Author: Pippa @ Pip in Motion

Uhhh so it’s been a hot minute since i posted on here… apologies all round. Since I’m trying to get over myself and actually write something, I thought I’d share where I’m at currently, and what’s been happening recently.

What’s been going on

• Summer has arrived in the UK and it’s hot as balls.
• I’m a month into a new job and things are ramping up nicely.
• Things have been a bit horrific in the UK politically, and that’s part of what’s led me to hide away under my pillow.
• I’m in a bit of a lull with fitness – but maybe that’s the heat.

Workouts

I’ve been trying to switch up my workouts to first thing in the morning, with about a 50% success rate. What’s bothering me about my morning workout attempts:

1. I hate mornings.
2. I’m not having very efficient workouts in the morning, (see above).
3. I feel slightly rushed and don’t have time to play around and try new things.

I’m hoping that this is just part of the transitional phase, and that my workouts will get better as I start to get more used to being up earlier in the morning. For now I’ll generally get to the gym and do something fairly straightforward like the step machine or spin bike, before moving onto bodyweight and kettlebell circuits once I’m a bit more awake. My main goal at the moment is to be able to do a pull up – I’ll keep you posted on that one!

Running

I’m in a funk with running, it has to be said. I’ve been going through the motions but not really feeling it. My ankle is still sore, and my calves are stiff pretty much every morning when I wake up. So it’s not ideal. I’m supposed to be running a Salomon Sunset Run this weekend but honestly I’m not sure I’m up to it. My calves feel raw and sore, and I think it might just be time for some TLC.

Everything else

I’ve been really busy recently with work, family time and hanging out with friends – a real priority since my birthday, when everyone was so lovely and reminded me how many people I have around me. As much as I love spending time with those close to me, I haven’t had much breathing space, and so I plan on getting some real self-care in over the weekend (read: sleep. God, i need sleep). But all things considered, it’s not a bad, heading for burnout kind of stress like I was feeling a few months ago – it’s more a whirlwind of activity, which I can definitely get on board with.

How have you been? What’s new in your world? 

How do I get my mojo back?

Lots of love,

Pippa

Okay folks. You may (or  may not) have noticed that I didn’t post last week. I had written my weekly update and was ready to hit Publish when the events of Saturday night unfolded. A van rammed into pedestrians, and then men got out and began attacking unsuspecting Londoners with knives. Eight people died, with many more injured.

Thankfully and luckily, I was at a friend’s house only a few miles down the road, and as such was never in any real danger. But I have to say it shook me – more so than previous attacks on the capital. The London Bridge and Borough area are like a second home to me. My running club is based just a few minutes from where the attacks took place; I drink at those bars and eat at those restaurants. The odds of me being a victim of the attack were always slim; but at the end of the day it could have been me, or someone I care about. The whole area holds a really special place in my heart; it’s where I’ve met some of my closest friends, and where I’ve had some of my most difficult, beautiful and meditative runs. It feels like home, and I was just so distraught to see it threatened and attacked in such a heartless way.

I was heartened, nonetheless, to hear stories of Londoners coming together; such as the wall of post-it note tributes,  countless cab drivers offering free rides to anyone caught up in the attack, and most importantly the Londoner who took his pint with him whilst fleeing from terrorists and became an unlikely symbol of resilience.

I spent most of Sunday in a funk. I’d slept on my friend’s couch the night before – going home on public transport in the midst of a terrorist attack didn’t seem like the most prudent course of action – and I just couldn’t get my shit together. I was tired, both emotionally and physically, from watching the news unfold in the early hours of the morning, and I was stunned that this had actually happened in my city. Again.

It’s been a weird week, all things considered. We started off with a nervous commute on Monday morning, an evacuation of Trafalgar Square – right by my office – on Wednesday; a general election on Thursday and the post-election chaos that ensued on Friday.

I’m sorry for this rant. It started off as an explanation of why I haven’t been posting this week; and then it just turned into something else. Normal service will resume tomorrow, I promise. But for now, I just wanted to profess my the overwhelming love and pride I have for my city, no matter what. We stand together. 

Lots of love,

Pippa

Well it’s been a good week all things considered. I’m not sure how much I’m making a comeback in terms of running, but life has been good. So let’s catch up, shall we?

What’s been going on

It was my birthday!! On Monday I turned the ripe old age of 26, and brought in a new year with friends at the most gorgeous Italian restaurant. Aside from that it’s just been a fairly standard week at work with some exceptionally hot weather in London.

Workouts & Fitness

This was the second week of my new morning workout regime, and I have to say it didn’t get off to the best start. Monday it was my birthday – and no way am I getting up to do a 6am workout on my birthday, thank you very much. Tuesday was the aftermath of slightly too many glasses of champagne, and so despite swearing blind to my Uber driver that I was getting up at 6am the next morning to go for a run … that didn’t quite materialise.! Nonetheless, these are the workouts I did manage to squeeze in:

• Monday: Rest day – my birthday!!
• Tuesday: Rest day – sliiiiightly hungover
• Wednesday: Sandbag circuits, 30 mins cardio + abs
• Thursday: 30 mins cardio + abs
• Friday: Short circuit 30 mins cardio + abs
• Saturday: Dog walks
• Sunday: 4 mile run in the sweltering heat

Running

I stayed off the ankle for the most part this week, as everything was feeling very achey from The Comeback 10K. Today however I managed two loops of a 2 mile loop near my Mum’s house. It was glorious if not swelteringly hot, and so I ran mostly thinking about the iced coffee that was waiting for me at home!

Food & Nutrition

This week has to be one of my proudest weeks, nutrition wise. I got bought a gorgeous vegan birthday cake by my new colleagues, and I had the most scrumtious chocolatey-fudgey slice. Now this may not sound like a win, but for someone who’s typically struggled with food, even avoiding birthday cake in previous years, I was pretty damn proud of myself! Cake and prosecco are what it’s about sometimes – that’s why it’s called balance. And also, as if my colleagues went to the effort of tracking down vegan cake for me?! They may be keepers.

Everything else

From an emotional point of view, things have been better. Whilst I still have the Family Drama going on, I’m now in a job which is a better fit for me culturally, and overall I feel more relaxed. I have a bit more headspace, and I’m able to process some of the things that have happened over the past few months – which can only be a good thing!

How’s your week been? 

Lots of love,

Pippa