2015

I'm back! Hello!

The end of 2014 was a bit of a whirlwind. I moved out of home and into the big smoke. I got a job, then quit because I didn't like it, so I got another one, and now I love it. I started my degree again, went on holiday and unfortunately had a few health issues along the way. For these reasons and a few others my blog was put on the back burner until I got onto a smoother ride.

I had a wonderful Christmas, surrounded by friends and family and then my boyfriend whisked me off to Dublin for New Year.

If you're thinking about visiting the Emerald Isle, I thoroughly recommend Dublin. The shopping is amazing, the people are so friendly and everyone loves a good old pint of Guinness (which I learnt to love). My top 3 tourist recommendations for the city are - Trinity College, the Guinness Factory and Cafe en Seine. If you go, let me know what you think!

Trinity College

St Stephens Green

So, Christmas has been and gone, I'm several stones heavier and it's the start of a new year, meaning it's time to pledge some dreaded New Year Resolutions. Having had a mad August to December, fitness and good food definitely took a back seat. I consumed far too many carbs, had a constant outbreak of spots and felt lethargic all day every day. I think you can see where I'm going with this. My main New Years resolution for 2015 is to concentrate on my health and happiness.

I will be posting various recipes and workouts on here, but please note that I am doing this blog to document my progress and journey. What I post on here works for me and my body, and if you get something out of it too, then I guess that's a bonus! It's time to get some toned muscles, clear skin and unlimited energy.

Happy New Year!

Ibiza Pt. 2

Saturday was absolutely crazy. It was change over day and the amount of rushing around we did was ridiculous. The last group left and within 3 hours the villa had been transformed from a messy and dirty house to a clean and tranquil haven. By the time the new set of guests arrived Vicki and I were showered and dressed, helping the chef cook a delicious lunch.

Rainbow Salad

Spelt Bread

After a late and lazy lunch the guests retired to their rooms for siestas or to unpack before an hour of yoga at 7pm.

Yesterday we had an early morning hike across the hills which was absolutely breathtaking. We didn't come across anyone else, all you could hear was birdsong and to top things off, the instructor had a dog and we all know how much I love dogs.

The photos say it all really. Now I've done my social media for the morning so I'm off to lie by the pool as I have the villa to myself in order to top up my tan. As if I'm being paid for this eh?!

day 1 / 12

I am currently sat on a terrace, overlooking the beautiful town of Sant Carles in the North East of Ibiza. I'm here on a retreat, assisting Vicki Edgson with all things healthy! 

I arrived yesterday afternoon with no troubles at all; I had a Wagamamas once I'd checked in, I wasn't sat next to a screaming baby on the plane and the flight flew by (ha ha). I arrived to a very tanned and uber relaxed Vicki and was whisked away to the hills to meet the guests. 

The retreat is a week long. I'm seeing the end of the first week and the whole of the second week, as well as staying on a few days extra after both retreats are over. The first week consists of 5 women, who are all here for the same reasons; to lose weight, to have fun and most of all, to learn. Being healthy consists of much more than just your physical state. It involves your mind, your wellbeing and your vitality, all of which are incapsulated in a week away with Vicki. 

Today is my first day, but the guests of week 1's last day, so we started our Friday by wandering around Ibiza Old Town and doing a spot of shopping - very healthy I know!!

This is my 11th time in Ibiza and yet I am still so moved when I walk around the Old Town. It's so beautiful with lots of old Spanish folk meandering up and down the cobbled streets, nattering away. It's still really unspoilt, with very little "tourist-y" parts. 

Something Ibiza is known for, besides the clubbing, is white linen. Every street you turn down there is a linen shop that sells the most gorgeous lace, crochet and hand crafted linen clothes. Naturally I had to buy an over sized linen and lace shirt, a steal at 23 euros!

After a tiring morning in sweltering heat we were definitely ready for a big lunch. For the retreat Vicki hires a chef and person friend called Ema. When I say he cooked up a storm, oh my god, is the only phrase that describes it. 

If you're after any of the recipes or you're intrigued further, please contact me on my ask box and I'll answer any questions when I get access to my computer again. But for now, it's time for dinner after some yoga, and tomorrow we say goodbye to this group and say hello to a new group. 

Summer Salads

Firstly, I feel I should apologise for my recent absence. Exam stress put me in revision mode (or huge procrastination mode) and I lacked any kind of creativity or blogging inspiration. But I am back, with lots of ideas! Secondly, I only have 12 days until I fly out to Ibiza to help nutritionist Vicki Edgson on her wellness retreat. I actually cannot wait. I will be blogging and updating whilst I'm out there of course. Check out her website for more details. And finally, this weather (even if it's lasted for a day, cue thunder storms tomorrow) means no more comfort foods, goodbye lamb stews, hello summer salads!

I'm not really going to go into this in too much detail, as it's pretty self explanatory, so I'll let the photos speak for themselves. A chopping board is a great way to present food, and encourage little'uns to eat their greens. I've always been a fan of picking and choosing, rather than someone plonking a plate of food in front of me.

It was light, yet very filling, and hit the spot perfectly. We sat out in the evening sun discussing plans for the summer and me gushing about my month in Ibiza, naturally. Sorry this is a very rushed post, I'm off to collect the boyfriend from the train station, before rushing off to Malvern tomorrow morning to watch my brother's last ever school cricket match! I'm manic until I go away, however I do intend on posting 2 reviews (one features Mario Falcone...) and a new workout plan I have, so stay tuned!

Running: Cutteslowe Park

As you've probably read in one of my previous posts I really struggle with running. I mean, who doesn't? But I've recently got back into it and I'm going to share with you my progress. It's embarrassing, because I know that I'm running such short distances with really long times, but I'm proud that I'm finally doing it.

My running progress; I will get there!

If you don't already have the "Nike Running" app, then I urge you to download it. It tracks your running progress, you earn Nike Fuel Points, you can challenge your friends and best of all, it's free. I honestly think this app is the reason I enjoy running a little more than I did before. I like the fact it asks you how you found your run once you've finished and you're able to write notes about the run so you remember next time where you went. And as annoying as it is, it does show you how slow / fast you ran on the map.

So anyway, I've been running around Cutteslowe Park in Oxford, because it's always empty and no one can see how silly I look when I run (yes I kick my heel up weirdly). It's also absolutely beautiful on a sunny day. 

When I pause during my run I find it really helpful to do some "mat work" such as lunges and squats, it limbers up your muscles and you don't feel like you're "cheating" whilst on a run. If you're a new starter to running I suggest you download the app and stop every time the personal trainer on the app tells you you've hit your next km. That way you know you've got a break, so you're likely to keep a steady pace in each km. In between each km, aim to do 3 sets of 25 reps of a certain exercise, for example, sit ups, push ups, mountain climbers etc. My favourite is tricep dips on a park bench. 

Running outside has made me realise how unfit I am. At the gym I'm a keen believer in less cardio, more weight training, which I still stand by. However, when I went on my first run this time last week I realised how out of breath I was within the first 1km. I think this goes to show that running on the treadmill (which I can do for a long period of time) and running outside are two very different things.

When I get back from running (sweaty, red and so out of breath I feel like I might be having an asthma attack) I like to do 10 minutes of skipping to warm down. I'm lucky because in my garden we have windows everywhere, so I'm able to see my leg muscles working whilst exercising - I'm so vain it's actually a crime. 

I thought that I wouldn't be able to comfortably run again due to back pain, but running has actually eased so many aches and pains, as well as keeping me in shape. I am determined that I will be able to easily run 15km within 2 months time. I'll let you know how I get on!

I hope this post has opened your eyes to running and you might consider it going forward, now that it's coming up to summer it's a great way to get into shape AND get a tan! Let me know if you have any tips or favourite places to run.