Morrisons Great Birmingham 10k

Posted in Lifestyle by Jenna Louise

Sunday 3 May 2015 saw the first Morrisons Great Birmingham 10k.

A really fun 10k which gave runners a choice of musical starting waves to select from. With music from the 70s, 80s, 90s and the 00s, the event promised to bring a party to the streets of Birmingham.

Starting by the Bullring shopping centre & ending on Broadstreet, the course was a fun, but tough route around the second city.

After an energetic warm up, the race started at 10:30am.

The atmosphere from the people of Birmingham was amazing & rivalled that of the Half marathon back in October 2014. It always amazes me when people come out & support you. It really makes a difference & spurs everyone on!

I completed the race in under an hour, which is what I wanted, & the medal was beautiful!

Around 7,000 people took part & all abilities were welcome. It was a great event for Birmingham & I cannot wait to sign up for next years event!

Did you complete any runs over the weekend? What have you got coming up? ..Remember, keep on running!

15Mar2015

The Stroke Association

Posted in Lifestyle by Jenna Louise

Having a Stroke is the third largest cause of death in the UK, after heart disease & cancer.

Shocking, right?

Before signing up to the Stroke Association’s Resolution Run series, I did not know that 150,000 people have a stroke every year in the UK. 50,000 will make a full recovery, 50,000 will be left with a severe disability and 50,000 will die.

I have never raised money for the Stroke Association before, & with these figures, I was determined to do something.

Taking place at the beautiful Hagley Hall in Hagley, Worcestershire, I chose to do the 5k run around the stunning grounds.

The course itself was very daunting & extremely challenging for me (being used to flat surfaces & the treadmill!), but once I had gotten over that, the views really took my breath away!

Castle ruins, untouched countryside & lively deer were just a few things that we were lucky enough to see.

It really is a wonderful place to come for a Sunday morning walk & with it being Mother’s Day, my Mom & Dad surprised me half way through my race, shouting my name on their morning walk!

This was the first Resolution Run at Hagley Hall & I felt really lucky to have taken part. It also turned out that I was the first woman to finish the 5K race, which really topped off the morning!

It really is important that we all raise awareness, & with it being Action on Stroke month in May, it really isn’t too late to do something! To find out how you can help in your local area, go check out the website here!

3Feb2015

Keep On Running

Posted in Lifestyle by Jenna Louise

At the weekend I competed in my 7th competitive race.

Running for me was a way to keep fit & to lose weight, but then, I actually fell in love with it!

I’ve done everything from 5k fun runs to half marathons. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes, running is the LAST thing I want to do, but I love the buzz that you get when finishing a race. It feels good to push yourself.

The race that I took part in on Sunday was a local cross country race. It was held in Mary Stevens Park in Stourbridge at 10:30am.

It was 7k of pure HELL! It was immensely cold & I got covered in mud. The course was through mud, fields full of scary horses & animal poo. Halfway through the race I got very angry at the state of my poor trainers.

I then looked around and saw the true beauty of the countryside. I was ashamed of my moaning. I am able to run this race. I am able to walk this race if I so wished. I am lucky enough to be here and running on this wonderfully sunny & brisk morning. Those thoughts got me through the duration of the race.

I then of course came home, got back into my pyjamas & had a lovely snuggle Sunday!

Have you competed in any races? Do you love to run too?

2Jan2015

Operation Fitness 2015!

Posted in Lifestyle by Jenna Louise

Christmas is the one time of the year that I like to allow myself to kick back, eat chocolate, and to be honest, be quite lazy! It’s the one time where I can live ‘guilt free’.

Come January, I am ready to start on my fitness again and I always look forward to that first run of 2015!

I started running 2 years ago and I haven’t stopped since! Running is my favourite way to keep fit and I am in love with my new Nike Flex 2014 Flash Ladies Running Shoes that I picked up in the Christmas sale!

I’m not one for faddy diets. I’m a firm believer in fitness and healthy eating. If you abide by these, then the rest will take care of itself! I am strict Monday to Friday and then Saturday and Sunday is my time to indulge!

I love food and I wouldn’t want to completely cut out the things that I love. We get one life and quite frankly, I couldn’t live without biscuits!

I love juicing and eating soups as both of these keep you fuller for longer, and are so tasty! My favourite soups at the moment are the Covent Garden soups; particularly the Skinny Souper Green soup!

I was also given a Nutri-Bullet for my Birthday last year and it’s one of my favourite things! I recommend it to anyone thinking about juicing! They’re great for a quick fix detox!

I’ve been a member of a gym for a couple of years. I like to get there really early in the mornings (about 5.30am!), do my workout, and then leave! I love a good spin class and normally do 2 spin classes a week as well as my runs.

I know going to the gym isn’t quite a fashion show, but I always think it’s good to look the part! My favourite brand to wear is Nike. H&M also have some amazing running tights. I’m loving the patterned running tights at the moment. I think they add a little bit of fun to your workout!

What is your favourite way to workout? Have you set yourself any fitness goals this year?

cashmere caviar

…The finer things in life.

Tag Archives: Fitness

Morrisons Great Birmingham 10k

The Stroke Association

Keep On Running

Operation Fitness 2015!