Tag: NTC

Foody Friday!

Foody Friday!

by TartanJogger ♥ 1 Comment

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Happy Friday! My Friday is all about packing- again! I’m really excited, as we’re doing the Perth Kilt Run tomorrow! It’ll be great, as I won’t be running alone, for a change!

For those who aren’t sure what the Kilt Run is, it’s a world record attempt to have the most kilted runners in one run. The current record holders are Perth, Canada!

The only other activity I have planned for today is some light reading….

Today’s stats:

Run: No, it’s a yoga and stretch day for me.

Time: 30 mins yoga, 15 mins NTC Shawn Johnson Stretch Guide

Most relaxing yoga track: some Groove Armada

Well, to round off another week, I thought I’d let you have a sneak peek into some of my good (and bad) eating habits this week.

In Dublin, I had a few naughty treats:

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We had dinner on Saturday night in Hard Rock Cafe, which is becoming a bit of a pre-race ritual!

We had:

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And I had the biggest dessert I’ve ever seen!

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While, back at home, I’ve tried to be good:

But, as usual, the vino is just too tempting!

Today’s Life Lesson:

Which yummy treats have you had this week?

Getting Ready!

Getting Ready!

by TartanJogger ♥ 2 Comments

I have news! I received this email today:

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I’m surprised that I’ll have the medal before I do my second half marathon, but, so what?! 😀

My taper and preparations are continuing for next Monday’s half marathon in Dublin. It has only just occurred to me that I can now say I have TWO proper runs next week: the half on Monday, and the Perth Kilt Run on Saturday! Woo Hoo! Tonight, it’s all about the packing and organising for our trip to Dublin:

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Today’s stats:

Run: No, only stretching for me today 😉

Time: 15 mins NTC Shawn Johnson Stretch Guide. I think I’ll do 20 minutes of yoga. Or maybe I’ll sit in the hot tub instead….

Best stretching track today: Daughtry for me today

After my post the other day about Kara Goucher’s stretches, I thought I’d show you some screen shots from Shawn Johnson’s stretch guide too. Something I didn’t mention was that the athlete talks you through each stretch, and how to do it. It’s also accompanied by a video clip that actually demonstrates how to do each stretch safely and properly. Neat, huh?

Unlike the Kara Goucher stretches, this is an actual 15 minute long routine, with no repeating of exercises, so it’s great for mixing things up a little.

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It begins with some basic stretching, like circling your head, arms, waist, ankles, etc.

It then moves onto a combined tricep, side and arm stretch which feels pretty good!

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The second main stretch is a pike/squat stretch which I really like. It feels like I’m really working the muscles:

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The next stretch is a leg combo of four stretches. Again, this is a really good one for running, I think. It stretches out the hamstrings, hip, inner thigh and quads:

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Next, it’s a pretzel stretch, which is great for the legs and lower back.

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The  final two stretches are kind of yoga-ish: a dog stretch and a cat stretch. I can’t do a proper cat stretch- I’m too stiff for it!

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I must admit, I do feel much more limber after doing this routine. Sometimes I then do some foam rolling, too, for good measure!

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Today’s Life Lesson: is it only me who phones someone I need to talk to urgently, and they are out of the office; then on lunch; then finished for the day?

Do you have any pre-travel packing tips you’d like to share?

And Stretch…

And Stretch…

by TartanJogger ♥ 4 Comments

In line with my taper for next Monday’s half marathon, this week will involve lots of stretching. Or at least, it should- so I’m starting off right:

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Today’s stats:

Run: Nope, as I said, stretching was the order of the day for me

Time: 15 mins NTC Kara Goucher Pro Running Stretches. I might do the Shawn Johnson stretching later, too, for good measure 😉

Nice, surprising stretching track: Adam Lambert’s version of the U2 song, One.

Have any of you tried the Kara Goucher stretches, from the Nike Training Club app? I really like it, I think it has really helped me, and is one of the reasons I’ve been able to stay injury-free. Here’s a screen shot of the exercises:

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The first exercise is a hip flexor stretch, which I really like.

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The second stretch is a triangle stretch. I have terrible balance, so I try to take care when I do this one!

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The next stretch is a series of prone position leg swings. When I do this one, I don’t let my swinging leg touch the floor, which I think makes it a little more challenging, but I like that!

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The fourth stretch is supine scorpions: I don’t like these much! Too much co-ordination needed, which I just don’t have!

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The final exercise is an ITB stretch, using a resistance band. This one feels great!

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These exercises are all one minute stretches, totalling 5 minutes, and are repeated 3 times. It always feels great, after they are done! 😀

I’m trying to get my eating back on track, too, so my berries are now all ready and good to go:

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Today’s Life Lesson: you know that your handbag is too heavy when it triggers the seatbelt alarm in the car!

What’s your favourite stretch?

It’s Nice to Have Time Off :)

It’s Nice to Have Time Off :)

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

As I say, in today’s post title, it’s nice to have some time off (so much so, I’m saying it twice!). I finished work at lunchtime today, and I’m off until Monday. I guess that makes today my Friday, then?

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Today’s stats:

Run: No running for me today, as it’s taper time, I’m working on stretching, so I’ll do some yoga and some NTC stretching later.

Time: 30 mins walk, 30 mins yoga, 15 mins stretching

One yoga track I plan to listen to today:  Wonderful Life, Black. Very chill.

So, like the rest of the UK, we’ve had a thunder shower this morning, but only one, fortunately!

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This was the view from my office window today, as the rain started to pour down! 😦 It’s still very warm outside, and by the time I arrived home at around 12.30, the rain had stopped 🙂

@TheWelshWookie and I have been for a walk this afternoon, along the harbour and down to the ferry terminal. Of course, we had to pop into the cafe for coffee and cake!

I’ve had a lovely, lazy afternoon, reading this month’s copy of Women’s Running magazine, which arrived yesterday:

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There’s an interesting article in it about stretching, particularly in warm ups, and whether they are beneficial, or potentially problematic:

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For me, it depends on the length of the run. If it’s a shortie, I’ll really just do a warm-up jog. If it’s a longer run, I’ll start with a set of dynamic stretches: knee highs, butt kicks, and a short warm-up jog. I’ll usually finish my run with a walk home, followed by Kara Goucher’s running stretches from NTC. This seems to work well for me, and I’ve been fortunate in staying injury free (here’s hoping this continues!).

Today’s life lesson: It’s usually sensible to wear a jacket when rain showers are forecast…..

What’s your view of stretching, before or after a run?

Foody Friday

Foody Friday

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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It’s a balmy 29 degrees in Tarbert, and according to the forecast, the West coast of Scotland is set to be the hottest place in the UK this weekend!

Today’s stats:

Run: Fortunately not, it’s too hot for me to run today! It’s a yoga and stretch day for me.

Time: 30 mins yoga, 15 mins NTC Shawn Johnson Stretch Guide

Most relaxing yoga track:  Teardrop by Massive Attack. Love.

Well, to round off another week, I thought I’d let you have a sneak peek into some of my good (and bad) eating habits this week.

In London, I had a few naughty treats:

Lemon something-or-other Krispy Kreme donut
Lemon something-or-other Krispy Kreme donut

We had dinner on Sunday night in a place in Campden called Ay Caramba!

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We had:

Nachos with chorizo
Nachos with chorizo
A pineapple & a raspberry mojito
A pineapple & a raspberry mojito

We also came across a wee shop selling mahoosive watermelons- I wish I could have taken some back home with me!

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On Monday, we had a spot of lunch at Union Jack’s in Covent Garden:

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Braised brisket, oxtail, horseradish & watercress pizza
Braised brisket, oxtail, horseradish & watercress pizza

While, back at home, I’ve tried to be good:

Sweet chilli drizzled salmon and salad
Sweet chilli drizzled salmon and salad
Nachos with low fat cheese, quorn pepperoni and jalapenos
Nachos with low fat cheese, quorn pepperoni and jalapenos
Wholewheat tortilla pizza with quorn pepperoni, low fat cheese, red onion, peppers, chilli flakes and balsamic vinegar
Wholewheat tortilla pizza with quorn pepperoni, low fat cheese, red onion, peppers, chilli flakes and balsamic vinegar
wholewheat tortilla pizza with salady stuff
wholewheat tortilla pizza with salady stuff
Total Greek yoghurt with melon, pineapple, grapes, chia and flax
Total Greek yoghurt with melon, pineapple, grapes, chia and flax

But I haven’t always succeeded……

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Today’s Life Lesson: double-check your text before you accidentally send it to the wrong person….

Which yummy treats have you had this week?

A Castle Walk

A Castle Walk

by TartanJogger ♥ 2 Comments

Hope you’ve all had a Happy Hump Day today- here’s some Wednesday Wit in case you haven’t… it sums up how I feel after a weekend of excess! 😀

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Today’s stats:

Run: Nope, not today. It was a strength day, so I did NTC’s 45 minute Intermediate Get Strong. It was tough! I’ll do a 15 minute stretch later, too.

Time: 45 mins

Best track while doing high-knees:  Soak Up The Sun, Sheryl Crow. Very appropriate today!

As the warm, sunny weather is continuing, I headed out for a walk after dinner. Tonight, I took a stroll around Tarbert Castle, which overlooks the village. Would you like to see it?

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It has recently undergone quite a bit of restoration work: it dates back to Robert the Bruce’s time.

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Here’s a picture of the harbour through one of the windows:

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Here’s the views across the village and out towards Loch Fyne from the Castle:

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Beautiful, huh?

If you’d like to know more, visit http://www.tarbertcastle.info/

Today’s life lesson: Move the coffee table before you do planks and press ups; you’re less likely to bang your head 😉

What’s the best viewpoint in your town or village?

Outdoor Gym :)

Outdoor Gym :)

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Well, tonight, I came home from work to find that @TheWelshWookie had my dinner waiting for me. 😀 He had made a fabulous turkey curry. Deee-lish!

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But it meant that I was too full to do and looking for any excuse to get out of doing my strength training as planned. So, instead I went for a lovely walk in the sunshine. It was too gorgeous a night to waste indoors doing strength training anyway 😉

We live about 14 miles away from the nearest ‘normal’ gym, which is located in Lochgilphead. That means that any strength training I do is at home, using bits and pieces of light equipment I’ve picked up over time: dumbbells, resistance bands, swiss ball, mat, etc. I mostly do NTC training, so that’s about all of the equipment I need. But in Tarbert, we are very lucky; we have a secret weapon: an Outdoor Gym!

I took some pictures of it this evening, to let you see it:

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There’s even a table tennis table, and some basketball hoops:

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There are picnic tables located nearby, and a glorious view of the harbour:

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When I arrived home, I thought I’d better begin to pack for the Color Run UK in London this weekend. I’m deciding what to take with me…

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And right now, I’m brushing my wig, trying to make it look presentable! 😮

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Today’s Life Lesson: Don’t wear brand new sandals to work before breaking them in first. Ouch!

What surprises does your home village/town/city have?

Happy Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day!

by TartanJogger ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Happy Independence Day to all in the US! I hope you’re having a lovely day, and getting the miles in?

For me, the closest I got to any celebrations was stocking up for this weekend’s Seafood Festival. We’re having a house full of guests, and looking forward to it! If you want to know more about the Seafood Festival, have a look here: http://www.facebook.com/TarbertSeafoodFestival1?fref=ts

So, my shopping basket was a tale of two halves. One half good kid stuff:

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Yum!

And one half naughty kid stuff the really good stuff!. Ahem:

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Which half do you prefer?

Today’s Stats:

Run: no: today was a strength day for me

Exercise: 30 minutes NTC Get Strong, Full Action. Man, burpees to shoulder presses are killers! I followed that up with an hour of housework including brushing and mopping the kitchen floor- the worst job!

Today’s surprise strength training track:

Today’s Life Lesson: Don’t add bleach to water, dip your hands in it, then wipe your wet hands on your trousers. Big mistake. 

What silly housekeeping mistake have you made?

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