Getting stuck in

I know it's a total cliche but I LOVE JANUARY. I get bogged down in the stir-craziness of the holidays... forgetting what day it is, spending way too much time indoors (albeit getting housework done and tackling jobs we've been avoiding for a while but there comes a point where enough is enough!!) - and walking past my desk and stockroom with a sort of lustfull 'if it was nice and quiet and I didn't have a toddler at my feet I could get a little work done and feel a sense of calm satisfaction.'  December gets a little much for HSP me. (thanks to my therapist I know all about my highly sensitive person-ness)

When the calendar flips to January and all of a sudden the streets and town centre is super quiet for a few days in the New Years Day hangover I immediately come alive again, it's like there's 12 months of empty diary days to be filled with plans and friends and new work and products and exercise and fresh air.

I like to set my goodreads challenge for the year and use the cold winter nights as a reason to put pjs on early and read read read. And try to rise early for yoga in my upstairs studio.

My Spring/Summer wholesale catalogue was completed and sent out in time last week to our stockists worldwide, which is super exciting as we'll have some new products to show off online pretty soon as the orders come in.

I kicked off the year with a New Years Day Parkrun, and we were running super late that morning too so it was a nice little lesson on turning something from a potential total messup into a pretty fun challenge in starting last and seeing how many runners I could overtake.  I have a good feeling about running this year; my husband treated me to some pretty running kit and I also got sent some ace new pieces from Aldi which I think will come in handy.  They are running an equestrian event starting on Thursday - bear with me on this one - there's some nice stuff that you can pick up for use when you're training outdoors, going to and from races, or trying your first cross country event maybe.

So yeah, I'm really feeling this fresh start. A few new bits of kit, a whole stack of books to plough through and 12 months of plans to make... what could be better?

Oh and PS: if you're wanting to get involved in the Aldi event get yourself there Jan 19th-26 for a lovely selection of jackets, gilets, zip tops (shown above) as well as cozy stuff for horses and dogs! Of course.
xo Nicola

Running with bump

33 weeks today and still running happy!  T shirt kindly sent to me by SunDried

Boobs

Back in April I met up with some of my twitter running companions in Putney, we had a day and evening together and then met up with some more the next day for the Richmond Park 10k.

Unbeknownst to them I was feeling a little under the weather, tired, hungry and massively bloated. Baby Murdoch had been cooking for almost a month already and although it was so difficult to keep it secret, it was much too early to tell anyone.  

Things got tricky when we took a trip to Lululemon to visit our buddy Liz for some samples.  A trying-on session ensued and my normally shameless self suddenly felt completely self-conscious as my bloated belly seemed to bulge over and out of everything remotely tight and my thighs had somehow doubled in size overnight.  Even more difficult was the sports bra discussion; normally resembling those of a 12 year old boy, my boobs would in general lean themselves to something cute and light like the Free to Be bra (soooo nice!) or the Flow y bra - hardly needing any support at the most jumping-up-and-down of times.  

But for the first time in my life, I have melons.  They need to be held down.  In my paranoid state I was recommended the All Sport Bra and tried on a few sizes until found one that was... big enough.

I know it's taken me a while to write this review but I thought I'd give it a really good workout before sharing my thoughts.  And yes, still running at 25 weeks pregnant thank you! 

I'm so glad I was given this sports bra!  It's really, really good.  And it came into my life at just the right time.  The folks at Lululemon really care about creating products that are made for specific purposes. They're not just churning out 'sportswear' - they seem to have thought about women and what they need for their various activities.

There's nice wide straps and no seams that dig or chafe.  The fabric wicks sweat away and the design seems to move with you instead of kind of bunching/gaping/pulling when you stretch in different directions.  

It comes in a lovely grey colour as well as the black which I have.  Maybe I'll treat myself to another and celebrate these baps while they last. 

Now I wonder if they've considered making teeny tiny baby yoga pants...

Keep your head up, keep your heart strong

Sporting events.  Weddings.  Public speeches.  Family events.  Sometimes you find yourself in a situation where you need a tiny bit of inspiration - a push - a little reminder that you're close to the finish line you just gotta keep going.  I've got a brand new set of motivational temporary tattoos, for you to wear somewhere visible to keep you going.  There's 6 different designs to choose from, available now through my online shop!

On recovery

As I ran a marathon on Sunday and the response from most friends and family yesterday was 'are you broken?' I thought I'd write some words on my recovery and the reasons why I'm not broken.

When I crossed the finish line I did feel broken.  My legs were fine - walking wasn't an issue - (it was an issue after Paris) - I just had to lie down on the grass for a little while and appreciate lying down on the grass (if you've run a marathon, you might agree - focusing on an ice cold can of coke or lying down on the grass can seriously get you through a good couple of miles.  When you finally get to do it, you really have to block out all distractions and just enjoy that lie down.) 

A cold can of coke, half a portion of chips and a chat with some of my (very friendly) fellow racers later, and I was fine.  We went for coffee and cake in a local cafe and drove back to Manchester.  

A massive plate of food and an early night really was the extent of my recovery procedure on Sunday. I must say I probably didn't stretch as much as I could've, mainly because I was insanely tired and once I was on the couch, I was on the couch.  

Yesterday I got up not knowing whether I'd be ok to walk - day after marathon legs are always a bit stiff.  But to my surprise, my legs did what they do best! Some stretching and a hot bath and I coordinated my outfit around my compression tights: 

I got sent these 2XU leg sleeves a while back and have been using them for after my long runs.  

They're like hugs for your legs.  

Do you run in compression wear?  I've used compression calf sleeves before, and I cannot get along with them.  They instantly make my legs tired when I'm running.  But compression wear after a long run? Yes please.  These ones go all the way up to just under your bum (and I have very long legs so they're definitely long enough) and they're made of special fabric that isn't sweaty or itchy.  It's soft and nice.  The fabric puts pressure on your legs and basically improves blood circulation and helps remove blood lactates for faster muscle repair.  And the nice bit about them is you can pop them on under a dress and noone knows. 

Now you see em

 Now you don't

I wore mine to bed once after my 20 mile training run.  Really lovely and cosy.  I've also worn them around the house with a pair of shorts.  I'm no scientist or physio so I can't tell you how much they work, but second to lying down on the grass and indulging in that ice cold can of coke, this recovery ritual is one I'd recommend.  

Summer of RUN

With a gammy foot and a temperamental leg the lack of running-related social media posts on my behalf has decreased over the past week or two.  And for a few weeks before that my life has consisted of 80% work, 90% wedding planning and 80% running. Yeah, somehow that adds up to way more than 100% - hence why my leg and foot probably decided to kick off.

To bring you up to speed (some sort of attempt at a pun?) on my summer of running, I'm training for the Mablethorpe Marathon on October 6th.  It's a very small (still 26.2 miles, hyuck) race - only 500 entrants - two laps of a half marathon course.  Flat, by the beach.  The site describes it as 'friendly.'

I chose Hansons Marathon Method for my training plan this time around and I'd highly recommend it. If you like running, it's like music to a control-freak, plan-driven, numbers-orientated runner's ears. You run almost every day.  Except Wednesdays.

You'd think - my legs will get tired.  But, my legs are actually (aside from this week's exception) stronger.  I feel less tired.  I'm (dare I say it?) faster.

A few things that have made my summer running very enjoyable:
1.  I got sent some GU Chomps.  They're super tasty and a nice alternative to a gel.  I used them for before a Tuesday evening speed session when I realised I'd been working like a chicken with its head cut off all afternoon and forgotten to eat something sensible and needed some sugar to amp me up for a sweaty session.  They also work for during long runs - nicer texture than a gel.  I usually don't have stomach issues with gels and didn't have issues with these either - but I know some people do so ya know make sure you try anything on your training runs before using on race day. Obvs.

2.  I got track in my life.  A coach that explains to me where to put my arms and my neck and that I should be running faster, come on, you're almost at the line, you should be right at my side not behind me, you can run faster you're just not trying hard enough.  It's cleaner running - no cracked pavements or people standing at bus stops or red lights to slow you down.  Pretty liberating!
3.  My footwear has branched out.  I have shoes for different occasions.  Get down with different shoes.  Treat your feet! Adds a little bit of variety to a running schedule (and a little bit of chaos to our apartment storage... let's not go there...)

4.  I've learned about blisters.  The hard way.  These 2XU moisture control socks are a new discovery.  Who knew there were socks that stopped that blister business before it started?  They are lovely. And they're pink! (Thanks 2XU for sending me these.)
5.  Iron.  If you run loads, you need an iron supplement.  If you don't take an iron supplement, you'll most likely start to feel dizzy all the time and super tired and convince yourself you're pregnant. I bought Floradix FLORAVITAL from the crazy hippy healthfood store.  There's plenty of other (cheaper) supplements to go for though!

6.  Maca.  It's pretty new to me and I've been introducing it slowly to my shizzle.  Maca has apparently been used in Peru for endurance and energy for over 2000 years.  It's pretty dense in minerals: calcium, potassium, iron (see above), phosphorus, magnesium, silica and zinc. All things runners kinda need.  Someone told me maca powder was taken by Inca warriors before going into battle to increase their strength, stamina and endurance.  
Not that I like to pretend I'm an Inca Warrior or anything... ahem...
I was sent some tablets to try, and have been told these ones are entirely vegan...

In general I would probably go for a powder to add to smoothies and salads - there is an organic brand which you can buy from Amazon for like £5.  The Naturya brand also do Chia seeds and other lovely vegan goodies. 
7.  We Do Run Run and the twittersphere (oh god, I've actually said that word?).  When I first started running it was just me, some crappy trainers I'd bought from Sports Direct and some admittedly embarrassing Girls Aloud on my ipod.  A few years later and despite still blasting a bit of Cheryl from time to time, running for me has really changed. And it's mostly down to all the interesting and inspiring people I've met via - the internet.  Go check out We Do Run Run and I can guarantee you'll be shuffling into a pair of shorts and cranking up the volume on your awesome music choices before you know what's happening to you. 

Bad bad kitty vest

 Looking for something cool to go running in?  How bouts this awesome BAD KAT vest?  I've made a white version. It's a one-off. I might make some more. I might not. It's there for whomever feels brave enough to wear such a badass article of clothing.