by Mollie Millington | Apr 13, 2022 | running, sponsored post
I have been a runner for a long time. Not a fast runner. Not a great runner. But someone who loves being outdoors and meeting people who enjoy similar types of adventures. There are many running communities in London and I know I want to reach more people to encourage them to be active too in some capacity.
That is why I thrilled to announce that I am a member of the On Running ROC crew. There are about a dozen of us from all over the UK who will be sharing all the latest and greatest products as ON releases them. While I am not paid for this role, I will be receiving complimentary kit. To start off our LTR, I was allowed to choose several pieces of kit from certain ranges. I love that I was able to choose clothes that fit me and my personal style and preferences, rather than have kit I will never wear (my husband says I have too much running kit already).
For shoes, I chose the waterproof Cloudflyers in sea and glacier and Cloudultra in lavender and eclipse. When I went to the ON Running lab last summer, I found out that the Cloudflyers are a great fit for my feet, as well as the Cloudace. Normally, I am very nervous about investing in new running shoes. I have two makes/models that I know I can run in pain free. Due to Achilles tendinopathy in both feet, I need very cushioned and supportive shoes (I also need to do my physiotherapy and strength train, but it is easier to just buy shoes).
From working with ON over the last few years, I have observed that ON tends to choose natural colors for their kit than flashy neon or my favourite, pink. Of course, black is always an option too. I am loving sea. It is a very pale blue/green. I am only worried about spilling food on it! For kit, I went with the following (photo above link):
Long tights in sea
Performance T in mulberry and spice
Tank T in marine and black
Sprinter shorts in black
Climate shirt in sea
Unisex lightweight cap in blue
Mid socks in sea and rose brown
Performance Long T in mineral
Over the next year, I will be letting you know about ON sponsored running events (hopefully I will see you at a few), how I am getting on with the products above, and different initiatives ON is developing to make running more inclusive and sustainable. ON is also opening a new flagship store in a different country every month this year. I can’t wait for the London store (which will be located on Regents Street) to open at some point in the autumn.
One other thing, I have a limited number of 20% off ON Running discount codes to share with my readers. Simply email me (mollie@ptmollie.com) and I will send it on over to you.
by Mollie Millington | Apr 10, 2022 | exercise, quickie
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- 10 squats, 10 jumping jacks/star jumps, 10 push/press ups, 20 squats, 20 jumping jacks/star jumps, 20 push/press ups, 30 squats, 30 jumping jacks/star jumps, 30 push/press ups
1 min- Walking backwards lunges. Be careful!
1 min- Squat thrusts
1 min- Step up with a vertical hop on left foot
1 min- Step up with a vertical hop on right foot
1 min- Supermans
1 min- Dead fish on right side
1 min- Dead fish on left side
1 min- Spiderman push/press ups
1 min- Crab tricep dips
1 min- Reverse plank
1 min- Hammer curl
1 min- Burpees
1 min- Side plank left
1 min- Side plank right
by Mollie Millington | Apr 3, 2022 | exercise, quickie
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- 1 min skipping rope, 1 min running in place with high knees, 1 min star jumps
1 min- Alternating side lunge with bicep curl
1 min- Alternating reverse lunges
1 min- Upright row
1 min- Sumo squats on your toes
1 min- Alternating frontal and lateral raises
1 min- Plyometric lunges
1 min- Wall sit
1 min- Side plank on the left
1 min- Side plank on the right
1 min- Supermans
1 min- Crunches
1 min- Plank
1 min- Hip raises
1 min- Press ups
by Mollie Millington | Mar 27, 2022 | exercise, quickie
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- 1 min squats; 1 min toe touches on a soccer/football/low step; 25 jumping jacks (star jumps)
1 min- Stand in doorway and press arms out to side of door frame as if you were trying to make a letter T. Keep pushing the entire minute
1 min- Wall sit
1 min- Stand in doorway and press arms out to side of door frame as if you were trying to make a letter T. Keep pushing the entire minute
1 min- Wall sit
1 min- Calf raises on the floor or a low step
1 min- Mountain climbers
1 min- Plank
1 min- Reverse curl
1 min- On all four’s, lift right knee up and out to side, keeping knee at 90-degree angle. Repeat for minute duration
1 min- Same as above but with left knee. Feel it in your glutes!
1 min- Sumo squats
1 min- Press ups against wall or counter. Aim for a full range of motion
1 min- Step ups on low step or, if you have a suitable location, box jumps
1 min- Squats
by Mollie Millington | Mar 20, 2022 | exercise, quickie
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- 1 min skipping rope, 10 squats. Repeat 3x
1 min- Toe touches on the top of a football (soccer ball), volleyball, etc, or a low step. Tap with alternating toes jumping from foot to foot
1 min- Hop on both feet as far as you can 5x and mark the spot. Walk back to your start line and try to beat it. Repeat
1 min- Push/Press ups
1 min- Box jumps on a low step or a curb or actual box. Be careful!
1 min- Skip rope
1 min- V-ups (ab exercise) or if too challenging, leg lifts
1 min- Plank
1 min- Jumping/Plyometric lunges (switch feet position but don’t travel forward)
1 min- High knee jumps- stand in place and bring knees up to at least waist height with each jump
1 min- Tricep dips
1 min- Skip rope
1 min- Leaping/bounding- aim to land on the midfoot with the knee over the ankle
1 min- Jump over your water bottle front and back or side to side. Easier to have water bottle on its side harder with water bottle standing up. Be careful you don’t land on the bottle and hurt yourself
1 min- Back extensions
by Mollie Millington | Mar 16, 2022 | cycling, outdoors, running, travel, water sports
Have you heard a rumor that California weather is perfect year-round? I certainly had so when I touched down in San Diego in late February of this year, I was expecting sunshine and warm temps. There were big plans to play outside and on the water while working on my tan. Unfortunately, the rumor is not true and winter comes to California making the air temperature cold when it is cloudy and rain showers inevitable. Don’t get me wrong, it was still warmer and sunnier than London at this time of year. Luckily, I never leave home without a raincoat and Gortex shoes so I was ready for this surprise (sunscreen and sunglasses were also on hand at all times, just in case). In the end, it was a mix of weather and a mix of outdoor activities while I was in San Diego for ten days. Most of the time was dominated by a work conference but I snuck a few fun activities in and around the jam-packed schedule.
Wildlife watching
My number one priority while on the West Coast was to go on a whale watch (closely followed by running a California race to tick the state off my list). While spending way too much time on Instagram during Covid, I discovered Dolphin Drone Dom who runs Gone Whale Watching in San Diego. Being the marine biology nerd that I am, I have a whale species bucket list (currently, North Atlantic right whale is still top of the list). On this trip, I wanted to see gray whales, a sperm whale, and if possible, a blue whale. Ironically, my uncle had sent me a sperm whale lapel pin as a surprise and it turned out to be a lucky totem. Tally for the day: eight hours on the boat, one Diet Coke, one sperm whale, five gray whales, two humpbacks and hundreds of dolphins. While it was very chilly (even before we left the dock), the sun was out for a fantastic day at sea. The seas were fairly swelly farther out but we were able to stay closer to San Diego due to the gray whale migration patterns.
If boats aren’t your thing, La Jolla is about a 20 minute drive north of downtown San Diego. At this time of year, the resident sea lions and seals have pups. Because of this, the beaches are closed to allow the animals some peace and quiet. Unfortunately, people still climb over barriers and approach these animals for a selfie. It is very important to stay at least 50 feet from marine mammals, so please enjoy them from afar and bring binoculars. Babies can be crushed if animals are scared into the water. In addition, sea lions and seals can spend up to half of their time on land so it is perfectly normal for them to dry out while on land.
For the kids who like to get their hands dirty, we tried tide pooling in La Jolla too but weren’t able to see many critters. I am sure there are better places (perhaps with a smaller tide or in a more protected area). Be sure to check the tide times before heading out to ensure you are safe. If you know a better tidepool spot near San Diego, please leave a comment below and let me know.
Cycling
San Diego has many cycling lanes built into their roads, but I didn’t see too many people using them (electric scooters were everywhere but most people ride then on the pavement (sidewalk)). There was a designated cycling and walking path near my hotel that ran along the Metro line towards Mission Bay. San Diego was a much smaller city than I thought it would be. Everything was within a 10-20 minute drive. With the infrastructure already there, I hope that more people will start cycling in the city as it is much more ecofriendly and helps you stay fit too. My friend, Haley, and I rented bikes at Stay Classy Bike Rentals. If we had planned a bit more ahead, they would have dropped the bikes off at our hotel and collected them too. In stead, we drove to their shop where Haley picked up her fancy road bike. I opted for a commuter bike because I can never reach the brakes on road bikes. We road about 10 minutes from the bike shop before we reached the promenade along the bay. Haley was happy to take it easy on me, so we kept a casual pace weaving amongst the tourists, stopping whenever we saw something cool.
While in San Diego, I also attended my first spin class since March 2020. Up until the pandemic, I was an indoor cycling instructor and taught weekly classes at my local gym. When the gyms closed up during lockdown, not all were able to open again, including my local one. I discovered Cyclebar Hillcrest while buying some groceries for my long stay. It was a short drive from my hotel and the studio offers a $10 introductory class. The class reminded me why I love indoor cycling so much. The music. The energy. The people. The lovely personalized welcome note on my bike. This was exactly what I needed to get me out of my fitness slump. Unfortunately, I unceremoniously fell off my bike at the end of class to stretch, which left me with a huge bruise on my arm. This became a big talking point as the week went on and the bruise further developed its colors. I am refusing to believe this is an omen of some sort and am actively looking for studio positions back in London.
Running
Not only were there lots of parks and paths in San Diego and along the coast, but I found there were lots of races to sign up for too. Initially, I was going to sign up for the T9 Mermaid Series Half because of the mermaid theme (omg the medal was gorgeous!), but it clashed with my daylong whale watch. The Mermaid Series is about inspire women from all backgrounds (men are allowed to join the races too) to experience joy as they cross the finish line. Accomplishing the goal of completing a race will hopefully inspire participants to pursue new goals in fitness and in other areas of their life. If I ever get back to California, I am going to check their race schedule before booking flights.
If you want a race series that is more about trails and PBs, I recommend Endurance Race Series (ERS). They are now sponsored by Salomon (congrats guys!), and have events that offer a range of terrain, distances, and locations in Colorado and San Diego. They kindly offered me a spot in their Coast to Crest 5K trail race #gifted on the day I was due to fly home to the UK. Unfortunately, it rained heavily two days before the race, so the event was postponed by a week to let the trails dry out and avoid long term damage. ERS gave me the option to go virtual, so I did. Originally, I was going to run around Fiesta Island but was worried that my little rental car would get stuck in the mud. Instead, I drove to the Mission Bay area and wound my way through some parking lots and along the shore to hit my 3.1 miles. Having looked at the social media posts about the postponed event, it looked like a perfect day for a run (check back next week for a race report).
Of course, this is not an exhaustive list for stay active while in San Diego and California. Surfing, kayaking, fishing, sailing, scuba diving, and even hot air ballooning are within two hours drive. There is roller skating, skate boarding, beach volleyball, golfing, rock climbing and more. I even managed walking over 4.5 miles at the San Diego Zoo. If spectating is more your jam, there are many amateur and professional sports teams located in San Diego.
Clearly, I need to visit San Diego again and explore the outdoors a bit more with a few other activities (and hopefully run another race with ERS). What’s your favorite way to spend time outside in San Diego?
by Mollie Millington | Mar 13, 2022 | exercise, quickie
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- Put your favorite song to dance to one and boogie on down for 2-3 minutes. Suggestions: I Will Survive, Love Shack, Waiting All Night, Spice Up Your Life, etc
1 min- Calf raises
30 sec each side- Curtsey lunge with leg abduction
1 min- Tricep dips
1 min- Plank jacks
1 min- Back hyperextensions
1 min- Spiderman crunch
1 min- Reverse fly with exercise band, light weights or bottles of water
1 min- Hop forward on both feet as far as you can each time. Swing those arms for extra momentum
1 min- Around the world lunges
1 min- Burpees with a press up at the bottom
1 min- Squat to shoulder press with rotation. Use weights if you have them.
1 min- Squat thrusts
1 min- Incline press up on steps
1 min- Skipping rope
by Mollie Millington | Mar 6, 2022 | exercise, quickie
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- 1 min jog; 1 min skipping (with or without rope); 1 min jog
1 min- Wall sit
1 min- Steam engine- bring knee up to touch opposite elbow while hands are on head
1 min- Prisoner squats
30 sec each direction- Small arm circles (about the size of a quarter or 50p coin)
30 sec each side- Leg abductions. Hinge forward at the waist to make more challenging
1 min- Crunches- up over 3 counts, down for 1
1 min- Bicycle ab exercise
30 sec each side- Clams
1 min- Lateral raise holding water bottle or tins of soup
1 min- High knee jumps
30 sec- Mountain climbers
1 min- Crunches- up over 1 count, down for 3
1 min- Jumping jacks/Star jumps
by Mollie Millington | Feb 27, 2022 | exercise, quickie
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Some of the exercises today require stairs or a step. Please be safe and don’t rush if these movements are new to you.
Warm up- 1 min walking up and down stairs; 1 min ‘box jumps’ on lowest step; 1 min (away from stairs) squat then jump and turn in the air 180 degrees. Repeat
1 min- Crab walk as far as you can
1 min- Bear crawl back again. Can you go even further?
1 min- Plank with feet on the lowest step
1 min- Hop-hop squat
30 sec each direction- Low squat walking sideways. Don’t release from the position for the entire minute!
1 min- Mountain climbers
1 min- Tricep dips on the stairs
1 min- Up stairs 2 at a time but go slow and steady if you are new to stair workouts or uncoordinated
1 min- Boat pose
1 min- Hip raises with 1 foot in the air (alternate at 30 sec)
30 sec each side- Side plank
1 min- Stationary reverse lunges (or kick it up by making them plyo!)
1 min- Push/press up on toes, slowly lower down over a count of 5
by Mollie Millington | Feb 25, 2022 | sponsored post, travel
Whenever I tell people I am from New York, the response is generally either “I love New York!” or “I have always wanted to go there.” The conversation then turns a bit awkward when I say I have never lived in NYC but am from a city that is a six-hour drive away. I am lucky though that many of my friends from high school have lived in the city, which has allowed me to visit over a dozen times. With each visit, I get to explore a different borough because my friends live all over the place. From Brooklyn, to Bronx, to Queens, to Manhattan, I have been quite blessed. Running the New York Marathon in 2018 meant I was able to tick Staten Island (where the race start line was) of the list too (although my time there was fleeting).
No matter what time of year, I have always enjoyed my time in New York. In case you haven’t been before, I wanted to share some ideas on how to see it all and even get some steps in. Go New York’s Explorer pass gives you about 75 options with how to spend your time in the city. Start off your visit with the one day hop-on hop-off bus tour. I love doing these bus tours when I am in a new city (even though sometimes I doze off). My suggestions is to stay on for an entire loop to get a lay of the land and see what looks interesting. On the next lap, hop off at the spots that looked most interesting and explore.
The Guggenheim Museum is one of the 75 attractions and tours included in the Explorer pass. The first time I visited there, I saw an installation that has microphones listening to ice melt. Mind blown! The building was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and is beautiful inside and out. The collection is contemporary art with early modern and impressionist too. It is a great option if it is cold or rainy weather and you want to spend some time indoors. It is located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and I prefer to call it the Gugg.
If you enjoy art, the Museum of Modern Art (aka MOMA) is another great option on the Explorer pass and is nearby in midtown Manhattan. Here you can see the originals of many famous pieces of art by Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, Vincent Van Gogh, Roy Litchenstein, Henri Matisse, Frida Kahlo, and many more names you may recognize. The texture of original paintings will never cease to amaze me (Jackson Pollack’s Full Fathom Five included paint tube caps, cigarette butts, buttons, and nails). If it is allowed, see if you can get up close and have a good look.
Nothing beats the New York skyline (sorry London, but you are too flat!). If you like to see things from up high and the sun is shining, you have a few options to take in incredible views of the city. Traditionally, the Top of the Rock Observatory (70th floor) and the Empire State Building (86th floor or 102rd floor) are where most people go. There is a newer place now too at Edge at Hudson Yards (100th floor). The Edge features a glass floor viewing platform to see directly below you. For an extra fee, you can enjoy a glass of champagne while up there too. If you are like an extreme challenge, check out the City Climb at the Edge, which is the world’s highest open air ascent in the world. You admission fee includes a video of your climb and photos at the top. How many people can say they have done this?
If you like to stay active while on holiday (you know I do!), the Explorer pass also covers several walking tours and bicycle rental options. If you are interested in history, the Secrets of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island walking tour takes four hours and includes ferry rides to both attractions. If you prefer to stay on dry land, you can rent a bike and explore Central Park for the day (pack a picnic). The bike rental includes a helmet, map, lock and basket mounted on your bike to hold your gear. Alternatively, you can rent bikes in Harlem or near the Brooklyn Bridge. Or, if you prefer to refuel frequently throughout the day, the Food on Foot Tours have a lot of choices for locations and cuisines throughout New York City.
I will always encourage people to visit New York City. It is so large, it makes it easy to keep up with your steps while exploring a new area. Just remember that the United States is as big as Europe, and each city has its own culture. You will see that even within New York City, each borough and neighbourhoods has its own personality to it.
What is a favorite place you have found when visiting The Big Apple? How many steps did you hit in a single day as you explored?
This post is sponsored by Go New York.
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