Running in the rain!

Tonight Melbourne is stormy & today work was stressy! The perfect combination for me to wash the day away - tonight running was my resolution. I luv running in the rain, for many reasons, everyone thought I was bonkers as the rain got heavier & I got ready to run, it's invigorating! & if I'm ever feeling upset or out of sorts I can sort all the negative thoughts on a rainy night running against it all. & positivity shines through just like the first rays of sunshine & my mind becomes a pretty rainbow again.. & I have awesome fluoro stella McCartney jacket to wear so I can look stylish & soaked too. & the rain reminds me of England! & that's the other thing about running, no matter how cold & grey it is outside, you always feel warm & pink within =) 
I have many reasons to smile about my progress, I have smashed out 30k's running, x2 strength training & x1 yoga sessions in 3 days. 
So when I got home I made some leek, pea & mint soup, perfect for a 
cold night. With some sprouted grain bread to dip in! 

2 leeks
1 onion
Packet frozen peas
Fresh mint ( I use a good bunch)
Sea salt & black pepper
Soften the leeks & onion
 in oil
Boil the peas & mint
& blend & enjoy...

I luv lentils...

Lentil luvers!! Just ran 6ks home from work & 45 mins training session at the gym & I am always super starving when I get home, this salad takes 5 mins to prepare & less time to luv the lentils! 

Luv lentils salad...

Tin (drained & rinsed) lentils
Chopped cherry tomatoes (approx.10)
Cubed cucumber 

Dressing - juice of 11/2 lemons
Fresh mint from tube - good squirt!!
1/2 chopped red chilli
Sea salt 

Been so tired today! Maybes that was the wine at the weekend, or the workload I've got in the next week! 
My job is about to take me around the world again! In the next few weeks I will run along the chilly Seine in Paris, daydreaming of romantic delusions that the city evokes. Then I will go for a nostalgic run along the Thames in London, me olde stomping ground, memories of the London marathon literally dancing across tower bridge & running to work along the embankment, dodging traffic through Trafalgar square & Soho. I'm then going to run at my parents in Morpeth through the Northumbrian countryside, passing castles & churches & cattle fields & country pubs. From Morpeth to Miami! From snow to sunshine, I've never ran there before so that's exciting... I've ran in some awesome places around the world & can't wait to add South beach to my list!
But before I get there I've got my day job! Next week I've got to style a catwalk show, shoot the lookbook, present new seasons trends & a national conference presentation to 200 people eek! & put together a 'special project' too! 
Oh & I've got to run 90+ kilometers each week!!! Bring it xox  

Weekly training diary. Happy.

Today is my rest day.. So I thought I'd put up my weekly mileage & training diary from my first week..

Monday  - rest day
Tuesday - x2 5k runs + 45mins personal training session
Weds    - x2 5k runs + 60mins ashtanga yoga
Thurs   - x2 5k runs + 60mins Pilates 
Friday  - 5k run 
Saturday- 12k run in 70mins + 75mins ashtanga yoga
Sunday  - 20k run in 2hours 
Total   - 67k's running 

I started running when I lived in NYC about 15 years ago. I got the bug by running around central park in the mornings, crashing into the crazies hanging near Harlem, they always made me smile, stuck in the 80's with their ghetto-blasters playing Huey Lewis & the news 'power of love' heckling me with their insanity, shouting "you got the power of love baby yeh!!" maybes they weren't so crazy after all, running makes me feel like I have got the power of love!

I ran my first & best timed fancy dressed marathon in Dublin in 2008. Pink wonder woman was my outfit & my pink cape with stars sure did give me super powers!! I wore a pink dance leotard, mini blue metallic shorts which I stuck silver stars on. I made shiny stretchy 
gold head & wrist bands, had a gold sequined belt & electric blue legwarmers. I ran my PB time of 3 hrs 58 mins. I was awed & inspired by the support I received from the crowd, little girls saying to their mums "she looks amazing" lots of cheering "go wonder woman" & 1 random shout "yeh flash Gordon!!" er, thanks Irish man! I have ran every marathon & ultra I have ever done with pink hair, & I think I 
always will...

Few too many fizzes!!

After a few recovery fizzes on a sunny rooftop on sunday afternoon.. I made some delicious soup to watch my mate Novak (stalker) on the telly playing in the tennis final. Soup is delicious & tennis is too good! just had to share....

Spicey sweet potato & ginger yumminess!

X3 sweet potatoes chopped

2 red onions chopped

1 red chilli chopped

Grated fresh ginger root (I put in 5cm)

1 clove garlic

Juice 1 lime

Sea salt & lemon pepper

Tablespoon olive oil

Water to cover 

Soften the onion in the oil.. Add garlic & chilli & ginger

Boil the potatoes in the water & add the other ingredients

& blend to smoothie soup.. Sweet! 

Running to the beat.. .. .. ..

Feeling fabulous !! Just relaxing after my Sunday run & happy with my weekend of feeling fit....
I ran 12k's Saturday am. I got up early & ran around Melbourne's MCG & to 'the tan' track where I got a glimpse of Novak Djokovic walking in the botanical gardens where he's been hanging out while he's in town for the Australian open (actually completely stalked him but I got lost!) he is hot! Anyhoo I have other famous people running stories to share sometime! 

Went to yoga after my 70 min run, it was a super dynamic class but I managed to do 98% of the postures, pleased. My upper body strength & balance will certainly be tested on the steep trail runs.

& then I ran 20 (and a1/2) k's this morning, Sunday. Starting everyday with a hot water & juice of a lemon, gets my liver functioning & hydrates. I ran along the Yarra river trail for an hour & back again, & I could have ran for longer...

Some magic tracks that came on my shuffle today to keep my rhythm rocking & my face smiling... 
Doves - Pounding (one of my fave ever running tracks)  
Queen of Japan - I was made for loving you
The Clash - London Calling
The Pixies - Lu Lu love you
Franz Ferdinand - no you girls never know(sexy running)
The Killers - glamorous indie rock & roll
Chase & status - running !!!!! 
& all buffered with trance & techno, repetitive beats for relentless running....

Rest day tomorrow so I'm going to have a wine or 2 #sundaysessions xo

Happy Friday =)

Happy Friday =) today was blissful... I made the girls at work bliss balls amazeballs!! No-one believed they didn't have sugar & chocolate in them. They're sweet as & the raw cacao gives a natural caffeine buzz that got us all through the day (& me through Pilates too) today was really a recovery run day so pilates stretched my legs, strengthened my core a bit more & I felt awesome on my 5k run to work. Now here's the yummy yet simple recipe - see lasses, no sugar! 

Amazeballs balls!

1 cup dates

1 cup walnuts (soaked for 1 hour)

1/4 cup raw cacao powder

Dessert spoon coconut oil 

& blend for bliss. Now I'm going to experiment with chilli & cinnamon & other cool stuff for crazy ace balls! 

& I'm chia carbed up tonight, swapped my usual wheat bread for chia gluten free to have avocado & tomatoes on toast with sea salt & lemon pepper. Ready for my first weekend run in the morning, I'll let ya know how I go, my aim is 75mins... 

Super smoothie

Today I'm flying up to Sydney for work, a press launch for LMFF (Melbourne fashion week) wearing a Sportsgirl shorts co-ordinated print suit - all the miles I have run have paid off & I can get my legs out!! Anyways squeezing in a run is a bit tricky when I'm meeting sportsgirl's ceo at the airport early.. I have ran to the gym, ashtanga yoga'd  (even managed to throw in an awesome arm balance) & ran back from the gym all before 8am! Perfect way to start the day... Energized.

& then I made...
Pink vs green smoothie

1 banana
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
Almond milk
Water
1/2 tsp spirulina
1/2 tsp wheatgrass powder
Acidophilus powder from cap

& blend. Yummy & packed with superfood energy!
& for my protein hit I'm munching on a raw nut mix on the plane... I've also got 'runners world' to read to give me some handy hints & motivational musings for the day...
Here's my fave find! Champagne - raise a glass to your heart. Studies found the polyphenols in fizz reduce the loss of nitric oxide from the blood, dilating vessels & improving circulation! Cheers runners world!!

Chill pinky.

Yesterday I felt like training, positive & strong. I love running. I love the feeling of that present moment when my body feels alive & flowing full of awesome energy. I love the post run mind vibrations & naughtiness (mostly in a pint glass or bowl of chips!!)
I need to run, I feel like I would be lost without it in my life, I need the mind yoga, the focus that makes me function, the creative thinking time, the personal goal setting & achievement getting.
I have 17 weeks to train for the epic event. I am going to devote my life to this craziness for the next few months, I want my body to be fine tuned & fitness levels to my max. To do this I need to run pretty much every day, pound the pavements, step the stairs, with yoga, pilates & strength training to enhance my form. (I'm taking my rest days x1 a week too) 
& I need to fuel my body. I am going to do this by eating a vegan, refined sugar free diet (except running gels) to give my body the best chance to get over them mountains....
I am going to document my endeavors, keeping a food & mood diary, writing recipes & rituals, I want to inspire & be inspired along my journey....

My new running mantra - GRACE, STRENGTH, PINK POWER!!!

Today's recipe...

CHILL PINKY SOUP!

2 red peppers chopped
8 - 10 small vine tomatoes
2 small sticks celery chopped
1/2 red onion finely chopped
1/2 red chilli finely chopped
1/2 cup lemon juice
Sea salt (I like lots!)
& black pepper

Blend... Lush <3

Pinky's new running blog....

After last my 'last weekend of fun' down at Rosebud beach with Charlotte, I ate mountains of chips & potato cakes I am hoping I enjoy the Blue mountains 100k just as much as the fried potato snacks!! Today my training begins in earnest.

This blog is about my training for The North Face 100k Blue mountains run on May 19th 2013. It's going to be my...

FOOD DIARY & RECIPES FOR SUPER HEALTHY & RAW FOODS

TRAINING RUNS - TIMES, TRIALS & TRIBULATIONS

CROSS TRAINING DAYS - YOGA, PILATES & STRENGTH TRAINING

MILES, MOODS, MEDITATIONS & MOTIVATIONS

It's gonna be emotional! I'm excited & nervous, intimidated by the distance, ready for the challenge (eeek)

I've put this on my fridge & desk! To inspire me on the days when I don't want to run!!!

Started my running on Tuesday 5k's to work, 5k's from work to gym, personal training with Stevie, run 2k's home - total 12k's + training = energised! I'll put my weekly mileage in a chart weekly...