Thai Spice of Life - Tom Kah Gai Soup Recipe

I love cooking and eating and I love to take pictures of food. In fact, I love everything about food. Back in November, I visited Thailand with my boyfriend and one of the top things on our to do list was to take part in a Thai cooking course. We stayed on Koh Lanta and were lucky enough to find an amazing cooking school Time For Lime. It came highly recommended by the guest house we were staying at and we were drawn in by great reviews and this description.

“Meet other food enthusiasts from around the world and share the fun of Thai cooking. While wining and dining, listening to good music in a relaxed and clean environment. Since the cooking school is on the beachfront you will also see, hear and feel the harmony of the sea. Enjoy your time – you’re on holiday!”

 

 

 

It was such a fantastic experience! We learnt a great deal about Thai ingredients before entering the kitchen and then got the chance to cook 4 dishes. We were taught about the kind of ingredients we could use as substitutes in our own countries. We also learned how to make curry pastes from scratch and the difference between fresh and shop bought is spectacular. It was a great social experience in a beautiful setting and I got the chance to create a huge flame in a wok which I could definitely not do at home due to a very sensitive fire alarm.

 

 Since returning to the UK, the one thing we have cooked a few times is Thai Soup. We have adapted the original recipe that we learned but I thought it would be good to share the recipe as it is very easy to make, relatively healthy and simple to adapt to your taste. The hot and sour flavours are perfect for cold wintery days such as today.

Thai cooking consists of the 3 S’s (sweet, sour and salty) plus spice.  The balance of these flavours is not the same in every dish. This recipe contains all three and certainly packs a punch. The first s you should taste is sour, the second sweet and then the third salty.  The recipe can be adapted and made without coconut milk, using more stock instead for a lighter soup (Like Tom Yum) and chicken can be substituted for prawns or seafood.  Of course, you can also adapt the level of spice in your soup. Quick and easy, it is great for a quick meal after work. I live in London and we are lucky as we have several Thai Supermarkets local to us but many of the ingredients are available now in regular supermarkets and you are also able to buy specific  ingredients online.

 

Tom Kha Gai - Tangy Coconut Soup with Fresh Thai Herbs and Chicken  (Serves 4)

Ingredients

3 cups coconut milk

1 cup vegetable or chicken stock

12 slices galangal (This is not ginger)

3 stems lemongrass (‘Leave me’ way)

8 kaffir lime leaves

3 chicken breasts thinly sliced

4 Thai red onions or 1 medium red onion finely sliced

3 birds eye chillies (‘Leave me’ way)

1 medium onion cut into 4 wedges and then halved

4 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1/3 teaspoon salt

3 tomatoes ( cut into 4 wedges and deseeded)

2 spring onions cut into 5cm pieces

4 tablespoons lime juice

Coriander leaves for garnish

How to make the soup

1.     Firstly prepare your ingredients as the cooking time is actually very short. Vegetables and herbs in Thai recipes are prepared and chopped in such a way so that you can distinguish which you should eat and which you should leave as they have just been included for flavour. The ingredients on the left below are ‘leave me’ ( From the top, galangal, birds eye chilli, lemon grass and kaffir lime leaf) and the ones on the right are ‘eat me ( ginger, birds eye chilli, Thai onion and Kaffir lime leaf).

 

 

2.     Pour coconut cream/milk and stock into a pot. Add galangal, lemongrass, chill, kaffir lime leaves and Thai Red onion in ‘leave me style’. This normally means that you would leave them bigger and bash to release the flavour. Cover, bring to the boil and leave to simmer for 6 minutes.

3.      Add chicken, onions, fish sauce, sugar and salt and let simmer for 3 minutes.

4.      Add tomatoes and simmer for 30 seconds. Adding the tomatoes before will have the effect of a red t-shirt in a white wash so always add near the end to keep your soup looking white.

5.      Add the spring onions and then the final step is to add the lime juice once you have turned off the heat. Adding lime before this point can make it taste bitter. This is where the name ‘Time for lime’ came from.

 

6.   Garnish with coriander before serving and then enjoy!

 

I served the soup with Pad kaprow goong ( Shrimp with holy basil) and I will share this recipe  another day. This is my dinner from tonight, a Tom Yum style Thai seafood soup that is based on the recipe above but without coconut milk.

 I'd love to see and hear about your recipes too so post me comments or show me your pics on Instagram. I never get bored of food pictures!

 

 

Positive February

For the last two years I have felt really motivated in January embarking on Janathon as a way to kickstart my fitness journey. For those of you who have never heard of Janathon, you are encouraged to exercise and then blog about it daily for the whole month and if January is too cold then you can also give it a go in June too. This year I am afraid to admit that I have been lazier and greedier than I have been in a very long time and I have done absolutely no exercise. Janathon is a great way to get you moving but I decided that it wasn’t the way I wanted to approach things this year. Exercise is important but I have learned that it is also important to give your body adequate rest too. I can be a woman of extremes and I’ve most definitely taken the rest days to a different level in the last month. Don’t get me wrong, I have been busy with other things such as work and eating it seems, but this is where it stops!

In my experience I have found that February can be pretty miserable. No more gloss of the fresh start of a new year, resolutions well and truly forgotten and cold miserable weather that is no longer a novelty. Yes snow, I’m talking about you! You were fun when you first arrived, we all built snowmen, went for family walks and bored everybody on every social media channel with as many photos as we could possibly take.  So please, no more until next year because the frozen grey sludge just makes everything that little bit harder.

 

I’m not big on New Year resolutions. I’m a lady who likes to work towards goals and I continually stop to check in on my progress. I feel strongly that every day is a new day so why wait until Monday, next month or next year to make changes! I’m very, very aware that I can’t go on the way I have been in January. I’m not beating myself up about it. I’ve enjoyed slowing down a little, eating naughty food and being a little lazy but I’ve got things I want to do and goals I want to achieve.

The first challenge on my radar is the Paris Half Marathon. It was my very first big running challenge nearly two years ago and I am excited about going back. If you want to read about the first time round check out this post. I’ve neglected my training recently but I am confident that I can pick it back up. Training is very important but in my experience positive attitude is just as important as I found out when I ran my first marathon last year.  I will be running regularly and I am going to start back on the Spartanfam homework videos every morning and evening. Me and my Lycra are going to become very familar with my lounge floor. When training for the Berlin half last year, I really noticed an improved fitness level by doing these regularly. I am going to try and document my training to help motivate me and maybe I will motivate others in the process. The pressure to blog when doing Janathon makes it harder to not exercise.  

 

 

 

For those of you who follow me on Twitter or Instagram you will know I’m a bit of a foodie when I flood your timelines with dinner pics. Sorry if it’s not your thing but it is mine. I like good, healthy food with colour. No anaemic beige food for this girl! I am going to share some of my favourite recipes in the next few months and I’m also going to try and cook as many new things as possible. I love to experiment and try new foods.  I don’t have lots of spare time but there are definitely ways to eat healthily if you get yourself organised.  Diet is so important when you are training. I realised this when I was training for my marathon. Once you start running for more than a couple of hours, you notice that your body really needs the right fuel.

I’m also going to be doing a sponsored walk with my family in March to raise funds for the Royal Marsden.  TheMarsden March will take place on 17^th March and the route will take us 14 miles from the Royal Marsden Hospital in Chelsea to the Royal Marsden in Sutton. This is a really big deal for my family, especially for those who didn’t even own a pair of trainers until we signed up. My 4 year old niece Ciana has been very poorly as some of you know and we want to acknowledge her amazing bravery and courage as well as show our thanks for the fantastic care she has received. She is out of hospital at the moment but still has a way to go. I think it’s really important to stick together with friends and family and show support and thanks.  If you’d like to make a donation, no matter how small, you can go to www.justgiving.com/princessciana ( Apologies that the page isn’t prettied up yet but there seems to be some kind of glitch with the system and it won’t allow me to update it to include her story or photo).

My next focus is my beauty routine. I am a beauty junkie and love nothing more than a new product, as anybody that has visited my home will know.   I have a regular routine when it comes to my face but I tend to neglect my body so I am going to make an effort to do more at home pampering. I have the products, I just need to make the time. I work, live and breathe beauty and I am going to try and share some of my experiences. Because I’ve always had an interest, I forget that some people are really out of their depth when it comes to shopping for beauty products. I’ve always had problem skin and I don’t want to speak too soon but it’s better now than it has been in a long time. I’m no expert but it may be useful to some people and I love the chance to talk about beauty in any capacity. Up until now I’ve tended to avoid it on here as the running took over but it’s time to get some glamour back in my life. I’m not just about trainers and lycra!  

In the last two years I’ve experienced a lot emotionally. It has made me realise that life is short, life is precious and things can chance in a second so appreciate everything that you have. February can be miserable but life is what you make if it. Starting from now I am going to make a conscious effort to be more positive in all aspects of my life. I will be using the hashtag #positivefeb to remind me this month but I don’t plan on turning into a glass half empty grump in March. Feel free to join me and let me know what you’ve been up to and any positive changes that you make.

 

Beauty Mishaps: The secret world of waxing

It’s one of those things that many women do as part of our grooming routine and we don’t really talk about it but I am all for talking a bit more after more than a mishap or two. It’s only when you talk to others you realise that shockingly, you’re not alone when it comes to waxing horror stories. I have several of my own and friends have shared theirs with me too. I recently tweeted asking if others had experienced waxing woes and there were plenty to choose from. Although at the time they can be excruciatingly embarrassing and painful, they are also pretty funny tales to share with the girls. It was while sitting around the dinner table a couple of Sundays ago with four of my best friends that we stumbled across bikini waxes as a topic of dinner party conversation.  Tasteful no but useful yes!

My friend has just moved to a new area, meaning she has had to leave her trusted local beauty therapist. Much like when you have to find a new hairdresser, it can be a daunting prospect. It’s not about letting any old person loose on your lady garden! Whilst enjoying our Sunday roast my friend raised the topic of waxing etiquette.  She has only ever been to one therapist and her way of working when perfecting her Brazilian is to get her up on the couch, pants off and up on all fours. She asked whether she should assume that the new beauty therapist would work in the same way. Should she rock up, knickers off, in position ready for her to do her work? It was a unanimous verdict around the dinner table that she should most definitely wait to be told what to do. Every one of us around has had a Brazilian wax and the conclusion was that all therapists work in different ways. Some get you up on all fours, some leave pants on and whip them to the side, others demand you’re  pants off, on your back or side, legs and bum in the air, all obviously very undignified but whatever it takes to get the job done! There was a potentially awkward moment heading her way if the new therapist was more of a pants to the side, on the back kind of lady and she waltzed in up on all fours naked from the waist down.

How do you know where to go when you decide you want some grooming? I’m a qualified beauty therapist but I almost butchered myself when I opted for some DIY bikini waxing at home. I am a very competent waxer but it’s all about the angles, and as far as I am concerned, it’s well worth the money to pay somebody else to do it to make sure you get the best job done.  However, I’m not going to lie, the whole experience can be pretty excruciating. You’re hardly feeling at your most confident laying on a couch, pants off with ungroomed nether regions and if the therapist isn’t up to scratch, it can be a whole lot more painful. You assume the therapist is the expert so you let them get on with it. I say it can be excruciating because like most things in life, it depends who is providing the service.

 In my experience, it’s not always about paying more to get a good result. I’ve had some bad experiences in more expensive establishments. Despite some less than pleasurable waxing sessions, the pain and a short moment of feeling undignified is always worth it if it’s neat and tidy when it’s finished.  I hate being ungroomed. I don’t wax for anybody else, I do it for me.  I’ve read Caitlin Moran’s ‘How to Be a Woman’ with the chapter about waxing (or the avoidance of hair removal) and while I get it and it made me laugh out loud reading it on the train, feminist protesting in this manner is just not for me.  It’s all about the Brazilian!

Some of the tales I have heard include burns, blowing on the client after each strip has been whipped off (yes, there!), super slow therapists using strips more suitable for eyebrows so that the eye watering job has taken nearly an hour and pushy sales girls peddling vajazzles to surprise my boyfriend (you’ll be relieved that the sales girl didn’t get her way). It was only when chatting with friends that I have been give recommendations of places to go but I know some groups of friends may not be as open. I have a few horror tales of my own to share along with some I’ve pinched off friends who will remain anonymous and hopefully I can help you to avoid some waxing woes in the future with a few of the lessons I have learnt along the way.

The barber style; short back and sides

One of the most disappointing things in life is going to be waxed and going home to inspect the job, only to still be greeted by a growler. Ok, it may be a slightly tamed one but a growler nonetheless. Some beauty salons don’t offer Brazilians and you need to know what to ask for otherwise you may end up being disappointed.
Experience has encouraged me to be more forthright in my dealings with the therapist and I nowadays, I am always very clear about what I want.  You’re paying for a service after all, just because you’ve got no pants on you still need to make sure you get what you are paying for. I understand that you can feel pretty vulnerable laying there with your bits out and you trust the therapist to get on with it but if you aren’t clear about what you want you may be disappointed. It’s always a bit uncomfortable when they finish and ask you what you think. A bit like when a waiter gives you the wine to taste in a restaurant and then watches as you taste it waiting for your verdict.
The lesson: A temporary moment of cringe is definitely better than an under groomed lady garden and always do your research before you take your knickers off.

The nervous therapist

This is never going to end well but in all honesty it can be a little tricky to wriggle out of because by the time you realise she’s nervous, you’ve probably already got your pants off and she’s started ripping your hair out. I’ve experienced this several times and I get the impression that it’s down to experience or lack of it. I totally get that practice makes perfect but I’m not about letting my beaver be a guinea pig! If the therapist is not confident when she’s whipping the wax off, it can be way more painful, take far longer and the results don’t last as the hair tends to break rather than being removed from the root.
The lesson: Try and always go to therapists based on recommendations so you know what to expect and quit whilst you are ahead. If you are feeling really uncomfortable then ask the therapist to stop and discreetly talk to the manager after the treatment.

The slowcoach

Personally, I prefer to be in and out within 20 minutes and this isn’t a problem when I’ve visited experienced therapists. On several occasions though, I’ve had ones that like to wax a centimetre at a time. This is absolutely excruciating for both client and therapist! One time the therapist was using a weird kind of disposable roll-on type of waxing device which was narrow and meant it took absolutely ages.  To add to the uncomfort factor, it turns out she was best friends with an old uni friend of mine. I established this as I developed verbal diarrhoea triggered by the waxing fear. There was a lot of time to talk in the hour it took her to wax me. Just brilliant! I came across a slowcoach very recently too. I have been going to the same place for about 2 or 3 years now but it’s in central London. I flew to Thailand on Friday and had a busy week before I left so thought I’d try a local salon rather than make time to head in to town. It was cheaper than my regular place and meant I could pop round one evening. I know, I know, I should have known better. It ended up taking ages, the room was hot and the whole thing was just embarrassing. She was nervous, I was nervous and I ended up having to help her out because she was sticking wax all over the show. It all turned out in the end but it wasn’t pretty!   
The lesson: Don’t go to a new salon before checking out reviews beforehand.

The hand

When I’m getting my legs waxed I’m not offended by the hand. When training as a therapist we were taught that it helped to reduce the pain if you compress the area that has just been waxed with your hand. This all starts to feel wrong when it’s down there though. It’s probably less than a second or two that therapist places her hand on the freshly waxed area but it feels like forever and I don’t like it. It’s not something that every therapist does but when they do I still haven’t plucked up the courage to voice how I feel so I lay back and cringe until it’s done.

The lesson: Don't be a coward like me and if something makes you feel uncomfortable, tell the therapist.

The fire starter

I have been burnt on several occasions and I’ve heard several horror stories from friends too. I knew that the wax felt quite hot but I didn’t say anything as I trusted the therapist’s expertise. It’s not normally until the next day that you often realise the damage that has been caused. It’s pretty normal to feel sore after but your skin should not be bright red and peeling the following day.  

The lesson: Again it comes down to communication with the therapist and therapist recommendations. Of course waxing is not pain free but trust your instinct. If it feels too hot then it probably is!  

The blower

I have never had this happen to me and if I had I think I would have run a mile and then showered for a very long time. Upon sharing this with others, it seems my friend is not alone though which is worrying. After every strip of wax was ripped off the therapist lowered her head and blew on her bits. I’m not quite sure what she was trying to achieve and it totally freaks me out. I expect the therapist was trying to be helpful but breathing all over you is not professional, it is just plain weird!  

The lesson: If you hear of this happening to any of your friends, take down the name of the salon and make a note to never go there!

I thought it may also be quite useful to write my own little guide to demystify the waxing menu. There are so many things that you can ask for now. What is the difference between a bikini wax, a Brazilian and a Hollywood!? I am working on this now and hope to have it up within a week.

Disclaimer: Sorry to all the males who may ready this or the waxing guide who were unaware of the lengths we go to in order to look like we do.   

 

 

My Bubbly Guilty Pleasure

I love good food and the majority of the time I’d opt for savoury over sweet. Give me a starter over a dessert or a packet crisps over chocolate anytime, however, there are couple of sweet treats that do win me over and they are Aero bubbles (the mint ones) and a peanut butter Kit Kat Chunky. These are the things I sneak into the shopping basket when my boyfriend isn’t looking. When I was invited to a preview of the Bar of Aero on Thursday night I jumped at the chance.  The Bar of Aero is described as the ultimate bubble playground filled with innovative technology, a multi-sensory chocolate extravaganza. My love of Aero bubbles and the thought that there may be a hint to the magic in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meant cough or not, I was going.  

Walking in to the pop up bar located at Dray Walk Gallery at the Truman Brewery just off Brick Lane, I was greeted by a minty, bubbly paradise. Bubbles and Aero everywhere and a delicious peppermint scent throughout. Obviously there were also stacks and stacks of Aero chocolate. My hunch was right about my Roald Dahl favourite and there was a hint to Mr Wonka as the promotional staff were dressed top to toe in Oompa Loompa orange.

Experimental food designer Andrew Stellitano showcased the science behind the famous bubby treat in a specially designed master class. Who’d have thought there were 15 factors that went into making the bubbliness just right!? Burst or small bubbles leads to a dense chocolate bar experience and bubbles too big means it just doesn’t go down as well and melts a little slower as the chocolate is thicker. We got to try some of the ‘wrong’ Aeros followed by the perfect balance of bubbliness. I have to say, I loved them all! There were discussions about launching limited edition bars with oversized bubbles or tiny bubbles for a different experience but it was a unanimous decision that the perfect Aero was in fact the best.  

Andrew shared a couple of tailor-made recipes designed to showcase the different ways that chocolate can be aerated to create a different bubbly chocolate experience. The carbonated Aero Mint Float was like an upgraded amazing mini milkshake with multi-bubbly layers and the Aero Mess was a combination of frozen aerated orange Aero with orange meringue and chocolate powder. Again, it was delicious but I can’t help thinking it would have been even better if there was something gooey in there such as cream or melted chocolate. I washed these treats down with some bubbly champagne and then a bubbly hot chocolate from the Aero fountain. The perfect medicine for a persistent cough I kept telling myself.

I was very grateful for the goodie bag full of bubbly, chocolatey treats and I have to say I am relieved that it has taken until now to discover Aero biscuits. They are amazing! I am due to wear a bikini next week as I’m off to Thailand and a whole packet of Aero biscuits, bags of Aero bubbles and bars of Aero chocolate are not helping with my bikini body mission but I’ve had fun eating them and I eat healthy and exercise regularly most of the time. Well, that’s what I’ve been telling myself.

The Bar of Aero is completely free and will be open all weekend from 12pm-7pm. As well as lots of free chocolate, there will be prizes on offer so if you’re planning to be East tomorrow, pop down and get your bubbly fix.  Find more info here

My Running Journey

I still struggle with calling myself a runner but I think I have earned myself the title now. I may not be super slim or speedy but I do have a healthy little medal stash under my belt now which I’m pretty pleased about. I hate the word journey but I think it's the best way to describe this long post.

Back on 16^th October 2010 I signed up to run the Paris Half Marathon which was my first proper run. When I started training I remember being totally overwhelmed at the prospect of running for more than two hours. I’d tried to run before but never very seriously and all that really meant was a bit of a jog around the block with a lot of stopping and heavy breathing. I like to aim high and work better if I have a goal, so after volunteering at the London marathon as a sports massage therapist, I entered the ballot but didn’t get a place. I took up the invite from Bangs and a Bun to run the Paris Half Marathon instead.

It was tough but I rigorously stuck to the training no matter what the weather. Looking back I was a little naïve and very unknowledgeable about some of the technical aspects of running people talk about. But I kept my goal insight and trained hard finishing without stopping in 2 hours and 11 minutes. Although it was 1 minute slower than my original target I was absolutely thrilled.  Looking back, I didn’t complicate things, I just ran. You can read more about Paris here.

I learnt a lot about myself when I finished that run. It is amazing what you can achieve if you work hard and keep your goals in sight. I have now run a total of 5 half marathons since March last year and last month I ran my first full marathon in Amsterdam. I still can’t quite believe I did it!

Charlie Dark from Run Dem Crew has said that you learn a lot about yourself throughout training and on race day and I can honestly say that with every race, I most definitely have found out something new about myself. Running gives me time and space to think and although it is hard work it also allows me to switch off and have some time of my own. Running is more than physical activity- it is a metaphor for life. So much of what you achieve is down to what is going on in your head. I am absolutely convinced that positivity and determination were what got me across the finish line in Amsterdam with a smile.

If I’m being honest, my training didn’t really go to plan but I did stick to my long runs. It was the midweek runs that I found more difficult. I started out with great intentions but sometimes life gets in the way and certain things have to take priority. However, there was no way I was backing down. I signed up to a couple of half marathons to take part in during my training.

Firstly, the Burnham Beeches Half. We had a rubbish summer this year but I seem to have history that whenever I sign up to a run we get a momentary one day heat wave. The run took place on one of the hottest days we have had this year.  It was a tough run with tough hills and even tougher because it was a loop that you had to run twice which is pretty hard going. No PBs were set on 21^st August but I did manage a sprint finish at the end and I ran up every single one of those hills. It was a very organised race and I would definitely do it again even though it was quite a challenging course. The race starts and finishes at Caldicott School in Burnham Beeches. There is a great family atmosphere and an outdoor swimming pool within the grounds that you are able to use after the run which was particularly popular this year.

I then ran the Royal Parks Half Marathon on 7^th October. I went along and cheered some friends last year. London is my home and I love running in my city. I have to say I absolutely loved Royal Parks. It was a perfect cold and sunny running day. It’s a beautiful course and I loved it even more because my family, boyfriend and the Run Dem Crew Cheer Dem Crew were all there cheering. Getting a cheer en route makes such a difference.  No PBs were set but it more was more about keeping it steady and staying injury free until my marathon at the end of October.

I absolutely loved it. The course was a little windy and repetitive in the parks at times but it didn’t bother me. I really enjoy running in the London Parks and the atmosphere was electric.  The scenic route runs through four Royal Parks (Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, St James’s Park and Green Park) and takes you past some key London landmarks such as Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Houses of Parliament and the Royal Albert Hall.  It was brilliant to run a great course with so much support and I finished in pretty good shape. Don’t get me wrong though, although I was trying to ignore it there was a little voice in my head asking me how I was going to run double the route in Amsterdam. This voice continued to pop up uninvited but I just ignored the question afraid of my answer.

I set myself some goals last year and originally thought about trying to get a pace in the New York marathon but decided Amsterdam was a more realistic option. Soon after I had signed up it was then announced that it was going to be the next Bridge the Gap run so more than 100 friends from Run Dem Crew were going to there as well as the other running crews from around the world such as the New York Bridge Runners, Paris Run Club and of course Patta, the Amsterdam hosts who were amazing hosts indeed.

As the marathon got closer I got more and more terrified even though I tried to keep my fear hidden. In training the furthest I ran was 25k (a marathon is more than 42k). I am normally the type of person that trains more than I need to so that I am confident I will be able to do the distance on the day. However, I was having a few ITB issues and didn’t want to aggravate it. I took the decision to scale the training back so that I was in the best shape possible for the day.

We went to collect our race numbers the day before and then had a very chilled day where we hydrated and fuelled to give ourselves the best chance. My boyfriend is usually the resident photographer, cheer squad and bag holder but this time he was going to be running his first half marathon. He admitted that in the past he had always felt a little bit jealous when I collected my race number but I have to say he did look a little green as he walked towards me race bag in hand. Before going to bed I glanced at the course map and I had to look away quickly. Doubt was trying to rear its ugly head when I saw just how far I was going to be running.



Amsterdam Marathon Course



Walking to the race start I felt sick with nerves. All the others that were going to be running the full are hardcore and had trained very hard.  We arrived at the meeting point and I felt out of place and like I didn’t deserve to be there. I hadn’t trained as much as I wanted to and rather than a high tech Garmin on my arm I had a rubbish basic digital watch so that I could keep track of my start time. There was talk of race pace and tactics but my goal was just to finish and to enjoy it. I didn’t want to be consumed by clock watching and disappointment. I wanted to go out there and prove that I was strong enough to do it. I had trained on my own and I was going to be out there on my own on race day. I went a bit mutey as we walked towards the stadium.



"What am I doing here?"- Looking totally out of my depth



The race started and finished in the Olympic stadium which was incredible. It gave me just a little glimpse of how an athlete feels on a big day. I got a little bit emotional at the start, overwhelmed at what I was about to do. My tactic was to keep positive, enjoy it and smile a lot and it all went to plan. I absolutely loved it! The wall that people talk of never appeared and I felt great the whole way round. Seeing my friends Guy and Kaye at 2k was great and I shouted “I’m running a marathon!” as I ran past, still trying to convince myself I think. I knew that I wasn’t going to see anybody until about 26.5k so I turned my music up and just got on with it.

The marathon route has an additional 13 miles along the River Amstel on top of the half marathon route. Personally, I loved the run along the river as I train along the Thames in London and it was a smoother surface with Windmills dotted along the route which pleased me. Families were lining the route cheering and handing out water so I tried to engage with as many people as possible and said thank you for their support. It was cold and windy too but I was actually grateful for the cold weather.  Some of the Run Dem Crew guys had planned to be at 26.5k to cheer the marathon runners before the start of the half marathon but my pace was a little slow and they had to leave before I got there. I was on track for my time I’m just not a 3:45 marathon kind of girl. Despite having a race of his own my boyfriend stayed to support me and I was thrilled to see him. I remember shouting “It’s brilliant, I love it!” as I ran past and I really was loving every minute.

I had aimed to try and run to 25k without stopping but I got there and I was fine. I reached 30k and I was fine. I reached 35k and I was still fine. I couldn’t quite believe it. I looked forward to seeing Bangs and a Bun who had told me she was going to be cheering between 37k and 38k. I saw her from afar cheering loud and running up and down. It meant a lot to me having her there as I ran my first half marathon with her and she has always been so supportive.  I have to say I got a little emotional as I ran past but I still had a smile on my face.

My ipod and me had our own little running party the whole way round and I sang as I run. I listened to everything from dancey stuff to the Madonna Immaculate Collection. Like a Virgin felt very fitting as it was my first marathon. I also listened to some slower, more relaxing music which I never, ever do when I run but it really helped me to stay relaxed, calm and steady. I got to 39k and Kaye and Guy were still there cheering loud. I screamed as I ran past saying “I’m still running!” I couldn’t quite believe it. A race picture at 40k sums up how I was feeling.

The last 2k was tough but knowing the end was so near kept me going and as I was about to enter the stadium I saw a Run Dem Crew logo in the distance. I screamed at Terry as she cheered and I shouted “I’m actually going to do it!” I ran into the stadium and around the track to the finish line where I said the same thing again to a woman running just in front of me. I crossed the line and after a massive smile I just cried. I couldn’t believe I had done it.

The last 18 months has been really hard for several reasons but crossing that line meant so much more to me than just finishing a run. It was about achieving something even when things hadn’t quite gone to plan. It proved to me that staying positive can be so powerful and even when things go wrong you can pick yourself up and achieve things you never thought possible. That may sound dramatic but it’s truly how I feel and I believe that this sentiment can be transferred to other things outside of running. Don't let doubt creep in, take each step one at a time and never take your eye off the goal, whatever that goal may be. I have been really lucky to have great support from people around me. Charlie from Run Dem Crew has always been supportive. He has helped me to feel more confident and the email from him before we left for Amsterdam meant a lot. I'm sure he won't mind me sharing a couple of the lines that really got me (and made me cry!) but I thought about what he wrote as I ran on the day. Thank you for your kind words Charlie!

 "I know that life hasn't always been easy but Sunday is a chance to leave it on the road. Know you are going to totally rock your way through it. Run your own race and celebrate how far you have come with every step. We'll be cheering you along to the finish line."

I finished in 4:49. My original goal was just to finish by secretly I wanted it to be under 5 hours. I am confident that with training I could definitely finish more quickly. It seems I may well have the bug. However, before I even think about another marathon I’m going back to Paris where it all started to run at another Bridge the Gap event and this time my boyfriend is going to train and run with me. Happy days!

Happy 30s Progress Update

Back at the end of October I set myself some challenges for the year and I thought that now we are a quarter of the way through the year I would check in on my progress. I set myself a mission statement and five goals. You can see the original post here.

Mission Statement

I want to live life to the full every day and appreciate everything and everyone around me. I am determined to have more fun and success in my thirties than I had in my teens and twenties combined and to do this I need to continually challenge myself, even though it may be uncomfortable at times. Whilst I will learn from the past I will not dwell on it and will concentrate on moving forward and listen to advice that others are kind enough to give me. Rather than focusing on what I haven’t achieved, I will acknowledge what I have and will be proud but not cocky. I will learn how to build on and improve my achievements so that I can be the very best I can possibly be while being supportive and encouraging to those around me. Helping my friends and family to be happy will make me happy too.

Goal 1- Shape Up

I have been taking pictures of my body as it has changed over the last few months. I’m not quite brave enough to share them yet. However, what I have realised is that since I’ve shifted the focus from weight loss on the scales to increasing fitness I have seen more dramatic results. My clothes are most definitely looser and I feel fantastic! I’m no angel and I still have treats but I am doing more exercise than I have done before. I run with @rundemcrew, I train with @Chakabars #SpartanFamily and do my homework, I’ve been trying out the Sexy In The City Bootcamp Classes and I’ve even tried a pole dancing class. Variety is most definitely the spice of life! I think I can safely say that progress so far in goal number 1 is positive and I am hoping I continue to see some more changes. When I get a little braver I may even share some pictures.  I will be doing some separate posts on the other exercise I have tried in the last few months.



Spartan Family at work



Goal 2- Run Faster

Last weekend I had the most amazing time and completed my third half marathon with my @rundemcrew family in Berlin. I had set my sights on a sub-2 time and I had every intention of going for it. I even headed way out of my comfort zone and took part in a track session. However a month ago I was massively knocked off course with some news in my personal life. To say I was shocked was an understatement. I carried on with my training but my confidence took a bit of a knock and my healthy diet went out of the window. I didn’t start eating junk food but balance was not a word that could be used to describe the fuel I was providing my body with (or lack of).

In the lead up to Berlin I did move up a group into greyhounds. I’d been threatening to do it for a while and was glad I finally plucked up the courage. It wasn’t scary at all, I managed to keep up and I really enjoyed it. In fact, I always enjoy running on a Tuesday night. I put my target time to the back of my mind and when people asked if I had a time in mind I lied and said “not really”. In all honesty, it was still there hiding away but I wanted Berlin to be a positive experience and I didn’t want to put too much pressure on myself.

The whole weekend was absolutely amazing. I enjoyed spending some time alone and I loved being with friends too, both old and new. The atmosphere before the run was electric. Nike had been kind enough to provide a pre and post-race location for us to meet. Alongside  70 @rundemcrew were running crews from all around the world, including the New York Bridge Runners.  Amongst the excitement it was easy to forget we had 13 miles to run but I just knew it was going to be a good day. Throughout my training there seemed to be a trend. On the days I saw a pug on my run I had a good run. Walking up the race start, I saw this little beauty.

The lucky pug

Race day

Me and Kaye

Me and Alski

The weather was perfect long run Sunday weather; crisp, blue skies and bright sunshine. I was going to go out there and do my absolute best for myself. Not to make anybody else proud but to make myself proud. I set off and I felt great. I started my stop watch and decided I wouldn’t look until I got to 10K.The crowds were fantastic and the long flat, straight roads were just what I needed to focus. I kept my head down and concentrated on the goal, looking up occasionally to admire the amazing landmarks such as the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, the remains of the wall or a glimpse of a fellow RDC runner which was a guaranteed boost. As I crossed the 10k marker I reached into my belt and grabbed my phone. I glanced down and I was over 57 minutes. If I had any chance at all I needed to seriously pick up my pace so I stuffed my mouth with some Haribo teddy bears and set off determined to not let anything get in my way.

 I’m not going to lie. It hurt, there were times I wanted to stop and give up but I stayed positive and thought about how hard I had worked. As I passed clocks I was continually trying to work out how I was doing and I could see the 2 hour mark slipping away. At times I wanted to slow down but even if there was only a small chance I wanted to give it to myself. I normally run with water but decided not to on this occasion because I thought it would be best to leave my hands free. As the sun beamed down I felt myself getting thirsty. Drinking out of the plastic cups was tricky and I didn’t take in enough fluid but I was conscious I didn’t want to waste time at the water stops. Most of the cups of water ended up over my head and my mouth got more gloopy with the sugary sweetness of teddy bears.

By 16k my whole body hurt. My neck and back were aching and the blisters on my feet were burning but I knew that my friend Gemma, who I ran my first half marathon with, was going to be at 17k. She is one of the nicest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and she flew to Berlin for one day just to cheer us on. Amazing girl!  The thought of her at 17k kept me going and it gave me a real boost as I heard her calling out my name and smiling at me.

The gorgeous Gemma...look at that smile!

I kept going and as I glanced at the next clock I knew there was still a teeny tiny chance that I could beat my Paris time. I’m not really sure how I did it but I managed to cut 10 minutes off my Paris PB coming in at 2:01. Ok, I know it was 1 minute over my ultimate goal but I am still extremely proud. It seems to be a bit of a trend. The first time I ran a half marathon I was aiming for 2:10 and achieved 2:11. At the end of the day, it was one minute and I am still absolutely thrilled that I ran the race 10 minutes faster than my last. I have also managed to improve my Parkrun time by a total of seven minutes.  I consider Goal 2 to also be progressing well. I’m not done with this goal yet and will be frequenting the track this summer.

It feels right to mention @rundemcrew here too. Without the support of @daddydark the @rundemcrew founder and my amazing @rundemcrew friends there is no way I would have been able to achieve what I did so thank you for all of the kind words and encouragement. Just look how happy I was to cross the line.

Happy!

Look what we 'spotted' at the Brandenburg Gate

Goal 3- Swim better and faster

The less said about this the better at the moment but it is the next thing on the agenda. For those that are wondering, yes, I am terrified at the prospect of a traiathlon!

Goal 4- Run longer

I decided that 2012 would be the year I run a marathon and I now have a place in the Amsterdam marathon. This scares me but I am willing to rise to the challenge. I researched a number of races and Amsterdam felt right. It is also flat which is a definite attractive feature for me. Even more excitingly, it seems that Amsterdam is going to be the next @rundemcrew destination. The rest if the crew will be doing the half that takes place on the same day but I know there are a couple taking part in the full. When I applied Amsterdam wasn’t even a thing but the thought of an RDC cheers squad is exciting me a lot!

Goal 5- Speak even more than I do already

The German practice didn’t start until late but I did get a chance to speak quite a bit when I was there last weekend and I loved it. I love Germany  but I have to say, when I arrived late Friday night on my own, I did feel a little like a woman out of a German text book as I asked for directions at the huge Hauptbahnhof train station. Being on my own all day on Saturday forced me to speak German and I loved it. I even indulged in German TV and watched Superstar, Undercover boss and some strange breakfast TV all without subtitles and generally understood what was going on. I guess being greeted in German wherever I went (because I do look quite Deutsch) was a good thing and encouraged me to respond in German. I’m going to try and keep it up and I’m also keen to visit more places in Germany. I’m also really keen to pick up my Spanish again. I love the freedom it gives you when you learn a foreign language and it’s also great to show that you are making an effort when talking to the locals. Goal 5 is also going well but there is definite room for improvement.

I can honestly say that I have stayed true to my words in my mission statement above. I have had some serious obstacles come my way in the last few months but I have learned a lot about myself and I am a stronger woman as a result. The biggest lesson I have learnt is that in life we have a choice.  Bad things happen but it is essential to stay positive and take control to turn things around. Sometimes it is scary to stray out of your comfort zone but it will always be worth it and doing scary things opens up so many opportunities. Life is there to be lived and I know I don’t want to look back with regrets because I have been afraid.

I’m pretty pleased with my progress so far and despite a number of obstacles that have come my way, I am actually in a really good place and feel content.  I think it is a really good idea to jot down your goals as it makes it harder to back out but is also a benchmark to demonstrate just how much you have achieved. People don’t always remember to tell you when you are doing something well but if other people aren’t going to, it is especially important to stop and take a moment to acknowledge you are doing a good job. And if you’re not then there is always time to make things right. My Happy 30s challenge is well on track!