life.laura.london

Go Away!

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 22:00:29 +0000

But don’t go too far - I’ve migrated my blog over to a new address!!

See you over there.

Go now!

i love stats

Tue, 01 Jan 2013 18:00:45 +0000

At the beginning of December I accepted the challenge to run 80 miles in a month. It was tough as there were a lot of ~~hangovers~~ Christmas Parties, a few injuries and really bad weather. As of today though, I’ve made it to 80.08 miles (132.1km) for the month. Yay!

As you can see I also included the all important annual stats such as 430.19 Doughnuts burned in 235 workouts (Running, barrecore, cycling, yoga).

December was a huge month for me as you can see below, I only ran more last January while training for the Brighton Half.

I also checked out some of my interesting trends on Nike+

That 8.06km on the treadmill was the worst run of my life. Never again.

Here’s to some more good looking bar graphs in 2013.

2012 was the year of medals. No golds for us, but enough of the...

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 16:12:00 +0000

2012 was the year of medals. No golds for us, but enough of the others!

2013

Sun, 30 Dec 2012 19:00:37 +0000

I do a lot of great things with Nike Training Club and Nike Running here in the UK. They’ve asked me to set some goals with the other ladies in the Nike Community as a part of their #makeitcount campaign.

I’ve got loads of goals for 2013, but in the interest of keeping it Nike+ based we’ve set out to achieve 1,000,000 fuel points in 2013.

So it will be more NTC Live classes…

And more yoga classes…

And more Running Clubs…

And especially more races with good friends and husbands…

I really do believe in a lot of what Nike has been promoting to get everyone (especially women) out and more active in easy and fun events. I don’t work for Nike nor have I been asked to promote anything in return for freebies or cash.

trail running in London's longest linear nature reserve

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 16:22:00 +0000

I’ve been sticking to running the roads of London (with a few parks thrown in) for the following reasons:

Excuse #1 - I didn’t know of any good trails.

I had heard rumours of an amazing trail that started at Finsbury Park (a mile from our flat) and followed a disused railway along a ridge for 7k up to Alexandra Palace. This trail achieved myth status when I actually saw Finsbury park with my own eyes and could not believe there was a woodlands anywhere near it.

Solution #1 - Trust the map and just find the darn trail.

Excuse #2 - I needed daylight

Running alone in the dark as a woman isn’t the safest thing even along busy, well-lit streets. I wasn’t about to go for a jog in a dark, unknown forest alone. (Even with my SafeGirl personal alarm - thanks Boutique Sport!) The winters in London are dark, and my weekends are busy. Finding some daylight hours to test out the trail was near impossible.

Solution #2 - My office closes from December 21 - January 2 and since we’re not going anywhere for the holidays I suddenly have a lot of daylight hours that will not be spent at a desk in an office buildling.

Excuse #3 - I didn’t have trail shoes

As far as excuses go, this isn’t a good one. I know I could have ran a trail easily in one of my 3 pairs of running shoes, and short of some mud stains, nothing would be much different.

Solution #3 - Have trail shoes magically show up on my doorstep one Monday evening

I saw that the Brooks Running had some samples left from their Pure Project tour to still give away (why interacting with brands on Twitter is awesome) and low and behold, they sent me a pair of their Women’s PureGrit! They’re so orange!

No more excuses TIME TO RUN.

My first impression of the PureGrit shoes were how tight they fit. They’re technically minimalist shoes so they hug your foot much more than my normal road stability shoes. Since I have size narrow 5.5 feet (same size as Kate Middleton if you’ve forgot) it’s rare running shoes fit me this well.

My second impression was how hard it was to stand up on London side walks in them. They have psuedo-spikes on the bottom and since it’s about a mile and a half to get to the park/trail, I slipped and slid down the big hill to Finsbury Park. Much to the delight of the Halal butchers unloading goat carcases.

I made it in one piece to Finsbury Park and ran straight to the muddy grass. You can see what a beautiful day it was in London.

The Parkland Trail was easy to find and filled with people walking their dogs. It made me super envious and more determined than ever to find a running dog to rent on Saturdays. Check out this French Bulldog kicking it in the mud.

The trail is really cool as it’s an old railway that was almost completely built before WWII, but after the war was abandoned. There are old platforms still there like this old Crouch End Hill station.

The shoes were so great on this trail. It was mostly muddy, but lots of pebbly parts and the shoes gripped the ground in all conditions. Plus going through a lot of puddles my feet weren’t annoyingly soggy for the whole run. My hairband didn’t last as it flew off into a puddle, so was relegated to my leg for the rest of the run.

All in all it was a (very slow - taking pictures and running isn’t my forte) wonderful 10k run and possibly my favourite run of 2012.

I’m 10km away from completing the #80milemonth for December and am on the verge of signing up for a Spring half marathon, so hopefully there will be more trail runs like this in my future.

Ever wonder what I would sound like if I had moved to Newcastle...

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 16:00:50 +0000

Ever wonder what I would sound like if I had moved to Newcastle instead of London?

Geordie to English translation below

A hoyed a wish in the well
Don’t ask us al’ never tell
A looked at you as it fell
But now y’in me way

Swapped me soul for a wish
Coppers and quids for a kiss
A wasn’t lookin for this
But now y’in me way

Your stare was hawlding
Ripped jeans, skin was showing
Canny neet (night) the wind was blowin
Wher y’think your ganin da’lin

Here, a just met y’like
Nd this is mental
But heres me number
So giz a ring will y’pet

It’s solid to look right
At y’da’lin
So here’s me number
So giz a ring ill y’pet AYE??

Y’took the mick with the call
A tuk no time with the fall
Y’giv us bugger all
But still y’in me way

A beg n borra n steel
T’take y’out for posh meals
A didn’t na a wud feel
But now y’in me way

Your stare was hawlding
Ripped jeans, skin was showing
Canny neet (night) the wind was blowin
Wher y’think your ganin da’lin

Here, a just met y’like
Nd this is mental
But heres me number
So giz a ring will y’pet AYE? OY A HAMMA AWA HERE WEY AI

Before y’swanned into me life
A proper missed y’
A proper missed ‘like
A proper geet missed y’like pet

Before y’swanned into me life
A proper missed y’
A proper missed ‘like
A proper geet missed y’like pet

Here, a just met y’like
Nd this is mental
But heres me number
So giz a ring will y’pet

It’s solid to look right
At y’da’lin
So here’s me number
So giz a ring ill y’pet WEY AYE PET

christmas in the office

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 18:30:31 +0000

It’s a big day in my office today.

Last night we had our office Christmas lunch/pub quiz/night out and some of us are a little worse for wear today, guess how we cured it?

And thanks to Christmas gifts from other companies, we’re getting through the day with no risk of hunger or chocolate-withdraw.

As if that wasn’t enough Christmas cheer, we were lucky to be visited by Santa’s favourite helpers.

Finally, our office was featured in a highly respectable design magazine for our effort in Christmas decorations.

All that and we haven’t even started the School’s Christmas party for Administrative staff tonight. #iamholidayexhausted

2 keys to winter running

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 02:00:52 +0000

You don’t need long pants or tall socks - there are really only 2 things you need to run in the winter.

1. A pre-warmed outfit. (genius idea and radiator courtesy of Cake of Good Hope)

2. Chapstick. Putting even a little Vaseline on your lips before a run improves your run by 1,000,000%. Fact. I obviously prefer the new champagne version.

Just when you think you’ve seen everything in London...

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 11:49:22 +0000

Just when you think you’ve seen everything in London (photo via @scoobschris)

Ice Skating at Somerset House is so mandatory during the holiday...

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 01:00:52 +0000

Ice Skating at Somerset House is so mandatory during the holiday season that I’ve gone twice in one week.

Saturday at the Brockley Market. Exploring SE London with the...

Sun, 09 Dec 2012 14:08:00 +0000

Saturday at the Brockley Market. Exploring SE London with the experts! Food & Mulled Wine courtesy of @Egg_boss @MotherflipperUK @fleishmob.

wacky races

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 18:00:49 +0000

The December issue of Running Free is out featuring an interview with yours truly. The lovely Laura Fountain of Lazy Girl Running wrote the cover story on Wacky Races and asked for my insight into running in costume.

You can read the whole magazine here with the article starting on Page 18.

coffee point

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 01:00:51 +0000

When I saw that @eightpointnine was offering a new service in London to create and deliver a coffee just to your taste right to your door I signed up right away.

The coolest part is you get to name your blend - I chose Coffee Point Mornings to remind me of some of my favourite mornings of my life enjoying a coffee with friends before whatever adventure I was about to embark on.

Thanks Eightpointnine for the awesome idea (and @gogogojulia for sharing so many coffee point mornings!)

FYI This isn’t sponsored at all. No freebes or anything. A friend of a friend mentioned they did this and I thought I’d give it a try.

The Daily Mail does a lot of things wrong, but this article on...

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 13:15:00 +0000

The Daily Mail does a lot of things wrong, but this article on Kate Middleton’s hair style options is the best thing I’ve seen in YEARS.

further leave to remain

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 08:20:09 +0000

I’m not an immigration advisor by any means and highly recommend if you are looking for advice on your UKBA application you go through the OISC approved solicitors on the UKBA website.

That said, when I was looking for information on how to apply for leave to remain in the UK there was a huge gap of anecdotal information that I needed to support the (sparse) advice the UKBA gave on their website.

Please let me stay!

So here’s my experience:

I have been living in the UK on a Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme visa for about 22 months, which has been the greatest opportunity and I hope they do not get rid of it in the every changing immigration rules.

I was worried I’d have to go back to Canada to re-apply for entry after my Tier 5 expired. The UKBA website says you cannot switch to a points based visa, but doesn’t say anything else about other settlement options. Once, at the airport, a UKBA officer even told me that I would get denied if I applied to switch to the spouse of a settled person while staying in the UK. Needless to say I was confused. When I called the UKBA helpline I was also told it wasn’t possible to switch but when I said, really? Are you sure? He then checked with his manager and told me it was possible. So, there I was an at best shaky “Yes” and a lot of “No” answers.

I confirmed with a few other people I knew, and this very helpful expat forum that I could apply for the FLR(M) Further Leave to Remain (Marriage) and decided to go ahead with it.

The state of the UKBA right now is pretty tough. They’ve just laid off a large portion of their workforce and instituted changes to the rules for most visa and settlement applications so they require more time and effort to make decisions on. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to realize that this is leading to longer wait times for applicants and more work for already over-worked UKBA officers.

To apply for a FLR(M) you can apply via post or in person at a PEO appointment. If you apply via post you just fill everything in, put all your supporting documents into a box and send it off. If you apply in a PEO appointment you pay more (about £300 more) and you take all your documents to their office and they make a decision based on those documents right there and then that day. At the moment, postal applications are taking 6-9 months for decisions. That’s 6-9 months without your passport, without your partners passport, and if you ask for it back (even if it’s a family emergency) your application is forfeited and you lose the application fee.

Needless to say we chose the PEO appointment route. To get a PEO appointment you either have to go through an immigration solicitor (they get access to more appointments and if you’re in a rush this is the only way to go) or get an appointment on the UKBA website. The PEO appointment route is obviously very popular at the moment so appointments are scarce. They are released every day at midnight for a date 43 days in advance. The website itself always crashes right at midnight due to the amount of people logging on and it took me about an hour of refreshing the page to finally get an appointment… in Liverpool. There are a few offices much closer to my home in London, but I took what I could get.

Then I got my documents together. The UKBA asks you provide original (no copies) evidence of the following: relationship, co-habitation, employment, and finances so eventually my evidence looked like the picture below. There is now a new rule in the UK that you or your sponsor must make over £18,600/year for your application to be approved. It’s highly debated whether this is a rule that should apply to family settlement options, but unfortunately it’s the rule and if you want to apply now you have to prove it.

On the date of our appointment we went to the office in Liverpool which was easy to find and we spent a nice morning in Liverpool going to the new Liverpool Museum (learning what a Lambanana is) and wandering the really nice shopping area near the train station. It’s a great city to walk around in.

We arrived about 40 minutes early for our appointment and were seated right away which was nice. For the first 45 minutes it was up and down as we had an initial document check, made the fee payment, and had biometrics taken.

When it was finally our turn to see a case worker she could not have been more friendly. She took our basic documents (and laughed at my massive binder of supporting documents that weighted about 3kg) and the form and then told us to have a seat and wait a bit more. 45 minutes later the whole thing was done and I had the letter in my hand!

All in all we spent an hour and a half in the office. From entry to receiving approval. It didn’t seem busy at all so not sure if people aren’t showing up for their appointments or what!

Like many other people I over-prepared to an embarrassing level. I had about 1000 pieces of paper that proved relationship, co-habitation, employment, and finances, but all the UKBA official took was the:

form
passports
ID photos
marriage certificate
pay slips (6 months)
bank statements (6 months printed at the bank with stamp)
letter from employer
original employment contract
tax documents
a few utility bills under both our names

No lease, no bank statements of my spouse, no letters of introduction or marriage photos, nothing else! She didn’t ask us any questions other than if we were previously married either.

After the initial stress of preparing the application not quite knowing what I needed to include, the experience was great and the staff at the Liverpool PEO were really helpful and nice.

So there we go. I’m allowed to stay! life.laura.london for another 30 months at least :)

*FYI the suitcase wasn’t for a quick departure if it wasn’t approved - it held the massive document of proof that was too heavy to carry!

what should I wear?

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 11:00:34 +0000

This is how my workout gear usually looks:

In the interest of blogging though - here’s a much friendlier view of my favourite workout gear:

1. MEC T1 Long-Sleeved Crew $19 on MEC.ca (Canadians only)!

This is a tried/tested/true piece of outdoor gear. It gets me through running/skiing/hiking/camping/apres ski at the bar/you name it. Best item I’ve ever owned).

2. Lorna Jane Maxivate Top £56 at Lorna Jane

When it’s really cold I’ll put on this extra layer (and look extra pink). Currently online only available in Australia but check out their pop-up shops at studios around London.

3. Nike Pro Capri II - Sunburst/Bright Peach - £22.50 on SheActive.co.uk

They run large, I’m usually a 12 in leggings but if I was to buy these again I’d go for a 10). They’re comfortable and flashy for the dark nights of running. Only downside is no pockets.

4. Lululemon Run: Swiftly Tech Short Sleeve - £52.00 on Lululemon.co.uk

I love this top so much I’ve worn it to it’s death. It’s the perfect running/bootcamp top as it is light and airy but still has sleeves! It’s trendy and cute in a studio, but also holds up to the outdoors. Mine is neon yellow (ish) but am looking at the grey for my next purchase.

5. Domyos Spots Bag £6.99 on Domyos-fitness.com

How cute is this bag? I saw it while on vacation in France and had to buy it. It comes in a million different colours and patterns and even a backpack version. I want them all.

6. Adidas Supernova Sequence 5 £90 on Sweatshop.co.uk

I’ve flirted with Nike but I keep coming back to these Adidas shoes. They’re good for my little left ankle wobble when I run and (unlike Nike) are narrow enough to actually hold my foot.

7. Domyos Run-in Socks £3.00 on Domyos-fitness.com

These are my first pair of thin socks for running and are great with my above shoes that are sometimes a bit too tight in the toes (peril of having narrow feet means shoes sometimes have to fit a bit more snug in the length). They’re awesome and as I learned on Saturday, when they get soaking wet they do not cause blisters!

8. Deuter Bike One 20L Rucksack £52.40 on Wiggle.co.uk

This rucksack has revolutionized my run-commute home. It’s big enough to fit boots (which I wear almost every day in the winter) and a full outfit and it’s so comfortable on that even if it feels heavy lifting it, once it’s on your back you don’t even feel it. PLUS it’s technically a bike bag (all the running specific bags were too small) so it has a neon rain cover that works so well when running in the dark and a helmet holder which, now that I’ve started biking to/from bootcamps, holds my helmet well while I’m trying to fix my helmet hair.

9. C9 Champion Sports Bra $16.99 at Target.com

This is my one import item I always get my friends to pick up for me in America. This is the best bra that comes in the best colours (I currently have a great purple/blue dip-dye one) and lasts forever.

10. SweatyBetty Waterbottle £5 at Sweatybetty.com

I love a good sweat and this waterbottle is great for taking to classes. Get it online or free if you go to one of Sweaty Betty’s in-store events (Run Britannia for me!).

(me as a seemingly dressed as a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle for a night run in most of the above gear)

individual apple pies

Sun, 25 Nov 2012 17:32:52 +0000

I made these Pinterest inspired Apple Pies for a Thanksgiving feast over the weekend. They were delicious and so easy to make, a few tips though if you’re making these in the UK

Soft caramels at Marks and Spencer have chocolate all over them. Even though the packages says SOFT CARAMEL and nothing about chocolate. I ended up just making mini apple pies and buying the caramel sauce from Waitrose to pour over it. So delicious
I used shortcrust pastry for the bottoms but puff for the tops.
If you buy your pastry this whole recipe will take you less than an hour from start to finish. And taste delicious.
Serve them with vanilla ice cream. Duh.

RUNch

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Earlier this year Lucy came up with the idea to start running at lunch as a few people in our office were training for a half marathon and we work right by one of the best running routes in London.

RUNch is now one of my favourite ways to sneak in a 5k run each week. In the winter it seems like I’m always running in the dark - so lunch is the perfect time to grab some fresh air, vitamin D and exercise all at once.

A lot of people are intimidated by RUNch, but don’t worry I’ve got some top tips:

Keep the distance under 5k. When you factor in changing & stretching time you’ll find your lunch hour away from your desk is almost up. It’s not the end of the world in most offices if you take a few extra minutes to scoff a sandwich post-run at your desk, but you don’t want to take the piss and be out for a couple of hours mid-day.
Simply run. I’ve found that RUNches are not the best time for fartleks or sprints but are best used to get get a those miles on your legs and shake out any desk/sitting stiffness. That said don’t be afraid to push yourself. The route I RUNch has very little street crossings so it’s a good opportunity to try to push myself and get closer to a “race pace” 5k than usual. If you’re RUNching with people then take the opportunity to run at a new pace maybe pushing yourself a bit more than usual
If you fail to prepare, prepare to stink. Not the original quote but preparation is key to a good RUNch. I keep the following in my desk. Deodorant, makeup remover wipes (these are essential if you don’t have access to a shower) powder, hair brush, extra pins & elastics. Post-RUNch isn’t the time to completely re-do your look, but it’s important not to look like a smelly red tomato during your afternoon meetings. FYI don’t RUNch on important meeting days.
Smile. You’re outside running instead of sitting at your desk. Enjoy it!

I had a great time at the Boutique Sport with Style event held...

Thu, 22 Nov 2012 11:29:42 +0000

I had a great time at the Boutique Sport with Style event held on Monday at the amazing Yotopia studios in Covent Garden. I made it through a tough Yogalates class taught by David Olton (that I’m still feeling in my legs) and met up with some other fun active ladies in London (Hi @leahnaturally!).

Plus, as you can see in the last photo*, we got a great goodybag with delicious Soul Foods treats, natural make-up and Lorna Jane products.

*that’s my free stuff face. Embarrassing but true.

Photos via Boutique Sport

blogs & tweets I like

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 14:00:37 +0000

I love communicating and interacting with people and brands that share my interests. Everyone probably knows I’m a twitter-maniac and clearly blog once in a while, but I thought I’d share my favourite FITfluential blogs and twitter accounts.

Sportsister http://www.sportsister.com @sportsister

Awesome twitter updates on women’s sport and they have some kick-ass competitions on their blog.

Boutique Sport http://www.boutiquesport.com @BoutiqueSport @BoutiqueRun

They have free and exclusive events just for women in and around London. Need I say more? From run clubs to Barrecore and yoga they have it all if you want to get involved with other like-minded ladies.

Lunges & Lycra http://lungesandlycra.co.uk/ @Lungesandlycra

New to the blogging world these ladies are right on it with a mix of top fitness advice and gin recommendations. I’ve met them at a few running events and they’re as nice IRL as on their blog.

Spikes & Heels http://spikesandheels.com @Spikesandheels

This lady needs no introduction. Whether you follow her on Bangs & A Bun or via Spikes & Heels she is on it when it comes to fashion/blogging/PR/fitness (not in that order!) There is a certain level of envy everytime I see her in in a new piece of amaze running gear. She also started the #beprettyonrestdays campaign where seriously active women took photos of themselves post-workout to put up in an incredible album.

Lazy Girl Running http://www.lazygirlrunning.com @lazygirlrunning

She’s not lazy in the slightest and runs a marathon time I could only dream of. But she’s also all about balance and knows it’s more important to have a post-race pint than time your quarter-mile splits to the hundredth second. She’s moving into triathlons now and reading her blog about learning how to swim with a nose plug and bike with clip-in pedals is EXACTLY the kind of real training we all face (not pretty but effective).

Nike Training Club http://www.facebook.com/NikeTrainingClubUK @NikeUK

I go on and on about how much I love the NTC Live classes for women in London. Their facebook page is also a great resource for chatting with the other ladies about their fitness plans and goals. It’s also a great place to be up on the latest product knowledge and very cool Nike events that are invite only.

Pretty Fit http://beprettyfit.wordpress.com @BePrettyFit

Another personal blog of a London girl who likes running a lot. She’s also really good at it. I love a good mix of inspiration and reality.

Naturally Leah http://www.naturallyleah.com @leahnaturally

I just found/met Leah and her blog has followed her training for her first half marathon and has some great race reviews in there too. Her voice is real and it’s refreshing to follow her training. I might be a bit biased in that she used to live in Vancouver and work for Lululemon and thinks Vancouver is the best place in the world…. so go Leah! :)

Lululemon Athletica Chelsea http://www.facebook.com/lululemonChelsea

Lulu is in London! Their gear is still mostly out of reach for my day-to-day exercising (I seriously ruin athletic clothing so paying over £50 for a vest/tank top is a bit much for me) But they do have some of the best gear around if you’re willing to invest AND free yoga/pilates every Wednesday and Sunday in their Chelsea studio.

Seriously Ugly Race Pics http://uglyracepics.tumblr.com/

This one speaks for itself. If you’ve ever felt pretty good while running - thinking you’re gliding along the pavement like a Kenyan at mile 21… here’s your reality check.

Sheactive http://www.sheactive.co.uk/

Good deals of all the best gear in one place. They always have sales on and it was the only place I could find pink running tights.

Sport Pursuit http://www.sportpursuit.com/sales

I’m no stranger to deal-a-day websites thanks to the amazing North American Steep&Cheap group of companies, but relatively new to this deal-a-day site has some of the best of the best gear for almost every sport and fitness need. You have to wait a couple of weeks until you get it delivered, but with those deals it’s worth it.

Wiggle http://www.wiggle.co.uk/

Whenever I need something specific and Google it Wiggle always shows me the cheapest price with the most options/styles. Also once I ordered a backpack off it and it arrived in LESS THAN 24 hours using the free standard shipping option. Unheard of.

Gear for Girls http://www.gearforgirls.co.uk/ @gearforgirls

I’ve never bought off this website but do find myself browsing it often. Plus with photos like this for inspiration how can you NOT want to get outside in their clothing?!

Any other suggestions?