The Liebster Award

I am happy to report this week has been a much better week and it isn't even finished yet! The highlight of my week was undoubtedly seeing McBusted at the Hydro in Glasgow with one of my friends from home!!!! We were massive fans when we were at school and saw McFly back in the day so it was a great excuse for her to come and visit!

McBusted!!! 

Anyway mid-week I got tagged in post by Freya Prentice; a friend from Bath. She is a modern pentathlete and has recently started a blog charting her 'Road to Rio' which I love to read so take a look. The post was titled the Liebster award which I'd never heard of so I was slightly confused but it is basically a bloggers chain letter (remember real chain letters - throwback!) so here are my answers,

1. What is your "go to" running route?



This is a tricky one as I do not actually run for any substantial length of time. My training is all speed and power based so my efforts are short and sharp - I am actually an awful runner! But my favourite spot for training is Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh where we run hills on cold Sunday mornings through winter! It's a stunning and often harsh location but I love it - it gets us out of Meadowbank (where I usually train) and out into the fresh air. Plus I love hill sprints so it is one of my best sessions even if it inevitably ends with half the group throwing up and the other half in heaps dotted about the hill.

2. What is your favourite blog to follow?
I don't actually follow too many blogs. My favourites are probably 'A yellow brick blog' which is a beauty and fashion blog by a girl I know from school; Kirstie Saunders. I like the way she writes and it is useful to pick up new tips and tricks as well as for product recommendations. I am totally useless beauty wise and spend my whole life in trainers and a tracksuit so I like reading her blog to feel girly! Another blog I like is 'A lifestyle choice' by a fellow athlete and Islander (although Jersey); Gemma Dawkins. Her instagram is also amazing. This blog is all about making good lifestyle choices for you and can be quite inspirational. Plus the recipes are amazing; I get serious food envy. I am a rubbish and boring cook so I try to pick up tips and advice from this blog so that I fuel better!

3. What is the best advice you ever received?
This is a really tough one! Mainly because I am really bad at taking advice! Recently the best advice I have received is to be assertive and ask for help if you need it. I also like sayings such as 'Ask yourself if what you're doing today is getting you closer to where you need to be tomorrow' sort of things. They are everywhere on Insta etc. but sometimes they just really resonate so I remember them.

4. Who is/are your favourite training partner(s) in life or running?

Sarah and I during WWT '14

My training partner Sarah Warnock is my fav :) She's a Scottish long jumper and competed at the Commonwealth Games last year in Glasgow. She has already PB'd this year and I am excited to see what she does in the summer! She has a good attitude to training, is argumentative and driven! All good things in my opinion :) she is also a great friend and looks after me up here in Scotland! I can't not mention James Groocock either. He's one of my oldest friends and we trained together from the age of 14 or so up to 22! We don't see each other very often now but always get together for our annual Boxing Day session at home where we jump the fence at our home track. Ah and of course my Skeleton teammates (Maddy, Ellie, Brogan, Hannah, Tim, Craig, Chris and Marcus) because only they know what it is like to face a track you've never slid and do it anyway!

Sarah in CWG action (she'll kill me for this!)

5. What is your dream job?
I feel very fortunate to say I have my dream job! I work as an exercise physiologist for sportscotland. I work with high performing elite athletes and coaches supporting their programmes to help make them better athletes. It is what I have wanted to do since I went to an athletics camp when I was 13 and met a sport scientist there. I'd like to work solely in one sport in the future and also abroad. My sister in currently living in Aus and I'd like to work there as they were the guys that really got sport science going.

At work in the Games Village last summer

6. What music/songs are on your workout playlist?
I only really ever listen to music when I am rehabbing and doing bike sessions in the gym. But my playlist consists of stuff from Clean Bandit, Jess Glynne, Rudimental, Calvin Harris, Gorgon City etc. I think my no. 1 choice would be Rhianna and Calvin Harris 'We found love'. It is just so good for sprints!

7. What food/drink/habit/item could you never give up?
Food - it's cliche but I don't think I could live without chocolate. Especially at Easter time - I am addicted to Malteaster bunnies! Drink - this is a tough one between gin and tea!! As I am an athlete I'll say I'd have to give up gin over tea (wow - that's a bold statement). Habit - being bossy. I couldn't stop this if I tried. Item - my cuddly toy rabbit Pancakes. I know I am 26 but she is quite simply my fav and always makes me feel better (I think I need a boyfriend!!).

Pancakes (on the right) and her pal Monkey in Igls

8. What inspires you the most to keep running and training?

I really love training; I don't think I'd ever stop being physically active. Even when I wasn't competing in LJ I never stopped training 5-6 times a week. It is just what I do. But training to be the best you can be with aims to be elite/the best in the world does require a whole new level of sacrifice and commitment. And what inspires me to live this way is the possibility that one day I could compete in an Olympic Games. It's that simple. That is the dream and whatever happens along the way would be worth it.

And that's it - thanks Freyja :) Eight questions. I nominate Gemma Dawkins and Katie McGibbon. 

Happy blogging x