Running shoes

I hope everyone in the UK is enjoying the wonderful weather today, is so nice to not wear multiple layers to leave the house in, and be able to get some vitamin D I always feel so much happier in the summer!!

This is the 3^rd pair of running shoes I have bought in around 6 months!!! And its not because they have been overused. The first pair I got was bought at the end of last summer when I was first starting to take up running, I went to a sports shop. They put me on this machine and told me I over pronanted so needed a stability shoe. After having a brief relapse and stopping running I started again around November time, started to get ITB problem. Few months later  I visited a specialist running shop they didn’t do a proper gait analayis just looked at the way I walked said no way I was an over pronator so got a neutral shoe. Then had a stress fracture. I don’t know if it was the shoe that caused it, more like an overuse injury, or perhaps a mixture  of the both. But I didn’t want to start running properly until I had a proper gait analysis done. 

So I visited this specialist running shop after doing some googling, they did a gait analysis. And OMG the guy who I spoke to was seriously amazing, even if I went away I would come back to the same shop to see him. He firstly “chatted” to me asking me about the injuries, past history. I told him that I used to dance, and about my issues with osteoporosis and anorexia. He said that the shoe I had was too heavy for  me, he made reference to my frame size and said I needed a shoe that gave me flexibility in my feet. 

We did a few squat tests and he did pick up that I have fairly weak hips, I do have osteoporosis in my hips so this may be the reason. Then was running on the treadmill barefoot, it felt strange at first, this was also videoed so he could see my running style. I am apparently a forefoot striker. When I was running on the treadmill it showed that I didn’t over pronate, however when I ran on the treadmill with shoes on I did. After trying pair of pair of trainers on where the guy could tell straight away if the shoe wasn’t right. We settled for a neutral shoe, as many of the stability shoes were too heavy for me and I didn’t have any flexibility when running in them. Because I am a fore foot striker I need a shoe that have excellent forefoot cushioning, flexibility, and stability.  I knew when I was running in these

Adidas Supernova glide 4

That they felt right, I could move my feet freely and just felt so light in them. I must have spent nearly two hours chatting to the guy and finding the right shoes!!! And I am so glad I did. I feel more confident when I am running too. It also didn't cost me anything to have the gait analysis done, they charge £10 but if you buy a pair of shoes it costs you nothing. 

On Wednesday was my first little run in them. As I’m training for a triathlon I did a 20 mile bike ride followed by a 1 mile run. It was also the first time running straight of the bike, it felt strange for the first minute or two. But once I was running it felt so good, I can’t describe how wonderful it felt to run. I came back downed some strawberry soya milk followed by one of my paellas.

This week has been a pretty good week, had a nice catch up with a friend in nandos,  had a good swim lesson, managed a rest day yesterday, had a trip to waitrose with my boyfriend and treated myself to some food doctor granola its so good!!!, especially over porridge and banana:

I am actually quite relieved their isn’t a Waitrose too close by as I would seriously spend far too much money!!! I've also been doing some baking,  these 

Peanut butter protein bombs. 

And these

Taste just like the banana bread nakd bars

I’m looking forward to the weekend too as have my Boyfriend over and tonight we are making bellini cocktails. These are my favourite kind, I have expensive taste:p  although not too many as we are going on a ride together tomorrow morning. I've just come back from a 57 mile cycle ride over many hills, my laps were around 16mph, it just shows how strong my body is getting, and will hopefully continue to get strong. I am trying to use this as motivation, as my body image is starting to get difficult again, I'm looking in the mirror an not liking what I see. Determined to plod on though, despite what the ed tells me. 

Have you ever had a gait analysis? 

any plans for the weekend?

Are you  a cocktail drinker? 

Some muffins and injury.

Hello blogging world, I've had some time off work so is quite nice to not be rushing around and be able to relax somewhat. So yesterday afternoon, after a morning spent in the gym and swimming I decided to cook some muffins. I have been including more protein in my diet to help with my injury which seems to be an illotibial band problem. More of that in a mo, so I searched the internet for a healthy muffin recipe that I could use protein powder in and found this one.

They were fairly simple to make.

Apple and cinnamon protein muffins

• 1 cup (130 grams) of self raising flour. 
• 50g vanilla protein powder
• 1/2 cup (100grams) chunky apple sauce
• 1 tbp of cinnamon
• 50 ml milk
• 2 egg whites. 
• 50g dried fruit

I added the wet mixture to the dry and then spooned in to cupcake cases. I like things in mini size. So they turned out like this: 

I just love my Emma Bridgewater tin!! 

(nutritional information per muffin 85 calories, 6 grams of protein, 16 carbs)

 

However they did come out a bit dry on the inside, still edible though:) I think because of the protein powder, so need to play around a bit with a few more recipes. This was actually the first time for a long while that I have made and ate a muffin actually I think these are the first ones I have made and ate. My eating disorder wouldn't allow me to have treats as I felt that I didn't deserve them and I have slowly been able to challenge this disordered thought, and tell myself that everyone deserves treats and it is the eating disordered side of me that is telling me this and not myself. 

Injury

So I can no longer run:( My own doing, I had brought my mileage up too quickly and my body wasn't ready for it. I also started running when I wasn't eating nearly enough to keep my body ticking. I also think not having my periods had something to do with it as I don't produce oestrogen which is needed for bone health and know stress fractures are a risk with this. I am not 100% sure what it is, but I had a sports massage last week which was so so painful!! and she says I have a tight illotibial band, and also my knee has some swelling, also the top of my hips were very sore. 

I've booked a doctors appointment this week.  When I try to run its so painful and can only manage about a mile. She said I can cycle and swim but to lay of the running. So I've managed to sell my half marathon ticket , but not being able to run is difficult as exercise is such a big passion of mine. I mean I do enjoy going to the gym, swimming, and cycling (when the weather improves) but their is nothing like having the freedom of being on the road just grabbing some shoes and going and feeling myself get stronger after each run. 

However I'm reading as much as I can about running, nutrition, and enjoying the cross training activities and plan to improve on my swimming and get out on the road more on my bike has have a 60 mile sportiveplanned for June time. I guess it was my bodies way of telling me that I need to rest, and know it will make me a more stronger runner and help me to listen to my body more.  I am also getting myself physically stronger so when I am back to running my body will be more able to deal with the high impact of running.

 Determined to beat this, anorexia has took over my life for far too many years and I am determined to not let it steal anymore. I am an athlete not an anorexic. I am going to achieve something more than this illness, which over the years has given me nothing. It may have helped deal with all the other crap in my life but at the end of it the only person I was ever hurting was myself. 

Some food from the past few days:

Cottage cheese with apple and bran sticks.

chickpea and lentil curry

mixed bean cassoulet with goats cheese, and veg. 

Ever been injured? How did you cope? 

Are you a muffin fan? Had an success with protein powders in baked goods?