BOOM!

Dorothea OLDANI on Unsplash So spring has finally sprung officially in the UK, still in lockdown in England but you can still exercise, and one of the main ones for me at the moment is running. I'm still learning as I go but I feel I'm gradually getting better, here are some tips that are helping me: Doing a warm up I confess, for years I would be haphazard with stretching before I started running and that probably hampered my progress in retrospect, because my muscles wouldn't be warmed up and prepped to go - and muscle memory not geared up for taking larger strides while I ran. This YouTube video from Ben Parkes explains it well.    Taking larger strides When I look back to the way I used to run in the early days, it feels like I was probably doing the equivalent of shuffles. I definitely feel a bit more free when I run/jog, taking larger strides helps the run go quicker and produces an easier run. Being light on your feet Just as taking larger strides has helped so has ...

I've become a morning runner, started consistently running three times a week because the gyms are closed in lockdown.  If you are looking to start running, here are a few really quick tips I've found helpful: Get a good night's sleep and stay hydrated. It will help set up the morning well. Get your kit ready the night before. Obvious, I know, but picking up all your outfit in one place just makes life easier in the morning as I psyche myself up to go for that run. It all helps. I prefer running in the winter as I tend to get really hot in any temperature, so if you are new to it, running in the colder months might be a good way to ease in to a jog. Make your playlist work for you. I am constantly tweaking my list and some songs include Amerie's '1 Thing', Ciara's 'Bang It Up' and Red Hot Chilli Peppers 'Dani California'. Use an app to track your run, I enjoy seeing the progress I make. I might not be quicker with each run, but the monthly av...

This is one of those "should I, shouldn't I" posts, but it's something I'm hoping to help not only me, but if it additionally helps just one more person, it'll be worth it... Over the last three or four years my weight has gone up by really really unwanted levels... (NO I'm not disclosing what it says on the scales) but safe to say I want choose less of it! The thing about insidious weight addition (not gain, 'cos did I win a competition? No.) is that it is probably (most likely) about unwise culinary decisions made day by day - I also wonder how it has gone on for so long... It's not great to think you're responsible for sabotaging yourself health-wise. But at the same time, it's empowering when you remember that the power to change is in your scope. Please be clear I'm not inviting anyone to comment on my weight. ( It is not up for discussion. ) What is, is a healthy (pun unintended, really) dialogue about what methods w...

The Cancer Research Race for Life will be taking place soon . I did the 5K in 2011 and 10K in 2012. Not amazing times but was very happy I did it. Things that helped me: Support - I had friends run alongside me in the 5K and in the 10K I ran with noone I knew, but made sure I had a cheering friend on the sidelines - so glad I did because that support pulled me through. Music - I also ran with running music - a soundtrack that I loved! Food - I didn't eat anything too heavy beforehand. It was a sunny day for both races, but in 2012 it ran at the end. Probably just as well. Kept me cool! Clothes - Wear PINK.