Here's to new beginnings

To quote Semisonic... ;-) 'Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end'

I can’t believe how fast this year has gone. Crazy. I have been working down in Eastbourne, in a big old ex-stately home, which is now a language school and tomorrow is my last day teaching. I feel happy to embrace new adventures up North, but there is also a little bit of sadness there. I will miss the building itself. It is so beautiful and extraordinary working here. You definitely don’t come across places like this very often, if ever. So, I feel really privileged to have had the chance to work here. And then there’s Eastbourne. I had never had the chance to visit Eastbourne before I worked here. It was just too far away from the North West. I’m glad I got the chance to stay here and experience the wonderful surrounding hills and scenery. The South Downs Way has been an amazing running route to have on my doorstep, and Beachy Head. I will make sure to go out for one last meander or maybe two, before I leave on Monday morning. Then it’s northwards I go and off to discover new adventures.

Shake it

I used to be one of those people that shrugged off protein shakes a little bit. I wasn’t the best milk lover in the world – I’m still not - and I didn’t like the taste or the smell. I reasoned that I could just go and eat some tuna or chicken and get some extra protein that way. Obviously, eating some extra protein is a really great idea, but it’s just a little inconvenient. I’m not likely to carry a chicken breast or leg around in my bag now, am I? (that thought/ mental image made me giggle a bit).

I’ve bought whey protein in the past and I’ve ended up trying it once or twice and then passing it off on relatives/ my brother. However, after years of trying to embrace the protein, I’ve finally found one that I actually like the taste of and isn’t the most expensive thing ever.

Myprotein is a pretty good website in terms of offers – I’m always getting emails with excellent deal codes. So, last week I decided to invest in a 2.5kg of ‘Total Oats and Whey’. It is what it sounds like, a mixture of whey protein and oats. I decided to go for ‘Chocolate Smooth’ flavour and I really like it.  I’ll have one in the morning and I’ll have one in the afternoon or evening or after a workout. I feel like I’m doing myself some good and I don’t feel like snacking at all. It’s not about bulking up, for me, as it would be for a guy hitting the gym and doing heavy weights. It’s about recovery and looking after my muscles and not getting injured and being the best I can be.

Running in the dark

Ability is what you are capable of doing.

Motivation determines what you do. 

Attitude determines how well you do it. 

--Lou Holtz

The air was chilly, there was a lot of wind resistance and it was slightly uphill - such a great run :) It wasn't too fast, because I was running in the dark, with my head torch wrapped around my wrist, but it sure made me feel energised. I like this cosy time of year, you can go outside and embrace the chill, and then you can go back inside and snuggle up with a cuppa' and be cosy

 I'm quite 'warm bodied', which is basically my fancy way of saying that I warm up really quickly, so even when it's chilly, I end up getting fairly warm - so no running tights or long-sleeved tops for me just yet....just my good old comfy Centurion Thames Path 100 t-shirt and comfy shorts. Bring on winter training...

Tea L C

Today is all about tea. PG tips to be precise. Sometimes there is nothing better than a big cuppa' tea when it's chilly outside. I'm one of those 'strange' people who leaves the teabag in, so that it goes really strong and dark. Just a splash of milk. The fact that I'm really craving tea may also have a lot to do with the fact that I had a nice catch-up with one of my friends last night, who is also an ale loving girl.

Big jug and baby jug

Being in East Sussex all year, I have gotten to know some of the local breweries and I particularly like Dark Star. I also particularly like their ale, 'Revelation'. It really is quite the revelation. It is also pretty strong at approx. 5.7 %. So, I have therefore found myself feeling a bit worse for wear today. PG tips to the rescue...

Getting back out there.

Choppy waters - kite surfer

Today, I’m getting back out there. I’m going to run my old favourite route and do my first run in 2 weeks. Obviously, my old route includes a long stretch of road leading  up to the Beachy Head Marathon start/ finish line and the first bit of my run takes me up that route. I guess I refuse to let what happened define me and destroy my love of this beautiful scenery. It’s mine and all the great runs that I have had there will never be erased.

Choppy sea and cliff edge

So, I might as well take this opportunity to create more lovely memories and runs up there. Slowly but surely, things are getting better. I feel motivated to find my next challenge, I feel energised to go after that job, to move back up North, to see what possibilities are out there.  If someone can’t see the magic of something, find someone who can. So, whilst I’ve not been running, I have read about running and I have plotted various run goals. I have also focused a lot of my core and mastered various ‘plank exercises’. I’ve embraced the protein shake and become a regular protein monster. I’ve also done a lot of arm exercises and swung my kettle bell around a fair bit. On the side, I have engaged in a little bit of retail therapy.

South Downs Way

Random piccies from today's meander (see above, across and below ;-) )

Stretching out...

Chlorella

I'm a big advocate of vitamins. I know that some people would disagree and say that I shouldn't need to take them if I'm eating a balanced diet. I don't entirely disagree with this. I do try to get all my nutrients from food, but considering that I end up battering my body so much and running in the rain etc., I think it's only sensible to supplement my diet with something. So, a long time I have taken a mixture of Spirulina and Chlorella. It can be expensive, but I have shopped around and found one - again, on Amazon - that I really like. I guess Chlorella is a type of algae and it's classed as a super food. I just really like the fact that it has so many minerals in it. This chlorella is from a brand called Rainforest Foods and I'd highly recommend it, just saying :)

Bottles!

I think I have mentioned this before...I like a good bottle! That is maybe a little bit sad, but there we go. I'm a bit of a bottle 'cheat'...I find one I like and then I see another and I move on... Oooh and of course, drinking water is really important. I find that if I have something that I like to drink water out of, then I drink more water than I would normally. And, when I drink more water, I feel better.

So, I was browsing around the kitchen department of a shop the other day. I came across a Brita water bottle. Oooo, even better than a snazzy water bottle, it's a snazzy water bottle which makes water taste better. Naturally, I went on Amazon and bought one cheaper :). It arrived about an hour ago and I am not quite sure if I have inserted the filter properly yet, so I might have to give it a while before I can tell if it's any good or not. However, it is a rather nice bottle. 

Health-kick up the bum...

Hello there,

My name is Liz.

I guess I’m reintroducing myself as I feel that I am reaching and have reached a bit of a turning point in my life. Relationship status changes, location changes and job changes.

I’m a runner, as some of you may know and, very likely will have guessed from this blog. I love getting out there and running over hills and through forests. I’ve now done 150 events which are at least a marathon in length, and you could say I’m hooked. Ultras are my favourite. I’d say an ultra was anything over 30 miles. They come in many different shapes and sizes. The very hilly. The very winding. The very muddy. The very rocky. The very, very long. I love the variation and the beauty of all of them. I find it fascinating to witness how the mere act of running so far breaks down barriers. 


You talk to people and people open up. You open up. You learn so much about others and about different experiences. It can be the best life lesson and it is all accompanied by an enormous sense of adventure.  It’s a kind of therapy. I would never wish to change it. There have been tough times when I really thought I couldn’t move forward, but it is in my heart (as cheesy as that sounds).

As my time living in the South of England come to an end, I have decided to reflect slightly. I’ve realised I do want to be the very best that I can be. I’m rambling. Sure, I ramble, but I’ve realised that I want to ramble more. So, here’s to more rambling. Let’s make this a daily thing, eh? So, in an effort to improve and learn, I’m going to ramble. This will be my kick up the bum. I’m going to write my thoughts. I’m going to write down my future travel and running aspirations. I’m going to write about the fact that my quads are aching, because I decided to do some weird lunge/ squat combo. I’m going to write about how I very nearly tripped over my kettlebell yesterday (although, that's probably not useful or advisable to anyone...).

So, here’s to my health-kick up the bum :) cheers!