On running - part 1 - kitting yourself out

A strange thing happened to me at the start of this year - I fell back in love with running. It's been a surprisingly fun journey, albeit with a few bumps along the way.

When I was at school, I loved long distance running. Then I left, went to university and took some strange pride in the fact that the only exercise I took was a weekly or bi-weekly drunken dancing session at my favourite club.

Fast forward 10 years and some intermittent running spells in between that never lasted as long as they should, if I was going to remain the size I liked being and carry on eating all my favourite foods, I needed to throw the running shoes back on and re-learn to love the burn. So, here's some things I learned along the way:

Kit
Buy the right kit. This doesn't mean "splash out on loads of expensive gear" as it's really not necessary. With the exception of spending what you need to on running shoes, socks and bras if you're female, running is a pretty inexpensive sport. I found Karrimor kit to be just as good as some of the more specialist brands. It's still the same lightweight fabric and costs a lot less than some of the bigger brands!

I started off running wearing an old vest-top, a pair of particularly pendulous tracksuit bottoms (which made me feel like a rather fetlock-y shire horse going for a gallop), and some 15 year old trainers dating back to my schooldays, so it's easy to make do with what you have. However if you're going to take running that bit more seriously, it's worth spending a little bit of money on kitting yourself out.

Here's what works for me:

1. Karrimor capri run tights - great, lightweight tights that fit like a dream and don't rub. They even have a handy zip pocket at the back for your keys! The full length version are great for winter too.
2. Karrimor long/short sleeved tees - super comfortable and quick-drying running tops. I don't like clingy tops when running, so these are perfect for me.
3. Nike running jacket - lightweight, water resistant and the perfect weight for winter runs when teamed with my Karrimor long-sleeved tee. It even has a handy stowaway hood in case you get caught in a shower!
4. Shock Absorber Run Bra - aside from shoes, the only bit of kit I really spent any money on. I have an E-cup chest, so good scaffolding is worth its money in gold. These are the best I've tried! I love the security of the double-clasp at the back.
5. Leukoplast zinc oxide tape - the best protection against blisters I have used. I shredded my feet breaking in some new heels, and this meant that I could still run without aggrevating the raw spots.
6. Band Aid Friction Block - again, reduces friction on any spots which are particularly prone to rubbing. Great for breaking in running shoes and killer heels alike, and I've also discovered that it's brilliant too on areas like underarms that can sometimes chafe when running, .
7. Karrimor D30 trainers - not a bad purchase per se: they support my feet well and are brilliantly comfortable up to about 6km. However, beyond that distance, my pair seem to rub where the sole meets the sides, and not even two pairs of socks will solve the problem. I guess this is where the Leukoplast comes in handy!

It is well worth investing in a gait analysis when buying new trainers, as not all running shoes are created equal. Karrimor shoes unfortuately do not fare particularly well when reviewed (though they've been great for getting me back into running), and I'd recommend spending the extra £££ and going with a tried and tested brand such as Asics or Nike.

I've got high arches, so I need a shoe that supports these and means that I don't overpronate. I've also found that I prefer to wear a pair a size bigger than my normal shoe size to accomodate two pairs of socks and fat feet from pounding the pavements!

I've yet to mind myself getting picky about socks - I have several pairs of super-cheap Morrisons slightly padded sports socks, and these are fantastic. Doubled up, they reduce the worst of the rubbing from my shoes. However, I suspect that when I start running more than 10k at a time, I may well find I want something a little lighter and moisture-wicking. Who knows?

Next time: getting back into the groove (aka "How I learned to stop wheezing and love the burn)

Travel: By the sea in Wicklow

Easter saw a well-earned break across the Irish sea with my R to visit the father-in-law. We didn't do an awful lot as we were both pretty shattered from a particularly hectic work schedule, but we did find the time to cook, sleep and go on lots of long walks (and in my case, a couple of runs too as I'm currently training for a 10k).

Wicklow is a pretty little town about 40 minutes south of Dublin and is a small commercial port, which appealed enormously to me as I love the juxtaposition of beautiful old buildings, water and machinery. The Wicklow Mountains are also well worth a visit. We didn't visit these this time, settling for lots of sea front and cliffside walks, but the views from the top are phenomenal.

We were spoilt with the weather too - while London was cold and rainy, we had six days of beautiful sunshine.

Wicklow Port

Wicklow beach and coastline

 

 

Review: Smitten Kitchen by Deb Perelman

I'm off to New York in May for the husband's and my first wedding anniversary, so this arrived at the perfect time. We're staying in a gorgeous little West Village apartment which we booked  through AirBnB, and I'm really excited about having our own little corner of New York for the week, complete with its own teeny, tiny kitchen. Who knows, I might rise to the challenge and try some of the recipes while there.

 I'm a longtime fan of the Smitten Kitchen blog. Deb started her blog four years ago, cooking from her own tiny New York kitchen. In my flat in London, the kitchen is small, but at least the kitchen/living room is open plan so it feels a little less cramped and I can spread out onto the kitchen table as extra chopping space. Even so, I get shouty if people get in a 2 metre radius of the stove when I'm trying to cook. The space isn't big enough for two with a control freak like me in the kitchen, so I appreciate the challenges that a small kitchen can create, not least where workspace is at something of a premium.

Like me, she is a former vegetarian  so the recipes fit very well with the way I tend to eat on a day to day basis - the vegetables are clearly the main feature, with meat seemingly more of an aside. There's a fantastic array of vegetarian main dishes, though Deb has taken one step further down the path to omnivorous eating than I have as there's also some delicious looking pork, beef and lamb dishes too. Sadly, I am not yet brave enough to branch out further myself and try these but the chicken and fish dishes look to be such thing as foodie dreams are made.

 Sesame-spiced turkey meatballs with smashed chickpea salad

Deb is an obsessive cook - something which I cannot claim to be - always looking how to better and improve a recipe she has stumbled upon. She knows which ingredients shouldn't be scrimped on, and the ones where any old brand will do. And she knows that if something is worth doing, it is worth doing well which is something I definitely adhere to.

Red wine velvet cake with whipped mascarpone

This copy landed on my doorstep with fortuitous good timing - it pulled me out of a creative rut when trying to dream up a birthday cake to make for the husband's birthday as there was the most fantastic red wine velvet cake featured in its pages. And even better, there's not a drop of food colouring in it!

wild mushroom tart

Similarly, a slightly quieter spell at work allowed me to indulge in a few post-work cooking sessions, which always helps me relax. Fabulous spiced turkey meatballs, wild mushroom tart and seared halibut were all perfect (if not a little indulgent) weekday dinner treats. I can see the meatballs rivalling my favourite Ottolenghi ones and going into regular rotation.

seared halibut and gazpacho salsa with tomato vinaigrette

This is a fantastic book which I think will become a firm favourite in my household. Deb's passion for food and ingredients is clear to see, and the book itself is both a love letter to New York and a compendium of immensely cookable recipes. In the time I've had it, I've had as much fun curled up on the sofa, absorbing its every word as I have cooking from the recipes. It really is home cooking at its best, with nothing so taxing that you can't make it when tired on a Thursday night. Every recipe has a lovely story behind it, and Deb's photography is similarly sumptuous, which is something as a food blogger that I am still trying to master. I can't recommend it enough.



I was sent a copy of Smitten Kitchen for review, however all views are my own.

A present to myself

I have been contemplating getting a new camera for some time. While I still adore my SLR, it is getting a little aged (coming up to seven years old). I also wanted something that was a little more portable, and after months of research and deliberating, the Fuji X100 seemed to be the clear winner. My good friend Sarah has one, and used it to take a number of my wedding photos. I was blown away by the quality of something so small. If, like me, you also have a bit of a thing for vintage film cameras then you'll agree that it also looks pretty amazing.

I'm not about to give up on my SLR for good - it has its own very definite set of merits, and I absolutely love using it. However, with lots of little mini-breaks planned for this year, it seemed like as good a time as any to take a leap into the semi-compact market. 

First impressions of the X100 are good though - it takes fabulous photos in low light (which was one of my main reasons for buying it). It's not as responsive as my SLR: I have to press and hold the shutter if I want a focal point which isn't bang on centre, and the autofocus is a little slow, especially when taking macro shots. However, the macro range is excellent, and I can see myself using it a lot more for food blogging.

It's not a camera for people unused to handling an SLR as it does require a read of the manual if you're going to use it to its best advantage, but it does have some lovely benefits. I'm a particular fan of the film simulation setting, which allows you to choose whether you'd rather use Fuji Velvia, Astia or Provia (alongside of numerous black and white and sepia settings) and I'm looking forward to playing around with these a bit more.

Sadly, it being a particularly grey and dull time of year I haven't yet had the opportunity to use it to its full potential for outdoor shots yet, but from my experience so far I think we're going to get along extremely well.

The X100 is quite expensive - it retails for between £500 and £850 usually. I got lucky - I bought mine 2nd hand on eBay off someone who I don't think really knew what they were selling so was significantly less than £500. However, if you want a neat little camera which takes fantastic quality photos then this one is for you.

For me, the only real downsides are that it is a little slower in handling than an SLR, but I'm unlikely to use this for action shots. The fixed range lens might also annoy some, but even when shooting on my SLR I rarely switch from my trusty f1.8 lens so this isn't so much of an issue for me.

All in all, it's a lovely little camera which takes fantastic photos and is so much more portable than an SLR. I can't wait to take it out on many more expeditions and think it will fast become a vital part of my kit.