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 Mollie Millington | May 30, 2017 | fashion, product review, running
|
| Pretty darn comfy, even in the heat |
At a recent event at
Ellis Brigham, I was chatting with the lovely folks at Osprey about running. I explained how my
new phone doesn’t fit into the bum bag I usually use, which has made marathon training a bit of challenge. For long runs, I need a small bottle of water, my Oyster card, fuel, keys, and my phone. The phone allows me to listen to my Harry Potter audio books or My Dad Wrote a Porno podcasts. Bum bags often make me feel like I need to use the bathroom too (I think this is because it repeatedly bounces on my lower back, encouraging my digestion system to go into overdrive).
 |
| Soft mesh lining |
The solution to my bodily function woes seems to be the Osprey Duro 1.5 rucksack. Of course, I was worried that I would get too hot running in this so I took it out on a few short runs during the brief London heatwave we have been experiencing. On the first run, I wore a t-shirt because I was afraid the mesh lining would chafe my skin. I was pleasantly surprised that the bag was really comfortable to run in. The adjustable chest straps helps make the bag unisex, so any shaped body can fit in. It does feel a bit weird when I initially put it on at the start of a run because the 250 ml water pouches lay right over my breasts. Maybe I need to adjust it somehow so the pouches rest more on the sides? The straws have a bite valves and are bent at an angle to make them easier to reach while on the go. There are pockets everywhere and half of these have zippers to keep important items tucked safely away.
Last week, I wore the pack to an Adidas Runners cruise interval session while wearing a vest top. I knew it was going to be hot out and that I would need sips of water along the way. The Duro allowed me to have water but keep me hands free. The bag also held my phone, which I like to have for snapping photos on the runs, but hate carrying. I barely noticed that I had the bag on. It never once irritated my skin nor did I have to adjust it. It was so helpful to have the water available every time I needed it with the high pollen count in the air. I could also take a few photos of the group when we got to the park without too much faffing.
 |
| Back side of the bag with more pockets. |
The Duro 1.5 is going to be really handy when I start marathon training next week. Chicago Marathon is 19 weeks away and will my 3rd Abbott World Marathon Major. This bag will make my long runs much more bearable and I might use it during the race too. One thing I learned during London Marathon was not to carry too much water because there were so many water stations. I could have carried less weight, which would have made the run easier (I think?). I am going to have to look more closely at the Chicago course and weather forecast before I decide though. I have plenty of time to trial different combinations of kit and water before October.
 |
| Chafe-free equals victory |
What do you carry with you during a marathon? Have you found the less you carry, the faster you run? Leave a comment below and let me know.
by thinkmarsh | May 30, 2017 | fashion, product review, running
|
| Pretty darn comfy, even in the heat |
At a recent event at
Ellis Brigham, I was chatting with the lovely folks at Osprey about running. I explained how my
new phone doesn’t fit into the bum bag I usually use, which has made marathon training a bit of challenge. For long runs, I need a small bottle of water, my Oyster card, fuel, keys, and my phone. The phone allows me to listen to my Harry Potter audio books or My Dad Wrote a Porno podcasts. Bum bags often make me feel like I need to use the bathroom too (I think this is because it repeatedly bounces on my lower back, encouraging my digestion system to go into overdrive).
|
| Soft mesh lining |
The solution to my bodily function woes seems to be the Osprey Duro 1.5 rucksack. Of course, I was worried that I would get too hot running in this so I took it out on a few short runs during the brief London heatwave we have been experiencing. On the first run, I wore a t-shirt because I was afraid the mesh lining would chafe my skin. I was pleasantly surprised that the bag was really comfortable to run in. The adjustable chest straps helps make the bag unisex, so any shaped body can fit in. It does feel a bit weird when I initially put it on at the start of a run because the 250 ml water pouches lay right over my breasts. Maybe I need to adjust it somehow so the pouches rest more on the sides? The straws have a bite valves and are bent at an angle to make them easier to reach while on the go. There are pockets everywhere and half of these have zippers to keep important items tucked safely away.
Last week, I wore the pack to an Adidas Runners cruise interval session while wearing a vest top. I knew it was going to be hot out and that I would need sips of water along the way. The Duro allowed me to have water but keep me hands free. The bag also held my phone, which I like to have for snapping photos on the runs, but hate carrying. I barely noticed that I had the bag on. It never once irritated my skin nor did I have to adjust it. It was so helpful to have the water available every time I needed it with the high pollen count in the air. I could also take a few photos of the group when we got to the park without too much faffing.
|
| Back side of the bag with more pockets. |
The Duro 1.5 is going to be really handy when I start marathon training next week. Chicago Marathon is 19 weeks away and will my 3rd Abbott World Marathon Major. This bag will make my long runs much more bearable and I might use it during the race too. One thing I learned during London Marathon was not to carry too much water because there were so many water stations. I could have carried less weight, which would have made the run easier (I think?). I am going to have to look more closely at the Chicago course and weather forecast before I decide though. I have plenty of time to trial different combinations of kit and water before October.
|
| Chafe-free equals victory |
What do you carry with you during a marathon? Have you found the less you carry, the faster you run? Leave a comment below and let me know.
by Mollie Millington | May 25, 2017 | race review, running
|
| Forecast over London = rain! |
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) Town of London jog has been on my bucket list since we moved to London. I mean, who wouldn’t want to run in the old moat of the former Royal residency. This year, I was finally organized enough to register. Originally, I was supposed to run with work friends but I ended up being on a first aid course near home which mixed up arrival times. Luckily, I ran into friends from Advent Running, making the race much more enjoyable for me as it was pouring with rain. One km laps surrounded by brick really aren’t that fun.
Race entry: Register online for £20 (I think) plus there is an option to fundraise for BHF. You can register on the day too if you aren’t big on planning ahead.
 |
| Bogs to the left, baggage tent to the right. All in the moat! |
Course and bogs: As it says on the tin, you run around the Tower of London. I thought it would be literal but instead you do U-shaped laps. You can run as much or as little as you want with suggested distances of 5 or 10 km. The race isn’t timed and you can start whenever you want within a three hour window. I saw many groups of people running together- work teams, rugby clubs, and families all taking part. The course wasn’t crowded but it was busy due to some people walking. One water station as you turned around made it easy to rehydrate as needed.
There were a handful of port-a-loos near the bag drop off. Luckily I didn’t have to use them. Because of the variable start time, there wasn’t a huge line at any point from what I saw.
 |
| Advent Running unite! Photo courtesy of Mel McKay |
Atmosphere: Even though it was pouring with rain, people were having fun. Many were walking and several had signs on their back stating who they were running for. Some ‘fans’ were even cheering from the pavement above. I think for many people, it was their first race event and most seemed to have a personal connection to the charity.
 |
| Note the catapult |
Bling/goody bags: There wasn’t a goody bag but I did snag a free five minute massage. I was most excited out the race bling, which had potential to be epic, but instead it was pretty boring. Each participant received a free red technical t-shirt, but again, these were generic. I totally understand that BHF saves money by not customizing the freebies but I was still sad about the bling. I would forgo a t-shirt for a really cool medal.
 |
| I am still in the moat. 5K done! |
Tips if you decide to take part next time: 2018 will be the 40th year of this epic race.
If you are a seasoned runner, get a group of colleagues or neighbors together to take part. Travel light so you don’t need to check a bag unless you want to wait for a loooong time to collect it. If you have a lust for #racebling, don’t run this race for the bling as it is sadly a generic medal (but has a custom ribbon). BHF gives extra shout-outs to folks who raise more than £500, so if you are committed to the cause, go for it!
by thinkmarsh | May 25, 2017 | race review, running
|
| Forecast over London = rain! |
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) Town of London jog has been on my bucket list since we moved to London. I mean, who wouldn’t want to run in the old moat of the former Royal residency. This year, I was finally organized enough to register. Originally, I was supposed to run with work friends but I ended up being on a first aid course near home which mixed up arrival times. Luckily, I ran into friends from Advent Running, making the race much more enjoyable for me as it was pouring with rain. One km laps surrounded by brick really aren’t that fun.
Race entry: Register online for £20 (I think) plus there is an option to fundraise for BHF. You can register on the day too if you aren’t big on planning ahead.
|
| Bogs to the left, baggage tent to the right. All in the moat! |
Course and bogs: As it says on the tin, you run around the Tower of London. I thought it would be literal but instead you do U-shaped laps. You can run as much or as little as you want with suggested distances of 5 or 10 km. The race isn’t timed and you can start whenever you want within a three hour window. I saw many groups of people running together- work teams, rugby clubs, and families all taking part. The course wasn’t crowded but it was busy due to some people walking. One water station as you turned around made it easy to rehydrate as needed.
There were a handful of port-a-loos near the bag drop off. Luckily I didn’t have to use them. Because of the variable start time, there wasn’t a huge line at any point from what I saw.
|
| Advent Running unite! Photo courtesy of Mel McKay |
Atmosphere: Even though it was pouring with rain, people were having fun. Many were walking and several had signs on their back stating who they were running for. Some ‘fans’ were even cheering from the pavement above. I think for many people, it was their first race event and most seemed to have a personal connection to the charity.
|
| Note the catapult |
Bling/goody bags: There wasn’t a goody bag but I did snag a free five minute massage. I was most excited out the race bling, which had potential to be epic, but instead it was pretty boring. Each participant received a free red technical t-shirt, but again, these were generic. I totally understand that BHF saves money by not customizing the freebies but I was still sad about the bling. I would forgo a t-shirt for a really cool medal.
|
| I am still in the moat. 5K done! |
Tips if you decide to take part next time: 2018 will be the 40th year of this epic race.
If you are a seasoned runner, get a group of colleagues or neighbors together to take part. Travel light so you don’t need to check a bag unless you want to wait for a loooong time to collect it. If you have a lust for #racebling, don’t run this race for the bling as it is sadly a generic medal (but has a custom ribbon). BHF gives extra shout-outs to folks who raise more than £500, so if you are committed to the cause, go for it!
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