The Lo Down - My Marathon Running Experience

Hey Guys and Dolls,

Seeing as I'm into my weightloss and fitness journey I thought I'd tell you about my Marathon Running Experience. I've talked about it a bit in past posts but not too much and not in a long time. When I lost weight the last time I decided to get into running and I really enjoyed it.

I competed in three 10km, 2 Women's Mini Marathons and the Samsung Night Run. The latter was definitely my favourite run, it was so amazing running around Dublin City at night and the atmosphere was great. The medal for that run definitely stands out aswell. I ran one of the Women's Mini Marathons for one of Ireland's leading newspapers, The Herald to be exact so that was something different.

I definitely want to get back into running again. There's nothing better than the sense of achievement when you cross the finish line. I finished all my runs in and around the hour mark which made me so happy. I also love my medals alot, there so pretty and I display them in my room with pride.

Laura<3

Flora Women's Mini Marathon 2014

Yesterday I took part in my 2nd Flora Women's Mini Marathon, I was unsure if I was going to take part until the last minute as I lost a close family member early yesterday morning. Having trained hard for the big day I know deep down she would of wanted me to power through and do it. The weather was just right on the day, I was worried it was going to lash rain but that wasn't that wasn't the case.

The charity I supported for the second year running is Friends of St Luke's which raises much needed funds for St Luke's Hospice in Rathgar. It's not a well known charity so I love giving them my support every year. This year I was also a part of Team Herald which was really exciting. The Herald is a national paper here in Ireland and in early March they were looking for people to take part in the Marathon as a part of their team. I put myself forward and I was so surprised when they emailed me back saying that I was going to be there fast jogger. At first I didn't think I'd be able to fill those big boots but after training hard for the past few weeks I knew I could do it. I have to say a special thanks to both the mentors Louise Heraghty and Ruth Scott for their help and words of wisdom along the way. I also can't forget to thank both the Elvery's Power Team and the Flora Women's Mini Marathon office. I definitely enjoyed running the Marathon with The Herald, it was definitely a great experience that I will remember.

Last year I finished the Mini Marathon in 1hr 13mins and this year I finished in 1hr 4mins which I was delighted with I definitely had an angel looking down on me.The route of the Marathon changed slightly this year due to the Luas works in Stephen's Green and I found it almost a little tougher even though it's the same distance which was a little odd I guess. I always feel a huge sense of achievement when I complete a 10km cause it's no easy feat. I still get a little nervous everytime I start one. If you haven't taken part in the Flora Women's Mini Marathon before I'd definitely look into doing it next year as it is really good fun! I know a couple of other bloggers took part in it too so I hope they had an amazing day and raised plenty of money for their charity. Next up I hope to complete a half marathon, the Rock n' Roll Dublin Marathon looks like so much fun so who knows I might do that in August.

Have you ever taken part in a marathon? Is it something you'd like to do??

Laura<3

Running with Team Herald for the Mini Marathon!!

Sorry guys for the serious lack of posts over the last couple of weeks,I've been super busy in work and life has seriously gotten in the way of things. Don't worry I'm back again, I've really missed blogging and sharing my favourite gems with you all. I also have pretty exciting news that I want to tell you guys. As you can see from the title of this post I'm going to be running the Flora's Womens Mini Marathon in June. Last year I took part and I jogged it in a time of 1hr 13mins which I was over the moon about. I wrote a post about my experience on the day and if you ever are considering signing up for the Marathon I'd definitely say go for it. It's such a wonderful day out and the rush you get when you see the finish line is unreal. I know it was a huge accomplishment for me.

A couple of weeks back reading the Evening Herald, I seen a blurb saying they were looking for people to run the Marathon with the Evening Herald. I applied for it, never in a million years thinking that I'd hear back. Last Wednesday after work I got a email from the lovely Dee telling me that they'd love me to be a member of Team Herald. Not going to lie I was in shock, when I sent my email in I didn't think anything else of it and hearing that I got it completely blew my mind. My family and friends were really delighted for me as they know how hard I've worked over the past two years. My goal for this years Mini Marathon is to beat my time from last year which I guess is on everyones mind. After getting the phonecall everything happened so quickly, I had some pictures taken and a telephone interview which happened in just two days. On Tuesday I picked up the paper to see my story in there which was really surreal. I put it up on my personal Facebook page and within a day it had 100 likes which was a bit overwhelming to see how supportive my friends are. To get such amazing feedback really made my day! I'm in the Fast Jogger category which is a bit daunting but I know if I train well and right I should do just fine.

I hope some people draw inspiration from my story and it helps them. I know weight is such a personal topic and I know back before I started Slimming World it never effected me but I still wasn't too keen on talking about it. As I have 11 weeks to go until the big day I've started training, with the weather being so bad in Ireland I've been going to the gym quite a bit but when the weather gets better I hope to go jogging around my area. I got a pretty good app called Map My Run on my phone which I feel will help alot. I also want to buy the Now That's What I Call Running CD, I seen it in HMV last week and I love listening to good music when I'm jogging so this will be perfect. I'll be doing updates every week until the Mini Marathon in June so if you guys get to read the articles definitely tweet me and let me know! I'll be putting links up on Twitter regardless so don't worry if you miss them. This is another exciting new chapter for me and I can't wait to get started.

Thanks for all the support so far, you guys are truly amazing,

Laura<3

My Mini Marathon Experience!!

On Monday 3rd june I took part in the Flora's Womens Mini Marathon. I couldn't have even imagined walking it last year let alone jog it. When I started jogging with my work buddy Alison at the end of April, she brought up the Mini Marathon and how it was 40 days away. Not going to lie I was a bit apprehensive about doing it, I'm by no means a jogger but I accepted her offer. I took it as a challenge, another goal for me to achieve! We started training hard, everyday after work we'd go jogging and not going to lie I was pretty tired after every session. College exams did get in the way a bit and I found myself in the 2 weeks prior to the Marathon not doing as much jogging as I would of liked. Everyone told me that you're suppose to have all your training done by the week before the Marathon, I didn't really pay attention to this at all. I'm pretty sure that's the week that I pushed myself a little harder. Two pieces of advice, drink as much water as possible and buy proper jogging gear well in advance of the Marathon. I bought the latter the weekend of the Mini Marathon and I was in a panic trying to get stuff sorted. Penneys/Primark have a great range of running/gym gear so I'd definitely recommend hitting them up. I picked up a pair of capri leggings from them for €11 which were perfect. They also had a handy pocket in the back that fit my phone, Ipod and leap card, just what I needed!

The day before the Mini Marathon Alison, her Mum and I collected our numbers at the Woman's World Show in the RDS. I personally didn't think was all that and didn't buy anything at it. I called in to see my Aunty in hospital afterwards and gave her some of the treats that were in my goody bag. She was particularly fond of the new Special K Chocolate Biscuit Moments. We had a good chat about everything from College to Marathon. Ever since we were younger she always told us to just do are best and thats what she told me whilst I was there. Little things like that mean so much to me, when my Nanna told her on Tuesday that I finished the Marathon she was beyond proud. My Nanna is seriously the best she called up to me on the morning of the Mini Marathon to wish me the best of luck, she's always been my biggest supporter and believed that I could do anything I put my mind to.

The day of the Mini Marathon was a complete scorcher, I wasn't expecting it at all. I was telling customers in work I was really looking forward to jogging it but only if it didn't rain and if it wasn't ridiculously warm. Of course it had to be ridiculously warm! Having never participated in previous years I wasn't the expecting the big crowds when I turned up. Getting the Luas with Alison and her Mum was crazy, we were so squished! Once the race started and I set my pace, it was all plain sailing. That is until I lost Alison after 3KM, I turned around and she was gone. I kept going alone left's just day I'm so glad I brought my Ipod with me. I waited for a bit to see could I spot her but I was talking to so many people afterwards and they were saying how you always end up losing people. 80,000 people take part in the Mini Marathon so the likeliness is that you'll never find who you're looking for. If like me you like to listen to music while you run, I'd definitely recommend buying one of those straps for your arm. I seen so many people with these and I felt envious, I had to carry my Ipod for the whole duration of the Marathon. Buying one of those holders would of certainly made things easier. Paddy made me a Mix CD of songs to listen to during the Mini Marthon which included a remix of Daft Punk & Pharrell Williams "Get Lucky". One of my favourite songs of the minute, not really feeling  Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines I just don't get why everyone likes it! On the day I told Paddy to meet me at 4pm at Stephen's Green so imagine his suprise when I rang him at 3.13 saying I finished the Mini Marathon. Man I still can't believe myself that I finished it in that time like 1hr 13mins, it's such an amazing feeling. For me the last 1 km was the hardest just because I was genuinely exhausted. Once I stopped jogging to walk for a bit the heat definitely gets to you. The support from onlookers along the way is insane, it's true what they say the crowd really does keep you going. In the last km I heard someone mention the finish line was just around the corner and it gave me the push I needed to keep jogging. A lady from St Luke's Hospital was at the finish line and she asked could she take my picture. I didn't see the picture she took but I'm guessing it will feature in one of the charity's upcoming newsletters. Once I finished the Marathon I was handed this medal which I'm definitely going to be keeping up, for me this was one of my biggest achievement this year after losing all the weight. I really do believe that it's super important to keep setting yourself personal goals that lead to one big goal at the end. After the Marathon Paddy and I headed to get some food, we went to Yum Thai Noodle Bar which is seriously delicious. I love their pad thai noodles which were a great post jogging treat.

The most important thing for me was raising money for my charity, St Luke's Hospital. In total I raised €230.50, €92.50 of which came from all the lovely bloggers that attended the What Bloggers Did Next meetup. When Katie handed me back the sponsorship form I was in serious shock! You guys are such an amazing generous bunch, you definitely made me emotional on the day with all your wonderful words of support. I also have to thank the wonderful Katie Healy who organised the meetup, it really was fabulous and there was such an amazing turn out on the day too. There's talk that a Halloween Meetup is in the works so definitely head over to Katie's Twitter page if you want to be kept up to date on all proceedings.

Having finished the Mini Marathon and College I don't really know what to be doing with myself now. You'd think that a nice relaxing break was in order but to be honest I get bored so easily. I'm already looking into taking part in the 5km Rainbow Run in Dun Laoighre, it sounds like so much fun and I'm so excited for it. The tickets are €25 with a portion going to LARCC Cancer Support Centre which again is such an amazing cause. You can check out the official website here and hopefully I'll see some of you bloggers there on the day. I think I'm a bit far off taking part in a full Marathon, 26 miles seems like a hell of alot to me! Who knows maybe in a year I'll do it, one things for sure I'll start training early.

I hope you enjoyed this post on my Mini Marathon experience, I did a couple of update post leading up to it which you can check out here. You can see what where my beauty essentials on the day and just updates on what I generally got up to! Hope these posts helped if you're taking part in a Mini Marathon or considering taking part next year.

Laura<3

My Beauty Essential Picks for the Marathon/Update #3

The Mini Marathon is tomorrow and of course I'm starting to get really nervous which was to be expected. I hope all the hard work and determination in training has paid off. I know once I cross that finish line it will have been all worth it. I wanted to do a post sharing some products that I feel are essentials for the Mini Marathon. Besides beauty products of course water and good footwear are the two biggies. The joys with these products is that they will come in handy over the Summer too!

Suncare/Moisturiser

This is such a big one, even if the sun isn't shining on the day doesn't mean that it's non existence. La Roche Posay and Vichy have a brilliant range of suncare products to choose from. I'm not a million percent sure if I'm going to be wearing makeup on the day but if I was, Vichy's Mattifying Face Fluid* is exactly what I'd reach for. It does exactly what it says on the tin, it doesn't leave a greasy residue and would be perfect under makeup. Did I mention it also has SPF50? Another great sunscreen is La Roche Posay's Anthelios XL Extreme Fluid*, I've used this a couple of times on holidays but I don't know how well it would far under makeup. That's why Vichy's Mattifying Face Fluid is a winner for me and I reach for it all the time. Anthelios XL Invisible Nutritive Oil* is a new addition to La Roche Posay's suncare range and I love this product, it has a really nice light scent. I'll be using this on my arms and legs tomorrow for sure. Unlike most oils this won't leave your skin feeling oily. Again this offers high protection which I think is a must all year round especially in the Summer months. I hope they bring it out in a travel version too for holidays! The most important thing for me on Marathon Day is to keep my skin moisturised, hydrated and protected from the sun.

Lip Balm
Everyone I know that is doing the Marathon tomorrow is bringing along one of these, with the sun pumping down it's inevitable dry lips will occur. I'm big into my lip balm as I get dry lips a lot plus I don't want them to be sore on Tuesday from getting sunburned. The Body Shop's Vitamin D Lip Balm* is not only moisturising but it also contains an SPF15 and has a lovely light Vanilla scent. Another lip balm I love is Nivea's Vanilla & Macadamia lip butter, there's other scents to choose from in the range but this one is my favourite by far. This lip butter is super moisturing and smells amazing like Kinder Eggs. They ring in at under €3 too which is a steal! As you can see from my own looking a mess it's very loved indeed. As it comes in a tube I think The Body Shops offering is practical for the Marathon so I'll definitely have this on me tomorrow.

Facial Sprays
I can't put into words how much I love facial mists. Mini Marathon or not, I use these all year round. Vichy's Thermal Spa Water* is a soothing mist that also leaves my skin refreshed and especially hydrated. This bottle will last for ages, I use mine all the time and still have loads left. This also comes in a nifty little travel size which would be perfect for your handbag. Another facial spray I've been reaching for a lot after training is the Vitamin C Energising Face Spritz*. I haven't tried too much from The Body Shop's skincare line to day, you'll usually find me stocking up on their gorgeous body butters so I didn't know what to expect from this product. My verdict, I've really enjoyed using their Vitamin C Facial Spritz, it comes out as a light mist, rest assured this stuff won't drown your face plus it smells like oranges. I've been using this for a while now and I can't fault it, my skin literally drinks it up. It's jam packed with Amazonian Camu Camu and Community Trade Aloe Vera which leaves my skin looking brighter and refreshed. After trying this product I definitely want to pick up some more bits from the Vitamin C range in the future.

Post Marathon Pampering
Yay for a bit of pampering when you finish the Marathon. Of course Post Marathon I'm going to want nothing more than a relaxing shower. At this stage I'm seriously envious of people that have baths. After the marathon, everyone will want to chill out and unwind after a long day. You can't really go wrong with these two shower products from Soap & Glory and Radox. Both brands offer a huge variety of lovely shower and bath products, you'll certainly find something that will tickle your fancy. I'll be finishing everything off with Roger & Gallet's Fleur d'Osmanthus Beauty Oil*. This product can be used for the hair and body, I mostly use mine on the latter. I love Roger & Gallet products, it's a brand that I discovered when I first started blogging over two years ago. Fleur d'Osmanthus Beauty Oil contains a number of precious plant oils, perfect for relaxing. It sinks into the skin super quick too, leaving it nourished and soft. Safe to say I'll definitely be using this after I finish the Marathon.

Before I head off for some much needed sleep before the Marathon I just want to thank you guys for all your support in the lead up to the big day. I'm definitely going to tweet when I cross the finish line so keep an eye out for that. I'll have a post up on Tuesday/Wednesday giving you the lowdown on how I got on at the Marathon and my experience of the day.

Laura<3

Flora Mini Marathon Update #2

With the Mini Marathon just a week away, I thought it was about time to do my second update. Not going to lie I'm a bit nervous, training fell by the wayside with college exams so I've been trying to get back into the swing of things. I recently received my charity pack from St Luke's Hospital, a charity that is really close to my hear. I'm hoping to raise a good bit of money for them in the lead up to the big day as every donation really does help. I'll be collecting my race number over the weekend at the Womans World Show. The largest female exhibition event runs from Friday 31st May - Sunday 2nd June. I'm looking forward to heading along as I've been before with my Mum when she was collecting her number when she was competing and I remember having such a good time. There's something for everyone from live catwalk shows to beauty & hair, I love nothing more than browsing through all the different stands. I heard Vita Liberata have a stand this year, being a tan I've seen so many reviews of lately I'm definitely going to be checking them out. If you'd like to come along over the weekend yourself, you can avail of free tickets from their website which you'll be available to find here. The tickets are €12 at the door on the day so it's definitely worth getting your hands on them now so you don't miss out on a great day-out. If you do end up going definitely let me know I'd love to meet some of you guys.

Lastly I'm trying to get my attire right for day as we all know there's nothing worse than running in something your not comfortable in. I want to get it right, I'm thinking leggings or possibly shorts. Would love to hear your suggestions! I already have my top sorted, my St Luke's Hospital Official 2013 Marathon top. I wasn't too sure on which size to get but this one fits perfectly.

In the coming week I'm going to do a post featuring my essentials for the Marathon. This will consist of products which I think are worthwhile getting your hands on, if you too are competing in the Marathon. The post will be up in the next day or two so stay tuned for that.

Are you competing in the Flora Women's Mini Marathon this year? Is anyone heading to the Womans World Show in the RDS over the weekend?

Laura<3

Flora Mini Marathon Update #1

If you read my last Slimming World update you'll probably already know that I've decided to take part in the Flora Women's Mini Marathon in June. It will be my first so of course I'm a little nervous. Both my Mum and Sister have taken part in previous years, they both really enjoyed the experience and said it was so much fun. I've opted to jog the marathon which is huge for me, it's 10km which is a lot so I hope I'm cut out for it. This time last year I couldn't have even imagined walking it let alone jog it. I just hope we have good weather on the day, it can be so unpredictable in Ireland I wouldn't be surprised if it rained.

I've started jogging daily with one of my work buddies with one of my work buddies Alison, who is also taking part in the Marathon with me. I'm not going to lie for someone who isn't the fittest person out there it has been difficult so far. I've been training for nearly two weeks now but I know I have so much more work to do. I feel jogging has really helped out how I'm doing at Slimming World each week too. I'm not going to give up though as at this stage I'm determined to jog it, for me it would be such a huge accomplishment and would be the cherry on top of the wonderful year I've had. I have just about 40 days (countdown has officially started) to train for the marathon, so I'm trying to put every free second I have into it which is extremely hard with studying for college exams and work. I believe that I can do it though. I'm collecting my race number at the end of the month at the Woman's Day show in the RDS which I'm looking forward to, I'm going to bring my Mum along with me on the day.

The charity that I've chosen to jog for is St Luke's Hospital. A close family member of mine passed away ten years ago from a terminal illness. She spent her last months being cared for in this hospice. I can't remember too much of this though time but I've been told how kind and nice the staff were. I'm hoping to raise a good sum for my chosen charity. I feel like I'd be helping more people get brilliant support during the hard times they face. I know I'll have a wonderful guardian angel on the day cheering me on.

Have you taken part in a Marathon? I'd love to hear your tips!

Laura<3