Author: Pippa @ Pip in Motion

Well hello there! It’s time for my weekly update – definitely trying to be more consistent with these, especially now that I’m back running a lot more regularly!

What’s been going on 

Well, a lot has happened since I last wrote an update!

It’s been a long while coming, but at the start of October I handed my notice in at my job. To cut a long story short, I hadn’t been happy for a while, but had always tried to see the positives – and there were plenty. But ultimately, it got to the point where work stress was seeping out into the rest of my life, and I didn’t have any balance at all. Eventually, the bad outweighed the good, and I had to call it quits.

I finished up my last day at the end of October, before taking a bit of time out to figure out my next move. I ended up taking two weeks out, before starting a new freelance role which will hopefully be a better fit for me. It’s been a hectic time, trying to figure out work and plans, and what the hell I want in life. Nothing like asking the big questions, eh?

Running and Fitness

I found it quite difficult not being at work and having a routine – so I found myself getting quite anxious. Thankfully, running always helps me burn off that excess nervous energy, and so I found myself running pretty much every day – which is a huge deal, considering how much difficulty I’ve had with my running over the past few years.

I did fuck up a little bit, however, as I pretty much tripled my mileage in two weeks, and ended up with sore calves and a niggling pain in my shins. So for the moment, I’m sticking to cycling, weightlifting and pilates, with the occasional run thrown in whenever I really need it.

Food & Eating

Since coming back from Mexico, I’ve been trying really hard to eat intuitively, as opposed to tracking every calorie with MyFitnessPal. Without going into too much detail, obsessing over my eating habits has been something I’ve struggled with over the past few years, and so it’s a huge challenge to just eat intuitively and listen to my body. 

At the moment, my main focus is to eat a whole foods plant based diet as much as possible, although I have to admit I’ve been eating way too many of my homemade vegan sugar cookies – but it’s Christmas after all!

Everything else 

To be completely honest, I’ve had a lot on my plate the past month. I’ve come back from an amazing holiday, finished up my last few weeks at my job, taken two weeks out, and started a new freelance role. It’s been tough. Whilst everyone told me to luxuriate in my time off, I really struggled, and found myself getting increasingly anxious as the days went on.

The main antidote for me was running, and I found myself remembering exactly why I love the sport so much – I’m so glad that it’s available to me as an option for when everything’s feeling too much, and I just need to get out of my head for half an hour. I’m not saying it’s a perfect solution, but it’s definitely helped me keep on top of things.  Now that I’ve started a new job, I’m settling into a routine, which is definitely helping me mentally. It’s early days, but fingers crossed it’s a good role!

What’s new with you? 

Lots of love,

Pippa

Well folks, it’s come to that time of year. The clocks have gone back, there’s a discernible nip in the air, and London seems to be host to more cloudy days than not. This can only mean that we’re fast heading into Winter, which means one thing, and one thing only:

I need a new running goal. 

I’ve always found that having a goal, and specifically, a goal race, helps me get through the winter. I don’t know what aspect it is that helps most -whether it’s just forward planning, instead of bunking down and waiting for the cold months to be over; or whether it’s as simple as having to be out training most days, come rain, shine or snow – but a goal always gets me through!

So here’s what I’m after:

• A half marathon
• January or February time,
• Preferably in or around London

Any suggestions?

Lots of love,

Pippa

Well hello there! It’s been a hot minute since I did a favourites post, but there has been so much I’ve been loving recently, that I just couldn’t resist sharing with you all! So without further ado:

H&M Activewear

Recently I’ve fallen in love with H&M’s cotton singlets. The cut is really flattering, and they come in gorgeous pastel colours that make my post-workout face look a little less red! I was lucky enough to get H&M vouchers for my birthday and I’ve spent them entirely on activewear so far- it’s definitely helped with my motivation!

Kombucha

I’ve been learning all about gut health recently, and have learned a lot about the benefits of kombucha. Now, this stuff isn’t cheap, but whenever I find it on offer in Whole Foods (or get a free dinner because I’m working late) I snap it up! I do find it helps my stomach, and I like knowing that I’m doing something good for my body.

Growing succulents

This is a bit of a rogue addition, but I’ve become obsessed with growing my own succulents by propagation. I’ve done a ton of research, and now have a veritable collection growing in my flat. I’m especially lucky because my room gets lots of natural light, and so is essentially like a greenhouse in Summer. Growing plants has definitely become a favourite habit of mine, as it gives me the chance to switch off, and connect with nature, even in my little London flat.

Home baking

I’ve been doing my best to make my own snacks for work, as part of my efforts to cut the crap out of my diet. Though, even when I do make them, they seemed to get snapped up pretty quickly by my colleagues! My favourite recipes are banana bread bites, walnut tahini cookies, and chickpea protein bars.

Instagram workouts

I’m obsessed at the moment with finding workouts on Instagram. My favourite people to follow at the moment are Sarah’s Day, Carly Rowena and Status Flow Fitness – though I’m constantly finding new people to obsess over!

Pulsin Protein Bites

This is my biggest indulgence at the moment – and I absolutely love them! They’re high in protein and they taste like cookie dough. Admittedly, they’re not quite the same as the real thing, but given how good the macros are, I’m not complaining.

So tell me, what have been your favourites this month? 

Lots of love,

Pippa

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