Learning to Run: Week One

I have always liked the idea of being a good runner; long countryside runs with just music and my thoughts and the sights around me, but unfortunately running is something that I have always struggled with (been completely incapable of). So when my boyfriend found a new app that tempted with the promise of learning to run 5k from complete beginner (couch) I thought I would give it a go!


The app is called C25k, and is completely free. The programme lasts 8 weeks and requires you to do 3 runs a week of 30minutes, with each week building and developing your endurance and skill. This week we done 2 runs outside and 1 on the treadmill at the gym. Each session in week one is made up of 5 minutes walking at the start and end and alternating 1.5minutes walking with 1 minute running, which totals 8 minutes running.


With regular walking breaks this sounds like a gentle start but I'll admit, by the end of the first session I looked like a tomato, my legs ached and I had to take some time to get my breath back. But, I had done it all without stopping and felt a sense of pride! The next session was also difficult but I already felt like I was making progress and I wasn't as exhausted this time. And by day 3 I felt I was almost ready to start building up the running times! I think with a lot of running apps each session progresses so quick that it is hard to keep up but I like that with C25k you get a week with each programme to really develop your endurance.


It is really important with this app to keep going and properly run for each of the minutes for it to be effective. Luckily, I have someone to run with to help force me on when it gets hard. But I also think making a playlist of energetic and encouraging songs can really help. You can listen to the app while your music plays and the app will tell you when to start running or walking.


To encourage us to stick to the running regime we enthusiastically made a timetable for the next 8 weeks and after each run we score the date off the sheet. So far it is helping and I am enjoying the runs! But I know I have a long way to go...

Week One:

• Lowlight- feeling self conscious as I walk home with a bright red face.
• Highlight- completing the 3 sessions and feeling like I'm progressing.

 Do you run or would you like to? Do you have any tips for a new runner?

Dupe: Origins Clear Head Mint Shampoo

My week can be really packed with work and volunteering so when Sunday comes around I like to spend the day relaxing and just doing something for myself, whether that is going for a long walk or reading. I think a lot of other people also use Sunday as a recharge day so thought I would use this idea to base my first regular feature. I haven't named this feature but am hoping to post each week about something different that I find interesting, relaxing and generally Sunday feeling.

Today I thought I would talk about shampoo. Yes, I do wash my hair through the week but from my childhood I still think of Sunday as the big bath day where you refresh yourself for the week ahead.  For a proper, fresh clean I really enjoy using the Origins Clear Head Mint Shampoo. I have used about 4 bottles of this and find that a 250ml bottle can last me around 4-5 months for my mid-length hair, impressive. But at £16 I have been on the look out for an alternative... Let me introduce you to the Alberto Balsam Tea Tree Shampoo which is an incredible 99p (for almost double the amount of product)!

Both shampoos suit greasy hair that needs to be washed regularly and as a result have a light consistency that doesn't leave any residue. They also both advertise on the bottle that they "tingle" the scalp which I think is a reference to the mint based scents. The Origins shampoo contains Brazilian Mint and Spearmint which is awakening and fresh feeling, with the scent lightly lingering after washing. The Alberto Balsam is similar in colour and has a scent of tea tree and mint which is almost identical to the Origins!

One advantage of the Origins is that the shampoo is slightly more concentrated, meaning that you need to use a smaller amount of the product per wash but for the price I don't mind using a little more of the Alberto Balsam.

For results, both shampoos leave my hair feeling fresh, clean and shiny, along with not weighing it down which is very important for oily hair. And since switching to Alberto Balsam I have actually had a few comments from people thinking I have had my hair cut as it is looking healthy and thicker!

If you have fine, oily hair and like mint scents I would recommend trying the Alberto Balsam Tea Tree shampoo. The Origins feels a bit more luxurious in texture and has a longer lasting scent but for outcome I think the Alberto Balsam is an amazing dupe!

Isle of May: Puffins, Whales and Aerial Attackers

The Isle of May National Nature Reserve is home to a vast array of seabirds including the one I was looking out for, the super cute Puffin. But what we actually found on the island was so much more than I expected.

To get to the island we booked tickets for the May Princess and picked them up next to the harbour in Anstruther. Along with the tickets we were given an information booklet on the Isle of May and a map of the island. The boat was packed with around 60 people from young couples and families to photographers and older hillwalkers. Once on board the journey took around an hour which passed very fast, despite the leisurely pace of the boat. Passing birds were pointed out by the boat staff and there were toilets and a small bar below deck. The boat has an inside area which would be useful on colder, rainy days but we were again lucky with the weather and got to enjoy the sunshine on the top deck.

 

 As we got closer to the Isle the boat slowed down and we observed the birds bobbing about the water on one side and the sharp cliffs of the island (dyed white from bird droppings) on the other. The noise was intense and I really got a sense that the island belonged to the birds that were nesting on the cliffs.

On the island one of the female researchers, who was staying on the island for a couple of months to carry out research and count the birds, gave us a brief introduction. She asked us to stick to the paths and give space to young chicks who were still learning to fly. On the island there is a new visitor centre which has some information on the Isle and the toilets which are behind. We were then let loose to wander round which the strict instriuction to be back for 5:45.

As we walked up the path towards the visitor centre a protective bird starting swopping anyone who walked past a young chick that was stuck on the path. The researchers asked us to put hats on if we had them and one older man informed us that the last time he had come to the island his white hat had been turned red from bird attackers. I wasn't prepared for that so decided to take the other route and head for the South of the island. We used the map we had been given and guided our way around the paths, stopping at viewpoints to observe the wildlife in more detail.

I went to the Isle of May with the hope of seeing my first wild Puffin and I shouldn't have worried, we saw plenty! The cute little birds with the brightly striped beaks were the star attraction of the isle and everyone was after a shot of one. Thankfully, they seemed quite happy to pose for us and I'm sure the professional photographers got some amazing shots.

Something that I didn't expect to see when on the island but was shocked and thrilled about was our sighting of a Minke Whale! At first we thought the slow fin arching through the waves was a dolphin but one of the researchers advised it was actually a whale.

On the island there were also some cultural spots of interest including the Priory where monks used to live, old lighthouses that protected and guided sailors in the past and foghorns that warned of bad weather. The paths around the Isle of May were very clear and although we felt quite high up there was no difficult climb. We were also interested in all the burrow holes around the island and guessing whether they belonged to rabbits or puffins.

Our 2hours 25minutes passed incredibly quickly and it was soon time to dash back to the boat for the journey home and some dinner at the famous chippy in Anstruther. I would like to make a trip back to the island in the future as I think each visit would be different depending on the season and weather, with a huge variety of wildlife to spot as well as an enjoyable wander around the Isle.

Here is a quick list of the wildlife we saw while on the Isle of May:

• Puffins
• Minke Whale
• Kittiwakes
• Shags
• Guillemots
• Razorbills
• Fulmars
• Grey Seals
• Red Admiral butterflies

The facts on a day out on the Isle of May:

• Tickets can be booked in advance by phone and must be collected 30 minutes prior to sailing.
• If the weather is bad sailings may be suspended so I would recommend checking in advance.
• Times of sailings can be checked on the website.
• Toilets can be found on the May Princess boat and on the island.
• No food is served on the island but you can take a picnic.
• The full journey takes around 5 hours with around 3 hours on the island.
• Take a hat to protect from bird droppings and aerial attacks!
• Wear: season appropriate clothes; waterproofs, walking shoes/ boots.
• Perfect for everyone from twitchers and wildlife photographers to those who can't tell a pigeon from a parrot.

Thoughts on the World Cup

Every 4 years I do something very out of character and I have a feeling I'm not the only one, that a lot of other women experience this aswell... watch and take an interest in the Fifa World Cup! Having recently came to an end and with the thrill still in my mind (although I'm sure when the normal season starts up, I'll look back on this phase as a sport blip, unable to understand how it occured and how to get it back), I thought now would be a good time to reflect on this phenomenon and even some of my highlights of the past month of football.

Large sporting events are a common occurrence on British television but the thrill and hype around the World Cup still gets me! Even the old woman who you get the bus with every morning seems to know what is going on with Suarez, and she wants to talk to you about it! Its like for a brief period everyone is interested and spending their time in exactly the same way that you are. The World Cup is not just about a certain type of man talking with another man in a manly place about sport, it is inclusive and football chat for this limited period happens between everyone.

This inclusive atmosphere seems to take away some of the negativity that a football outsider normally sees- the aggression and arrogance. It is replaced with people supporting countries they have never been to and fans praising opponents for "a good pass" or "some excellent defense". As a Scot, supporting a foreign team is not something new (often we have no other choice) but the footage of Brazilian fans recognising German skill shows that even in devastating defeat fans are able to give praise.

From papers, online and television I have been told that this World Cup in Brazil is one of the best ever- loads of goals, loads of twists, absolutely gripping, loads of big stars. As an irregular football fan I wouldn't be able to make such a bold claim, although I did witness each of these things and I did enjoy them! I even learnt the names of some of the players, got frustrated at poor defending, slagged the ref, cheered the goalie, placed a bet and covered my eyes at Brazil's 7-1 defeat.

But the thing that that will stick with me, that drew me in so much was the crowd, and the atmosphere. I know this is to the frustration of men the world over, but it is the people that interest me. Yes, I love seeing Van Persie's amazing header whizz into the goals, but the shots of Brazilian fans in tears and German supporters rejoicing, as well as my own enthusiasm at spending 90 minutes with my boyfriend engrossed in a match, that made the World Cup at event for me.

What are your memories of the 2014 World Cup?

Reading on an iPad Mini

Getting a Kindle wasn't something I had given that much thought to. I put this down to 2 reasons: ownership of something physical and eyestrain. I love physically having a book, being able to add it to a book shelf, use old tickets as bookmarks and feel a sense of ownership. I also thought that reading books electronically would cause eye strain and as I already look at a computer at least 8 hours a day for work I was wary about spending my free time looking at more screens. But this year something changed. I decided that reading a book electronically might not be all that bad. I have watched my mum slowly trying to cut down on her collection because it was taking over every wall and I've felt the arm ache of trying to move a collection to a new flat. So, after a lot of consideration, I thought that perhaps reading off pixels might not be so bad; it'd certainly save space and be easier than carrying a hardback on holiday. After considering a Kindle and a Nook and a few other e-readers I decided to do something different and merge my desire for a portable laptop with an e-reading device and picked the iPad mini.

I admit, for the first few months of having my iPad I couldn't bring myself to read a book off of it but having just finished one book on the iBooks app and two on the Kindle app I decided now would be a good time to share my thoughts on this different form of reading.

My first hurdle was that pixels is not paper! It just looks different and for me that took some time (around 2 chapters) to adjust to. I know Kindle screens are adapted to appear more matte which I can imagine is good for your eyes, especially over long reading sessions but after a play about with the settings on both the Kindle and iBooks apps I found you could change the brightness and background to a level that suits you. I went with a sepia background as I found it easier on my eyes. Another good point with these apps is that you can change font size and that the light from the device means its easier to have late night reading sessions.

Along with font and brightness there were a few other settings on these apps that I really found helpful. Firstly the simple bookmark in the corner. Yes, it's old school but it works. No panicking that my bookmark fell out in my bag with this! Secondly, both apps had a guide at the bottom of each page to show how far in to the book you were, both in page number and percentage. I found this really handy and I started to set targets for myself such as "read 5% before bed tonight". Again, a simple idea but I found it really motivated me and encouraged me to read more. I definitely think this contributed to me reading both books much faster than I normally would.

Another perk to the Kindle app is that you can also download it to your phone. I never thought I would enjoy reading off such a small screen but I quickly got engrossed and was surprised how many pages I actually managed to read during downtime at work and on bus journeys. When I got home my iPad instantly recognised that I had read the extra pages and synced to the right spot.

I think if reading is all you want to do on your device and brightness/ glare is something you are really concerned about I would look in to other devices that are more specifically developed for reading. But if you're looking for a device that you can read from but also use for other purposes then I would recommend the iPad Mini. It is light and very portable, easy to lie in bed with for hours and has a number of apps. I also found that buying ebooks is a lot cheaper than physical copies, with a lot of classics that you can get for free. However, I would recommend checking your book choice on a few apps before purchasing because I found a considerable price difference between the apps. Also, I haven't felt any eyestrain with the iPad and have just downloaded my 3rd read. I think I may be a convert!

Do you use your iPad for reading?

Inversnaid and Rob Roy's Cave

 

Inversnaid is situated on a much quieter bank of Loch Lomond, near to the top of the Loch on the East Side. To get there we drove from Aberfoyle which took around 30minutes as the road is single track with regular passing places. It was a beautiful day, with dramatic clouds and heat still in the air. The road passes a few smaller lochs on the way as well as farmer's fields filled with horses and Highland cows.

At Inversnaid there is a large hotel with a few rowing boats tied up on the Loch. To the left of the car park there is a waterfall and some picnic benches looking out over the water. There is also a restaurant in the hotel if the walk makes you peckish. The way to Rob Roy's cave starts from the right hand side of the car park and takes in part of the West Highland Way (WHW). We followed the single path through some woodland until we shortly got to a metal boathouse with a small peebly beach. There were  some remains of a fire when we got there and I imagine it being a good stop for a BBQ on a lazy, warm day.

We continued the route to the back of the boathouse and up a grassy path. Along from this we followed the RSPB trail, rather than the WHW. If you were looking for an easier route follow the West Highland Way sign. The RSPB trail involves a bit more of a climb up a steep grassy hill and through some very tall ferns, which made me feel 6 years old again, but once at the top there are some lovely views over the Loch and of the surrounding hills.

The path continues down the hill and we kept heading right, to the North of Loch Lomond. The path becomes more rocky at this point before getting to the wooden signpost for Rob Roy's Cave. Here the rocks become boulders and my hands got involved in the scrambling. I'll be honest, we didn't actually make it right to the cave but we did see the white painted word "CAVE" on one of the rocks! Getting to the cave involves climbing over a few large rocks and we decided it would be nicer to sit by the water and take in the view (while having a well deserved chocolate based snack). It was really peaceful and except from the odd boat passing it felt like we were alone on the banks of the Loch. On the way back we took the lower woodland route to make the walk more circular. Despite not being a long walk I felt refreshed on getting back to the car. I think this is a good walk for everyone and a nice way to see Loch Lomond without the tourists of Balmaha and Conic Hill.

 The Facts on walking to Rob Roy's Cave:

• Starting point is at Inversnaid car park.
• Closest free toilets we went to were in Aberfoyle, but I'm sure Inversnaid hotel have some too.
• Walk is around 2 miles and takes about 1hr 20mins if leisurely strolling.
• Difficult points- steep grassy climb after the RSPB sign and scrambling to the cave after the Rob Roy Cave signpost.
• Wear- Waterproof clothes if it is wet and shoes you can scramble and climb in. Clothes you don't mind getting muddy.
• Perfect for anyone who enjoys woodland walks, Loch Lomond, scrambling to caves and a bit of Scottish history.