Hiking in Coniston with Salomon

One of my favourite mini adventures last year was heading out with Salomon to the Lake District for a photoshoot. Coniston is the most beautiful place, and I highly recommend for anyone venturing into running as the seasons change, or in fact, wanting to taking it more steady with some hiking.

© Matt Ward

I am a big fan of hiking. Let’s face it, it is a requirement for bigger inclines in longer runs, and it allows for a little bit more contemplation time. Days out hiking immerse you in the elements at a conversational pace (not that this really stops me chatting a long whilst running either…!). I also allows you to take in more of the iconic landmarks, wildlife and overall landscape. The Lake District does not disappoint in this respect, whatever the time of the year.

What do you need for a good hike?

© Matt Ward

A solid WP rainjacket During our trip, it rained, and it hailed. This did not stop the fun! I kept dry and that kind of reassurance means you are not put off heading out by the Great British Weather. A hooded Jacket is essential, and the more pockets, the better!

Sturdy footwear. You need grip and you need comfort. Good footwear is an investment piece, especially when it comes to long hikes on multi terrain.

Food - Do not underestimate the need for snacks. You are burning considerable calories, especially if there is an incline. Not eating enough can be a quick way for the hike becoming more arduous than it needs to be. Cereal bars, flapjack, fruit and nuts and Haribo are my favourites (do not forget your sarnie either for a panoramic lunch stop!)

Squidgey bottles (soft flasks) whether a runner or hiker, these are weight and space efficient. 500ml per bottle means carrying a Litre of water becomes fairly effortless. They are also easy to clean and certainly easier to pack for a trip.

Where to stay- Honestly, one of the best places I have ever stayed in the UK was Bank Ground Farm. This is a family run B&B with spectacular views and a great breakfast! It has a very traditional feel but at the same time there is no scrimping on luxury. Great for bigger hiking groups or just a weekend getaway.

https://bankground.com/pages/sleep

Any other questions, just ask! Happy Hiking.

These photos were taken by the the amazing Matt Ward. His website can be found here: https://www.mattward.photography/

I am represented by Forte Sports Talent, please contact them here for prospective Sports Shoot enquiries.

Reviewing Salomon Sense Glide 2 Trail Shoe

I recently created quite an in-depth review on one of the latest trail shoes to hit the market this year. Sometimes it can be difficult to know if a piece of kit is “worth the hype”, especially if it is quite costly equipment.

What I cover in this video:

• Profile and tech specs of the shoe (and what they mean)

• Reviewing the shoe whilst running

• Things to consider when making your shoe purchase (of this and any shoe!)

Take a watch here:

This Month`s Favourite Running & Adventure Stuff

I have not decided if I will do these posts regularly, but there were some of the things of note from this month just passed that I thought I would share with you, from the various adventures so far this Autumn. Enjoy.

Adventure Food

I was a bit sceptical about how good these freeze-dried food pouches would be, to actually sustain the extreme munchies I had developed from both running and shivering Day - 1 of the OMM. But these really were great. The ingredients list is not full of junk, the calorie content is quite high (ideal at 600 per bag for replenishing what you have lost during the day) and they are easy to make (minimal faff is a necessity I discovered on an extremely cold multi- day race). Plus, while they take a few minutes to mix, you can put the (thoroughly resealed) pouch in your sleeping bag while you wait, as a bonus camping hot water bottle.

I actually joked they are nicer than some of the food I make normally and take half the time. Perfect for camping, great for runners, available in lots of meal options (veggie too).

Salomon Ultra Pro

I am an ambassador for a brand that I have always thought makes the leading trail equipment, and these new shoes are a great move by Salomon, especially for those of you who, like me, have quite wide, flat feet. At 8mm heel drop, there is some arch support there, yet the overall profile is fairly flat and streamline, making these great for long distance. On the OMM, these were really comfortable, especially around the toe box as they are not narrow at all, while somehow these shoes kept drying really quickly in the boggier puddles (a necessity when you end up wearing two pairs of socks because you are that cold).

Dr. Lucas Paw Paw Ointment

I picked this up in Australia, but it is available everywhere and I keep my handy tube with me all the time. Great for scars, sores and cracked lips or heels (I have not used it for running chafing but I am sure it does the job) not tested on animals.

More info here: https://www.purepawpaw.uk.com/

Hard Bars

The guys at Hard Bar have been really kind and supportive, and honestly, they are the best darn trail bars I have ever got my paws on. The ingredients are super natural (not literally, but the taste is out of this world. I will stop now), the calorie content is great for long distance runners or big days, and they are light to carry.

I actually eat them too much, in times when I am not only running, but merely having a coffee or feeling a bit peckish. It`s not always the case that you say that about trail food.

More info here: https://hard.bar/

Porridge

I am not saying anything remarkable here while promoting the goodness of porridge, but it really is a cost effective breakfast (oats, just add water) and nice to start the day with something warm. I add sunflower seeds and jam, or sometimes an entire yogurt if I am feeling particularly inventive.

Let me know what you have enjoyed this month!

December Favourites

Featuring in the video is Coco Pro and so it seems a great moment to introduce the brand, and thank them for their new recent support of me. I won’t say too much here as the video says more – but worth reiterating that it just doesn’t work to team up with brands unless you think they are pretty darn great. All I will say is I am getting through this healthy protein drink very fast; it’s like another treat to the end of a workout (and the fact that it is coconut water I am drinking a lot of just sounds nice and healthy too! :)

Find more about Coco Pro here

Running Christmas Gift Ideas

I love browsing sports websites, especially the good selection of kit available on the likes of Outside Shop from many different brands, as well of course, what can be found on the Salomon website. Here are a few Christmas gift ideas which you might want to consider for someone you know (or yourself!) for this Christmas.

Running Christmas Gift Ideas

Photo: Outside Shop

I spotted the Forerunner 25 on Outside website. There seems to be a really good price deal on at the moment so do check it out pre xmas! It comes in two colours, has GPS, can track your activity (and apparently, your sleep!), comes with a heart rate monitor, and can display incoming texts/calls (depends how much you want to escape the daily grind while running!).

More info can be found here .

Photo: Salomon

Post race time; winter days training, you often have the issue to tackle of where to put muddy shoes. Sometimes a Tesco bag suffices. But I love this - and think it's a useful present to get a fellow runner.It has compartments for different clothing items, helping to keep organised and not lose your things pre or post race!

This is available from the Salomon website in various colours.

Photo: Salomon

I really love my Elevate Midi from Salomon, and have worn it for pre-race, after running, chilling out, layering up in winter etc.Ladies, I see they now have it in purple! Really like the colour of this, and it is a great present for anyone, whatever sport - as it is lightweight and comfortable

Happy Shopping, and enjoy the festive time :)

Motivate your running with Running Heroes

New week, new sporting 'to do's in the diary. Perhaps you will have an evening 5km to battle in the cold. Perhaps a 10 miler and you are hoping it doesn't rain?

Maybe you are feeling you need a bit of an incentive with you running.

I recently tried out a pretty cool, completely free to all running tool.

Running Heroes, enables you to monitor your running progress, to encourage and support your during training by linking you with a huge running community – and to reward you while you run.

When I considered trying this out, I was a bit sceptical. Mainly because I feel I have enough tracking my progress without trying something else.

However, this doesn’t cost anything to use. Best of all, and it took me a while to get my head around it - it isn't an app. It works with your Garmin, Nike – whatever.

It all sounded a bit too good to be true, and I was curious how exactly it would work, and whether it was all a bit... gimmicky.

My impressions on Running Heroes

Was it hard to set up?

No, took no time at all. No complicated syncing business or long registering time. Did it in a couple of mins.

What happened next?

I just went for a run. That’s about it. My Garmin actually was the thing doing the hard work – and the Running Heroes tool simply works with it. Tracking progress, giving my Garmin the ‘thumbs up’ and putting me in line to get offers.

What do they get out of it?

Good question. I have had the privilege to recently be in contact with a senior member of their team, and I have been really impressed with their passion for running and dedication to the sport as a company.  By bringing together brands and a community of runners, they are an exciting, new enterprise. Very much a case of: you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.

Example of what 'rewards' you can get when you have earned enough points through running

Do I recommend it?

Yes, it’s a great way to bring together runners, share what we love, and to get the chance to receive little rewards through offers that you can put towards kit etc, for your solid efforts. I am really behind any company that wants to fundamentally promote the community essence of running and make running more accessible and enjoyable for everybody.

Visit their site: https://runningheroes.com/

Do I need a running watch?

Happy Friday! As part of my 'vlog' series, I thought I would include some videos which are short, snappy and sum up some advice to do with running, kit etc. Today I talk about running watches - do you need a running watch? Why are they useful?

Hope this helps anyone new into the sport, or anyone thinking of updating their kit. For more experienced runners, I'd love to know which running watch you use, and any you recommend (always on look out to update my kit!).

Have a great weekend.

Running kit must haves!

Happy Friday! Today I have posted the second vlog in my new series 'For Fit Friday'. Each Friday I aim to post a video following my running adventures, and running/fitness advice.

This week I had a think about three essential running kit must haves that are important to consider when starting out running, particularly if you are off road running.

To find out more, watch this video!

Have a great weekend, and do comment below if there are any specific areas to do with running that you would like to see a video about in the future!

Products mentioned in the video (click links for more info):

Salomon Speed Cross 3 shoes

Salomon Soft Flask 500ml

Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 31 - available online from good sports stockists.

Trigger Point Foam Roller (Although not the specific roller in the video, this brand makes excellent foam rollers).

Oops! Learning from a bad mistake

I once had a bit of a drama with water on a run. Snowdonia trip. With a rucksack on my back (no water bottle space at the front), we skipped our way up steep scrambles, gaining height and enjoying the tiring exertion. Once I had decided it was time for a quick water stop, I paused, the other guys full of energy for the adventures that lay ahead when- oops. Set-back. I forgot my water.

Great.

I actually thought, being fairly none the wiser with kit at this stage, that it might not be a big deal. JR looked concerned, but I thought - hey, this ain't the Sahara, how bad is it going to get?  But, considering we ended up covering about 18 miles, it was a pretty good thing that Snowdon is equipped with a tourist cafe ( commercialisation affecting natural beauty is a contentious issue - I can't deny in this case that I grateful it was there on the rugged rock!).

So, turns out on long distance routes, you really do need water. Considering it is a necessity for your daily movements, it's going to be absolutely vital for those days when you are exerting just that bit more.

Now, it is definitely a benefit, unless you are buying a camel pack (water bag built into the main part of the bag with a tube that allows you to drink while running) to have a running pack with bottles in the front. It means you don't have to stop to get out bottles enabling you to sip regularly and keep hydrated.

So, establishing that you have to bring water, and it is better to have it to hand, or at least, strapped to your front, which bottles to get? A 1 L evian bottle is, let's be honest, pretty cumbersome to carry around. So what are the options? Ultimate Direction packs are equipped with just over 500ml hard bottles.

These are good, sturdy bottles. However, I personally found them bulky in front of me when I ran. Ben, a very experienced long distance runner, offered to lend me the 'squigy' Ultimate Direction bottles to put in my vest pack for the OCC last year. But we both agreed that the size of his bottles isn't ideal - at under 500ml per bottle you are not prepared with a whole litre of water, on your front, while you run. Looking on the website, I see that Ultimate Direction do do a Body Bottle Plus allowing you to carry a litre on the front in two bottles,which might be an idea for those who have an Ultimate Direction Vest.

Although I gratefully took the 'squidgy' bottles from Ben, before race day, I actually decided to invest in Salomon bottles - 500ml each. Salomon do them in several sizes (this is an example of a more light version at 250ml, below) but what is great is that they are super light, and being narrow too, they are the ideal shape for being pretty unnoticeable on the go.

A good thing to make sure is that the bottle fits your pack - during the OCC I used Salomon bottles in my Ultimate Direction pack - which wasn't the best fit, but just about worked ok! I now wear a Salomon S Lab Adv Skin 3 vest, which fits the bottles perfectly, and the design of the pack itself means the bottles are subtle while you are running.

Photo: Angela Roberts

So, to conclude, definitely remember water when running,  think about the best way for you to carry it and your needs for what you are doing - and keep hydrated!

Where to buy? Outside Shop, Hathersage stock both Ultimate Direction and Salomon accessories

Review of Tribe Pack

I was pretty impressed with Tribe foods.

I was sent these by the lovely people at Tribe, to give a go. Essentially it is a little goody bag of a box that comes through the post filled with some brilliant nutritional gems for those of us on the move.

I actually have to admit, these are really delicious. So delicious even John admitted to nabbing a packet...

Gels etc are thought to be long distance runner necessity, however I can feel a bit put off. It doesn't seem always the most heathy option, so I am always open to try healthier alternatives. The box comes with an informative leaflet as well as guidance on which snack is best for which point in your exercise.

I also like the fact it was set up by people who were into the kind of things we are into with sport. It was set up by runners.

If you read the back story, it is also a really inspirational one, as the runners ran a very long way (1000 miles in 30 days) to raise awareness of child trafficking. They needed to nutritionally sustain their feat, and thus on their return created Tribe, based on their own running experience requirements.

As a food brand, you get the feeling they 'get it', and hence made food products not as a sporting gimmick pumped with preservatives etc, but as a food to complement the lifestyle of the active. As they state, their foods have 'no sulphites, no refined sugars,no GM".

As they also say on their website, which seems a good mantra: "eat natural, run free"

Tribe website: https://wearetribe.co/

Running kit to run and race

Update: the recent Bank Holiday weekend was a dream, just immersing myself in the outdoors, by the fields and by the sea. After a run in London around Hampstead Heath (could not recommend more for those wanting a feel of a 'trail' in London!) , I left for the country. Spending time ambling along the fields with my family, and jogging by the coast made for a fun and relaxing weekend.

I also received some new kit, and thought this was a good time to talk about running kit, for any people wondering of what you need to head outdoors off the road.

At this point, I should mention, it's taken me through a long journey to be in a position where I have more awareness of essential kit. I've learnt ALOT, often the hard way (queue many a runner friend's chuckle, reminiscing of stories such as heading out to Snowdon without a water bottle, a bit of the Bob Graham with poor grip old trainers...etc). And we never stop learning.

I now am fortunate enough to be supported for my running by Outside Shop and Salomon, and with the arrival of some excellent new running kit that I needed, I thought I would share with you some good basic running kit to equip yourself with for trail running.

The first thing to mention is waterproofs. Long distance runners really do need an effective waterproof jacket (!) as well as being one that is agile enough to run in. This particular one is a very light piece of clothing, especially for when the rains get heavy. It's a weird phenomenon when the weather is poor and yet you feel stuffy and hot in something that is not so breathable, so this is ideal. It packs away easily too, which, considering many  off road races require ample water/windproof clothing, makes it one to keep in your running pack.

Running leggings is pretty basic kit,  but I wanted to now try out  the EXO 3/4 compression tights, as I am particularly keen to take care of my muscles, and I was impressed with the supportive technology the clothing advertises. I've worn them on a brief run as well as a walk, and they were really comfortable.  I will let you know how I get on about these as I try them out on longer running routes.

Now, shoes. I distinctly remember the feeling of woe as the guys I was running with on that Bob Graham leg, scampered off merrily on the unpredictable rocky terrain in poor weather conditions with sturdy feet, which I gingerly watched every step; not focusing on the run itself. Since then, I've learnt and trusted what footwear works for me.  As mentioned before in previous posts, I wear Speedcross 3's to train and race off road. Now, I have them in pink!  If you are unsure about trainers and you want to run in the fields, fells, hills or mountains, these are my recommendation.  I trained for and ran my ultra in this shoe last year, and I continue to wear these this year. It's a confidence thing, and I feel confident, as well as comfortable in Speedcross 3's.

Another thing I have learnt is that warm mid layers are good for colder days. I definitely would have benefitted from this, even in late Spring (see May bank holiday post in Wales + snow).  This one is not only my favourite colour, but has technology built in to keep warm, is light weight, and has a hood. Brilliant on a country walk, I imagine also good for a day by the crag and very cold running days. Multi purpose and super comfy.

Yesterday I competed in the Duddon short fell race. It is a category A fell race, which essentially means: no marked path. You check in at check points on the route, and then just follow your nose (or the map, or the person in front...). Luckily the weather was pretty generous: sun and clouds, some wind - good running temperatures and thankfully no rain. It is a 900M ascent race - fairly gnarly within 14km unmarked terrain! You wonder what you have let yourself in for with a very steep start, however as the race progresses there is some great rugged scenery, and some brilliant, fairly technical, downhill descents. After arriving at the final official checkpoint, there is a considerable scramble to the finish - and here I lost valuable time in taking a rather long route around. Oh well, still, happy with my first woman finish.

© Stephen Wilson www.granddayoutphotography.co.uk

First outing of my new pack too. The biggest plus for me is the fact it holds two 500 ml bottles really comfortably, meaning you have a litre of water to hand whenever you need it.

Really excited now for June, as heading out to Chamonix later this month. Bring on the summer!

Salomon Speedcross 3

My current favourite running shoe is the Salomon Speedcross 3. I remember much earlier in the year, heading out for a training run on a small section of the Bob Graham route in a pair of minimal grip trainers. I was slow,had little confidence and not necessarily steady.

Trusting your gear, as I recently experienced while ski touring proved, is everything. Especially if you are someone who enjoys running on varied, rocky terrain. When it comes to competing, there are so many parts to a race, from where your head is at, to what you eat and when, keeping hydrated, weather conditions etc - so knowing you can feel good about simply moving should be a fundamental basic and not a main concern.

My Speedcross 3's are really reliable off-road trainers.The first pair got me through the majority of OCC training and the actual race day of 53km. Comfortable enough on the flatter moments and yet steadfast on the incline and downhill, they just felt comfortable throughout - I never thought about them, and that is a good thing. For anyone new to long distance running or looking for new shoes, these are perfect for off road/ trail running. Reasonably light, slim lined and incredibly comfortable, and yet an expert grip on the sole.

I cannot state enough the importance of the right footwear for running. Your feet deserve the upmost respect for the distances they take you, so a decent pair of shoes is what is needed if you want to endurance run.

Winning my second pair at the Ennerdale 25km trail was a nice surprise, and putting on my new pair has marked a new chapter of challenges. My first Salomons now look pretty epic - like the rings of a tree trunk - they tell a story. Looking forward to what story the new shoes will tell!