Review - AnnaTheApple

August 10, 2015September 18, 2020

What a difference preparation makes

Hello, here we are at another Monday. I’d like people to stop talking about autumn please, we’re still in summer! But depressingly when my alarm for the gym goes off in the morning at 5am it’s now dark. It’s so much harder to get up…I might have to get my special alarm clock working (the one that lights up gradually to help you ‘naturally’ wake up).

Saturday was a lovely hot sunny morning, not especially great for running but it’s always a bit more jolly. Nobody is stood shivering dreading the start where they have to take off their nine million layers. I’ve recently been sent some lovely ASICS gear from The Running Bug for their #PoundTheRoad campaign with ASICS and Intersport. The trainers they sent are the new Gel-Glorify, which are perfect for long distance running as they have the gel cushioning in the front and back with a springy midsole.

Along with the trainers I was sent a technical technical T-shirt , shorts and socks all by ASICS. My friend joked at parkrun that it was like I was sponsored by ASICS! I’ll do a full review on the products later on but it was all good quality and the shoes felt lovely and springy, a bit like Adidas Boosts. Not necessarily as light as Boosts but more ideal for long distance running.

I realised when I got to the parkrun (my local one is Netley Abbey) I’d forgotten my Garmin. Whoops! I don’t think I’ve done that in ages. I wasn’t hugely bothered as it’s quite nice to run without a watch once in a while (very freeing) but at the same time, I’m a stats lover. In the end I decided to use the Strava app on my phone to record the run, but hold it with the screen off as I ran.

It was a tough hot run but I managed to maintain consistent 7min/miles without looking at my time. Normally I do spectacular negative splits at parkrun so I’m quite chuffed. I got 21:27 and second female so not too shabby! It was very hot though. I suppose that’s a good thing as it’s good training for next weekend’s marathon – which doesn’t start until 11am!

The rest of the day was spent seeing my parents and my sister, Rachel. This involved building a Wendy house for my nieces, Meg and Ellie. It was quite amusing as no one in our family, my father especially, is blessed with DIY skills. But it was a success in the end. And obviously I had to see what it was like inside.

My dad snapped a photo and joked that this was my new home. Well, it had a cooker and a fireplace in there (albeit fake ones…) 😉 I’d have loved this as a kid!

It was nice to see Rach as we don’t meet up that often (she works different days to me). We’re so different it’s unreal but we always have a laugh when we catch up.

That evening I went out for dinner at a family friend’s house with my parents. My parents were chuffed as it meant they had a designated driver (though I think they somewhat regretted that the next day when they were both feeling slightly fragile).

The host, Sue, asked me about my running and asked when my next race was. I said it was a marathon next weekend and she asked “how long was that one?”. I laughed because I thought she was joking, but she wasn’t. She genuinely hadn’t a clue. I felt mean having laughed and explained it was 26.2miles. I forget that not everyone is as obsessed and wrapped up in running as me and need to remember not to be quite so quick to judge. There are so many other sports (and things in general) that I haven’t a clue about that other people are passionate about and the marathon really isn’t that mainstream (apart from London perhaps).

Sunday morning I wanted a bit of a lie-in after the late night but woke up at 7.40am. This was probably a good thing as I had planned to run 10-14 miles in Queen Elizabeth Country Park and it was already feeling warm. QECP is very hilly, off-road and beautiful. After some sound advice from my friend, Mark, I decided to run a set time rather than distance because my pace would be all over the place with the hills and there was no point saying I’d run 14 miles if it took me forever (not ideal a week before!).

And unlike last weekend’s disastrous run, I wore my hydration belt, a running visor and took water with me in the car. Not going to be dehydrated this time! I also took a little carton of chocolate milk with me to refuel quickly after running. I don’t think my nutritional strategies for refuelling has been that great recently so need to get on top of that if I don’t want to wake up exhausted and drained the next day. Mary always talks about how good chocolate milk is post-run so I decided to give it a go. I find that I never really eat enough the day of a long run as my meals are so pushed back because of my later morning. Chocolate milk would be an easy way to get in those lost calories quickly (and hello, it’s tasty).

I had no real route but new I wanted to start by going up Butser Hill which is a fairly nasty hill.

This is an old photo but you can see Butser Hill in the distance

Honestly as I got to the actual hill my pace slowed right down. Though I don’t intend on running the hills at Cheddar Gorge, I did want to run the hills here. My intention was to find as many hills as I could to make it a horrifically hard and hilly run so next week’s race won’t be quite such a shock. At the steepest parts my pace was around 14 minute miles. I was barely running faster than people walking up the hill. But I pushed through.

You get to a gate and think you’ve made it but it just keeps going up and up. Eventually I got to the top and continued on. I ran different trail routes randomly and was really enjoying myself. Such a free feeling and beautiful views. I then ran down the other side of the hill which was ridiculously steep. That route headed off further from Butser Hill but I wanted to keep within QECP so when I got to somewhere near the bottom I turned around and went back up. SO hard.

Because I was running quite slowly (if you can even call it that!) I managed to snap a photo of how steep it was. As hard as it was though I really enjoyed it and every straight section felt like a dream. The miles flew by!

I was running around with a smile on my face as the views were just incredible. Taking photos while running is tricky business though…

Not sure what was going on there! ^^

I then headed back down Butser Hill to the other side of QECP to go around the trails there. It was still very undulating and tough going but cooler under some trees and shade.

I aimed for around two hours worth of running (a nice round number and around the time it would take me to run 14 miles on the flat). I also managed to fill my water bottles up again at the tap near the cafe which was just such a luxury! I plan on doing this at the water stations during the marathon and my dad is planning on giving me some more water at some point as well (bless him).

I had one mile to go when I got back to the car park and decided to finish by running up Butser Hill again. I didn’t go past the gate this time as that was already half a mile and then ran back down – a great way to finish the run! What was fantastic was I felt I could carry on at the end of the run. It was exactly what I needed in order to boost my confidence for the Cheddar Gorge marathon. I’m under no illusions that it’s going to be unbelievably tough though – who knows if I’ll even complete it, and I’m honestly not just saying that or sand bagging! Nothing is a given in marathons. Especially not hilly, off-road and potentially very hot ones.

Anyway I felt really good for the rest of the day. Tired, obviously, but not drained and no headache in sight. I felt like I had hydrated perfectly and this really reflected in my energy levels for the rest of the day. No nap required! Just got to replicate this next week…

How was your weekend?

What toys do you wish you had when you were younger that are around now?

Do you have any siblings – are they similar to you?

August 7, 2015September 18, 2020

Simply Supplements – take 2

Happy Friday! This morning I have another review of some supplements from the guys at Simply Supplements. I’ve previously reviewed some of their products before (check it out HERE) and was happy to do another review for them.

Simply Supplements is an online shop selling a wide range of different supplements. I chose two different ones to try.

Alpha Lipoic Acid 250mg

When Simply Supplements asked me to take my pick of something it was perfect timing as I’d only recently heard about some of the benefits of Alpha Lipoic Acid (in combination with the second supplement I chose) to runners and athletes in general. I can’t remember where exactly I read about it, but it was peaked my interest for definite.

After doing my DNAFit test I’m keenly aware that I need to ‘up’ my antioxidants that I have in order to help remove free radicals from my system to improve my recovery and stave off injuries. And this little gem apparently does just that: it helps “defend cells against oxidative damage caused by ‘free-radical’ molecules.” (Source). It’s also supposed to help build lean body mass and reduce fat.

Acetyl L-Carnitine 500mg

Acetyl L-Carnitine was the second supplement I chose and, according to evidence, works best in combination with the previous supplement Alpha Lipoic Acid.

“Acetyl L Carnitine transports important fatty acids into the mitochondria of cells to support vitality and energy” (source). Basically it helps provide the body with more energy.

Though the above two nutrients are present in some foods (e.g. spinach, broccoli, beef, and kidney), the amounts tend to be quite small. So the supplements help in that respect. I’m always more of a fan of getting my nutrients from food than tablets (far more fun that way!), but in this case this seems preferable.

Thoughts? Well, you know me, anything that keeps me from getting injured I’m all for! There appears to be a lot of evidence out there that helps back up the claim that together these supplements are a powerhouse of force against oxidative stress (thereby reducing cell damage and ageing). There’s a lot more science to this (as you can imagine) of which I won’t go into, mainly because it’s a) not particularly interesting to read and b) I’m not that intelligent to understand it 😉 but the links I’ve provided go into a bit more detail if you are interested/more intelligent than me.

Having now tried another set of their supplements, I’m confident that Simply Supplements are a great company and I highly recommend their products. The tablets are nice and small and you can take one-two a day of each with meals. I’m probably going to continue buying these supplements when I’m finished as the evidence is so strong and it’s something I think my body would benefit from with my running and high injury status.

What supplements do you use?

How do you support the weakness in your body?

What’s important to you about a supplement?

**Full Disclosure: I was sent these supplements for free to review by Simply Supplements. All opinions are my own honest ones.**

July 31, 2015September 18, 2020

nuun Review – from my running club

I’m a big fan of nuun hydration tablets and the company in general. I go through a lot of their hydration tablets over the summer and after my long runs in general. You add one tablet to around 500ml of water and let it fizzle and then drink.

It’s become a bit of a habit for me after my long run to fill a big drinks bottle up with water and throw in a hydration tab and then cart that thing round with me for the rest of the day. I’ve even taken it shopping and to friend’s BBQs – my family and friends are used to it. If the weekend is especially hot I’ll have one the day before a long run and then one after.

I love the flavours and I like that the water I’m guzzling (I guzzle a lot) isn’t just washing me out of my necessary electrolytes.

Citrus Fruit flavour

The guys at nuun graciously supplied me with a number of single samples of two flavours of nuun to give out to my running club (Hedge End Running Club) for them to try and then feed back their thoughts.

The two flavours were: Strawberry Lemonade and Lemon Lime. The tablets contain no sugar or carbs and have almost zero calories. I cannot stand Lucozade or Powerade or any of the other sugary sports drinks but sometimes it is nice to have some flavour to your water and to get the benefits that some of the sports drink provide, i.e. the electrolytes to keep your body in balance when you sweat, and I find nuun is a great win-win choice.

So I was happy to give out samples to members of my running club to see what their thoughts were. [On a side note, this was a somewhat logistical nightmare. I put out a message on our club’s Facebook page and was inundated by requests to try them. Then became the nightmare of trying to get these bad boys out to the people who wanted them. I don’t go to every training session and not everyone goes to my usual Netley parkrun so it was quite tricky (not to mention not knowing what people looked like if I’d never met them before!). But anyway, I hope everyone who wanted to try them tried them. Though not everyone gave me a review back…*sighs* ;-)]

Here are a collection of some of the responses people gave after trying the tablets. Brought to you from Hedge End Running Club (though I haven’t used their last names for privacy):

Peter: “Personally I found them a bit ‘bland’ compared to the SiS ones I am used to but then some people might prefer that.
They also say to dilute them in 450ml rather than 500ml which is a bit annoying when most water bottles are 500ml or have a 500ml marker. Means you also cant pop them in a bottle with a sports cap on it from a shop as they are mainly 500ml if that sort of thing bothers you 🙂 50ml probably makes little difference but shows the American heritage rather than European I guess.”

Karen: “I also agree – compared to Zero tabs I would say these were too weak. I prefer a bit more flavour. I don’t think the product is something that you would notice making a huge difference brand to brand, so for that reason I would stick with zero for the better flavour.”

Mark M.: “I’ll fill my pockets, Anna. I found them easy to drink. On 4+ hour cycle rides other brands become a bit sickly to drink, I found these ones much easier on the taste buds.”

Kate: “Like the flavours. Like that they have vitamin C and B2 in them. (However…they could be mistaken for condoms packet in the individual packets!!!!).”

*Snigger*

Terry: “The one’s I had were quite refreshing but the flavours were a bit weak and needed to be a bit stronger.”

Chris: “Have to agree with Terry, the flavours could definitely have been stronger. I mixed each tablet with a pint of water, whether that was the wrong ratio I can’t say. That said it didn’t particularly make me want to drink more fluids as a rehydration aid and from a few tablets it’s difficult to say whether it helps your body absorb more fluid. Will more than likely get some more to try over a longer period 🙂 Verdict: undecided (& probably not well informed enough about the product yet).”

Carlo responded to Chris’ comment above: “Pint of water way too much, Chris. I got a 500ml bottle, took a sip out of it and added the tablet. Tasted ok to me, but I’ve no idea if any of this stuff works at all for me.”…Later informed me after completing a ridiculously hard Dorset Invader Marathon: “I took 2 half litre bottles with me yesterday and just dropped a tablet in when I fancied it. Not sure if it helped in any way, but tasted alright.” (He did an amazing job at the marathon!)

Julie: “I preferred the strawberry lemonade flavour I think. I actually like the more subtle flavours. They seemed to do the job for me but I’m not one of the top end racing types!” Julie has done over 30 marathons so judge for yourself on whether she’s a top end racer 😉

Mark S.: “I’m not sure about them – I’m taking them during day at work to keep hydrated post cycling in. All that seems to happen is I need the toilet about 20 minutes after drinking.
The one’s I had were quite refreshing but the flavours were a bit weak and needed to be a bit stronger.”

Conclusion: I think people enjoyed them and liked the benefits they gave them, but some found the flavours a bit weak. I must admit I do somewhat agree but sometimes I add a bit of squash and I’m happy as Larry. I agree with Mark M. though that you don’t always want an overwhelming flavour when you’re out racing for a long time (especially if it’s warm) as it can be a bit too much, so subtle flavours help with that respect.

And I agree with Kate – hilariously it did look like I was handing out Durexes to my fellow club members 😉 And my dad, when he saw the box of them on my dining table, said awkwardly “er, what exactly are these, Anna? And why do you have so many?”. But this is the same with other hydration tablet samples too, not just nuun! 😉

Have you tried nuun before?

Do you enjoy sugar-based sports drinks and find they help? I used gels instead to get my carbs and energy during a marathon.

How do you stay hydrated when it’s warm?

**Full Disclosure: I was sent a free box of samples from nuun to give out to my running club in exchange for their opinions and an honest review. I haven’t altered what they said in their reviews (other than one or two typos – I can’t help myself!) All opinions were included, none were left out that I’m aware.**

July 23, 2015September 18, 2020

33Shake Review

As an endurance runner it’s important to fuel your body well, not only in terms of quantity but in terms of quality. I’m very lucky in that my running stomach is quite hardy. I’ve never had any issues with gels or liquids on runs.

I’ve tried loads of different ones and never had any problems during or after a run (directly linked to gels, my last half marathon stitch and sickness was purely self-inflicted food and alcohol related!). Out of preference I don’t do sports drinks though. They’re far too sugary and I don’t feel refreshed after them. I prefer water or water with hydration tabs in them (either nuun or High5 are my favourite).

There’s a lot out there in terms of fuel to take before, during or after a run. And a lot of it is processed and full of chemicals. I don’t necessarily take issue with this though as long as the ingredients are high quality and the research has been done. I assume the chemicals are there for a reason.

BUT it’s always nice to hear about a fuel that is not riddled with strange unpronounceable ingredients. 33Shake are a company championing this natural sports fuel nutrition. In their words:

“We went on a quest for healthy, high-performing, natural ingredients that delivered sustained performance and health…” with ingredients that are “100% natural. No additives, no preservatives, and nothing manmade: This is real food”. (Source)

They wanted a fuel that was chocker full of nutrients and beneficial to your training. They kindly sent me a selection of nutritional goodies to test out.

I was sent All-In-One Endurance Shakes (Cacoa, Mocha and Original flavours) and Chia Energy Gels.

All-In-One Endurance Shakes

The shakes are designed to boost endurance efficiency, energy and recovery. They suggest it can be had as breakfast, before a run or afterwards to refuel. Further positives:

Contain sources of fat, such as flaxseeds
Contain antioxidants to fight free radicals
Contain natural alkalysers to support your immune system
Contain natural proteins, such as hemp seeds
Low GI
No artificial fillers, sweeteners, colourants, flavourings or preservatives
Only gluten in the shakes is organic spelt

I knew straight away that a shake would be perfect for my Ultra12 event, where getting in quality fuel between runs would be tricky. I remember at Endure24 I made the mistake of having stupid amounts of chicken and sweet potato and really struggling to run afterwards as all I could feel was food bouncing around in my tummy, consequently giving me a nasty stitch.

At Ultra12 I mixed an All-In-One Shake with around 200ml of cow’s milk (though you can use any milk) and had it a few hours before I was due to run.

They recommend you blend with a banana for maximum yumminess and effect, but obviously I couldn’t do this while camping. At first I was it unsure of the consistency. It was very bitty and, well, chewy. I wondered if I’d mixed it enough but when I looked at the ingredients I realised it was because it contained things like dried fruit and oats. Basically it tasted like chocolate milky muesli. Very tasty and went down very easily.

Nutritional Info (All-In-One Cacao)

Chia Energy Gels

These are basically ‘clean’ gels (I hesitate to use that word as it has such implications, but what I mean is that they’re free of processed nasties and junk). They’re to be taken during a run/endurance event.

Contain a blend of carbs, proteins, Omega-3s and antioxidants
90 calories per serving (which is equivalent to other gels on the market)
Contain natural anti-inflammatories
Low GI
Gluten free
Contain a natural electrolyte blend including Himalayan Pink salt
No artificial fillers, sweeteners, colourants, flavourings or preservatives

In order to consume, you add water, coconut water or fruit juice within the gel packet, mix well, and leave for ten minutes. It has a resalable top as so you can then take it with you for your run or cycle, etc.

Nutritional Info

I really like these and will definitely be saving a few to take with me for my Cheddar Gorge excursion (either half or marathon, I haven’t decided yet…). I love the concept of having more natural energy to fuel you (I’m sure if you’ve read Born to Run you were somewhat intrigued by the fuel used by the Tarahumaras). Because they’re a more natural energy source as well it might be easier for some people’s stomachs to handle on a run as some people really struggle with the chemically-based mainstream gels. I’ve often considered baby food in the past as a good source of fuel mid-run as it’s so natural but was put off by the fact that it didn’t have the ‘added extras’ that the gels had (e.g. electrolytes). So this is a win-win in my eyes!

Edited to add: I used the Chia Gels for my Cheddar Gorge marathon and they were great. I added coconut water to them and had three of them during my race. They didn’t slide down as most gels did but were more bitty and chewy, but they were very tasty and seemed to work well with giving me energy.

In conclusion, 33Shake get a big thumbs up from me. I love the concept, I love the products and I love the company. Also any company that has Chrissie Wellington as a spokesperson is definitely a good one in my eyes 😉

How do you fuel your exercise?

Do you use standard gels or prefer more natural energy sources?

Do you have protein shakes or energy shakes?

**Full Disclosure: I was sent these products for free to review. All opinions are my own honest ones.**

July 17, 2015September 18, 2020

Trespass Summer Style

It’s Friiiiiiiiiiiday! I have a little review for you guys today from the outdoor clothing shop Trespass.

I was sent two items from their summer range (though this morning it has been raining and doesn’t feel much like summer…standard British weather *sighs*).

Betty Womens Long Sleeve Top (£12.49)

The first item is a long sleeved base layer. It’s ideal for skiing or, for what I plan to use it for, before a race to keep your body temperature nice and warm. Though we are in summer, most races start in the morning and it’s still rather cool so rather than standing their feeling chilled this is ideal to keep me warm but not too hot. Obviously it’ll be great for winter as well underneath a jacket or coat for the extra added warmth (it’s all about layers!). It’s very soft and fits nicely. I like the zip as well as it means you can keep your neck warm skiing/walking, or if you’re too hot zip it down.

Elesie Womens Floral Playsuit (£13.99)

I never thought I’d be a playsuit type of girl, but I love this! It’s so pretty and easy to wear and perfect for hot summer days, having a BBQ or picnic. And no worries about the wind blowing your skirt up or protecting your modesty while lolling around on the grass 😉 I like that it has a belt-like tie as well so gives a bit of definition rather than being sack-like.

It’s not something I could get away with wearing to work however (my work are very relaxed about clothing but not that relaxed). The shorts area are quite high (but not indecent!). The only thing I will say, and this is true for all playsuits and not this one specifically, is that it does make bathroom visits a bit of a saga as it’s a one-piece item.

Trespass have a great range of summer items (I never knew they did ‘normal’ clothing and was pleasantly surprised by their selection – has quite a nice ‘festival’ theme) and obviously all the usual outdoorsy type stuff, like camping equipment and outdoor sports clothing.

Do you buy anything from Trespass?

Do you go camping a lot?

Are you a fan of playsuits/jumpsuits?

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