I put  my money where my mouth is this week and really focused on the balance I am always going on about with a lot of random events in my diary.

If God was a runner, he would have rested on Monday (Sunday is clearly long run day) and I did a whole lot of nothing.  I felt a bit lazy around 3pm and booked a last minute powerplate class after work and spent 25 minutes buzzing and squatting.  It was my first powerplate class and although interesting, my hamstrings most enjoyed the massage/stretch at the end.

Tuesday was X-press Tempo Pilates time with Becca. I knew from Twitter that she attends the WC2 classes so booked into the same class as her for someone to smile/feel the pain with for the 45 minutes.  Becca is a reformer SUPERSTAR and held the plank for 3:30, which is unheard of!

Wednesday I #RUNched around the Thames on a nice shakeout run and after work headed to the Gherkin for some champagne at the top.  I love the Gherkin buliding and jumped at the chance (a time out voucher) to get up there as the bar is usually reserved for private members.  Alex and I enjoyed champagne and cocktails as the sunset and it really was the coolest bar in London. That said, we could see everyone enjoying Sushisamba on the top of the Heron Tower, so that might be next on our list…

Excuse the wonky panorama on the right. Wine vision…

Thursday saw my first fartlek scheduled on the training plan, so after work I headed down to the Thames path and ran a 60 minute 6,5,4,3,2,1 increasing tempo with 90 sec recovery run. I tried to find the quietest part of the path (west of Westminster, but the normal tourists and commuters ended up being nice agility tests and all was good until the last 1 minute sprint and I was blocked by one of those damn Duck boat/cars. The tourists aboard got a lovely show of a red faced mad woman shaking her fists at a giant duck.

After the fartlek I did a speedy change and wipedown and with still dripping-with-sweat-bangs I headed up to the Marylebone area to check out the Sure Improve Rooms.  I was looking through a Stylist magazine on a bus a few weeks ago and saw the invite to attend a 10 minute appointment with an expert on your topic of choice.  I emailed to see if I could chat with a nutritionist and low and behold I got a lucky spot with Madeleine Shaw, a lovely holistic nutritional health coach. The event was located in a beautiful house on Fitzroy Square and I was greeted with a prosecco-vodka-strawberry-basil cocktail (I chose that over the cotton candy/candy floss one) and loads of treats to tuck into.  I felt a bit bad downing a brownie and millionaire shortbread before checking in with Madeleine, but the runger was out of control.

Madeleine gave me some great tips on how to fuel as a ravenous runner and that I should be eating all the good fats all the time.

Breakfast – eggs, salmon, avo (if you have time). Full fat yogurt and a “make your own cereal” of fruits, nuts, seeds rather than high sugar store bought granolas.
Lunch – a fist size of avo/salmon/smoked mackerel (the best thing to eat if you’re in a hurry she said!) and a fist size of good starch: Sweet potato!
Post workout – bananas, alone or buzz them in with some chia seeds/protein powder
Dinner – Good side substitutes: cauliflower mash, sweet potato chips. Grass fed meats, and I should be cooking with coconut oil or a real butter.

I’ve now got a go-to grocery list that will help packing for lunches so I’m not starving all day and some good options for dinner to make them that much more nutritious.  One more cocktail (and a millionaire shortbread for luck) and I left with a lovely gift bag of chocolate (YUM), lippy, and one of the new Sure compressed deodorant sprays. Something I’ll always use as noted above, I like to give myself 5 minutes to get to a party after a run. #smelly.

After the busy Thursday I was ready to take Friday off, but was reminded by my friend Charlie that I promised to come and try out the new training system Speedflex with her bright and early at 7:30am. We were introduced to the machines and basic exercises then did a couple circuits of increasing intensity. The lovely Charlotte and Emma from Lunges & Lycra were there too and we all kept at the 30 seconds of HIIT work while keeping an eye on the big screen of our heart rates.  We’re going back on Monday to do a real 45 minute class so I’ll let you know how that goes then.

After that week I’m looking forward to the couch tonight and might end up at the local digging into a steak & ale pie. Maybe.