This was DELICIOUS!!!

It did taste mainly of beetroot but i really enjoyed it 🙂

Today I was running in the rain.
It wasn’t pouring just a light refreshing shower quite nice really for a morning run 🙂

It didn’t start out so positive. In fact today I had one of those mornings that I considered not going out. I know shocking!! Even I sometimes want to stay in bed rather than run around the streets.
The rain, tired legs, warm bed all factors in these feelings.

Never the less I went and I would say after 3 miles I broke back into the endorphins that fuel my running addiction. Love that!!

I spent the time thinking about my training plan for the next few months. The mileage that I need to cover, steady runs, pace runs, intervals my challenging hill sprints.
So over the next week I will be putting together a month by month schedule to follow and sharing it on my blog.

I also made some great peanut butter energy bites. So delicious….

Yes I added that favourite super food Baobab, but also Chai seeds another food prized for its energy giving properties.

Chai is the ancient Mayan word for “strength”.
These little black seeds contain a heap of fibre, they are packed with protein, the highest plant source of omega-3 fatty acids (great for your heart), calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin B1,B2,B3 and potassium. Quite an impressive list!!! Packed with antioxidants they really can help prevent injury.
Get them on your shopping list and and them to your diet today 😊

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So today has been a fabulous day 🙂

Firstly the sun has been shining, always a good start. So my run this morning was very blessed weather wise. I also went running with my old running buddy who I rarely get to run with anymore due to our changing work commitments. So we had a lovely 8 miles along the river catching up on news, chatting about the months ahead. Such a great start to the day.

Secondly I took a step toward furthering my career.

Thirdly, and the most amazing part of my day, just got home to my confirmation of acceptance letter form the 2015 Boston Marathon :))))) I knew I was in but there is just something so nice about holding the letter in my hand and reading it with a big smile on my face!!!  At the moment all runs lead to Boston…. this is what my training is all about.

For me running is more than just a hobby, it is who I am. It makes me happy, makes me feel good about myself, gives me confidence in other areas of my life. I mainly get this from marathon training. It’s such a big task training for a marathon, I choose no short cuts only the long route. Then when the morning of the race comes I can stand on the line and be confident that I have everything in my body ready to get me to the finish and enjoy the journey. This is the plan for next year. Boston is the next challenge and then London shortly after, a double challenge for me.

If your thinking I’m crazy then you wouldn’t be to far from the truth!!! But honestly this is something that I am not taking lightly it is a huge undertaking. But still I am totally up for it.

London Marathon has always been my favourite. It was my first experience and is holding a special place in my heart. I truly believe that every runner should experience London Marathon it is awesome 🙂 A party on the streets whilst thousands of runners stream through. I honestly can’t imagine not running it. Teamed with my new experience of Boston that week in will be one of the best weeks of my life. I just know it.

Had a great run today. For me now the 10 mile distance is becoming very manageable, which is a great feeling 🙂

This is all part of my new plan for next years marathons. For those of you that don’t know I have qualified for Boston marathon 2015. I am feeling very honoured as I know many people would love to qualify for this race so when I go there next year, I want to be fully prepared. With this in mind all my training over the next two months is going to provide a great platform to start my marathon training from.

So for today’s run pace was steady ranging from 8.14 to 8.29 so happily kept under that 8.30 threshold I had set myself. I feel it is important to set a pace, especially if you have a time goal in mind for your target race. For me I’m still chasing that sub 3.30 marathon. I’ve completed four in total now:

London 2013 – 3.36.25

Edinburgh 2013 – 3.30.12

Florence 2013 – 3.30.36

London 2014 – 3.30.45

Hopefully you can se my frustration!!! I seem to be stuck in that 3.30 zone. It’s not a terrible place to be, and if after all my attempts 3.30 stays my PB then I will remain a happy 3.30 girl!! But I still and very competitive with myself so will be giving it a good go!!

Next weekend I have entered The Marlow Striders Half Marathon.

http://www.marlowhalf.marlowstriders.co.uk/

Check it out.

I am planing to do a half marathon (or more) distance race every month in the lead up to April next year. So this is my November event. I have never run in this race before so have no idea of the course, but have read online that isn’t easy I will let you know!!

So in the build up this week I am planning 3 runs. One 8 mile, a 6 mile and a 4 mile (hills) then the race. 31 miles this week 🙂

Maybe a couple of bike rides too and I would like to get to the bikram studio. This weeks exercise plan is set.

Today I tried out this GU gel. It was very tasty as I seem to struggle with certain flavours of these gels. Anything fruity is a no go!! But with this caramel I was feeling great!!!! Happy days :)))

Planning 10 miles today so the most important thing this morning was drinking plenty of fluid and eating something to fuel me round.
Porridge is my favourite pre run food. Today I topped it with fresh raspberries, chai seeds and a teaspoon of baobab. Delicious!!!!

Baobab is my new favourite ingredient. It contains vitamin C and malic acid, which have strong energy enhancing properties, great for that long run. It also helps improve your efficiency in absorbing food and converting it to energy 👍 Baobab is also a great source of potassium, which helps keep blood pressure levels healthy. It is also an amazing antioxidant. We love this 😍 no wonder it is wearing the super food crown 👸
Antioxidants help protect us against free radicals in the body, preventing illness and even reducing inflammation.
Baobab powder is really sweet and delicious, so adding some to your porridge will give it great natural flavour. Also great in smoothies and homemade energy bars. We will get onto those later!!!

Anyway I’m off for that run………

So finally I am starting the blog that I have been talking about for soooooooo long!!!
My goal is to inspire people to take up running and hopefully entertain you along the way!!!
For me running is my first sports love 💗 I’ve always done it and I couldn’t imagine never having it in my life.
I guess it is my lover (a strange thing to be in love with I know!!!), my mantra, it calms me, it makes me strong, it gives me direction. Very simple put on a pair of trainers and a strip of Sweaty Betty kit and hit the pavement one foot in front of the other.