The 2 pieces of kit you need when you start running

So last week my friend and I made our annual trip to Lululemon with our hard-earned vouchers for completing their January Strava Challenge. As usual I spent ages gazing at the row upon row of kit in a dazzling array of colours, shapes and sizes and as usual everything I bought was black!. If you know me that will come as no surprise - there is nothing wrong with black kit ok!

Anyway the trip got me thinking how daunting it can be to work out what, amongst all this kit, you actually need if you are just starting out - there is so much choice out there, so many gadgets and so many bits and bobs that people will tell you are must-haves - compression tights, underlayers, specialist socks, gloves, hats, headbands, technical shirts, and let’s not even start on all the wearable tech - that is a whole new post right there!

So what do you really need to get started? I honestly think there are really only two things worth investing time and money in when you are just starting out - and by that I mean if you invest a bit of time into doing some research you can save yourself a load of money. So here you go my top two bits of kit are:

1. A good sports bra - (if you are a guy you can probably skip this one!) - seriously getting the right bra will make your whole running experience much more comfortable - even if you are small you will need some level of support.
   
   Do a bit of internet research to work out what kind of support you need - most bras are categorized in terms of size, level of support and the sport for which they are intended.
   
   Once you have worked out what type of bra you need have a look at websites like www.SportShoes.com for deals and check out TKMaxx - they always have great choices at good prices if you don’t mind a little rummage!
   

2. Shoes - badly fitting/old/unsupportive shoes can land you in a world of trouble and put you out of action before you even get started.
   
   If you are unsure where to start it may be worth visiting a good retailer to get a gait analysis done. Runners Need is a really good place to start - the stores are always very friendly, have a great range of shoes in stock and are able to offer sound advice on what you should be wearing.
   
   Right now Runners Need will swap your dodgy old trainers for a sparkly £20 voucher off a new pair!
   

   Stores will usually offset the cost of the analysis against any shoes you buy instore but you may end up paying top dollar for your shoes. Instead don’t be afraid to pay for the analysis and then go shop around for a good price - again www.sportshoes.com have great deals and if you are not fussy about having your shoes in the latest colours (they are just going to get muddy anyway right?!) you can usually get last season’s shoes online for around 30 - 50% off the full price!

So a good bra and good shoes and everything else can wait, hope this helps. Shout if you have any questions!

Much love xx

31 Days later ....

Finally it’s February - on the one hand January feels like it has just flown by and on the other hand it feels like it has taken a bloody age!!! January is cold, dark, dreary and it will be ages before we notice it getting lighter in the mornings and the evenings and I am pretty sure the worst of the cold weather is yet to come. Maybe if we left the Christmas lights up for a little bit longer it wouldn’t be so bleak?

And as if all that weren’t bad enough - every January I feel the need to counter-balance December’s excesses (don’t we all over-indulge in December? And I did have reason because it was my birthday too!) by going dry for the entire month. This year I felt an additional punishment was in order and swore off chocolate too!!

So I spent the 31st December munching my way through an entire box of Lindor and finishing off a bottle of red - I mean I didn’t want anything to go off whilst I was abstaining and I felt it necessary to remove to all temptation - and to be honest I didn’t want the littles scoffing the Lindor!!!

I have to say I have been bloody awesome all month. I would love to be able to say some sanctimonius stuff about how much better I feel for not having had a drink all month - I mean there is something to be said for the smug feeling of waking up on a kid free Saturday morning with a totally clear head but the reality is that it is cold and dark out so it has been easy to live like a hermit and avoid all temptation by just not leaving the house.

Avoiding chocolate has been a whole lot harder - there have been some serious low points - the pre-teen sitting in front of me eating Curly Wurly was one of them . But I have been steadfast - not even a sneaky lick of the Nutella knife at breakfast!! I have, however, eaten my own body weight in biscuits this month - so if there is a shortage of custard creams in the supermarkets you know who to blame!

And now finally February is here and it has had the decency to arrive on a Friday. My over-thinking has gone into overdrive - should I have a drink, and if I have a drink what will I have - what do I most fancy after abstaining for a month - a glass of red, a nice cold Peroni or even a g&t?

Much more importantly - is it wrong to eat all the chocolate for breakfast? And what if by some incredible misfortune after a month I no longer actually like chocolate?? What if I have ruined it for myself forever? What then??

xx

The 5 most common excuses for not exercising

When it comes down to exercising the phrase I hear the most is “I can’t because ….” So here I have put together the five most common excuses for not exercising and debunked each one!

1. I don’t have time - this is by the far most common reason I hear. Ok I get it we are all super busy, it is not a competition to see who is most busy. But here is the deal, it really just comes down to what you prioritise - if you make watching tv a priority you probably won’t have a lot of time to exercise - what I am saying is if you make exercise a priority you will make time to do it.
   

2. I don’t like exercising on my own - ok so don’t - find a buddy, rope a mate in. Personally running is my headspace so I relish being able to run on my own - although there is nothing better than having a mate along for a long run! But if you don’t like exercising on your own, grab a mate to exercise with or join a group class for extra motivation.
   

3. It’s boring - let me tell you a secret - I find swimming agonizingly boring - so guess what - swimming is not my exercise of choice. Why? Because I just would end up not going. The point is find something you love and then you won’t find it a chore - think outside the box - why not try dance classes or borrow a mate’s dog and go for a walk?
   

4. The kids/family come first - don’t they just! And so they should! As I said before running is my headspace and I guarantee that having that headspace time makes me a calmer mum! If you can’t get away what about taking the kids with you - in a buggy or if they are bigger they could cycle whilst you run. Or you could all just go for a bike ride together?
   

5. I can’t afford a gym membership - ok so some gyms are pretty expensive but there are some great pay-as-you-go options and in this day and age there is so much free content on the internet - loads of workouts you can follow from the comfort of your own home!

So there you go, the five most common excuses for not exercising and a whole host of reasons to exercise - just go make you a priority!!

Much love x