Category: Reader Request
On The Go and Morning Workouts
| September 23, 2011 | Posted by Sweet Tooth Runner under Reader Request, Topic Posts |
Happy FRIDAY friends (or happy weekend, if you’re reading this then!!)
First up, since I know you’re all DYING to know, the answer to my Three Lies and a Truth yesterday! And I don’t think ANYONE got the right answer!!
The answer was number THREE!! I still have and wear this Disney nightgown sported by my seven-year-old self:
Ok, so it’s no longer a ‘nightdress’ but more of a shirt really, but it still fits and I still wear it sometimes! I’ll take a photo for you at some point to prove it 
But to be fair, they were all based on truth (except the cake one cos I’ve always loved cake! 
), because when I was little I DID used to talk in my sleep, and to be fair I have gone a week without washing my hair recently…dry shampoo is a total lifesaver by the way!! ESPECIALLY when you’re strapped for time, like I’ve been recently!
I’ve been having most of my meals on the go, or just a quick fix:
Snack: microwave protein oats with (homemade!) cinnamon raisin PB. Eaten in 2 mins, and then out the door again!
Lunches on the go, courtesy of Subway:
Veggie delite (no cheese, with EVERYTHING and honey mustard sauce) in a wrap. I didn’t know they did wraps, so I tried it out and liked it a lot!
TONS of bars!
I LOVE the Clif bar flavours from the US! They are SO much better than the ones we get here!! This was one of my faves, along with Blueberry Crisp
But of course, there’s always time for dessert 
Mama Pea’s Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Balls! These are amazing. MAKE THEM NOW!!
Today, I started my Friday in the PERFECT way- with an early morning spin class! 
Early morning=still asleep!
This spin instructor is SO TOUGH!! His classes are the hardest by a long way! He is ex-military and an ultra-marathoner, so he pushes us the whole time! We also did core and upper body work in some of the tracks which was fun! I had such a SPINNING HIGH afterwards!
A LOT of you have asked me, since I started early morning workouts again after a summer off, how I manage it! So here are my tips on…
How To: Early Morning Workouts
1. Work out your timings, and stick to it. There’s no point heading to the gym early, only to end up being late for work/classes/etc, or missing breakfast or something! Make sure you know your timing EXACTLY! For example, I know I have to leave the gym by 8am at the very latest, so I make sure I know what time I need to hit the showers and stuff!
2. Commit if you can! If I know I’m going to have trouble getting up, I book my class ahead (I get fined then if I don’t show!), or if I’m going to the gym, I might arrange to meet someone there so I know I have to go. Having some form of commitment means that I CAN’T skip the workout even if I try to talk myself out of it in the morning!
3. Do whatever it takes to get yourself up. I know some people have no problem getting up at the crack of dawn, but I’m not one of them! My trick is that I sleep in my workout clothes, which means that I wake up and feel like I have no excuse for not going! I know people who set their alarm and put it across the other side of the room so they HAVE to get up anyway to turn it off! Whatever works for you!
4. Get enough sleep. Ok, guilty as charged here of getting too little sleep at the moment, and trust me it does make it SO MUCH HARDER to get up for early workouts! Make it easier on yourself by getting enough shuteye, and I promise I’ll try harder to do the same!
5. Get organised! You don’t want to be stumbling around at 5.30am looking for your gym shorts, so pack your bag the night before and get everything ready. I also pack breakfast, which is usually overnight oats. My fave is Katie’s recipe (photo below belongs to CCK!)
I actually love this oatmeal unsweetened and just with nut butter, which is weird for me, since y’all know I have a crazy sweet tooth!!
6. Know how much better you will feel afterwards! I LOVE morning workouts, because they genuinely make my whole day better! Getting that endorphin hit first thing is awesome! And knowing that I don’t have to squeeze in a workout somewhere later in the day is pretty great too! I tell myself when I wake up that I am “just one workout away from an awesome day”, and it works
7. ENJOY!! If you just plain don’t enjoy morning workouts (they aren’t for everyone), then don’t force it! Work out at whatever time suits YOU! Also try to do workouts that you enjoy. Dragging yourself out of bed to do something you don’t like isn’t easy, but if you are looking forward to it, it’ll be that much better!
I tope these tips help! They get my butt out of bed to sweat it out, so I hope it will help you too!
And finally, for your amusement…
…guess who persuaded her friends to get matching monkey onesies? And guess who went shopping today in them? Yup, we went there
What is your fave on-the-go snack? I have to go with bars here! Expensive, but they are SO yummy and so quick to grab and go!
Are you a morning, afternoon or evening workout person? Honestly, I don’t mind any of these! My running team train in the evenings, so I’ve gotten used to that too, but mornings are my favourite!
What gets you out of bed in the morning? The one thing that gets me out of bed promptly every single morning is because I need to pee so bad. I drink WAY too much water!
Have an AMAZING weekend friends!! <3
P.S. My second Running Chat post is coming at ya tomorrow! I am leaving the topic up to YOU, so you can vote on my Facebook poll as to which topic: Running and Weight, Common Running Myths, or How to Start Running. Click here to vote!
Mondays are amazing
| March 7, 2011 | Posted by Sweet Tooth Runner under Reader Request, Special Breakfast Mondays |
Hey friends!!
Likin’ the new look? I’m still trying to figure out some things, but bear with me, k? I’ll host a big pancake party at my place in return, sound good? 
So what made my Monday amazing?
1. Special Breakfast Monday! Katie’s Banana Bread Blender Cereal. But chocolatified…
I added a tbsp of cocoa powder, and topped it some shredded coconut and a fudge baby. This is the most delicious and filling thing ever. You can’t beat chocolate for breakfast! 
2. Package deliveries. I get SO excited about packages, and post in general really, because mentally, I am a 5 year old.
3. Bubblewrap. ‘Nuff said.
Hours of endless amusement right there.Better than any video game I say! A great finger workout too! 
4. Goodies!!
The lovely folks at Meridian Foods offered to send me some of their stuff to try out! They are SO lovely and generous, and clearly know me well: nut butters, jam, and snack bars?!
Raspberry and Morello Cherry fruit spread
No salt/sugar/oil almond butter and smooth PB
Tahini (I think it's hummus time!!) and 3x PB and oat snack bars
I will officially taste test tomorrow. Be prepared. And then…a GIVEAWAY!!
5. Monday Reader Request: What I eat for lunches. Well I have a lot of lunches to-go, because eating vegan makes things a little tricky, not to mention EXPENSIVE!! So I batch make something, and then use that for the rest of the week. This week= wholewheat vegetabley couscous (with mushrooms and tomatoes)…
…topped with a mountain of broccoli and nooch!
Voila! And THIS is why I don’t post my lunches! Because it’s exactly the same pretty much every weekday!
6. Taking advantage of the sun! I couldn’t resist. It’s been so grey and rainy recently in London that when I saw the blue skies, I knew I had to ignore my plan to take a running day off and cross train instead. So I did a easy run in the sun!
I needed it for my health. My tan was fading. And that’s saying something for someone who is half Indian!
Anyway, it was an amazing run! My legs were tired from the tough 6 mile hill run yesterday, so I took it slow and just chilled and coasted along, enjoying the sun
Easy run: 3.41 miles, 7.48 min/mile pace.
7. Checking out/drooling over a new gym. A Virgin Active one. It is SO POSH.
It’s so HUGE and it has AMAZING facilities that really put my current gym to shame…
So I just have to decide whether it’s worth the price! Double the amount of my local gym’s membership…hmmm…
7. Discovering the joys of Google Reader! I’m a bit late to the game I know!!
I can now stalk all your blogs 24/7, mwah ha ha….! 
So what things have made your Monday’s amazing?
What are you looking forward to most about the coming months? The weather. End of.
Do you have Google Reader? Do you like it? I keep seeing everyone talk about it, and now I finally know what they are going on about!!
And the Featured Athlete posts begin next Monday, so get excited!! I sure am!
Have a great week friends!!
Reader Request: Sports Nutrition
| February 28, 2011 | Posted by Sweet Tooth Runner under Reader Request, Special Breakfast Mondays |
HEY friends!!
ts
Phew! After yesterday’s blog craziness I only managed 5.5 hours sleep trying to sort everything out, so right now, I’m running on PB + chocolate.
Special Breakfast Monday: DOUBLE OIAJ!! Double because it's topped with DCD (and granola). Twas AWESOME 
So. Many. Squares...
Hey, what’s new! 
vs
So Monday’s Reader Request was by popular demand some of the stuff I learned from the Sports Nutrition talk I went to on Wednesday! So here is some of the most important things that I noted down:
- Eat healthily. This is pretty obvious, but food is not just yummy but it’s our FUEL. The right nutrition maximises your training, by doing things like giving you more efficient muscles, enhanced bloodflow, stronger bones, etc. Healthy eating basics includes eating natural foods, eating a balanced and varied diet and balancing energy in with energy out.
- Energy sources. The three nutrients that serve as energy sources (carbs, protein and fat) should be consumed in roughly the right percentages for optimum energy. Matt Lovell was hesitant to give figures, stressing that we are all different and these will vary depending on YOUR personal needs but he said ROUGHLY (as a percentage of total calories): Carbs=50-70%, Fat=25-35%, Protein=15-25%.
- Supplementation. NOT necessary, but supplements can help. In summary, some useful ones:
- Creatine: The supplement with the strongest beneficial inpact on athletes. Helps with strength, sprinting and power but has now proven benefits upon distance running performance. However, it does help reduce muscle damage.
- Glucosamine: Helps the joints in protecting and building joint cartilage, reducing joint pain and improving joint function.
- Glutamine: A VERY useful substance for runners. It’s an essntial amino acid, but following exercise, the body demands more of it. It limits damage done to the immune system and muscles through exercise.
- MSM: A natural mineral found in a variety of foods. More research is required, but some studies have show that it reduces joint pain and inflammation and promotes cartilage formation. - Carbo-loading. Only really necessary before a marathon or longer distance. For optimun results, start 72 hours before, spreading an extra 500g of carbs over those days (roughly equivalent to a pot of honey).
- Good pre-race foods. The dinner before and breakfast are especially important. Low fibre+GI foods. He listed white rice, rice pudding, custard, Cornflakes, Rice Krispies, and oatmeal (especially recommended!) all as good choices.
- Recovery nutrition. Should be done ASAP after exercise. The most important thing is 1) hydration, so salts and water, like in a sports drink, and 2) sugars/carbs+protein. He stressed the importance of replenishing salts (I need to do this more!!) and in recovery foods in helping to repair muscle damage caused. His best tip was chocolate milk. Sugars+protein, easy peasy!
So that’s just a few of the important things I learned! If you would like to know anything else, feel free to email me and I’ll try to answer your questions as best I can! 
wf
I’ve been trying to take some of these tips on board, especially where recovery is concerned! So after today’s cross-training workout (30 mins elliptical + 30 mins Summit Climber + weights), I made my own recovery drink!
Chocolate Protein Milkshake (adapted from an Allrecipes tofu mousse recipe)
- 1/3 block firm-silken tofu (I used Mori-Nu)
- 1 tbsp chocolate protein powder, or cocoa powder if you don’t have any
- 1/4 cup milk (I used coconut)
- 2 tbsp agave
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 ice cubes
Blend away! And enjoy the proteiny yummy chocolaty goodness! And if like me you leave your washing up to pile up and never have any clean glasses, then a wine glass works just as well. And makes it look classy! 
ar
Does anyone else think I should rename myself The Chocolate Runner? 
Sometimes I really think I should! I remember trying to give up chocolate for a month once… Guess what? I failed.
gea
So has any of that info been of any use to you? I hope it has, and that it wasn’t too dull to read!!
fa
Is anyone else looking forward to next Tuesday as much as I am? I guess you’re wondering why…it’s Shrove Tuesday, aka PANCAKE DAY!! Best day of the year (after Xmas and my birthday of course!!). I take it very VERY seriously, and eat nothing but pancakes all day. It’s brilliant.
gea
What is your favourite chocolate? My usual is Divine chocolate (specially the 85% and raspberry one) which is AMAZING stuff, but that Lindt Sea Salt is definitely a new fave!!
faew
Hope you’ve had a great start to the week friends!!
hts
P.S. I’d like to THANK YOU for your support and for the amazing responses to the Featured Athlete thing! Just to remind you following a few questions that you DON’T have to be a runner or something like that! As long as you’re active and you enjoy it I’d love to hear from you! If you haven’t yet, EMAIL me! You know you want to!! 
Reader Request: Dealing with bad runs/workouts
| February 17, 2011 | Posted by Sweet Tooth Runner under Reader Request |
Hey friends!! Serious and uber-cheesy/soppy post today- be warned! 
grea
Usually, Mondays are my ‘Reader Request’ post days, but in all the Valentine’s excitement, it got side-lined until today! Today’s topic is: How to deal with a bad run or workout. Please note this is all just my own opinion/story! I’m not a professional!
greera
Today, I had a bad run. A very bad run. It made me look like this.
Sweaty and sad 
I had a tempo run planned, but felt sluggish and bleugh the whole time, which happens so rarely! I had to keep dropping my pace down. 
I really let this get to me. I knew exactly what the problem was, I just didn’t know how to tackle it. It wasn’t a lack of good fuelling…
Breakfast: Banana oatbran with homemade DCD and jam
A box of hazelnuts, walnuts and almonds.
…and it wasn’t tiredness. I had gotten a good night’s sleep, and taken two days off from running; a cross-training day on Monday and a full chillax day yesterday. So it wasn’t that either.
gts
I tried to blame it on other things.
“The air-con isn’t working and I’m too hot”
“My playlist is too boring, I need to change it up”
“My ankle/leg/butt/back etc is twinging”.
But it wasn’t any of that.
rergea
It was a mental problem.
grea
“Running is 90% mental, the rest is physical.”
ujdt
When I woke up this morning, I realised I had less than two weeks till my trial. And I panicked. My first thought was “I’m not ready!”, followed by “I’ll never achieve my goal!”. Although I shrugged off these thoughts, the moment I stepped on the treadmill later, they all came flooding back. And it was tough.
grea
But in the last mile or so of my tempo run, I decided to switch off my iPod playlist, and just hit the ‘shuffle’ button and see what happened. And this song came on.
This was the song that was playing when I ran my first ever mile. It was the song that was playing when I crossed the finish line of my first ever race. All the memories came flooding back.
grea
I remembered why I began running in the first place- to raise money for Cancer Research UK following my aunt’s breast cancer diagnosis. I remembered crying with emotion as I began the race, knowing that I had made a difference. I remember the look on my aunt’s face when she saw the sign I had pinned to my back saying that I was running for her.
htr
Just then, I turned around whilst running on the treadmill, and saw behind me a woman running wearing a Cancer Research t-shirt.
(Excuse the blurriness- she wouldn't stop moving! 
)
I cried. I must have looked completely mad running through my tears but I felt like this was a sign for me. I was inspired.
few
I then thought about my other inspirations.
grea
My family who love me unconditionally despite the fact that I eat all their food and run up huge grocery bills.
My friends who put up with my insanity, always feign interest when I go on about running, and accept my complete inability to ever have a ‘normal’ face in a photo.
My religion, that is always there for me and keeps me grounded.
My inspiration and heroine in life: Paula Radcliffe, holder of the world record for the fastest marathon run by a woman, in 2:15:25.
And most importantly, all of YOU, who inspire me each and every day with your comments, Tweets and amazing blogs to be the greatest person and runner I can be.
I. Love. You.
So as the last mile or so rolled around, my inspirations pushed me on.
6.35 min/mile pace 
And I got to the place I wanted to be. 
fera
Okay, cheesy soppy time over now, you can breathe!
gera
So tell me, what gets you through bad runs/workouts? For me, it’s inspiration all the way!
grea
What/who are your inspirations? I was also inspired after reading Katelyn’s post on a similar topic! I felt so amazed at the coincidence that she had written this after the run I’d had!! It’s an amazing post, so read it now!!
ger
I love you all so much! And don’t forget that if you ever need anything or just want a chat, you can email me any time, kay?
htrs
Have a great rest of the week lovelies!!
