Sole Sports Flips

You may remember a while ago I posted this review about Sole Dual Layer Performance running socks

Well I have been lucky enough to try out another Sole product in the shape of their Sports Flip Flops. Us runners tend to spend a lot of time and in some cases money making sure that we have the correct footwear for when we are out running but do many of us take into consideration what we put on our feet when we're not out pounding the pavements?

Me? Well I live in slippers when I'm not outside and for outside I have a mish mash of trainers, flip flops, pumps and high heels all depending on the occasion. But am I doing my recovering legs any favours during this time? As someone on the receiving end of a long term running related injury at the moment (stupid knee) this topic is definitely of interest to me.

According the the experts "Traditional flip flops, slippers and slouch socks create a very unstable platform on which to walk. This instability can lead to excessive foot motion resulting in foot, leg and even back pain, this is not conducive to assisting your recovery between runs." The Sports Flips from SOLE are designed to support the heel and arch of the foot which stabalises the walking motion, which keeps the feet and legs in a more neutral, safe position reducing the stresses of walking, resulting in less stiffness, pain and tiredness after running.

The flips have the following features:

• Moldable footbed
• Polygiene Antimicrobial Agent used to control foot odour (no more stinky feet!)
• Metatarsal support pad
• Adjustable arch support
• Gender specific strap
• Deep heel cup
• Hidden toe ridge
• Midsole support structure
• Natural/synthetic rubber blend outsole

With all this in mind I started wearing my SOLE Flips instead of slippers around the house and when we went out for walks, to the shops or when driving the car (weather dependant of course). The flips have a molded base which is incredibly comfortable and you definitely feel more like you are wearing a proper pair of shoes than a pair of flip flops. They strap goes between the toes which can be a bit aggravating at first but I found after a week or so they had worn in and I hardly noticed the strap at all.

Testing the sports slips on a sunny dog walk

I found the flips really comfortable and they definitely felt much more supportive than regular flip flops or my sloppy slippers. Unfortunately I was already injured before I received these so I haven't been able to fully test out their recovery powers but I can definitely understand why they would be affective and I've not become further injured yet so they must be helping somehow. Also the Polygiene Antimicrobial Agent is obviously doing it's job because despite wearing these shoes practically everywhere they don't smell at all! In fact the only problem I have had with these shoes is that my fiance is the same shoe size as me and he keeps pinching them!

The Sports Flips come in a variety of colours and are definitely not boring humdrum shoes. I would happily compare them to some of the best fashion flip flops in the style stakes and they are also gender specific. Prices range from £25-£50 depending which style you would like to go for and further information and how to purchase can be found on the SOLE website.

Hopefully I will be seeing the doctor on Thursday to get some answers on what can be done with the knee, in the meantime RP and I have been doing Body Pump classes to keep our strength up and of course taking Zac to dog agility and long walks helps to keep us fit as well!

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Pump it Up!

So in my effort to revitalise my fitness and get back into the exercising groove I was perusing my local leisure centre's fitness class schedule looking for something low impact but that would be a good workout. I considered Row Fit and then remembered that I hate rowing, I looked at yoga but I think I fell asleep last time I did yoga which quite obviously is not the point, then I came across Body Pump. Billed as an adjustable weight training class which works the major muscle groups and combined with the amount of people I have seen going on about it on Facebook and Twitter I thought this would be a good class to get myself back into the swing of things, plus I'm rubbish at weight training on my own so it would be good for me.

I went to this class on Thursday just gone, the 12th April, the reason it has taken me 4 days to get this post up is today is honestly the first day I have been able to properly feel and move my arms! I have never been so sore in my whole life, I feel like I've been 10 rounds with Mike Tyson or at the very least taken a pretty decent kicking from the local chav brigade. I should have twigged when I turned up and there were loads of pretty ripped guys with about 20 weights at each end of their bars. I should have really twigged when I saw that Johnny was taking the class. Johnny is a pretty well known character around our leisure centre. He's always smiling and says hello to everyone and always has a few words of encouragement to keep you going. He's also a mentally hardcore martial arts trainer and if he's taking a class you can bet your ass it's gonna hurt.

Once I'd got in there and collared someone to explain to me what stuff I needed I headed over to the weights to select my batch. I first thought I'll take the lightest but when I picked them up they did feel very light so instead I went for the middle ones, just one on each end of my bar, I was planning to ease myself in gently. Wrong! I could have had a feather on either end and I would still be in the state I have been for the last few days. Seriously this class was hard. Not in a sweaty, can't breathe way but in a my arms are going to drop off at any minute way.

I was doing ok for the first half an hour but when we moved onto the muscles on the back of your arms the name of which alludes me (yes I was paying attention) I started to realise how neglected my muscles are and how little upper body strength I actually have. My arms were screaming and I tried to keep pushing, listening to Johnny woo and say only one more which was a big fat effing lie because we did at least 10 more and I swore if I made it through I would never neglect my arms again.

I did make it through and we finished off the session with an ab workout which I'm glad to say I found pretty easy, it seems that I have managed to retain the strength I built up there. When I stood up my arms were actually shaking and for a couple of minutes I had to contemplate if I was actually going to be able to drive home. In the absence of RP though I was going to have to and I made the very slow and painful journey home.

The next few days were spent hanging out with RP and my step son to be Adrian, we went up to Exeter to walk around the Roman wall, took Zac to agility training and spent an afternoon metal detecting down the beach. Every movement I made was agony but I tried not to whinge too much (RP may not agree with that but don't listen to him). I knew I was in a bad way when it started to rain and I was physically unable to put my hood up because just the act of raising my hand above my head was excruciating.

The good news is I am starting to regain feeling, the bad news is I've signed up to do it all again this week. The only bonus and silver lining is I've also signed RP up to come along with me! I have serious respect for people that do this class several times a week, it's definitely not for the light hearted (or weak armed).

On another slightly unrelated not I also have to send some respect, congratulations and big thumbs up to my friend Sally who ran the Brighton Marathon yesterday. It was her first marathon and she completed it in a shade over 5 hours. Well done Sally!

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Time for a Catch Up

Having realised it's been nearly 3 weeks since my last post I thought I should do a bit of a catch up. Lots has been going on so for ease of reading and because I'm lazy this will be a picture heavy post!

During my 2 weeks off Zac and I met up with my friend John and we headed down to the beach. It was quite an overcast day but we didn't mind because it meant we had the whole beach to ourselves!

We played some fetch with Zac...

Took an "artistic" picture of some stones...

Then headed to the pub for a well earned cup of tea. I let Zac have my biscuit but John was a meanie and kept his all for himself!

I spent a couple of days getting my birthday present from RP....

I wasn't allowed to get sweaty or rub the area for 2 weeks so this has kept me out of the gym for the time being, but it's worth it!

I met up with my friends from Uni, Kate & Anton, who live in Africa but were over for 10 days to organise their wedding.

I got quite drunk!

And then I got a bit more drunk!

After I got over my massive hangover life returned to normal and I bought Zac a new hoody!

Then it was my birthday and RP and Zac decided to treat me and took me for a walk to the pub for a couple of glasses of wine and Zac thought he deserved a pint too! (Disclaimer: That's a joke, I don't actually let my dog drink!)

After our drinks we headed back through the woods...

 It was such a beautiful evening and I managed to test my "artistic" photography skills again.

The day after my birthday I went and visited my friend Fran for cups of tea and a chinwag. She just happens to have 3 gorgeous chihuahua puppies at the moment which I got to cuddle and play with for a bit!

Hardly the most exciting news but I bought a new lamp for the living room.

I got a new haircut. Fringetastic!

We spent a morning at RP's Mum & Dad's house helping to clean up after their ceiling fell down!

When the sun decided to make an appearance last week we decided it was time to spruce up the garden so RP got cracking with the pressure washer and attacked the patio.

Zac decided that he wanted to get involved as well!

We started back at agility training and it seems like Zac has remembered everything. Not so sure about the handler though!

For the last day of my time off the sun was shining so we all headed out for the day over to the woods for a nice long walk.

RP was looking good in his shades...

And I looked pretty good in mine too.....

And of course we ended up in the beer garden at the pub!!

So there you have it. That's pretty much what has been going on around here. I was back to the gym last night and I managed a 20 min run on the treadmill with no knee pain so things are looking up on that front.

As far as running goes I do feel like I'm back at square one but that is ok. Recently I've come to realise that I was putting so much pressure on myself to achieve goals and feeling guilty if I didn't get everything perfect so I would then push harder and realistically this is probably why I ended up injured. When I started running it was fun, I would take my camera and look out for funny or interesting things which I could come home and tell RP about. I miss that kind of running, and I want to get back to it. I want to get away from the "I must do 8 miles today, I must do 10 minute miles, I must enter this race, I must run under this time". So with that in mind I have decided not to enter any more races for the foreseeable future. I am already entered into Race for Life, which is a 5K and I will run this in May but I will be running it dressed up in pink for fun and not for any training or personal best goals. I'm going to start going back to a few of the classes I used to do at the gym and I am going to stop beating myself up for doing something other than running.

I would still love to run a marathon, and I will but I'm no longer putting a time constraint on myself. If I run it before I'm 30 then brilliant but if I don't do it until I'm 50 then that's also brilliant. My training regime now consists of going for a run when I feel like it and running until I don't want to anymore. The only rule I am setting myself is that I will exercise 3 times a week, but that can be running, gym, swimming, exercise classes or even doing an exercise DVD at home. So even though this blog will remain Tegan Running it will start cover all my fitness, health and lifestyle endeavours (and probably have a lot more doggy posts!).

So I hope you stick around even though things might be changing slightly, the support and friendships that I've made through running and blogging have been brilliant and I would love to continue that. So thanks to everyone that has been touch with words of encouragement, tips for strengthening exercises and just general friendship. And a big special thanks to my family, friends and especially RP who have all put up with my whinging and moaning about running over the last month or so. You guys are the best!

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Sole Dual Layer Performance Socks

Have you got Sole?? Well I have! I recently received a couple of products from Sole to try out and yesterday I got the opportunity to try out their Dual Layer Performance Socks. I've been off work all week on leave and the temptation is far too great to not bother with any exercise and to just lay around the house drinking tea and watching Jeremy Kyle. But we all know that I am a super star athlete in the making so yesterday I was good and as soon as I hopped out of bed I got myself geared up and headed to the gym.

I decided to put the Sole Socks through their paces and the first test was trying to get them on the right feet! Luckily the people of Sole have thought about the likes of me and have very helpfully put a little R and L on each sock so that you don't get confused. I think one day I will go all rebellious and wear them on the wrong feet just to see what happens and to prove I'm a crazy kind of gal (or just a bit of a weirdo)!

Have you ever had a pair of those bed socks, the ones that are made of a really nice soft material that keep your feet lovely and snug and warm through the winter months? Well the Dual Layer Sole Socks feel just like that, they are so soft and comfy that I was almost tempted to kick off my trainers, make a cup of hot chocolate and curl up on the sofa, but no to the gym I must go!

Once I got to the gym I proceeded with my quick sit up and press up routine and then tried to prepare myself for the idea of nearly an hour on an exercise bike. But I thought really as I'm reviewing some running socks I really should have a little run in them and as I haven't run anywhere in over 2 weeks maybe my knee would be feeling a bit better so I headed to the treadmill and nervously programmed it for 10 minutes.

I don't know if it was the socks or the rest but I managed to run a mile with only a slight amount of knee pain, in fact the pain was actually worse when I stopped running than when I actually was running. Nevertheless throughout my short run my feet felt very comfortable and there was no rubbing or sore areas, which considering I was wearing my brand new trainers as well shows that these socks were doing their job and doing it well!

After my little run I did my 30 minutes on the exercise bike and then I had planned to do a bit of an ab workout but there were loads of people in the mat area and I couldn't bear the thought of having to crush up next to them so I slipped out the door and called it a day.

According to the Sole website the Dual Layer Performance Socks come packed with features including:

• Dual Layer Blister Protection
• I Tactel, Coolmax & Lycra Blend
• Tensorfit Arch Band
• Breathable Mesh
• Hand-Linked Toe Seam

I can definitely attest to the Blister Protection as I have no blisters or even any sore areas, the blend of materials definitely makes a lovely soft comfortable sock and the breathable mesh works because my feet weren't a sweaty mess when I got home (unlike the rest of me!). These are great running socks and I think I will be stocking up on a few more pairs because they come in loads of different styles and are available in both white and black (black is cool!)

Priced from £11.50 a pair I think that these are probably the best socks I've tried for the price. Mine have just survived their first time round in the washing machine and unlike some other running socks I've tried they have remained the same size and look good for another 500 miles if not more.

Head over to the Sole Web Store where you can browse all their products including custom footbeds and the other product I have to try out, Sports Flips (review expected in a couple of weeks but so far things are looking good!)

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Cross Training and a Positive Attitude

Having spent my last post whinging and whining about how much I hate cross training and woe it me etc etc, today was such a beautiful day with the sun shining that I just couldn't help but be in a fantastic mood.

I'm off work for 2 weeks so a day like today is brilliant because I can actually get outside and enjoy the sunshine. I started the day by making sure I got the chores done and got all the washing hanging out but once that was done Zac and I decided to head over to the park with a magazine and a tennis ball (magazine for me, tennis ball for Zac). We sat out in the sun for about an hour and a half and then we played fetch until Zac was tired out.

Since Zac had done all his exercise I thought it only appropriate that I do mine as well so I got changed and put my new Brooks Union Jack racers on and head to the gym. I love driving when the weather is good because I can pump up the tunes and wind the windows down, nothing like a good sing song in the car to put me in a great mood.

When I got to the gym the place was pretty empty except for the usual group of guys in the boy corner. All the treadmills were free and I was really tempted to have a go but I was sensible and instead got on the cross trainer. I did a 20 minute interval session on the cross trainer and then a 20 min hill session on the bike. I was going to go on the rower but I wimped out and instead went and did 20 sit ups and 20 (girly) press ups.

I finished the work out with a go on a couple of the weight machines and I've decided I will do more weights in my workouts because my arms are weak and flabby and I don't like it!

Now I'm back at home watching Zac sunbathe in the garden whilst we wait for RP to get home from work. I think a nice jacket potato for dinner with some salad will be just what the doctor ordered later. Speaking of doctors I'm trying to get in to see mine this week about my hurty knee.

Stats


Portions of 5 a Day: 2 so far but am about to have a plum for a snack and will have 2 with dinner
Loads of washing done: 4!!!
Dogs walked: 1
Cross training sessions done: 1

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An Apology of Sorts

The lack of relevant health and fitness posts (or any posts for that matter) on this site is a pretty poor state of affairs but alas due to my continued hurty knee situation, which has progressed to the point where cycling on an exercise bike is giving me pain means I am in a position of enforced rest. I know I should instead do some strength training or yoga but finding the motivation is proving to be much more difficult.

The honest truth is that I miss running. I don't get the same satisfaction from a session on the bike or from lifting weights for an hour, in fact both of the above things fill me with dread and I find myself already nodding off at the boredom that both options present. What I would love to do today, is lace up my gorgeous new trainers, put my headphones on, whack on the tunes and hit the pavement. I'm not the fastest runner, I'm not the most dedicated but there is no denying that I miss those hours when I can be on my own with just me, my music and my feet, making the most of the time to sort out the days problems, make plans for the weekend and dream of my future glory in the upcoming Olympics (sorry we branched into day dreaming there!).

So this is an apology of sorts. An apology for the lack of relevant running posts and an apology for my lack of motivation at the moment. This blog will probably become over the next couple of weeks more of an injury progress report. Monday - Hurty, Tuesday - Less hurty etc, but I will try to come up with some decent informative articles to help keep my loyal readers interested! The plus side is I have two weeks off from work from Monday so will have plenty of time (and no excuses) to get writing and start filling up the site again with something slightly more substantial than "My knee hurts! Woe is me!".

The good news is I have been very good with my diet since the weekend (weekends are allowed to be a bit naughty). I'm hoping to trim off some of the non-running pounds that I have gained and maintain some form of figure until I can get running properly again. Today has been a veritable fruit-fest and I have definitely done my 5 a day today! With this in mind I have created a new "Injury Period Stats" section for my posts, along the same lines as my previous running stats this highlights what I have achieved so as to stop me focusing on what I haven't.

Stats

Portions of Fruit & Veg - 6 so far (plum, apple, grapes, banana, mango, cherries)
Stuck to diet: 100% so far
Other achievements of the day:

• Caught up on my in tray and am up to date with work
• Spent a couple of hours out on site learning new things and marking up patching
• RP sent me a really nice lovey dovey text message
• Made plans for some good articles for the blog

Is anyone else stuck in injury land? How are you coping?

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I Love My Mum & Dad!!

When I got home from work after a long day on a Safety Auditing training course (thrilling I know) RP said that he had to tell me something. He said that Zac had left me a little present upstairs on the bed. Automatically thinking the worst (dog owners will know what a 'little present' means in terms of dogs, if you don't then to put it bluntly it means a pile of dog poo), I headed up the stairs and pushed open the door to the bedroom and this is what I was presented with.

Yay! These trainers are officially the funkiest I have ever seen! They are so light as well. I had a little pretend run (basically a walk) around the living room in them and it hardly feels like there is anything on your feet, these are definitely going to be my racing trainers! Thank you so much Mum & Dad for my lovely present and I must congratulate you on being able to work out that I wanted them! How did you ever guess!?!

On the fitness front I hit the gym last night after having to sit in traffic for nearly an hour to get into Newton Abbot (you'd think someone in the Highways Department could sort that out!). Once I got there I did 45 mins on the exercise bike on a hill program and then I was going to do some strength training but the place was absolutely packed and even the little stretching area was full of people so instead I did my stretches in the changing room and then headed home.

Unfortunately my hurty knee seems to be getting worse as it was painful even on the bike last night and has started to make some slightly concerning grinding and cracking noises. So I've made the decision that I will not race at Silverstone this weekend. I can't bear the thought of going all that way to run a mile and then have to give up. I'm trying not to look on it as being a quitter but more of thinking about the bigger picture. I don't want to do any permanent damage which might take me out of running forever so for the time being I think I have to be sensible and get this thing sorted. I have two weeks off work from next week so I will be trying to sort out physio appointments or some other medical stuff!

If anyone has a magic cure for hurty knee then please let me know!!

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Nature's Best Protein Bars

Being a vegetarian and someone that sticks to (sometimes) a pretty strict eating plan I don't usually get too involved in the world of shakes, supplements and bars which are available for sporting types. However I was contacted by the people from Nature's Best to ask if I would like to try some of their products.

Having perused the site there was so much available and I really wasn't sure what would best suit my training and my diet so a few emails later and some very helpful information I opted to try out the Mango & Passion Fruit Protein bars as they are suitable for vegetarians and as they are high in protein are good for aiding weight loss.

Nautre's Best started life back in 1981 in Tunbridge Wells and today they continue with their UK roots with all products being manufactured and tested in the UK and all their products their UK quality mark which is the assurance that all products have been manufactured from start to finish in the UK, in factories working to pharmaceutical standards.

One of the things about the website that stuck out for me was the offer of free nutritional advice. Too many companies now seem to focus on pushing sales rather than offering genuine, suitable advice to customers and as I found when I was first contacted the wealth of knowledge is invaluable in making sure you get the right product for you. They don't just do products for sports either, there are loads of different vitamin supplements, herbs, body butters, books and even a section on pet nutrition (I should have a look for Zac!)

Anyway onto the important bit the bars themselves! I've been having one after each of my workouts as the high levels of protein are good for recovery. Now as I've said before I'm no expert on the protein bar side of life and in fact these are first I've ever tried. The bars are covered in a thick yoghurty (real word??) coating which is full of the mango and passion fruit flavour which is really tasty. The under bar has a different flavour which I really couldn't describe as it is different to anything I have ever tasted. It's not unpleasant, just different, and might be pretty normal for protein bars.

I'm not sure if the bars have made a massive difference to my training or recovery but they have become a welcome introduction to my regime, chowing down on one of my Nature's Best in the car on the way home from the gym has become a little ritual.

If you are looking to add some supplements to your training regime then you should give the guys at Nature's Best a call on the Nutrition Advice phone line 01892 552 175 or you can head over to the Nature's Best Website where you can view all their products and find loads of information about the company.

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Inspiration Station

All images sourced from Pinterest

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