Autumn favourites

With September well under way I’m ready for knitted jumpers, pumpkin spice lattes and all the cosiness Autumn brings. I decided compile a list of what items I’m hoping will get me through training in the Autumn months.

Eco Recovery Magnesium Oil Spray

I’m really loving the Eco Recovery Magnesium Oil Spray

I picked up recently. The Magnesium is supposed to ease sore muscles and I find it really works. I just spray it on to my legs and my upper arms straight after a run or gym session, and again anytime my muscles feel tight or sore. It also contains Thyme and Marjoram Oils “to soothe and relax tight muscles” and Pink Grapefruit and Black Pepper Oils “to increase circulation and rejuvenate muscles” so it smells nice too! I bought mine from Home Sense for £4.99!

Mindset with Muscle Podcast

I’ve only recently started listening to podcasts and this was one of the firsts I listened to after hearing that Zanna Van Dijk and the Lean Machines had featured in recent episodes. The podcast is hosted by Jamie Alderton who I proceeded to stalk follow on snapchat, twitter and Instagram. Every week he talks to a new guest about how they got to where they are now and asks them about their training philosophies. What I love about this podcast is that Jamie emphasizes the importance of having a healthy mind and a holistic approach to training and reaching your goals.

Elle Pink Foam Roller

It’s a foam roller and it’s pink – need I go on. I’ve been wanting my own foam roller for ages because I find it’s great to use after a run to sooth my tight calves. I still don’t really know if I use the foam roller correctly so having my own means I can copy youtube videos in the privacy of my own home without the humiliation of rolling back an forth on my arse in the gym! The fact that it’s pink – icing on the cake.

Earthmiles

Ok so this is definitely not a new discovery but it continues to be one of my most used apps. Earthmiles essentialy works like airmiles – the more excersize you do , be in walking, running or cycling the more earthmiles you get. With these earthmiles you can then get a disciount on a tonne of healthy food, fitness clothing and accessorize and even some fitness classes.  I’ve used my earthmiles to get 25% off my first Sourced Box, 20% off Nakd Bars and 15% off Runners Need to name but a few. Definitely a must have if you spend as much money on leggings and snack bars as I do!

O’Neill Black and white leggings

In case you didn’t guess, leggings are one of my favourite things in the world. I picked these up from O’Neills for £19.99 and while they’re not “sporty” leggings (i.e their cotton) they’re really comfy so great to just chill in. They’re also a bit more exciting than my go to plain black leggings for day to day wear. I can’t find them any more on the O’Neills website but still go and check it out because the leggings they do have are equally as snazzy!  The 360 Harmony Legging and white surf legging have just been added to my wishlist!

70s Running 420 Mesh Trainers in Black

I actually squeaked in the shop when I bought these I was so excited! I’ve been wanting some black day to day trainers for a while and these definitely fit the bill. I’m not planning to wear these to train in the gym or when I’m running but I’ll wear them to walk to lectures and maybe to a dance class. These are actually under “mens” trainers on the website but it does say the sizing is unisex and I preferred these to any of the womens trainers. They’re lightweight and will go with basically everything I own!

Nakd Carrot Cake bar

Last but not least are the naked carrot cake bars which genuinely taste like carrot cake! A few months ago Nakd launched three new flavoured bars: peach crunch - which I haven’t been able to get my hands on yet *crying emoji*, peanut butter – which I LOVE and will write more about in a post to come, and finally the carrot cake. I love all the nakd bars and was not disappointed when I tried these. It tastes like a mash up between the cashew cookie bar and the ginger bread bar and I really recommend grabbing one next time you see it for a healthy snack!

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Why running is awesome!

I’ve been wanting to write this post since I started blogging and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to write it! I love running. I never thought I’d say that four years ago!

I’ve always been a dancer and dancing was a huge part of my life for so long. Since the age of eight I had three hour dance lessons four times a week and competitions on weekends  but as I got older, with exams looming, I decided that it was to much of a commitment and I had to quit. I needed something to fill that void in my life and for me that came in the shape of running. 

1. Fitness  

Running was a great way to keep up my fitness after I stopped dancing and is still my favourite form of cardio. It’s also really easy to see your progress whether that’s being able to run an extra kilometre or cut a minute off your personal best. I also found that at the beginning I progressed quite quickly from not being able to run a single kilometre to running about two or three kilometres in my first few weeks.

2. No excuses

You can run practically anywhere, and with trainers as your only essential equipment, there are NO EXCUSES. This means even when I’m away for a week or two with no access to a gym I can still go out running. I find it really hard to motivate myself to train when I watch youtube workouts or app workouts and often find myself cheating with the times or only putting 50% of my energy and effort into the workout. When I run I can’t cheat, or maybe I’m just less inclined to cheat. I find I always want to do my best when it comes to running.

3. Sociable

 Sick of going out for food or drinks EVERY TIME you meet up with your friends? How about going for a run together instead? It’s so much fun! I have one friend who I don’t get to see very often and when we meet we go for a run and then a catch up in starbucks. It’s something special that’s ours and although we totally don’t break any personal bests it does mix things up a bit! I’m also hoping to join a running club when I get to university as a way to meet like minded people and make friends.

4. Mind

One of the best runs I ever went on was after a really horrible exam. I’d got home and cried hysterically for a good half hour and I was left feeling empty and angry. I was angry at myself for some really stupid mistakes, angry at whoever wrote the paper for giving us such a hard paper and basically angry at the whole world for existing, so what did I do? I went for a run - and kept running until I worked off all my anger and had cleared my mind of all negativity. I use running as an outlet whenever I’m angry, not thinking clearly or just plain sad. I always feel better when I get home.

5. Motivation

I love going running first thing in the morning when the rest of the world is still asleep and the only sounds I can hear are my rhythmic steps on the concrete and my heavy breathing (and some squwaky birds). Going running in the morning sets me up for the rest of the day. I’m more motivated to get stuff done and also find it easier to make healthier decisions when it comes go my diet. Basically a day that starts with a run is going to be a good day.

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Why Dubrovnik should be on your travel Bucket List

Dubrovnik is stunning. I saw pictures on the internet before going but I didn't believe it could possibly be that pretty. It was. Here are a few things I'd recommend doing if you ever get the chance to visit Dubrovnik.

Go on a private tour! 

Tour's are great because you get to know the city and get an idea of where you want to visit. If you get a private tour then you actually have a chance of hearing what's being said and get to choose what you want to see. I learnt a lot about the history of Dubrovnik on our tour and seeing the marks in the walls of Dubrovnik Cathedral caused by bullets and shrapnel brought home the sadness of Dubrovnik's recent history.

Brave the heights!

A trip up Mt Srđ in a cable car is a great way to get some stunning  photos of the city. At the top, there's a bustling restaurant that serves decent food for a reasonable price and a small shop. You can also go up the mountain on buggies which looked like so much fun!

Walking the city walls is another great way to see the city from above. There are four or five cafés along the way and plenty of places to take pictures. 

Explore local cuisine 

I can't say that the food in Dubrovnik was amazing. I think on the whole we probably chose badly but there are a few places I'd recommend trying. The Arsenal has the best view in Dubrovnik. The food in the evening was average so we preferred going there for breakfast. Ordering a croissant and a coffee rather than choosing one of the breakfast options on the menu is a good idea because it's cheaper and that's the best part! 

Being by the sea most restaurants serve mainly seafood but if you're sick of fish I'd recommend the Taj Mahal (definitely not a name I'd associate with food in Dubrovnik!) The Bosnian Restaurant offers mostly meat on the menu and the traditional, tasty food is full of flavour and different to all the other restaurants in Dubrovnik. We finished our night with some Turkish coffees which were served with Turkish Delight and it was the perfect end to a great meal.  

Relax with a Beach Day

The drawback of going to Dubrovnik is that there aren't any sandy beaches - there all pebbly! To get your white sand fix go to Lupud Island. The boat journey is an hour  but it's really worth it! When you come off the boat you can then catch a buggy to the other end of the island where this treasure of a beach hides. This little island honestly took my breath away. Between the turquoise water and the biblical fig, grape and pomegranate trees I was pretty sure I was in paradise. Being pale and ginger a day on the beach doesn't scream relax or fun to me but with plenty of sun loungers available and a bar serving various cocktails I was more than comfortable.

I really enjoyed my time in Dubrovnik. Being right by the sea there are a tone of opportunities to go kayaking and snorkelling which I'm gutted I didn't get the chance to do because I wasn't feeling great but there's always next time! I'm so glad I got to visit Dubrovnik as it's a place I'll never forget. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Bloglovin