were a LOT lower than I expected. I needed an A*AA but got an ABB in chemistry, biology and maths.  I felt blind sighted. What I’d been working so hard for, for the past four years of my life had escaped from my grasp. Guess what, I’m not use to failing to get what I set my mind on, especially when it comes to academic work and it was not a great feeling. I crumbled and I cried for a good hour, mourning the future that I’d planned in my head that I wouldn’t get to live.  

But…….today I also realised …… MY GRADES AREN”T BAD! I worked as hard as I possibly could for my exams and I got a frikin A in chemistry A level and that’s something to be proud of! I may not have got what I needed to do medicine but I have an offer to do Pharmacy so yey me! I’ve never really considered pharmacy because if I’m honest I’ve had tunnel vision since I was 16 about what I wanted to do but I am a strong believer that everything happens for a reason. Maybe it was 

just not meant to be! Maybe I’ll look back at my life in five, ten, twenty years and think THANK GOODNESS I didn’t study medicine. Maybe not! Maybe I’ll hate what I’m doing and decide to re-apply after getting another degree first. Who knows. My future is up in the air and although that is a hugely scary prospect it’s also really, really exciting! I am an intelligent, hard working, 18 year old with my whole life ahead of me  - these letter’s on the page don’t define me! They don’t represent everything I’ve achieved in the last seven years of my life. 

Today has made me thankful for the amazing friends that I have who have made me a better person and have always been so supportive of me, especially today when I needed them. I’m thankful for my family who I know will love me whatever I choose to do. I’m thankful that I live in a country where as a girl I’ve been allowed to go to school and haven’t been persecuted for attempting to have an education. I’m thankful that I’m lucky enough to be able to afford to go to university (even if my student debt will be humongous!). I’m thankful that I’m healthy and have my whole life ahead of me to make of what I wish.  

Today might not have gone exactly as planned but that’s ok because today is the first day of the rest of my life!

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