Monthly Archives: January 2012
Bring It On.
| January 12, 2012 | Posted by Sweet Tooth Runner under Recipes |
I have to admit, until about 10 minutes ago, I was totally freaking out. Both my exam and audition are tomorrow, and then I’ve got a very important race on Saturday. Oh yeah, and I’ve just found out that I didn’t switch my phone contracts properly, so I’m still using my old contract on my iPhone and have therefore racked up a massive bill thanks to data usage. And since today is a rest day, I can’t even sweat out my stress! So I’m turning to the next best thing to chill me out…
Salted Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: No bake
Ingredients (16 bars)
Peanut Butter Layer
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1.5 cups finely crushed vegan cookies, e.g. graham crackers/digestives (I used Lotus caramelised biscuits, which was definitely a good choice!)
- 1 cup smooth natural/lightly salted peanut butter
- 1/2 cup non-dairy spread, softened
- 3 tablespoons non-dairy milk
Chocolate layer
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
- 6 tablespoons non-dairy spread
- Fleur de sel or sea salt (about 1/8t)
Instructions
1. To make the peanut butter layer, mix together the cookie crumbs and powdered sugar. Then add the peanut butter, milk and softened margarine (I microwaved it for 10 seconds) and stir well. The mixture will be very thick.
2. Press into a foil-lined 9×9 square cake pan and set aside.
3. Make the chocolate layer by melting together the chocolate and margarine. Melt on the stovetop, or microwave until fully melted.
4. Spread across the peanut butter layer, and sprinkle evenly with a little dusting of fleur de sel.
5. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour, and then cut into squares.
These are practically a health food…good for your sanity 
I think my panicking is mostly excitement though. I am EXCITED to rock my exam so I can achieve my dreams, I am EXCITED to show what I can do in my audition, and I am EXCITED to run my best at round two of Regionals and have the opportunity to qualify for Nationals! BRING IT ON!!
Recycled photo taken about a week after coming back from Hawaii…man I was tanned then!
What big things are going on in your life right now? Tell me about what’s stressing you out or exciting you!
Enjoy the rest of your week! <3
Regionals Race Recap
| January 11, 2012 | Posted by Sweet Tooth Runner under Race Recap |
I have the best news today!! It is a slightly more ‘sensitive’ issue, so be warned! Oh and Dad, stop reading now!
Back in September, I posted about a problem I had been having. For about two and a half years, I hadn’t had a period. You can read all about that in this post. Today, it CAME BACK!! I am ecstatic, because I have been increasingly worried about the effect on my bones and general health. Why it stopped in the first place was a mystery, and why it’s come back now is equally mysterious, but I am just so thankful!
It wasn’t exactly perfect timing though! Didn’t appreciate it coming back during my workout haha!
I’m kidding, I was just so happy it was back! And such a great workout today! I felt strong and I’m learning to pace myself properly during repeats and not race the first one which leads to burnout later.
My other bit of good news is that given my qualifying race time, all I have to do in this Saturday’s race is place in the top 10, and I should be through to the first round of Nationals!! Aaaah!! Of course, I still have to place top 10, which given the competition, is going to be tough! Hopefully I can do it!
Oh, race recap! Riiight I’ve been promising that one for a while! Ok, well this was an eventful race, so get ready! Just so you are aware in advance, these race photos of me are horrific. Next Christmas I am going to ask Santa to give me the gift of being photogenic.
It was the first round of regionals, so a lot of people were racing. Check out all us runners along the top of the hill!
I have notoriously bad race starts, but thankfully this race didn’t start as fast as it usually does! We picked up pace over the first mile, which was out on open fields. The (large!) lead pack broke off, and I went with them.
I am in the blue shorts. I am going to pretend that it was a deliberate outfit choice and not a result my disorganised packing…
And then we entered the wooded trail, and the fun began. The path was narrow, winded and had many steep inclines. At this point the pack broke up entirely. I stuck with a girl in blue who seemed to be holding a good pace. This was not a good move. When we broke out of the woods briefly into a field before diving back into them, my coach was there, and yelled at me to pass her. Every time I tried though, she would cut me up or use her elbows to block me (the path was very narrow so there wasn’t much room). And then as we entered the woods again, the fun really began. The only way I could pass her at that point was at the wide, steep hill at the end of the wooded part, which led out into the open for the last mile. So I made my move then, but she wasn’t having any of it. We collided (it may have been unintentional, I cannot be entirely sure) and my head hit a tree, hard.
I don’t remember what happened immediately after that, but I just remember seeing black for a little bit, and then my sight started coming back in black blotches. I think I had kept going, but again I can’t be sure. Next thing I knew, she was quite a bit ahead of me, and my head was pounding. I was really angry (this was NOT good race etiquette!!), and was determined to catch her. People must have overtaken me during the incident, because I had to pass a couple to get to her.
All I remember at this point was that my head was KILLING!
There was less than half a mile to go, and then just before the finishing straight, I caught her.
It was a painful sprint to the finish, but after that, there was no way I was going to let her win. In the final 100m I went into a gear I didn’t know I had and although it was close, I had just taken it.
I staggered through the finish line, and was taken to the first aid tent, where I was told I had a mild concussion. Because I was lying down trying to get the little black dots to leave my sight, I ended up missing the awards ceremony! We took the silver medals, only five points away from gold!
The final result: 4.5k course, 17.30 (6.15 pace), 10th place. I am pretty happy with that given the circumstances! I am excited to continue to work back to full fitness post-injury and see my times hopefully continue to improve! I actually finished in 12th place, but later two girls were disqualified, one for being the wrong age or something, and the other (my rival!) for misconduct. My coach was infuriated by what had happened and told race officials who later DQed her. I felt a bit guilty, because to be fair, the collision may not have been deliberate, but given her behaviour towards me throughout the race, I wouldn’t have been surprised! Regardless, she was too physical even discounting that incident so she would most likely have been disqualified anyway. Hopefully she will learn her lesson!
I had a splitting headache on Sunday morning. Concussion is no joke! But I think my chocolate milk post-race helped lesson the severity. It works miracles I tell you.
So as I said, for this Saturday’s race, I need to finish in the top 10 to go through to the first round of Nationals. Honestly, I am doubtful of my chances, because the competition will be even tougher, but I will give it my best shot! And this time, I’ll choose a nicer runner to stick with 
What was your workout today? Was it a good one? Yup, I loved it! 600’s are usually my least favourite, but you get out what you put in!
When is your next race? Have you got any big race plans for this year? I’ve got a race at least once a month, but the one I’m looking forward to most is the London Mini Marathon in April! I love that race!!
Have you got any decent race photographs of yourself? Nope. I just can’t understand how some people can look NICE in them! I always look like I’m dying haha!
Have a great day friends! <3
Awkward Runs and a Core Workout
| January 10, 2012 | Posted by Sweet Tooth Runner under Uncategorized |
Hey guys! Sorry for the patchy posting right now! My computer is not cooperating with me and it died today! I took it to the store, and got chatting to the manager there who is actually a runner himself! And in true runner-friend spirit, the store lent me a laptop to use, huzzah!
It’s frustrating since all my photos and programs are on my computer, but still, I’m grateful!
Today’s run was pretty hilarious. I don’t remember if I mentioned it on the blog (I have the worst memory!) but I did something funky to my hip last week during a workout, and it had been bothering me since. I was going to take today off (I didn’t run Sunday either), but that didn’t quite happen…
Typical. Well it was hilarious AFTERWARDS but during it was just pretty awkward. I think I broke my mile PR sprinting towards the nearest toilet though. TMI? Probably.
I have also been refocusing on strength for my running recently. I’ve lost a lot of muscle recently, and I’m feeling it in my runs! I also believe now more than ever that having a strong body makes you much less likely to develop injury, so that’s something I’m going to work on! Yesterday I did an hour of strength training, and I thought I’d share one of my current core workouts. I have different ones, but this one is probably my favourite!
Runner’s Core Workout
A strong core is essential for runners in keeping strong and injury-free. This workout uses all the core muscles, and incorporates many running-specific moves. Do each exercise for one minute, and try to do 2-3 sets.
- Modified Bicycle. Same technique as regular bicycle crunch, but you hold the elbow-knee position for about 3 seconds, then switch and hold, repeat.
- Around-the-world plank
- Bird-dog extension
- Advanced Wood Chop
- Supine March
I’ve linked to sites where you can see what the moves are in case you aren’t familiar with them 
I’ll be back soon with my race recap! I couldn’t post it today because the photos that have come through are on the computer (I’ll ask to be sent them again though, but I’m warning ya in advance, they are HORRIFIC) and also there’s been a bit of drama with some DQs…all to come tomorrow!
In the meantime, I’m off to snuggle with my best friend <3
Happy Running! <3
Running Chat V: Running Reading
| January 8, 2012 | Posted by Sweet Tooth Runner under Running Talk |
Hey friends!! I want to say first a huge THANK YOU for all the Facebook/Twitter/email/blog comment support for my race! I was nervous going into it but you guys gave me so much more confidence! It went really well on the whole, excluding a mild concussion, and when I get the photos and stuff I will do a recap for you. In the meantime, lets talk about running reading!
As my friend Lindsay always says, you gotta invest in your passion! One way I do this is by reading about running…a lot. Too much probably!
Just a few of my running magazines!
These are just the running books that are on my desk right now! I probably have at least twice as many in total.
My Favourite Running Books
I have a lot of favourite running books, but I’ve somehow managed to narrow it down to my top five for you! I’ve linked to them all on Amazon.com in case anyone is interested in reading the reviews on them, because I always find those interesting and more telling than any blurb!
5. Kara Goucher’s Running For Women: From First Steps to Marathons
Having read a similar book by Paula Radcliffe just before this one (How to Run), I didn’t have high expectations. I didn’t particularly enjoy Paula’s book because I found it impersonal and very beginner orientated (which obviously is fine, but not what I look for in a book). Kara’s book was much better. Although it still had a lot of advice for beginners, it was also great for more experienced runners, with useful training and racing advice. I particularly loved her personal stories, the ‘Dear Kara’ Q&A sections, and the section on injuries and her struggles with that. I also found the section on strength training very useful, as she shows how important it is and gives a couple of her strength workouts. A great all-round running book.
4. Daniels’ Running Formula: Proven programs: 800 m to the marathon
I borrowed this from a library last year, and I’m thinking about buying it now because I want to read it again! The title didn’t convince me at first, since I was pretty sure running couldn’t be ‘formularised’, but the book definitely won me over. If you are looking for a non-technical, personal book, then look to Kara for that, but if you’re looking to seriously improve your times over 800m/1500m/3000m/XC/5k/10k/13.1miles/26.2 miles, then this is the book for you! If you aren’t persuaded yet, this reviewer’s comment from Amazon should do the trick: “When I started training with Jack’s methods I was a 17:00 5k runner and a 29:00 5 miler. After following his plans CONSISTENTLY I now have pr’s of 15:17 for 5k and 25:32 for 5 miles.” An easy-to-follow training guide that is sure to improve your race times.
3. Going Long: Legends, Oddballs, Comebacks & Adventures
My running twin Tara sent me this book to read (I will shortly be sending it on to someone else so they can enjoy it too) and I absolutely love it. If you read Runner’s World magazine, you’ll know that they have a long feature every week telling an inspirational running story. I find them to be different from other magazines in that they are longer (usually around 3000 words) and very well written, just as stories should be. This book features the 30 best stories from the past seven years of the magazine. Every story is inspiring, motivating, and usually humorous too. Every runner should read this because it will make you fall in love with running all over again 
2. Lore of Running by Tim Noakes
This is a book that in my opinion is more for people interested in the science behind running. It is written by a physician who is also a health professor of exercise and sports science, so this is certainly full of credible information! The first part of the book takes an in-depth look at the physiology and biochemistry of running, It is a a great look at the science related to running, covering everything from injury prevention to “proper nutrition for weight control and maximum performance”. I also loved the fact that this book has a number of interviews with elite runners, who share their secrets to success. While this is not the best training guide or a good book for new runners, it is perfect for serious runners who want to go deeper into the effects running has on the body and how that affects your training.
1. Run Faster by Brad Hudson
I loved everything about this book. Some great advice on all aspects of running, a lot of which I have or am starting to integrate into my own training. I loved the athlete profiles, which showcase the elite runners Brad Hudson (the book’s author) has worked with, and the great results his training has brought. Best of all are the training plans. For 5k, 10k, half marathon, and marathon, there are three ‘levels’ of training plans. By having beginner, intermediate and advanced plans, every runner is catered for, whether they have been running for one year or ten. I also love that there are also plans for masters runners and youth runners, so no group is overlooked. A fantastic all-round training guide.
Running on the Web
I’m highlighting this one mainly for the benefit of my fellow non-US readers, as we don’t get the Running Times magazine over here (which is a shame, because I love it!). This website has amazing articles, videos, podcasts and forum. Plus Cait writes some awesome articles for it!, just as she does on her own site.
I won’t bother listing it because it’s pretty obvious, but RunnersWorld.com is also a go-to. I’m subscribed to their Racing News via Google Reader which is a great way to keep up with the world of racing!
Click on ‘archive’, read all the articles, and thank me later. It’s all written by a runner with a Masters in Exercise Science, and there are some fascinating articles on here! I particularly love this one on why running shoes don’t work and this part of a myth-busting article:
“11. Putting your hands above your head and staying up after a race/workout helps.
There’s a reason you want to bend over or lay down. Your body is telling you it doesn’t want to work against gravity pumping blood. So, next time someone tells you to get up after a race tell them to go away.”
This happens to me on a weekly basis, so I am definitely going to be using this argument next time!!
Jason, the author of this site, is a running coach (not to mention a 2:39 marathoner!) who writes some great articles. Many of his posts are on how to stay injury free (obviously something I need to work on!), and he has reconfirmed my belief that strength training plays a huge role in not developing injuries! I need to start hitting the weights again…
I love this site for the videos. I don’t watch much regular TV, but I’ll happily watch the videos on here for hours on end! There training videos and interviews with elite runners which are awesome! Just having that insight into the workouts of some of the best runners in the world is amazing. It’s also great for racing news, articles and how-to videos.
That’s all for today! I apologise in advance for all the spelling and grammatical errors in this post, but it’s late and I’m tired so that’s my excuse! 
Anyways, I hope you found this interesting/useful and I’ll be back hopefully with a race recap tomorrow!
Oh, and as much as I wish I could say I was, I am not affiliated with any of the above books, sites or people. End of disclaimer.
What are your favourite running books? Do you have any favourite running sites?
Hope you’re all having a great weekend! <3
Important Times Ahead!
| January 6, 2012 | Posted by Sweet Tooth Runner under Uncategorized |
This fortnight is an important one for me, and I’m starting to freak myself out a little bit about it! These are the reasons why:
- I have an important race this weekend. Coming off an injury period of reduced mileage+intensity means that I’m not quite where I had hoped to be running-wise at this point, so this race will be an interesting one! I am still prepared to give it my best though, and I want my team to place!
We are STRONG because we run as a team and work together to run well! The others should be scared when they see us speedy ninjas in black coming at them 
2. I GOT THROUGH TO A REGIONAL RACE HUZZAH! It’s next week, and I’m struggling to get my head around it all!
I am so excited! Again, apprehensive slightly about the fact that I’m still not ‘back’ 100% yet so I don’t think the races this month will be my best, but I am very happy to have qualified and I will give it all I’ve got! 
It’ll also be the furthest I’ve ever travelled for a race…clearly regional is a pretty large area when you’ve got a 2-3 hour drive ahead of you!
3. I have a very important maths exam next Friday. I am shooting for as close to 100% as possible. No pressure! 
I want to do so well on this exam because it is crucial for my university hopes! Gotta invest to reach your dreams!
4. I have an important singing audition next week! I do music auditions fairly often, but they never get any easier, especially singing ones! I am singing Think of Me from Phantom of the Opera (but without the male part in the middle!):
On today’s run with my team, they helped me practise by singing this with me during the warm up! I learned that I should not sing and run at the same time if I want to sing well haha!
But I’ve been doing my best to calm myself down in the best ways I know. That is eating yummy chocolaty stuff…
Multiple servings of homemade millionaire’s shortbread doused in soy cream
…whilst watching Disney movies:
Tangled is one of my favourites! If you haven’t seen it, DO and thank me later!
Also this quote that Kate left me in the comments yesterday is really hitting home right now:
“I had to look fear in the face, conquer my doubts, override my concerns, and do what I thought was impossible” ~ Chrissie Wellington, World Champion Ironman
So that’s what I am going to do. Look fear in the face, and then achieve my dreams, and as my friend Lizzy would put it, win at life!
(I realise there has been a serious overuse of the word ‘important’ in this post. I would like to say that it was deliberate, but it’s more due to to my limited vocabulary than anything else…)
What important things have you got coming up? Tell me about them so I can get excited/freak out with you!
What are your favourite ways to de-stress and chill out? Disney and chocolate and a relaxing run!
Favourite Disney film? Aaah this is too hard! Possibly the Lion King because ‘Hakuna Matata’ is my life motto
Have a great day friends! <3
WIAW: Running Inspiration
| January 4, 2012 | Posted by Sweet Tooth Runner under Running Talk, WIAW |
Happy Wednesday! Time for the usual WIAW! By the way, thank you all so much for the feedback on yesterday’s post! I was honestly expecting some negative comments about the weight loss, but everyone was so supportive, so thank you!!
WIAW turns 50 this week! Wow! A huge thanks to Jenn for everything she’s done with this!
In the morning, we said goodbye to my aunt and uncle who are flying back to NY today 
I’ll miss them! But I’m thinking of going to stay with them later this year for a bit which will be awesome!
Breakfast soon stopped my grieving over losing them to the States. Is there anything peanut butter can’t do?!
2 wholewheat English muffins with lots of PB and banana
Lunch was leftovers from Christmas. Our fridge and freezer are both brimming still with leftovers! I’m the laziest person in the world (running aside) so I’m really not complaining 
Two cranberry and squash pastry parcels and red pepper on the side.
My afternoon/pre-run snackage was great too, and almost as lazy…
A toasted basil tofu and Daiya cheese sandwich with a side of broccoli+cauliflower. Don’t judge my filling choice because weird combos are my thing. With a mug of coffee and Mockingjay to read. I started and finished the book today! Loved almost all of it and I was totally gripped, but I hated the ending!
Today’s workout:
It was good that it was shorter really, because I’m struggling more with my asthma on longer hard efforts. Asthma runs in my family, and I used to have it badly as a kid, but I thought I’d gotten over it! I’ve got to wait a week before the doctor sorts out the right inhaler to give me, which is frustrating, especially with an important race on Saturday! The cold really makes it worse, so I’m hoping for a milder day on Saturday and hopefully it won’t be a problem 
*Insert recovery snack of Clif bar and chocolate milk*
Dinner involved more leftovers! Surprise surprise! Yesterday we had dinner at an Indian restaurant, and I ordered WAY too much so ended up doggy bagging quite a lot! I decided to use part of it in my dinner:
Giant sweet potato stuffed with leftover chana masala and a side of spinach
My coach spoils us rotten (love him!), and gives us chocolate/presents for every good workout, PB, birthday, Christmas, etc. So I got a lil’ something for my PB a couple of weeks ago:
I don’t have the heart to tell him that a) I don’t eat milk chocolate and b) I don’t like orange chocolate. But it’s definitely the thought that counts, and I’m always touched by his generosity!
Just before Christmas, I posted about my coach giving me and the others on my team a Christmas present each (and more chocolate!)
I guessed that it would be a training diary and some pens, and a lot of you agreed. We were right! I opened my present late so I’d already bought one, but I just took mine back. His is better anyway
A Runner’s World training diary, and some 2012 Olympic pens too! I showed you my complete lack of arty skills yesterday, and this is as close as I am ever going to get to doing anything with crafts:
(The weird blurry bits on my diary front cover identify my team, which I try to avoid showing for safety reasons).
I always decorate my running journals to personalise them, and because I don’t want a photo circa 1980 featuring two spandex-clad runners on the front of it. I’ve also stuck my favourite running inspirational quotes all over the inside cover. These are a few of them:
<—— One of my favourite running quotes, from one of my running inspirations!
Do you have any favourite quotes, running related or otherwise?
Do you log your training in some way? In my diary and on Dailymile!
What is your favourite type of run, or running workout? Type of run…a nice long tempo run. Running workout would be 5x1000s probably! It’s a great shape-up and performance indicator for a 5k!
Have an amazing day! <3
Vegan Sports Nutrition
| January 3, 2012 | Posted by Sweet Tooth Runner under Nutrition |
Hellooo! Happy 2012! I hope you all had an amazing New Years! I did, and I spent most of yesterday recovering from it!
Before the partying began on NYE, I went to have a sports nutrition appointment at a sports medicine clinic in London. I found out so many things about my nutritional needs, what I need to work on, etc. These are the main things I learned:
- I’ve lost over half a stone since I was last weighed at the doctors a few months ago. That came as a bit of a shock, as with the amount I’ve been eating over this festive period, I would have suspected a gain more than anything else! I had noticed clothes feeling looser but I dismissed it as being in my head. I was quite upset about this because I thought I had been maintaining well, but the nutritionist reassured me that this happens, and it’s probably since I started training hard regularly with my team in October that I started losing weight. We looked into this and determined that I need to fuel better post-run. I usually just have a chocolate milk, but you should apparently have around 300-400 calories within 30 mins after a workout. We also decided that I should start weighing myself once a month or so just to make sure that I’m on track. I will talk more about this later though, because I’ve got a lot to say!
- I need to watch my iron intake more carefully. I used to be anaemic (about a year and a half ago), but now I’m in the safe zone. However, I am at the lower end, and as a female vegan runner, I definitely need to watch this! She recommended having figs every day, as they are a good source.
- Apparently you should get your fats from sources other than nut butter all the time. Something about healthy variety!
She said I should have avocadoes a couple of times a week, as well as chia seeds and flaxseed more regularly. - Must eat a Brazil nut every day, because that provides 100% of your daily selenium.
- I need to make sure that I replenish my salts properly. If you sweat a lot (which I do pretty much daily!), you need to rehydrate fully by replacing them. Just using more salt in your food isn’t enough, because that’s just sodium, which is only one of the four essentials. I am particularly lacking in magnesium and potassium apparently. So I’m going to be having Nuun tablets or preferably Powerade Ion 4 (because that provides some calories too) after every workout.
Those are the main points I left with. It was only a 30 minute appointment, but it was pretty in-depth! She also gave me a few meal plans, just to give me an idea of how much I should be eating at each meal more than anything else. When I posted about it on Twitter, a lot of people seemed interested in seeing a meal plan, so here is one of them (note: I altered a few items to make it more suited to my tastes, but the calories and amounts are the same):
2400 Calorie Vegan Meal Plan for an Athlete
Breakfast
2 wholewheat English muffins
1 medium banana
peanut/almond butter1 serving figs
Total Calories: 600 calories
Lunch
vegetarian chili
WITH
vegan cheese
Wholewheat rollAn orange and an apple
Total Calories: 450 calories
Snack
Homemade Trail Mix:
1/4 cup Almonds
1/4 cup Raisins
1/4 cup cereal of choice
2 T dark chocolate chipsTotal Calories: 400 calories
OR pre-run options of:
1. Oatmeal, with 1/2 cup oats, banana, raisins and soy milk
Total calories: 35o calories
2. Clif bar and a large banana
Total calories: 400
Post-Run snack:
Chocolate soy milk and a large serving of blueberries
Total calories: 350
Dinner
wholewheat pasta
WITH
vegan pesto
chopped veggie sausages
mixed veggies
cooked tomatoesSalad
Total Calories: 550 calories
I have a few other vegan meal plans too, ranging from 1800-2200 calories, so if anyone is interested, please feel free to email me and I’ll send them to you 
And just because you should know about the highlight of my day, here is documented the first run in my new tempo shorts:
You know you’re a weirdo when that is the highlight of your day! I love them though and I am more determined than ever to collect the Nike Tempos in every colour and variety. They brightened up the oh-so-fun 9 miler on a treadmill with no air con and with no entertainment!
What was highly entertaining was a family game of Pictionary later in the evening. I love this game, despite my lack of drawing skills.
I have no artistic talent whatsoever unlike certain bloggers I know…any guesses?
Just in case you didn’t get it, because it’s just so clear to see, that is a panther. I don’t know why my team failed to get it either.
Are you arty? Clearly not haha! Art was the only subject I failed in school, and I dropped it as soon as I could!
What was the highlight of YOUR day? Running in my new tempo shorts and Pictionary!
What is something you need to work on, nutrition-wise? My family have all set eating 5 fruit or veg a day as their challenge in the new year, and mine are all listed above! I’ve gotta fuel right to run better!
Have a great day friends! <3
Goal Talk
| January 1, 2012 | Posted by Sweet Tooth Runner under Goals, New Years |
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
It is officially 2012 here in London, and I’ve had the most amazing day today! Recap of it to come, but first, some goal talk!
First up, how did I do with my goals for 2011?
2011 Goals
- Continue with my healthy lifestyle and attitude throughout 2011! Check. This was coming off a previous year of disordered eating. Now I can honestly say I no longer have any disordered thoughts. Running has helped me a lot with this!
- Be able to run 3 miles in less than 22 minutes. Check. In April, I ran the London Mini Marathon injured, but still ran it in 20.59! I know I can run even faster than that now.
- Run a half marathon. Fail. I signed up for two and couldn’t run either thanks to injury. There’s £50 in race fees I’ll never see again!
- Raise more money for charity. Check. I did a number of things over the year to raise money for various charities, including receiving some very generous donations from you guys in a blog giveaway, and in total raised over £500!
- Practise yoga daily. Fail. I kept this up for the first few months, but every day was too ambitious! I did do MUCH more yoga this year generally than last though, so a partial success!
- Go to a new exercise class once a month. Check. I went to 12 new exercise classes this year: spin, yoga, Pilates, BodyBalance, BodyCombat, BodyAttack, hot vinyasa yoga, ab attack, triple challenge, step, circuit training, and aerobics. Boom.
- Keep up weight training/Body Pump classes. Check. I did BodyPump at least once a week for the first half of the year, and then switched to doing my own thing whenever I could when running really took over!
- Experiment more with recipes and food. Check. I tried a ton of new foods this year, and lots of new recipes! Success!
- Have a big blog giveaway! Check. I did a number of blog giveaways, including a number of ‘bigger’ ones, like giving away a Garmin or Vitamix for charity.
- Improve and expand my blog! Check. Switched to self-hosting and totally revamped my blog. Mucho mejor!
Looking back at these goals just shows me how much my focus has changed over the last year. I definitely used to be more ‘fitness/healthy living’ focused, but now it is all running pretty much! Of course, fitness and healthy living plays a big role in that too! I am so happy with how this year has gone, and I’m proud of how far I’ve come.
2012 Goals
I am a goal setter. I don’t make New Years Resolutions, I make GOALS for the new year. Instead of pledging to turn my life around as soon as the clock strikes midnight and swear off chocolate forever (stupid example- I would never do that!), I become excited and inspired by my goals for the coming year. It doesn’t matter to me whether those goals are smart, measurable, achievable or whatever, but it matters to me that I feel passionate enough about my goals to put all my effort over the next 365 days into trying to achieve them.
My big goals inspire me. I get butterflies just thinking about achieving them.
- Break 19 minutes in the 5k. I want to run sub-19 at the London Mini Marathon in April. I also want to break my age category record at my local Parkrun, which is currently 19.06. (Fact of the day: this time last year I did a ‘tough speedy’ 3 miles according to my Nike GPS in just under 25 minutes!)
- Win the 10k Race for Life in July. Ok, I know this is a bit of a crazy one, as you can never really aim to ‘win’ an event like this because you never know who you’ll be up against, but this was a challenge set to me this year by my friends who were running 10k for the first time. I think they meant it more as a joke, but I took their challenge seriously! The lady this year won in about 41 minutes I think…anyway, crazy goal, but I’ve set my heart on it now!
- Run my first half marathon. I wasn’t able to do this this because of injury problems this year, but I’m determined to this year!
- Get started on helping with running coaching. I need to get my qualification, and then I can start helping with coaching! I can’t wait!
Ok, and I have smaller goals too. Admittedly, these ones don’t give me butterflies, but they will help me achieve my big goals and will help me in the future:
- Commit to regular core work. 15 minutes, 3 times a week. It will make me less injury-prone and a stronger, faster runner.
- Work on meeting my nutritional needs. I met with a sports nutritionist today, and learned a lot about what I need to do better with regarding my nutrition and intake. More on that in the next post!
- Get good grades. I have big dreams for the future, and I need straight A’s to get there, so study study study!
- Stay injury-free as much as possible. I really need to work on listening to my body, and on finding out what works for me this year mileage-wise and training-wise. If my shins give me as much grief in 2012 as they did in 2011, I’m going to look into a leg transplant.
- Regularly strength train and do yoga. Twice a week, work on those muscles, and do weekly yoga. I tend to do a lot less of these as my running increases, but it’s so important to keep up!
- Get more sleep. When things get busy during the week, I rarely hit the sack before 1am. Definitely not good! I want to get at least 7 hours of sleep every night.
So those are my goals for 2012! I’m not kidding about the butterflies over the big goals! I usually dream about them when I’m running and I get so exciting and inspired every time 
What is your biggest goal/resolution/aim for 2012? I am so excited for this year! It’s going to be a good one I’m sure of it!
Have an amazing New Year everyone!
Looking back at these goals just shows me how much my focus has changed over the last year. I definitely used to be more ‘fitness/healthy living’ focused, but now it is all running pretty much! Of course, fitness and healthy living plays a big role in that too! I am so happy with how this year has gone, and I’m proud of how far I’ve come.
2012 Goals
I am a goal setter. I don’t make New Years Resolutions, I make GOALS for the new year. Instead of pledging to turn my life around as soon as the clock strikes midnight and swear off chocolate forever (stupid example- I would never do that!), I become excited and inspired by my goals for the coming year. It doesn’t matter to me whether those goals are smart, measurable, achievable or whatever, but it matters to me that I feel passionate enough about my goals to put all my effort over the next 365 days into trying to achieve them.
My big goals inspire me. I get butterflies just thinking about achieving them.
- Break 19 minutes in the 5k. I want to run sub-19 at the London Mini Marathon in April. I also want to break my age category record at my local Parkrun, which is currently 19.06. (Fact of the day: this time last year I did a ‘tough speedy’ 3 miles according to my Nike GPS in just under 25 minutes!)
- Win the 10k Race for Life in July. Ok, I know this is a bit of a crazy one, as you can never really aim to ‘win’ an event like this because you never know who you’ll be up against, but this was a challenge set to me this year by my friends who were running 10k for the first time. I think they meant it more as a joke, but I took their challenge seriously! The lady this year won in about 41 minutes I think…anyway, crazy goal, but I’ve set my heart on it now!
- Run my first half marathon. I wasn’t able to do this this because of injury problems this year, but I’m determined to this year!
- Get started on helping with running coaching. I need to get my qualification, and then I can start helping with coaching! I can’t wait!
Ok, and I have smaller goals too. Admittedly, these ones don’t give me butterflies, but they will help me achieve my big goals and will help me in the future:
- Commit to regular core work. 15 minutes, 3 times a week. It will make me less injury-prone and a stronger, faster runner.
- Work on meeting my nutritional needs. I met with a sports nutritionist today, and learned a lot about what I need to do better with regarding my nutrition and intake. More on that in the next post!
- Get good grades. I have big dreams for the future, and I need straight A’s to get there, so study study study!
- Stay injury-free as much as possible. I really need to work on listening to my body, and on finding out what works for me this year mileage-wise and training-wise. If my shins give me as much grief in 2012 as they did in 2011, I’m going to look into a leg transplant.
- Regularly strength train and do yoga. Twice a week, work on those muscles, and do weekly yoga. I tend to do a lot less of these as my running increases, but it’s so important to keep up!
- Get more sleep. When things get busy during the week, I rarely hit the sack before 1am. Definitely not good! I want to get at least 7 hours of sleep every night.
So those are my goals for 2012! I’m not kidding about the butterflies over the big goals! I usually dream about them when I’m running and I get so exciting and inspired every time
What is your biggest goal/resolution/aim for 2012? I am so excited for this year! It’s going to be a good one I’m sure of it!
Have an amazing New Year everyone!
