The start of my #TeamChallenge10 Journey - 10 miles in 10 months

Back in May, the week after Holly turned two, I decided to make some changes.

I was planning clothes that I would need to buy for a trip to the USA with work in a few weeks and realised that I was going to need to buy new jeans - my current ones didn't really fit any more.  I blamed the waistline issues on the previous time that I had been to the States in February and resolved to lose a few pounds before my forthcoming trip.  4 months on and I have lost nearly 2 stone through a combination of a massive reduction in the amount of processed carbohydrates I was eating, a significant reduction in alcohol consumption and, most importantly, I have started to run.

It may not be flattering... but this is me running my first ever timed 5k

This week I'm joining a team of 10 bloggers who, while none of us have ever run much before, we all plan to be able to run 10 miles in 10 months time.  It's called Team Challenge 10 and you can find out more about it on twitter using the hashtag #TeamChallenge10.

I started running in late June (having found that my change in diet lead to increased energy levels) using the Couch to 5k plan from the NHS.  Until this point, the last time I had chosen to run anywhere was approximately 19 years ago and to be honest, I was finding it hard simply running after Holly or Lara as far as the end of my road.

During the first week of C25k I was pleasantly surprised with how well I was getting through things.  I was ready to take on weeks 2 and 3 when I started to suffer with knee problems.  I was advised to take a week or two off for recovery and it would have been very easy for me to have abandoned the plan completely but I took that time to buy myself some shiny new running shoes (after having had a gait analysis to make sure I had the right type and wouldn't cause myself more injuries).

I got back on the wagon and worked on through the C25k plan until the end of week 7.  By this time you are running around 25-28 minutes continuously but I was feeling confident enough to push it up all the way to 35-37 minutes and was able to complete 5k with a bit of huffing and wheezing.  I'm not sure "running" is the term I would use for me yet... more like "jogging" or "walking with a lollop" but it'll do.

At the end of week 7 I completed my first ever Parkrun with a new-found running friend (discovered as a friend of a friend on facebook!).  It was hard but I completed it in 35:10.  Saturday mornings are normally packed full of swimming lessons and potentially even Rainbows this term so I'm not sure how much of a regular occurrence Parkrun will be.

After my first Parkrun I signed up for my first ever 5k race.  So, here we are in September and I have two weeks until my first race.  It is going to be a muddy, woodland and field route quite unlike anything I've run before.  I've been out of practice again for just over a week due to having twisted my ankle while walking on my holidays so I need to get out there and prep.

Once I've got over my first race then I'm going to take a more serious look at the plan I will need if I am going to increase my race distance from 5k all the way up to 10 miles by next June. It seems like an insurmountable challenge right now but I've found that with running, things that seem impossible one week may well be totally do-able the next.

If you'd like to join me in the challenge, feel free to tweet along, share your stories on my facebook page or hook up with me on Strava so that we can give each other a boost.  Good luck everyone.

Burgers - A Recipe Book Review

Burgers, by Paul Gayler, is a small hardback book in the shape of.. a burger.  Burgers are fabulous things to cook with kids but they don't always have to be a plain old beef burger - this book is packed full of gourmet burgers with lots of different flavours, and ingredients!

This week we set about making our own burger rolls.  Making bread is something that the girls very much enjoy doing with their Daddy.

Unfortunately, this time our bread rolls were a total disaster so we went for plan B - the corner shop!  Thankfully our burger-making efforts were awesome so it totally made up for things.  We followed a recipe from Payl Gayler's book, Burgers called "Ploughman's Burger" which features a tangy beef and onion mix with strong cheddar cheese pockets in the middle which oozes out when you eat it.  Om nom nom.

Burgers also features lots of recipes for classic burger accompaniments such as chips and relishes.  To top our burger we made a sweet balsamic onion pickle, homemade coleslaw and fresh tomatoes, just like a ploughman's lunch.  The result was mouth-watering.

Paul Gaymer's book starts with a few burger classics including an ultimate burger with "the works" but it quickly moves on to fascinating flavour combos such as Indian flatbreads with tandoori lamb burgers, Turkey BLT or Carribbean pork burgers.  There are vegetarian options too with a couple of innovative fish burgers.

Burgers is a fun book and I can see the Mellow Family slowly working our way through it.  I'd love to see more photos in this book of the relishes, salads, sauces and accompaniments as I think some of these recipes are outstanding - can't wait to try making my own ketchup some day soon.

To order Burgers at the discounted price of £7.99 including p&p* (RRP: £9.99), telephone 01903 828503 or email mailorders@lbsltd.co.uk and quote the offer code APG198.
*UK ONLY - Please add £2.50 if ordering from overseas.

Splash About UV Float Suit Review

We LOVE taking our girls swimming at the weekends.  Over the summer holidays we've hardly been swimming at all and I was really worried that the girls would be out of practice; their swimming lessons start up again this week so we decided to get in a bit of swimming practice and Holly (28 months) swam like a mermaid, all thanks to this new gadget - The Splash About UV Float Suit.

We are big Splash About fans and both girls have worn Splash About Happy Nappies or swimming costumes since they first set eyes on a swimming pool but this is the first summer that we've tried one of their Float Suits.  The Splash About float suit is a buoyancy aid which is designed to help children learn to swim.  Unlike armbands or arm floats, the buoyancy part of the suit is around the waist which I think helps Holly for a couple of reasons.

1. It leaves her arms free for paddling with no restrictions
2. Having the buoyancy around her middle I think instantly helped her to understand her own buoyancy - I think it will take quite a while yet for Holly to fully learn to swim without an aid but I think that simply understanding your own body's behaviour in water is a big step towards this.

Holly thought it was absolutely hilarious when her big sister told her that her tummy looked like she was expecting a baby!  It may look a little funny when they are out of the water, but the floats aren't heavy and don't weigh her down at all.  Each pocket in the suit contains two small floats which you can remove one at a time as your child gains in confidence.  In the few times we have used the suit, I've already removed a couple from hers.

It is hard to put into words, quite how much of a difference the Splash About float suit made to Holly's swimming.  Previously she had attempted a width on her own but very quickly lost interest but with this, I witnessed her swim an entire length of the pool aided only by her suit.  Her teeny tiny arms and legs kicked and paddled for nearly an hour in that pool - there was no stopping her.  It put a massive smile on my face.

The UV float suit is also great for holidays because the fabric of the suit offers SPF50+ protection.This digital print design is new to the Slpash About range.  There are two new designs - Funky Flamingos and Funky Fish!  The suits are available in sizes 1-2, 2-4 and 4-6 years for around £27.99.