sweet treat

Raw vegan peanut butter cups --->

1/4 cup coconut oil

2 tblsp maple syrup

1 tblsp nut butter (natural)

2 tblsp raw cacao powder

Handful activated almonds

melt together in a pan on a low heat. Pour into rubber cupcake cases. Throw in a few almonds. & they go into the freezer, ready to indulge after 1 hour...

Over it.

As you may have already noticed I have an unabashed penchant for motivational mantras! I find my inspiration in words that empower & provoke thought for life's challenges, that essentially let us know that whatever hardship we are enduring, there is future & it passes. I've been thrown another curveball this week affecting once again my training for my race. Effin flu. Aches, fever, chesty sniffles have summoned all my strength & it has been tough just to struggle & snot through the days at work. 
However. Today is Sunday. & I feel like I have turned that recovery bend & am powering through to the finish line / end of the pounding headaches & month of health issues. I've been knocked around a little lately & I'm just not rolling over & accepting it anymore, I'm taking control!!! 
I've been for a tentative 5k run yesterday to check my chest still had the capacity to breathe & a solid 20k this morning where I started to warm up at 16k, I believe a good sign from the running gods that I have some distance foundation within me... With the help of all of the healthy natural remedy go tos - ginger, chilli, garlic, turmeric et al I have kicked the infection to the curb. Readying myself for next week. On Sunday morning, come hail or shine, I will be participating in the centennial park ultra. & another affirmation for good luck xox

own it!

I guess I use this quotation on many occasions in my life - when I'm online shopping, loitering over the 'add to bag' tab on netaporter for something I am vibin' & I've just gotta OWN. OR when I'm mentoring my team at work & we have just got to OWN the new seasons' hot coat in our market. OR when I'm out there running, when I've got to OWN the pace, the finishers medal, the PB, the perfect race. So I say to you, go out there & OWN it, whatever IT may be for you I hope you get it...

So this weekend I got a run in.. Coming back from injury I ran a 12k & OWNED it. I felt like star jumping through the field as the endorphins rushed & my legs were exhilarated. My Sunday run of 8k was a little stiffer & less elation, more just coercing my body into cooperation. BUT optimistically I'm back in the game & the aim of the game is to get to run in the Centennial park ultra on August 3rd. In less than 2 weeks eek. Distance tbc but not 100k that's fo sure!! Looking like I can get to 50k maybes with some extra care & attention to recovering. The running foundation is in my legs so with some nurturing I'll be at the start line & hopefully crossing the finishing one.

love it forward...

Currently reading a million books on my kindle, so many tomes & too little time! I'm sharing some of my current 'must reads' covering fiction, philosophy, spiritual & sports...

Mind Body Mastery by Dan Millman, amazing insight into mindful training, everyday techniques for sports performance with awareness of oneself.

Love It Forward by Jeff Brown, beautiful phrases & paragraphs pertaining to living a loving life & appreciating all it gives to us, inspiring & thought provoking.

The Love Essays by Alain de Botton, witty philosophical relationship & love dissection & dictation, funny, eloquent & relatable. 

Running & being by Dr George Sheehan, one mans life observations & musings on the intellectual side of the physical activity & the mental accompaniments.

The Storyteller by Jodi Piccoult, thoroughly researched fiction set in world war 2's jewish ghetto & concentration camps, heartbreaking.

#Girlboss by Sophia Amorosu, the story of Nasty Gals CEO, pretty annoying at times but an incredible story of success in my industry.

A life without limits by Chrissie Wellington, world champion triathlete's tale of her life & what moulded her to become an elite athlete & effin amazing!!

& Raw Essence by David Cote & Mathieu Gallant, a raw vegan cookbook with delicious recipes for raw living life to the max.

Happy reading xo

Make someone happy..

I am a much happier soul today, as my chiropractor made me happy when told me I could resume exercise activities. I can run again. Only 4k but I can run! & swim, my morning meditations make me more than happy. Oh how much have I missed moving my body, getting my sweat on & my heart beating faster.. By next week maybe I'll be back in the ultra training game - joint care rehabilitation permitting.

I have learned (the hard & very painful way) - How to heal a sacroiliac joint injury..

Rehab on the chiro table - amazing realignments & back cracking!!
Following instruction to stand instead of sitting all day at the office (something that I wish to take thru into my everyday going forward...
Nourishing my body with nutritious smoothies - see recipe below
Cats claw tea drinks (my own naturopathic researched remedy)
No running, swimming, yoga!!! But lots of walking (this has been my saving grace)

Recovering joint daily smoothie joy ~ made in a nutri-bullet (my nu mate)
1/2 of the bullet needs to be made up of green leaves - e.g. kale, spinach...

Ingredients..
Kale, spinach, 1 banana, 1 apple, 1" ginger, 1/2 lemon, handful blueberries, tblsp vital greens, tblsp chia seeds, almond milk & water.

The nutri-bullet keeps all of the fibre in the fruit & veggies rather than juicing & it delivers deliciousness.. Well wishes xo

ingredients...

& sprinkle some extra endorphins, focus, power, passion, compassion & balls of bliss on top!!

& I have to share my most amazing raw food dessert recipe yet. I made it for a soul sister special enough to warrant such a delicious treat ~ the divine frozen chocolate tart..

for the base:
1 cup walnuts / 1 cup dates 
- blended & spread onto the base of a pie dish

for the filling:
x2 bananas
2 cups cashews (soaked for 2 hours)
2 heaped tblsp raw cacao
2 tblsp maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
- blend all ingredients until smooth & spread over the base

for the topping:
1/4 cup coconut oil
2 heaped tblsp raw cacao
2 tblsp maple syrup
1 tsp organic vanilla
- gently melt together until saucy & pour over top of the tart.

Freeze. & let soften a little to serve. SO AMAZING & SO GOOD!! XO

African proverb

I believe I have posted this proverb previous, but considering the divine inspiration it has given me this morning it deserves another post. (& in a new pink format how could I resist)
However I can't run. I will not literally 'be running' today. As I type from my hotel bed in Hong Kong with a pretty much dislocated pelvis, yep, sprained sacroiliac joint! I am lying on blocks to keep myself aligned, numbed with anti inflammatories & have a very heavy heart.
Good news is, with the help of a hot chiropractor I can be running again soon, the pain is pretty excruciating at times but I'm staying strong & the therapy needed is lots of motion & walking so shopping in HK is kinda the perfect tonic. But bank balance beware.
So where do gazelles & lions come in?
I am running in my mind. I have been inspired to put all my passion & experience into something I can do on my own, to create a something that connects my 2 loves = fashion x action. Being a gazelle or a lion. So when the sun came up I was brainstorming & being proactive & idea blending. 
So when I can't actually run I can be making big GAZELLE like leaps towards something that could mean anything. & with the LIONESS qualities - strength, awareness & fierceness, it has all the components to be a success. Watch this space.

*fit pinky* pinterest

http://www.pinterest.com/pinklass/fit-pinky/

check out my pinterest fitspirations *fit pinky* boards on link above...