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.**
Glad to hear that you’re on the mend! I’ve not taken glucosamine before but I’ve heard its a good one for runners – I’m trying out some new hair, skin and nail vitamins at the moment and really hope they make a difference! I started training for the London marathon in January last year – as much as I wanted to do it again this year I’m glad I don’t have January and February outdoor freezing cold runs to look forward to! x
LilyLipstick recently posted…London Dining – Winter Edition
Oooh those vitamins sound good.
Yeah I have those freezing night nights and mornings to look forward!!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Those buns were made for running…
I take glucosamine too – I’ve heard lots about the benefits for runners and people who struggle with joint problems. Glad to hear you’re on the mend though! That’s great news 🙂
Beki @MissWheezy recently posted…Why Sports Bras are Important
Thanks Beki 🙂
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Those buns were made for running…
Good to know that your injury is healing nicely 🙂 The main supplements I rely on are calcium and vitamin D. I take really high doses of both to help with my bone density, although I also take B12 just to be sure (even though my levels of that are often too high – who says vegans can’t get B12 from nutritional yeast :P)
Off-topic, but can I ask (again! I know you told me before, but I’ve managed to forget…typical) how you do those nifty screen-grabs of your Garmin splits from your runs? An example would be the chart in this post: https://www.annatheapple.com/reading-half-marathon/
I’m stuck viewing my splits in the old mode because my laptop has taken to crashing whenever I use the modern settings :/ Thanks so much!
Jess recently posted…Virtual Reality
Good to know about B12. Hadn’t realised that.
As I said on Twitter, for the screen grabs I use the Microsoft ‘snippy’ tool and basically copy from Strava or Garmin Connect and then paste it into the post.
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Those buns were made for running…
Hurrah for working back up to it! I feel like I’m in a similar position: I have lost all my Berlin fitness and stamina owing to that ghastly chest infection. Marathon training (Manchester) will kick in properly after Christmas. Too many curries and parties to happen first! Heck. I’m having curry two nights running this week. Yum.
I’m taking the Centrum stuff with ginko in it, plus iron tablets…
Jane recently posted…Nostalgia
I think we’ll be well fuelled to start our training post Christmas 😉
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Those buns were made for running…
Yay! Glad to hear that things are getting better for you. I take iron supplements as I am low on iron and I have noticed such a difference since taking them. I wish I started taking them a long time ago.
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy recently posted…Comment on Roasted Red Pepper Spaghetti by Dannii
A few people I know have struggled with low irons and they’ve found such an improvement after taking supplements to help.
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Those buns were made for running…
Glad to hear that your injury is feeling better! 🙂 I usually only take iron supplements. I tend to get really low iron and it makes me feel so bad! I need to be better at taking them, though. 🙂
Lora @ Crazy Running Girl recently posted…The fuel I can’t live without + GIVEAWAY!
Yeah low iron I hear can really make you feel tired and sluggish. My friend realised she was low and started taking supplements for it and suddenly she felt amazing and her running times dramatically increased!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Those buns were made for running…
Yay glad you are getting out and running again! I saw on Strava and thought it must be good news 🙂
This time last year I had heard the advice of running 10 miles before Christmas (as I wasn’t a beginner) but I had an awful cough that would not go away, so in the end I hardly ran at all in December- I did one parkrun at about the 20th, and that was so hard and painful, so I rested more and started on January 1st with a new year day parkrun and the start of Jantastic, and the start of marathon training. It all worked out OK in the end!
Maria @ runningcupcake recently posted…A festive weekend in Strasbourg
I’m so sad Jantastic isn’t going ahead this year 🙁 The one year I should have been able to do it fully!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Those buns were made for running…
Hi Anna
Interesting subject regarding supplements, a few years back I would regularly drop various vitamin letters and a daily 369. But ditched all of them about two years ago and try and source as much as possible from foodstuffs. I was never really sure they worked and thought maybe its just marketing…..? The main supplement I do need regularly is Sun- Short days and long nights are my kryptonite!
Training for Spring Marathon…. my last marathon was Venice 25/10/15…so decided to have November virtually run and exercise free, apart from a 7 mile jog at weekends, my daily routine of 100 push ups and 50 sit ups and the once weekly football game…..this also allowed me to partake far more in my vice of drinking beer!!. December 1st was back on the paths and roads building up for Brighton in April, Edinburgh in May and Wales in July….may get back over to Ireland sometime in the year just to complete the jigsaw…. and hit the elusive Boston time..grrrrr.
keep smiling
Rich
Sounds like a good idea to take a break before ramping up. For me December is very much just taking things easy as I get back into the miles. I think January will be where the real work begins (like intervals and speed work, which I detest!).
I definitely try and get most of the good stuff from actual food rather than rely on supplements but sometimes I find it can help to top-up when I know I’ve been eating rubbish or not hitting lots of fruit and veg. If anything supplements are expensive to rely on!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Those buns were made for running…