THE BEGINNER'S BLOG

You may have noticed that the beginner’s blog has not been too upbeat of late. I think the month of January has affected me more than I would like to admit. I always remember the journalist Robert Crampton saying that he normally has the ‘New Year New You’ feeling in September as opposed to January. He put this down to old school days, September being the month when new shoes and a new pencil case symbolise a fresh start, a clean slate. I can definitely relate to this.

However, get through January we must and if magazines and Sunday supplements are to be believed then we are supposed to be doing in whilst drinking carrot juice and with a new found spring in our step. Obviously, from my tone you can probably tell that I am struggling with this concept.


However, on a run the other day I was reminded of just how liberating running is. When reading ‘Thoosa Inspired’ something that is often repeated is that you can run anywhere, that’s why it’s such a fantastic thing to do. And once you’re out, you see remarkable things, or see ordinary things through a different light. Either way, above is a picture of a beautiful sight that, had I not been on a run, I would have missed. Inspirational indeed. Oh, and I signed myself up for a 10K.

THE BEGINNER'S BLOG

Where do I start? December, in my view, was not a runner’s friend. I’m pretty sure that it was very wet, then cold and wet and then snowy. And if the elements weren’t like this for the whole month then it definitely felt as though they were.

On top of this, December is THE month of excess. I resolved to keep healthy and Thoosa’s nutritional Christmas tips definitely helped. It was great to start every day having a healthy thought, even if I knew I wasn’t going to be strictly saintly. However, a few Christmas parties down, and with some long lunches that went on well into the evening, running, I’m afraid, took a bit of a back seat. What’s worse is that I stupidly confessed this whilst having a tipsy conversation one evening with a group of pretty incredible runners. Rain, shine, Sundays they are out there, and so it seems soon I will be too.

Whilst everyone was vaguely impressed with my new found running form, no one was impressed with my fair weather attitude. And, in all the Christmas merriment, instead of keeping schtum I agreed that my performance lacked dedication and asked ‘what to do’? BIG MISTAKE.

The answer, as it, so sober now obviously would be, was ‘sign up for a race’, ‘a real challenge’ and ‘do it now and do it soon to keep the motivation’. And so it begins.

THE BEGINNER'S BLOG ... THE GLEE FACTOR!



A lovely realisation hit me on Sunday morning. For a while, Sunday has been the day of the weekend when I go for a hopefully productive run. Dare I say it? OK, it almost feels like a bit of a routine. And this was the realisation. For the first time I felt like a proper runner, exciting!


Like a thunder bolt this thought came to me, ironically, whilst I was sat in a little French cafe. Worse, I was munching on a pain au chocolate, drinking a large cappuccino, looking out over Clapham common on a damp November morning. Through the condensation and rain lashed windows, amongst the varying tones of lush green and grey, men and women dressed brightly, whizzed in and then out of view.

I’d taken a raincheck on my ritual Sunday run for a lovely little chin wag and coffee with an old friend. In between lovely chat, lots of laughs and the collective reading of Heat magazine (guilty) the runner inside me had a little think. Was I happy to be inside in the warm? Of course. Was the thought of being outside running in the rain horrible? No! Was I thinking of going for a run later on that day? Yes! Amazing. I was actually looking forward pounding the pavements...in the rain. This made me, not just the runner inside me smile. I munched my croissant in glee. Lovely!

THE BEGINNER'S BLOG - TIFFINGATE

Why is it that at the moment, every time I attempt to write the Beginners’ Blog I feel as though I have to start with a confession? So, the weather...I know I keep offering tips on how to motivate and be inspired but it appears I’m not following my own advice. Or, to be more precise, the rain keeps washing all good intentions away.

Yesterday, the only thing I could talk to anyone about, or wanted to write about, was the weather, so apologies. It’s cold and wet, just in case you hadn’t noticed. My trainers seem to be slumped in the corner of my room, or was that just me, and the only thing motivating me is a blanket and the television. Not a great start to the week.

Caroline emailed to see how my run was. I confessed that I had managed to leave the house but only to walk to my local CostCutters to buy some Digestives! In fact it gets worse. I didn’t tell the whole truth. I bought dark chocolate and sultanas and instead of running I made tiffin. For a certain sense of satisfaction you could follow this recipe below. I’m not going to pretend this recipe is in anyway healthy. It’s packed full of sultanas, which I think are good, and at least it’s dark chocolate, which is better than milk. However, whichever way you try to spin it, these are a treat to be modified, but I love them. And guess what? Having eaten five of these bites I suddenly found the inspiration for the run. I have to work work work off these calories somehow!

Thoosa’s Inspirational Tiffin


170 gm of Plain Chocolate;
50 gm of Butter;
225 gm of Digestive Biscuits;
125 gm of Sultanas;
50 gm of Glace Cherries; and
The rind and juice of one orange (optional)


Melt the chocolate and butter in a heat proof bowl over a pan of warm water. In the meantime, crush the digestives into crumbs. When the chocolate and butter is melted mix together and stir in the biscuit crumbs, the sultanas and the cherries (you could also add in the orange if you like chocolate and orange). Once all mixed, place in a greased baking tin. Flatten the mixture until it feels really compact. Place the tin in the fridge and leave to set. When ready cut into little squares for bite size portions. All the inspiration you need!

THE BEGINNER'S BLOG

Urgh, if I’m completely honest, which I try to be as often as I can, I’ve found running this week to be a bit of a slog. Not a chore, but definitely more difficult than my last couple of runs. In the third week of my programme the pace changes slightly and I actually found the five minute walk and now ten minute run quite challenging, more so than I thought I would.


Admittedly, I think I was unlucky with the weather. Last week I harped on about the power of nature and how running by the Thames somehow inspired me. This week all I could think was how the forces of nature were most definitely conspiring against me, it’s been cold, it’s been wet and I’m moaning, and it’s not even November.

Perhaps I’m just having a bad week, but my five minute walk couldn’t come fast enough. Luckily my ipod was blasting with a favourite old album of mine. I kept thinking; concentrate on the music, over and over. And then it was over. I settled into the walk far too easily. Luckily, as I’ve mentioned before, the effects of my run felt almost instant. I also felt some sort of smug satisfaction, following a training programme, developing as a runner. Obviously I still had another ten minute run to complete before I could feel too happy with myself, and sure enough, before I knew it, my time was up and I was running again. I felt slightly more positive now however. Perhaps it was the knowledge that in less than fifteen minutes I would be in the warm with a lovely cup of tea. Not a bad spare half hour.

By the way, a quick tip to keep you warm whilst running. On the last Thoosa shoot the models were shot wearing Thoosa Comp shorts over Chill tights. I tried this on my last run and it worked a treat. I felt warm, stylish and had the bonus of another pocket, lovely.

THE BEGINNER'S BLOG - A GREAT RUN

Despite the great enthusiasm I had for running last week, I approached my Tuesday run with mild reluctance. Perhaps it was the idea of the park that was putting me off. The training programme for my second week is the same as the first. The thought of running round the exact same park doing the exact same run for another week seemed a little mundane, repetitive. So, I decided to mix it up. Decked out in my lovely thoosa attire (now it’s getting chilly I’m making use of my thoosa mid sleeve tee in sky, layered over my city tank in rose - I love the contrast of the rose colour fluting out from under the sky tee) I headed to the Southbank.

Possibly one of my favourite places in London, I’ve always loved running along this stretch of the river and beyond. Still fairly early the area wasn’t packed full of tourists and I was able to pound the sidewalk and take in the beautiful view. Walking and running provided the perfect opportunity to appreciate the splendour of the river. Sometimes in London, surrounded by concrete and vast glass buildings you can forget how important and powerful nature is. It has an effect on you. Running by the Thames I had an overwhelming feeling of its importance and magnitude. This is a pretty inspiring feeling to have whilst exercising, especially whilst running, which can be such a solitary game. It made me more conscious of my movement and that sense of power that running can achieve. Energising stuff indeed!

As the river was out I had an opportunity to walk along the “beach front” and take some great pictures that I thought I’d share. Looking at them, I am reminded of why I love to run. You get a mental high but also a pure physical thrill. And look at the beautiful views that I would have missed had I not left the house. Verdict, a great run.

THE BEGINNER'S BLOG - A GREAT WAY TO START THE WEEK

I admit, my great, “getting back into running” plan has experienced a few setbacks of late. Firstly there was tonsillitis. Then I picked up an annoying little cold that made me ache, grumble and splutter for a good four or five days.

And then it was Monday. As I wondered, sleepily into my sister’s room (we share a flat), she asked how I was feeling, if I was actually going through with my grand, Sunday night idea, of going for a Monday morning run. I explained that, although I obviously sounded much better, I still felt pretty exhausted and, reluctantly, thought it best not to push myself. Her annoying boyfriend pointed out that it’s always thought easier to write about stuff as opposed to doing it. Hmmm...right I thought! I almost replied “WHATEVER”, then realising I was thirty, not thirteen. I refrained.

Five minutes later I was in my fabulous thoosa kit. I looked the part. I talked the talk now time to walk the walk. Luckily for me the sun was shining. Properly shining, I was so glad I “pushed” myself into getting out.

I decided to stick with Week 1 of my ‘Beginners’ Guide’ www.running4women.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/5kBeg.pdf. The five minute fast walk to start with was brilliant. Following a programme made me feel far less intimidated by the other runners in the park. I walked with purpose, knowing I was sticking to a training programme; very important. The five minute run that followed was fairly easy but equally I was relieved when it was over. As I settled back into another five minute walk, I was amazed how I felt. The walk allowed me to appreciate the effect of my, all be it very short, run instantly. This is the exact feeling that you want when running. I wanted to start running again, to continue the effects, making my legs feel stronger, making me feel stronger. Running with almost instant gratification was the perfect way to start the week. This could be the start of something good.

Pippa

THE BEGINNER'S BLOG - GETTING STARTED

So, getting started. I have armed myself with some beautiful new kit, thoosa of course. It still being fairly mild outside, I chose a City tank and City capri both in rose (pictured right). The tank’s neckline is really flattering as it isn’t tight on the waistline. Also I thought the pretty ruche detail would help me still feel vaguely feminine, whilst probably looking like a sweaty mess. And, to prevent me from becoming, ‘all the gear with no idea’ girl, I have armed myself with stacks of running and health magazines, and a beginner’s guide.

Immersing myself in magazines completely helped in motivating me. If you’re thinking of taking up running I cannot recommend it enough. It made me feel enthusiastic and fall in love with the idea of running before I even set out the door.
Having done some research I have decided to follow the running4women beginner’s guide (http://www.running4women.com/category/starting-out/training-programmes/). I found them to be really clear, and they seemed to have realistic, achievable goals that didn’t overwhelm.

With my music blasting I was away. I decided to not stray too far from home. The park opposite my flat is familiar enough not make me feel daunted or to get lost in. I started off walking, just like the guide suggested. I’m not sure if I lasted the whole five minutes as I found my feet were actually itching to go a little faster. The good thing was that once I set a steady pace and had kept it up for a few minutes I didn’t feel guilty about walking again, as I knew this was all part of my plan. Twenty minutes later I felt pleasantly exhausted, a sweaty mess, as predicted. Walking back to my flat I found myself smiling. Perfect, ‘I’m back’ I thought to myself. I’m actually looking forward to my next run!

Pippa

THE BEGINNER'S BLOG - THE CONFESSION

As the new member of the Thoosa team I have to start with a huge confession. I haven’t actually run for over a year!

And when I try to explain why I stopped I go into a bit of a spin. About a year and a half ago I found myself feeling unhappy with my life, decisions I had made about pretty much everything from my career to my love life. As I embarked on my ritual Saturday morning run, all I could think of was how miserable I felt, and this seemed to manifest in me deciding that I was unhappy running. I wasn’t enjoying this activity that I used to find so exhilarating, suddenly I felt numb. I couldn’t hear the music pumping loudly in my ear, my thoughts overwhelmed everything. And so I stopped, full stop.

Having taken time out, filling too many Saturday mornings with hangovers and farmers markets, more favourably balanced towards hangovers, I have recently been yearning for something more. My feet have been twitching and I feel ready to get back on the horse, or pound the pavements in my case. Perhaps I have been seduced by that beautiful September new school feeling that never fails to inspire me this time of year, but the urge to get off the sofa and get outside was back. And this time I was going to try and do it properly.

Watch this space.

Pippa