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SIS Rego Rapid Recovery Review

Hello! I’ve been missing in action this week because I’ve just had quite a few things going on..courses, moving house (which I’m doing tomorrow, argh) etc.

I really wanted to do a longer post to catch up but I need to crack on and literally move everything from upstairs in my house to downstairs to make the actual moving process easier, do lots of cleaning and just get everything I don’t need for the next day into a box. I’ve hired a van for tomorrow which I collect in the morning and then move all my stuff into the van before midday (contractual I have to be out of the house by then) and pray that before midday I’ll be given the OK to move into my flat rather than literally have to cram everything in the van and be in limbo. I’d rather be able to do a few trips! Oh the joys of completion…

Anyway, I have a review for you guys for a neat little protein drink sent to me by the ProBikeKit website. I’ve previously done a review for them before and I was happy to do another as they’re a great company. They have a cool site with lots of cycling-specific gear but also running as well, and a great selection of nutritional items.

I was sent some Science in Sport (SIS) Rego Rapid Recovery protein powder specifically designed for endurance athletes. There are obviously loads and loads of protein drinks out there but usually they’ll be more protein-heavy, whereas this baby has a nice balance of protein and carbs which is ideal for when you’ve done cardio, like running or cycling, rather than post lifting weights.

The idea behind this is that you take it 30 minutes after you’ve exercised and it provides your body with high levels of easily digestible protein and carbohydrates in order to accelerate your recovery. It was developed with Chris Boardman’s, the Olympic cyclists, input and feedback which is quite cool!

There are four different flavours available: vanilla, banana, strawberry and chocolate. I chose the chocolate flavour as it was a no brainer for me.

You mix one scoop (50g) of the powder with water. Interestingly, unlike regular protein powders, you only mix the powder with water, not milk. It advises that if you mix it with milk it will slow down the absorption process.

The nutritional stats are really good as well:

Though the ingredients list is quite long… But it is suitable for vegetarians.

Thoughts? I was really wary of the fact that it’s just mixing with water… I thought this would make it taste watery and not very nice. But I was pleasantly surprised! Don’t get me wrong, it’s not Nestle chocolate milk but it’s not unpleasant. I quite enjoyed it. For me it was a problem-solver for when I run after work and then have a long commute home – basically a long time before I get any proper food. It’ll be really handy after races as well, when I find hours go by before I get any decent food in me.

I’m really happy to continue to use this, especially with marathon training cropping up soon and the fact that I’m still loving lifting weights at the gym. I don’t want my body to suddenly start eating away at the muscle I’ve strived to build over the past few weeks.

Check out ProBikeKit’s website for more cool nutritional products like gels, protein bars and drink mixes, etc.

Have you tried any of the SIS products?

Do you take any protein powders?

What do you have post workout?

**Full Disclosure: I was sent this product for free in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own honest ones.**

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Injury update and SimplySupplements Review

Friday! I love Fridays as you know you just have to get through the working day and then you’re freeeeee to enjoy whatever. I like my job but I like weekends more 😉 And happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers. Thanks for clogging up my social media with ridiculously amazing looking food. It was tough scrolling through all of that while I munched on my lettuce and tuna!

Just a quick update on my running and then on to a review. I’m really really hoping my injury is on its way out for good. I’ve run twice more since that grumpy parkrun I did at the weekend. One was three miles on Monday and another three miles on Wednesday.

My usual route around work is a bit of an annoying one as it’s so hilly so the first mile is always feeling amazing as it’s mostly downhill… then the second mile is pretty much a slog uphill. But it’s a nice variation to just a flat run.

On Monday I felt some discomfort and tightness around my knee, but no pain. Then for Wednesday’s run the discomfort was a lot less. Things are looking good! I won’t lie though, the running is hard work. I’ve lost all my endurance and speed. Strangely though I don’t mind. For my Liverpool marathon last year this is how I started and I was able to gradually improve. It’s quite exciting getting faster and running longer as the weeks go on. It’s a far more enjoyable process for me than being top of my game and sharpening the point to hit faster and faster times. That might not sound that believable but genuinely this is how I feel. When you’re at your PB level, hitting those faster and faster times becomes quite painful for me so having a gentle build up like this is a bit more relaxed! Progress is far easier 😉

My plan for now is just to continue running 3-5 miles nice and easily three times a week. Sometime mid-December I’ll start to increase things gradually as I start heading towards marathon training for Boston.

On to the review. This is my third review with SimplySupplements I believe. I like the company and I like their products. I don’t take a vast amount of supplements as I’m big believer in getting valuable nutrients and vitamins from your food.

SimplySupplements sent me Glucosamine 500mg and Chondroitin 400mg:

Glucosamine is naturally found in the body and helps support joints and connective tissues. This natural production can decrease though with age as well as injuries negatively impacting on the body’s cartilage. Chondroitin is also included in this supplement as it’s been found that the combination is more effective when taken together in terms of the body absorbing glucosamine. The glucosamine and chondroitin are high quality marine sourced (and therefore not vegetarian or vegan unfortunately).

You take three tablets a day with food. The capsules are nice and small and easy to take. I will put my hands up and say I don’t have a science background or know the research for whether or not these are effective supplements to take but what I will say is that from speaking to other people (like my mum, who’s a nurse) they agree that glucoasamine is supposed to be good for joints. As a runner this is obviously very important to me! I also have a history of arthritis in my family so I’m also aware that I need to take good care of my joints as I grow older – and as I continue running. It’s actually one of the most popular supplements, other than Omega 3, that is regularly taken as well. Anyway, I’ve been more than happy to take this as I come back from injury!

What supplements do you take regularly?

When do you start marathon training for a spring marathon?

**Full Disclosure: I was sent the supplements for free in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own honest ones.**

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Calabrian preserves and running update

Right, before I get into any injury and running talk… I have a lovely little review of some Calabrian preserves.

I was sent a trio of typical Calabrian preserves from Artimondo.

The delicacies are produced by Sirianni, a family business founded by Agostino Sirianni in 1999 and located in Cittanova, a small hamlet in the province of Reggio Calabria, Italy.

The trio consists of (from left to right in the photo) Spilinga ‘Nduja sausage spread, Tropea red onion jam  and a black olive paté.

Spilinga ‘Nduja Sausage Spread

“‘Nduja is the most typical and traditional culinary delicacy of Calabria, Southern Italy. Its name comes from “andouille”, the French word for sausage, and it consists in a very soft sausage, so tender that it can be spread. Its unmistakable flavour is vigorous and piquant.” Source

I made the mistake of putting a big blob on a teaspoon to try it out before using it in anything. MISTAKE. It is ridiculously spicy. Spicy in a nice aromatic way though. It’s lovely and flavoursome. I jazzed up some rather boring courgette spaghetti (courgetti – I hate pasta). I made sure to tame it down with a bit of cream cheese though as it was quite spicy. It’s apparently very good on bread and pizza (and of course regular pasta!).

Tropea Red Onion Jam

This is Italy’s answer to onion marmalade I think. It is SO good. I’m loving it. It’s lovely and sweet but does have a slight bitter twang to it, which adds to the flavour. It’s advised to have with grilled meats and mature cheese, so very much like a chutney on a cheese board or a ploughmans.

To be honest, I’ve just been throwing it into stir fries and salads. It goes especially well with grated parmesan cheese (chicken, the jam and parmesan = SO GOOD). I have such a sweet tooth and love the savoury-sweet combo so this just rocks my world.

Black Olive Paté

I was a little confused about this one. It’s apparently a black olive paté… but I couldn’t see any black olives. And it didn’t seem like any paté I’m familiar with! It was more like an olive pesto. Again, it’s ideal for topping bread, pasta and pizza. I added it to courgetti again.

There’s a lot of oil in it but it’s so flavoursome and mixes really well with the ‘pasta’. It is quite spicy but not crazily so.

It went very nicely with tilapia (a white fish) and chicken as well. If you don’t like olives, you won’t like it as the olive flavour is very strong. I love the taste of olives so this really worked for me.

All three jars are £14.96 (inc. P&P anywhere in the UK). A nice addition to a meal 🙂

Now on to my run on Wednesday evening… I ran at an easy pace for three miles. In general it was quite tough. I’ve lost a lot of fitness and as I haven’t done any cardio (bar a few minutes of warming up before my strength workouts) or running for 6.5 weeks. That said, I didn’t need to walk and I wasn’t hugely struggling. Just the slower pace I was running was a lot harder than it used to be.

In terms of my knee and leg? Well to begin with everything felt creaky. Everything felt absolutely fine but as the run continued I just felt a bit off: tight and stiff, and towards the end a bit of discomfort cropped up. It left me feeling a bit unsure about how it went.

I was disappointed, I won’t lie. I felt 98% fine before the run so I thought that would translate into the run perfectly. Yes I know, rather naive! I got a bit grumpy and fell into a bit of a well of despair thinking I’d regressed. After the run my leg did feel worse than before but there was no pain, just tightness and discomfort. A niggly, slightly tender feeling basically. Though I was pleased to find walking downstairs caused no issue other than a bit of discomfort. Walking down stairs was the one thing when my injury was bad that would always hurt and cause me grief so the fact that stairs are no issue gave me hope.

I saw my physio the next day and he calmed me down. He said that the fact I felt no pain during or after was a very good sign. He said it was to be expected that it would feel uncomfortable and niggly. He worked hard on my whole left side and reassured me that the issue I had before (my internally rotated leg – because of the excessive tightness in different muscles) wasn’t there so I hadn’t buggered anything up. He even said a gentle parkrun on Saturday would be a good idea to see how continuing to run affected things. YAY!

I’m still nervous I’ll regress but I’m hopeful I’m on the path to recovery!

Do you enjoy Italian food?

What’s your favourite pasta meal?

What are your plans for the weekend?

**Full Disclosure: I was sent the preserves for free in return for a review. All opinions are my own honest ones.**

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Sole Softec Response Footbed Review

Hello, so I have a great review for you today. I was kindly sent some insoles and socks from the guys at Sole.

I have fairly collapsed arches (though now actually less so after making efforts to strength them over the past year – an exciting and thrilling process…not). So I’m not completely flat-footed anymore but I still don’t have very high or strong arches. Towards the end of a run or race I imagine my arches collapse further and this can cause me all sorts of biometric issues further up my legs and body.

Softec Response Footbeds (£38)

I’ve previously worn insoles to help support my arches and I wear supportive shoes to help as well. So I was very intrigued when I heard about Softec Reponse Footbeds.

They’re a 1.6mm layer of cushioning that you replace your regular trainer soles with. The cool thing about them is that they’re moulded so provide a more custom support.

They’re great for:

  • Equalised pressure distribution
  • Reduced plantar fascia strain
  • Increased balance and feel
  • Improved natural heel cushioning

They’re mouldable because they have an orthopaedic base layer which adapts to your foot without compromising that orthopaedic shape. You mould them by heating them in oven prior to putting them into your trainers… Sounds bizarre right?

The insoles come with really easy instructions. First I trimmed down the insoles to fit into a pair of my trainers. I used the regular insoles as a guide to make sure they fit nice and snugly into the trainers.

Then I removed them from the trainers and popped them into the oven for 3 minutes (I set an alarm as knowing me I’d have completely forgotten about them otherwise).

There’s a sensor on the side of the insoles which turns from white to black when they’re ready which is very handy. You then have to put the insoles quickly into your trainers (let them cool just slightly!) as you need to put the trainers on and stand in them as quickly as possible to maximise the moulding effect. I won’t lie, I felt panicked and rushed to do this as speedily as possible, though it could be because I’m quite neurotic. Anyway I got my feet into them fairly quickly. Ahhh lovely and warm trainers.

You then stand there for two minutes to let the magic happen. Then it’s complete!

Thought? OK obviously right now I can’t run… but I’ve been doing lots of walking in these bad boys. They’re very comfortable. I feel well supported and not crowded or restricted in movement. I like that my foot fits nicely on them after the moulding because it means my foot isn’t rigidly forced into a position it’s not used to or not natural for it. Yes the soles provide support, but by supporting and working with my natural foot shape, rather than against it. I’m really excited to wear these for running. It was about time I got some new insoles so these are perfect.

Lightweight Sport Socks (£11.50)

I was also sent a pair of their lightweight sport socks.

They’re a great all-rounder sock with breathable mesh panels and moisture control.

Thoughts? They’re too long to wear when I go running or to the gym (unless I wear leggings) but they are PERFECT for wearing with wellies (rain boots for international readers). I struggle to find decent wellie socks that don’t slip down and there is nothing more annoying than having to ferret about inside your wellie to put up your socks. They stick to my ankles and calves perfectly and they’re so soft and comfy. I also love them in my walking boots.

Do you wear insoles?

What type of trainers do you wear? Supportive, cushioned, neutral etc.?

What socks do you prefer? Long, short, compression…?

*** Full Disclosure: I was sent the insoles and socks for free in return for a review. All opinions are my own honest ones ***

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Rants and Raves #21

I’m still being sensible and not running. I have another Physio appointment on Friday (ahh the joys of working from home and having a disposable income that I spend only on myself…). I’m hoping I can run on Saturday for parkrun but I’m not sure. It does feel better but I don’t want to have a period of stop-start running and prolonging the issue. Anyway, onto some rants and raves!

Rant: The new Disney Paris Half Marathon opened for entries yesterday. It sounds really cool and it’s obviously an easier option for us Brits than the Orlando ones across the pond…BUT they’re being rather cheeky about it. At the moment you can only enter it if you also book their Disney resort hotel, which makes it over £300. They’re only releasing the non-hotel entries in January. I mean come on, that’s ridiculous. They’re might not even be places left at that point.

I’m not tempted by the race I must say (I would be by a marathon but not for a half. I want to do the Orlando Disney marathon at some point), but I do think this is really sneaky and a bit unfair. It’s forcing people to purchase a bundle and spending a lot more. Not very ‘fairy tail racing’ if you ask me.

Rave: (This is just my opinion – no affiliation!) I’m signed up to Fabletics (yes, I’m a sucker), which means I need to ‘Skip the Month’ if I don’t want to pay the 40 quid every month that my ‘VIP status’ requires. However, I always have a little mosey before I do this…just in case.

Though I kind of disagree with this system of potentially forcing you to pay money every month (though it does go towards clothes, it’s not like it just disappears and you get good discounts on all the items) I’m a big fan of the Fabletics gear. I’ve not had a single item from there that hasn’t fit me or I’ve regretted buying. I’ve had a pair of capris, hair bands, a hat, sports bras, shorts, tops…all of really good quality. I can’t fault them. And I love the styles they have.

I recently bought the Fenway Vest (which I’d been lusting over since Claire showed hers off).

It’s really lightweight but lovely and warm. It’s nice and casual so perfect for going to parkrun in or popping down the shops. Or wearing around the house when I’m slobbing about a bit.

I also bought the Katana Longsleeve Tee which is perfect for running when the weather gets colder. It has little ventilation holes in the arms and back.

The Kemi Bra which is a ‘low impact’ sports bra so perfect for the gym (it’s so comfortable and has removable cups for that added extra). I adore the bright colour and pattern.

And finally the Orchard Tank which is great for the gym but also running (in summer anyway) as it’s got all the holes in it. I’m really pleased, and to be honest it wasn’t that expensive. Considering the prices of Nike or Adidas…or Lululemon (jeeze, remortgage the house why don’t I) I think I did well!

Rant: On the subject of workout clothes…it always amuses and confuses me what guys think is appropriate gym wear (I say “guys” because invariably it is the men, but women are not guiltless either). OK it is stupidly early in the morning when I go and, let’s be honest, who the hell cares what other people wear? But a guy was literally wearing a full-on painters/decorating outfit. It was like he’d come straight from work (which would be odd considering the time). He had paint all over his white overalls and was just casually lifting weights. As you do.

Another guy was wearing an entire velour tracksuit in lime green – I’m not making this up I promise you. Though you can always spot the runners…with their specialised kit on, as if they got lost on their run and ended up in the gym instead.

Rave: I spotted this in Tesco and decided to give it a go. I’m always concerned that my running and gym gear never gets the proper wash it probably needs and this was quite cheap.

I’m not saying I stink, but it’s nice to have a washing liquid (supposedly) aimed for sports kit. Plus they say you shouldn’t wash your sports stuff with your normal stuff…sweat transference or something 😉 I’ve never had an issue (though saying that, who’s going to tell me I smell? Now I’m panicking…) but I’ll give this a go.

Rant: I still haven’t moved. And I’m still sitting on a beanbag trying to eat dinner each night. What a sad image, eh! I’m too cool for school (just by saying that sentence eliminates me from the Cool Group). Anyway, Alfie has been a bit unsettled by the lack of sofas and furniture. He’s been lying on his blanket on the floor…despite having a bed!! A bed he has never used in the three years we’ve had the house. I think he then overheard me telling my mum I was going to get rid of it before I moved because he suddenly decided to start using it. Or it might be because I moved it closer to my beanbag…

Ahh what a mummy’s boy.

Rave: I’m still really enjoying listening to audio books on my walks with Alfie and when I make dinner. I’m currently listening to Me Before You and it’s really good. I wasn’t certain I’d enjoy it as it’s a tough subject matter, but it’s honestly such a lovely and realistic story. I fully recommend. I’ve just Googled it and, unsurprisingly it’s going to become a film. I just hope it doesn’t lose it’s very British charm and become Americanised. Absolutely nothing against Americans or American movies, it’s just this has so much Britishness in it it would spoil it to lose that.

Rant: The night before I left for Iceland I was casually watching TV when a GIANT spider ran over to me – I swear it ran AT me (with menace in its many eyes).

I’ve never moved so fast in my life I can tell you. I evacuated the lounge ASAP. Alfie, my resident spider-eater, wasn’t there because he was at my parent’s house as I was flying the next morning. So I barricaded the door as I was genuinely scared it would come and find me.

When I came back from Iceland I waited until Alfie was back before venturing into the lounge (yes, really). But I haven’t seen the spider since. I sit on my little beanbag every night in genuine fear that the spider is going to reappear and come for me. If I stop blogging…you know why.

What book are you reading currently?

Will you watch a film of a book you enjoyed?

Spiders: fear and flee, leave be, or find and kill?