by thinkmarsh | Aug 25, 2017 | cycling, product review, running
Even though I am coming back from injury, it is hard for me to resist signing up for more races. Earlier this summer, I registered for the Descante London Duathlon. I took part in the inaugural race (which was the first time the roads has ever been closed in the park), which is held in Richmond Park. The race has several different distance combinations and even a 10K run-only option. All participants get a cycling jersey or t-shirt if you register far enough in advance. There are club, corporate and charity places available too. Between all the combinations, there is bound to be a race to suit everyone.
Duathlons are great for me as it gives my Achilles a bit of a rest while still working my cardiovascular system. The structure is a run-bike-run. My race will be 10K run, 44K bike, and 5K run. Teaching indoor cycling a few times a week has kept me in shape over the summer which will be beneficial during this event.. I will need to push it on the bike portions of the race but take it easy on the runs to avoid further damage to my Achilles.
Richmond Park really can’t be beat as a venue for a race. Sure, it is super hilly, but it amazing to be in nature, watching the deer go by. The closed roads make a huge difference too. Rather than worry about cars coming up behind you, you can focus on getting to the finish line without breaking your pace.
The most exciting thing for me this year though is that most of my
#fitbitfifty family will be at the race. I cannot wait to see what everyone has been up to in the last year. I will try to share their stories in a future post. From what I can tell via Facebook, they are all out on their bikes and trails.
Admittedly, I haven’t cycled much since Paris, but I have been running a little for the Chicago Marathon. I plan on taking the bike out on a few long rides in the time I have between now and race day (17 September 2017). This will also give me the opportunity to test out my new
Smith Overtake bike helmet, which provides amazing ventilation and head protection due to the honeycomb structure (Aerocore construction with Koroyd). The helmet also features MIPS (multi-directional impact protection system) lining, which helps reduce rotaional force your brain in the event of an accident.
Will I see you at the Descente London Duathlon? You can still register for a charity, club or corporate place. Hope to see you at the start line!
Big thanks to Descente London Duathlon for the complimentary entry. Also, thanks to Smith for my new bike helmet. All opinions on these products are honest and my own. Full reviews of the race and helmet will be up in late September.
by Mollie Millington | Aug 25, 2017 | cycling, product review, running
Even though I am coming back from injury, it is hard for me to resist signing up for more races. Earlier this summer, I registered for the Descante London Duathlon. I took part in the inaugural race (which was the first time the roads has ever been closed in the park), which is held in Richmond Park. The race has several different distance combinations and even a 10K run-only option. All participants get a cycling jersey or t-shirt if you register far enough in advance. There are club, corporate and charity places available too. Between all the combinations, there is bound to be a race to suit everyone.
Duathlons are great for me as it gives my Achilles a bit of a rest while still working my cardiovascular system. The structure is a run-bike-run. My race will be 10K run, 44K bike, and 5K run. Teaching indoor cycling a few times a week has kept me in shape over the summer which will be beneficial during this event.. I will need to push it on the bike portions of the race but take it easy on the runs to avoid further damage to my Achilles.
Richmond Park really can’t be beat as a venue for a race. Sure, it is super hilly, but it amazing to be in nature, watching the deer go by. The closed roads make a huge difference too. Rather than worry about cars coming up behind you, you can focus on getting to the finish line without breaking your pace.
The most exciting thing for me this year though is that most of my
#fitbitfifty family will be at the race. I cannot wait to see what everyone has been up to in the last year. I will try to share their stories in a future post. From what I can tell via Facebook, they are all out on their bikes and trails.
Admittedly, I haven’t cycled much since Paris, but I have been running a little for the Chicago Marathon. I plan on taking the bike out on a few long rides in the time I have between now and race day (17 September 2017). This will also give me the opportunity to test out my new
Smith Overtake bike helmet, which provides amazing ventilation and head protection due to the honeycomb structure (Aerocore construction with Koroyd). The helmet also features MIPS (multi-directional impact protection system) lining, which helps reduce rotaional force your brain in the event of an accident.
Will I see you at the Descente London Duathlon? You can still register for a charity, club or corporate place. Hope to see you at the start line!
Big thanks to Descente London Duathlon for the complimentary entry. Also, thanks to Smith for my new bike helmet. All opinions on these products are honest and my own. Full reviews of the race and helmet will be up in late September.
by thinkmarsh | Aug 16, 2017 | eating, product review
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| Out for SUP’ing with my water on hand |
If you take the Tube in London, you would have recently heard the announcement to always carry a bottle of water with you. The summer weather, crowded carriages and longer days of sunlight can make for a recipe for disaster. People can faint or feel nauseous due to the overcrowding, heat, and lack of fresh air. And if the passenger is hungover (maybe just on a Friday morning?), more precious fluids have been lost.
Without water, we would die. Our bodies are made up of approximately 50-70% water, depending on age, gender and body mass. We can go weeks without food but not even a few days without water. Personally, I always carry a reusable water bottle with me to reduce my impact on the environment and I get get tap water for free just about anywhere I go (check out the TapWater app).
Did you know that pangs of hunger are sometimes a sign from your body that it is thirsty? Rather than reach for a snack, try drinking a glass of water instead. Another benefit of carrying a bottle is it makes it easier for me to track how much water I consume. I aim for two bottles a day which is about 1.5L. How much water do you drink a day, not counting tea of coffee? Drinking water has many benefits, including glowing skin, better sports performance, and enabling regular bowel movements. And of course, water doesn’t have any calories. I don’t know about you, but I would rather eat more yummy food than waste my calories on a drink.
 |
| Some of my Hydroflask collection and new lids |
Right now, I am using the Hydroflask in mint as my go to bottle. Hydroflasks bottles are double-walled stainless steel in their construction, which means beverages can keep their temperature for a long time, either hot or cold. The wide mouth means I can’t rush my sips though or else the water spills down my shirt. Lucky for me, Hydroflask now has additional styles of lid for their bottles that enable you to drink on the go. I love the insulated sports cap or flip lid for every day use and the straw lid (which comes with a straw for inside the bottle) is great for kids. Soon, Hydroflask will have new colors, wine bottles, and silicone covers for the bottom of the bottles to protect from damage if you drop it (which I do all the time!) and prevent them from slipping.
Carrying a reusable water bottle also decreases your impact on the environment by reducing the amount of energy and resources to produce the plastic bottle. And of course, less space in the landfill.
Which do you prefer- a reusable water bottle or a plastic one?
Ellis Brigham and Hydroflask kindly gave me these bottles and lids to review. All opinions are honest and my own.
by thinkmarsh | Aug 16, 2017 | eating, product review
|
| Out for SUP’ing with my water on hand |
If you take the Tube in London, you would have recently heard the announcement to always carry a bottle of water with you. The summer weather, crowded carriages and longer days of sunlight can make for a recipe for disaster. People can faint or feel nauseous due to the overcrowding, heat, and lack of fresh air. And if the passenger is hungover (maybe just on a Friday morning?), more precious fluids have been lost.
Without water, we would die. Our bodies are made up of approximately 50-70% water, depending on age, gender and body mass. We can go weeks without food but not even a few days without water. Personally, I always carry a reusable water bottle with me to reduce my impact on the environment and I get get tap water for free just about anywhere I go (check out the TapWater app).
Did you know that pangs of hunger are sometimes a sign from your body that it is thirsty? Rather than reach for a snack, try drinking a glass of water instead. Another benefit of carrying a bottle is it makes it easier for me to track how much water I consume. I aim for two bottles a day which is about 1.5L. How much water do you drink a day, not counting tea of coffee? Drinking water has many benefits, including glowing skin, better sports performance, and enabling regular bowel movements. And of course, water doesn’t have any calories. I don’t know about you, but I would rather eat more yummy food than waste my calories on a drink.
|
| Some of my Hydroflask collection and new lids |
Right now, I am using the Hydroflask in mint as my go to bottle. Hydroflasks bottles are double-walled stainless steel in their construction, which means beverages can keep their temperature for a long time, either hot or cold. The wide mouth means I can’t rush my sips though or else the water spills down my shirt. Lucky for me, Hydroflask now has additional styles of lid for their bottles that enable you to drink on the go. I love the insulated sports cap or flip lid for every day use and the straw lid (which comes with a straw for inside the bottle) is great for kids. Soon, Hydroflask will have new colors, wine bottles, and silicone covers for the bottom of the bottles to protect from damage if you drop it (which I do all the time!) and prevent them from slipping.
Carrying a reusable water bottle also decreases your impact on the environment by reducing the amount of energy and resources to produce the plastic bottle. And of course, less space in the landfill.
Which do you prefer- a reusable water bottle or a plastic one?
Ellis Brigham and Hydroflask kindly gave me these bottles and lids to review. All opinions are honest and my own.
by Mollie Millington | Jul 14, 2017 | exercise, product review, water sports
This week was the last of my complimentary swim lessons with Swimming Nature. I am sad to see them end, not only because it was nice to have a refreshing dip on some the hottest days so far this year, but also the one-to-one tuition has been invaluable. Much like having a personal trainer, I could tailor the lessons to what I wanted to work on, taking more or less time on specific skills I wanted to perfect. Swimming efficiently comes down to good technique and that is what I needed to work on. Sure, I can get around a pool or open water lake but I knew I wasn’t conserving energy at all. In a triathlon, it is about finishing as fast as you can, right? More and more, it is looking like I need to go back to triathlons due to everlasting injury, so I am very happy that I have some drills to practice with and several pointers to consider with each stroke.
When I started my lessons, I wanted to improve my front crawl to make it more efficient. In our last lesson, I swam laps am giving me one point to work on – kicking more, longer glides, bringing my ear to my shoulder when I breath, having left hand enter water rather than left forearm. Feedback from my coach, Sam, after my lessons over the last four weeks:
- Kicking is improving
- Don’t rush
- Need to work on developing more stretch/reach on both sides
- Also remember to bring ear to shoulder when breathing
He also noticed my timing is different on my left and right sides, possibly due to where my left forearm enters the water. He videoed me lap during this last session to show me what I was doing differently on each side. This was really helpful for me.
Swimming Nature provides one to one tuition all over the United Kingdom, as well as group sessions. I found a location that was near work so I could swim before going home for the evening. Lessons are open to all ages and for any reason- triathlons, new challenge, need a low impact sport due to previous injury or health. Kids programs involve regular time trials and a medal at the end of term, which is pretty cool.
I asked Sam for some tips on how to make the most of your investment in 1-2-1 swim lessons:
- The more work you put in outside the lesson, the more you will benefit.
- Have patience. You will not perfect a new stroke in just a few lessons.
- Drills are mean to be done slow.
Unfortunately, I only managed one swim session a week outside of my lessons, but I wish I had done more. I really have no excuse because I live near the Olympic Park and the Aquatics Centre is pretty fab. The 50m pool nearly killed me though, it is so much farther than what I am used to! I am confident I will stick with my weekly swims though, using the drills Sam gave me, to keep up my aerobic base and continue to develop muscle memory. If I do end up switching back to triathlons, I will purchase a set of lessons to help me save energy for the bike and run.
Thanks again to Swimming Nature for the complimentary set of lesson and Sam for his patience. All opinions are honest and my own.
by thinkmarsh | Jul 14, 2017 | exercise, product review, water sports
This week was the last of my complimentary swim lessons with Swimming Nature. I am sad to see them end, not only because it was nice to have a refreshing dip on some the hottest days so far this year, but also the one-to-one tuition has been invaluable. Much like having a personal trainer, I could tailor the lessons to what I wanted to work on, taking more or less time on specific skills I wanted to perfect. Swimming efficiently comes down to good technique and that is what I needed to work on. Sure, I can get around a pool or open water lake but I knew I wasn’t conserving energy at all. In a triathlon, it is about finishing as fast as you can, right? More and more, it is looking like I need to go back to triathlons due to everlasting injury, so I am very happy that I have some drills to practice with and several pointers to consider with each stroke.
When I started my lessons, I wanted to improve my front crawl to make it more efficient. In our last lesson, I swam laps am giving me one point to work on – kicking more, longer glides, bringing my ear to my shoulder when I breath, having left hand enter water rather than left forearm. Feedback from my coach, Sam, after my lessons over the last four weeks:
- Kicking is improving
- Don’t rush
- Need to work on developing more stretch/reach on both sides
- Also remember to bring ear to shoulder when breathing
He also noticed my timing is different on my left and right sides, possibly due to where my left forearm enters the water. He videoed me lap during this last session to show me what I was doing differently on each side. This was really helpful for me.
Swimming Nature provides one to one tuition all over the United Kingdom, as well as group sessions. I found a location that was near work so I could swim before going home for the evening. Lessons are open to all ages and for any reason- triathlons, new challenge, need a low impact sport due to previous injury or health. Kids programs involve regular time trials and a medal at the end of term, which is pretty cool.
I asked Sam for some tips on how to make the most of your investment in 1-2-1 swim lessons:
- The more work you put in outside the lesson, the more you will benefit.
- Have patience. You will not perfect a new stroke in just a few lessons.
- Drills are mean to be done slow.
Unfortunately, I only managed one swim session a week outside of my lessons, but I wish I had done more. I really have no excuse because I live near the Olympic Park and the Aquatics Centre is pretty fab. The 50m pool nearly killed me though, it is so much farther than what I am used to! I am confident I will stick with my weekly swims though, using the drills Sam gave me, to keep up my aerobic base and continue to develop muscle memory. If I do end up switching back to triathlons, I will purchase a set of lessons to help me save energy for the bike and run.
Thanks again to Swimming Nature for the complimentary set of lesson and Sam for his patience. All opinions are honest and my own.
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