by Mollie Millington | Jun 6, 2021 | exercise, quickie
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- 1 min- jumping jacks/star jumps, 1 min- prisoner squats (fingers on ears, squat down and then jump as high as you can)
1 min- Walking lunges
1 min- Cocoons
1 min- Reverse walking lunges (walk backwards)
1 min- Leg lifts
1 min- Bicycles
1 min- Bear crawl if you exercise regularly, push/press up if you are new to exercise
1 min- Crab dips for triceps
30 sec each side- Side plank
1 min- Jumping jacks/star jumps
1 min- Deep squat pulses while on toes
1 min- Around the world arms holding a water bottle or light weight
by Mollie Millington | May 30, 2021 | exercise, quickie
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- 1 min- mountain climbers, 1 min- jumping jacks/star jumps, 1 min- mountain climbers
1 min- Frontal and lateral raise (so arms are in L shape, alternating sides)
1 min- Plyometric squats (jump to switch which leg is in front)
1 min- Inchworm
1 min- Jump forward by going into deep squat and then swinging arms to jump forward and land on both feet
1 min- Bicep curl- lift hands up for 3 counts and lower for 1 count
1 min- Speed skater jumps
1 min each leg- Lunge and then bring knee up before repeating
1 min- Press ups against the wall, back of a bench, or on the ground
1 min- Leg lifts with holding feet above ground for 5 seconds before lifting legs up again
1 min- Crunches
1 min- Walking plank by going from elbows and then up to hands, then back to elbows
by Mollie Millington | May 23, 2021 | exercise, quickie
For this week’s quickie, you will need a flight of stairs and a reasonable amount of fitness. Be sure to hold on to the railing to avoid injury.
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- Walk up and down stairs for 3 minutes or until you start to break a sweat
1 min- ‘Box jump’ on to the lowest step from the ground. If this is too advanced, you can do step ups
1 min- Push/Press ups, inclined on steps for beginner, declined for advanced
1 min- One legged squat (right leg off side of step for a greater range of motion, squat with left leg)
1 min- One legged squat (left leg off side of step for a greater range of motion, squat with right leg)
1 min- Tricep dips
1 min- Reverse lunge by placing one leg on a step but facing away from stairs. Add in lateral raise
1 min- Reverse lunge by placing the other leg on step. Add in frontal raise
1 min- Stand close to bottom step, bend over, and place hands on the bottom step (or 2nd step if you can’t reach bottom step). Bend arms at the elbow to lower head closer to the step. Exhale and extend arms
1 min- Climb steps 2 at a time, but lunge before switching lead legs
1 min- Perform a plank on your hands rather than elbows. To make it more challenging, perform on a decline
1 min- Boat pose on the bottom step
by Mollie Millington | May 16, 2021 | exercise, quickie
For today’s workout, you will need either tins of soup, bottles of water or light weights.
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- Jog for 1 min, then pick up the pace for the next minute, and again for the 3rd minute
1 min- Burpees
1 min- Lunges
1 min- Bicycles (abdominal exercise) Think about the twist by doing slow and controlled
1 min- Press/Push ups over 4 counts (3 to lower and 1 to come back up)
1 min- Reverse curls (have legs in air and lift hips up off ground)
1 min- ‘Fire hydrant’ on left leg (kneel on all 4’s. Lift leg out to side with knee at 90 degrees)
1 min- ‘Fire hydrant’ on right leg (kneel on all 4’s. Lift leg out to side with knee at 90 degrees)
1 min- Boat pose
1 min- Alternating frontal and lateral arm raises with calf raises. Hold can of soup or bottle of water to make it more challenging
1 min- Triceps kickback You can do this with both arms while standing by hinging forward at the waist with a slight bend in your knees
1 min- Sumo squats (without a bar though. If you want you can hold a weight)
by Mollie Millington | May 13, 2021 | clothes, running
Salomon is a brand that I grew up with on the slopes. Since I moved to London, I started working with them to explore the roads and trails. They are super supportive of the running community, working with Love Trails Festival and putting on their own events at Box Hill. My winter shoes are Salomon GTX trail shoes, which keep my feet dry. I ran across the Wadi Rum desert in a Salomon 6L rucksack*. This week, I received the S/Lab Fore-Tex Shakedry* to review and it looks like Saturday will have appropriate weather to do so (full review coming soon).
Last week, Salomon contacted me about their Her Way campaign. Women do so much at home, work, training, and more, making them pretty inspirational wouldn’t you say? Salomon agree and are championing female awesome-ness with a new short film ‘Her Way’ produced by women and featuring three incredible ladies who are doing it their way and proving female stereotypes don’t exist (one is a nurse who has a daughter with Down Syndrome. I follow her on Instagram.). They are also giving away an amazing weekend in the Cotswolds for you and a female friend.
Salomon encourages you to nominate an inspiring woman from your day to day life, a mum, sister, bestie, girlfriend, and if you’re picked, both you and she will be invited to spend a fabulous weekend (23rd -25th of June) in the Cotswolds. Entries close 31 May, so if you want to win an exclusive invitation to Salomon’s Women’s Getaway and a full head to toe Salomon outfit for you and your friend, submit your nomination today. Ten runners up will win a Salomon WMN box including some sustainable Salomon goodies. All it takes is a few minutes of your time for the chance to play outdoors with one of your favourite people.
I am going to nominate my friend Becs, who became a mom last year during the pandemic. She is handling it like a champ even though she hasn’t been able to have family and friends help out her and her husband out. She is always up for an adventure, an incredible ultra runner, and someone I am lucky to call a friend. Fingers crossed she can leave the baby with her husband for the weekend if we win.
There a few pieces from the Salomon women’s collection that I would love to get my hands on:
Outline shell jacket in Olive. Springtime can be a bit rainy, especially if I am camping. s specifically created for women and provides protection from the elements thanks to a 2.5 layer membrane, with robust 3 layer panels on exposed areas to give added protection. Super light and easy to compress and stow, Salomon’s MotionFit technology delivers freedom of movement whether you’re trail running or hiking with a backpack. I tend to keep a raincoat handy just in case I need one, and layering is a good way to keep warm and dry.
On my feet, the Salomon Sense 4 are made for the trails. Not only do I love the colors, but these shoes are comfy and responsive thanks to Salomon’s OptivibeTM cushioning incorporated into a design aimed to absorb vibrations and decrease muscle fatigue without weighing you down. A full rubber Contagrip® outsole gives confident grip on any terrain and Profeel film protects your feet from sharp objects. They also have a neutral support which I need for my Achilles issues.
Who are your favourite people to explore the outdoors with? What makes them special in your eyes? Leave a comment below and let me know.
*Indicates I was gifted the product for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
by Mollie Millington | May 9, 2021 | exercise, quickie
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- Walk up and down stairs for 2 minutes. Squats for 1 minute
1 min- Push/Press ups against a wall, on a stable counter top, or on the ground
1 min- Knee lift to opposite elbow while standing. Twist upper body at the waist
1 min- Walking lunges
1 min- Jumping jacks/star jumps
1 min- Mountain climbers
1 min- Push/Press ups on knees or toes
1 min- Boat pose
1 min- Forearm plank
1 min- Supermans
30 sec- Side plank left
30 sec- Side plank right
1 min- Hop-hop-low squat then 4 punches
1 min- Lunge down then jump up and switch legs into another lunge
by Mollie Millington | May 7, 2021 | clothes, product review, sponsored post
When I saw that my blood sugar could be monitored in real time using the Supersapiens app and an Abbott blood glucose sensor, I thought it was the coolest thing since sliced bread (Facebook advert algorithms work!). As a scientist, anything that provides data on my performance helps me understand what is going well and what isn’t. As a person with a very sensitive stomach, I am cautious about what I use as fuel during training. At some of my World Marathon Major races, I stopped five times to use the bathroom. This makes it very hard to PB if you are constantly wondering if you will have an accident and where the location of the next toilet is. The technology the Supersapiens app is offering, along with the Abbott Libre sensor, will hopefully help me nail down how often I need to fuel (maybe not every 5k?) and what works best for a stable blood glucose.
Many diabetics use a biosensor to monitoring their glucose levels through interstitial fluid rather than the traditional finger prick to obtain blood. The Abbott FreeStyle Libre 2 sensor tracks glucose every five minutes via an app or monitor. There is no limitation on the range of readings and you can program an alarm to indicate if the glucose reading it too high or too low. In contrast, the Libre sensor tracks in real time via Blue Tooth range of 50-200mg/dL. For this reason, the Libre sensor is not suitable for diabetics.
I have only worn the biosensor a few days so far, but already have a few tips on how to make the most out of your sensor. In all the photos on the Supersapiens website (and this blog post), the sensor is applied to the outside of the arm. Three days after applying my first sensor, I knocked it off by bumping into the door frame. May I suggest mounting the sensor on the inside or underneath your arm? One of the other ambassadors purchased an armband holder* to keep the sensor in place. Rotate where you put the sensor so the skin can heal. I have read that a few diabetics will put their sensor on their thigh or chest but I have not seen this an an approved spot to wear the Libre sensor. Before application, clean area (use hand sanitizer or ethanol to remove oil from the skin) and shave the area if it is hairy to ensure a good seal with the sticky pad. The sensor will stay on for a shower and for up to 30 minutes when swimming in shallow water. You can buy a single use performance patch for races to ensure it does not come off. My friend who is diabetic says she uses athletic tape to adhere the sensor sometimes but can’t guarantee how long it will stay on for.
Over the first week, I had to get used to maintaining connectivity via Bluetooth. Sometimes the sensor disconnected and I had to initially reconnect with NFC to sync to my phone before the Bluetooth kicked in. I am not a very techy person, so if you have any tips on the connectivity, please leave a comment below. While I was sleeping, the app and sensor disconnected but this may be to my phone going into power saving mode. The biosensor will hold data for a maximum of eight hours. Luckily, Maple never lets me sleep in late so I was able to see my glucose is fairly stable while I sleep.
The more information you can add to your glucose graph, the better, as that is how you can start to understand how your body creates and uses glucose. I love how you can enter ‘events’ to the graph to log when you eat, sleep, fast, stressed and/or exercise. I would suggest entering events after they occur as the time options are not in real time. I just kept a small list of things to log throughout the day and sat down at night to record them. Many of the members of the Ambassador Facebook group have commented on how combining foods will affect the glucose reaction. For example, eating pasta alone causes a spike but if you add vegetables and beans, the glycogen is released more slowly.
Supersapiens has a large knowledge area to its website, where you can read more about glucose monitoring. They also have a Strava club, Facebook group and Zoom calls every week to talk to their experts (although Zoom might be for ambassadors only). To learn more about glucose monitoring, as well as some tricks and hacks for the continuous glucose monitors, check out Type One Talks on YouTube. I find his info very useful. He even reviewed the Libre sensor.
Are you interested in trying these sensors out? Apply to become a Supersapiens Ambassador via this link. You would be in the company of Nick Butter, the first person to run a marathon in every country in the world, is currently circumnavigating Great Britain by running 200 marathons in 100 days. Fuelling will be a large part of making this challenge a success. Another name you may have heard of is Eliud Kipchoge, who is also using the Supersapiens app and Libre sensors to maximize his performance. I am excited to say he and I will both be at Tokyo Marathon in October, but I don’t think I will be able to catch him.
I will be wearing my remaining sensors in an inconspicuous place for the next six weeks in the hopes that they last the entire two weeks. I haven’t decided yet whether I will be investing in the biosensor and app in the long term yet. Now that I just started working with a run coach, it is the perfect time to focus on the fuelling aspect too and use the data alongside her sessions. I would love to hear if you think glucose monitoring is the way forward and if you have any questions about how it works. Leave a comment below and I will do my best to answer them in my follow up post.
This post was sponsored by Myprotein. They also gave me the clothes in the photos above. The pink outfit is from their Adapt range, red and black from their Power Ultra 2.0 range, and casual wear from their Raw Training line. Supersapiens sent me complimentary sensors as part of their ambassador program. All opinions are honest and my own.
*Affiliate link, which costs the buyer nothing additional and helps pay for this site
by Mollie Millington | May 2, 2021 | exercise, quickie
For today’s workout, you will need either tins of soup, bottles of water or light weights.
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- 1 min mountain climbers, 1 min burpees (modify with incline press up on a bench if necessary), 1 min star jumps
1 min- Hip raises with right leg in air
1 min- Hip raises with left leg in air
1 min- Toe touches
1 min- Forearm plank (make more challenging by stepping feet out, out, then in, in)
1 min- Press ups (down for 3 beats, up for 1)
1 min- Reverse lunge (in standing position, step one foot behind you for a lunge. Return foot to start. Repeat on other leg)
1 min- Star jumps or burpees
1 min- Reverse lunge (in standing position, step one foot behind you for a lunge. Return foot to start. Repeat on other leg)
1 min- Prisoner squats (Place hands on ears. Squat down and then jump up)
30 sec- Small arm circles forward (Hold bottle of water in each hand to make more difficult)
30 sec- Small arm circles backward (Hold bottle of water in each hand to make more difficult)
1 min- Bicycle abdominal exercise (Keep elbows wide and twist slowly to feel on your sides)
1 min- Windshield wipers (Lay on back with feet up in air. Drop one leg to the side as low as you can while you keep hips on the ground. Lift foot back up to start. Repeat on other leg)
by Mollie Millington | Apr 25, 2021 | exercise, quickie
For today’s workout, you will need either tins of soup, bottles of water or light weights.
Remember to go for QUALITY over quantity. If you are unclear what the exercise is I am describing, please look for a video or arrange for an in-person tutorial with me. Please consult your doctor before engaging on any fitness regime. Don’t forget to breathe! Please email me if you want tips on how to make the quickies easier or more challenging (mollie@ptmollie.com).
Warm up- 1 min walk up and down stairs, 1 min star jumps, 1 min walk up and down stairs.
1 min- Pilates trunk rotations- Keep gaze and hips facing forward. Extend arms in front of chest. Keep arms straight and move them from right to left, while thinking of the ribs sliding back and forth.
1 min- Teapot left side- Place right hand on right hip. In left hand hold a bottle of weight or light weights. Gently lower left arm towards knee while keeping body in a straight plane (do not lean back or forward). Return to standing position.
1 min- Teapot right side
1 min- Wrist curls- Sit Indian-style/cross legged. Rest forearms on knees. Have a light weight or tin of soup in each hand. With palms facing up, let hands hang down. Then bend wrists up.
1 min- Reverse wrist curls- Sit Indian-style/cross legged. Rest forearms on knees. Have a light weight or tin of soup in each hand. With palms facing down, let hands hang down. Bend wrists up.
1 min- Supermans
1 min- Leg lifts
1 min- Mountain climber with knee to opposite elbow- Place hands and feet on ground with hips raised in the air (very similar to Downward Dog). Bring opposite knee to opposite elbow as you move forward so shoulders are over hands. Return to starting position.
1 min- Press ups
1 min- Deadlift- Hold tins or weights in your hands. Bend over and let arms hang. Stand up simply by bringing hips forward. You should squeeze bum on the way up. Your pivot point is your hips.
1 min- Squat
1 min- Lunges
by Mollie Millington | Apr 21, 2021 | outdoors, travel
With staycations part of the new normal during last summer’s lockdown, we decided to take a week to explore some of the Southwest of England in August 2020. It was our first proper camping trip and to make it more fun, we brought our puppy, Maple. We had no idea how she would do in a tent, in the rain, at the beach, and/or with others at the campsite. While some people (including the people on the pitch next to us) enjoy sitting at their campsite all day while admiring the view, I prefer to stay moving and active. Devon seemed the perfect place to allow for all sorts of options- paddleboarding for me, cycling for James, walks in the woods for all of us, and hopefully restful nights of sleep.
James made an extra effort to find a campsite with somewhere close for me to paddle. Our trip started in Bristol at my in-laws and then we stopped in Seaton on the way to our campsite in Slapton. It was my first time paddling in the sea and it was so different from paddling in the London Royal Docks (a protected quay). The water was much more active and the wind was intense. I also struggled with the large pebbles that were wedged into my sandals as I walked from the land to the water’s edge. It was a similar issue when I paddling at the beach by our camping site but the rocks were a little bit smaller. I don’t know much about paddleboarding kit, so my board might not be best suited for the open ocean. This is something to consider if I want to keep traveling with my board. Many other people enjoyed the beaches too with swimming, surfing, body boarding and walks along the beach.
Dorset has numerous sites to visit courtesy of the National Trust. We would have loved to have visited one the properties but didn’t manage to find the time. You don’t need to be a member to explore the grounds but may have to pay a fee to park or enter premises. I know many people have joined the National Trust this year as international travel doesn’t seem likely in the foreseeable future and many families enjoy planning days out with the kids with a National Trust destination as the highlight.
One thing I always do when I am near water is look for fish (blame my degree in marine biology). Not that I can usually tell what they are as they dart around, but it makes me happy to spot them. If I am ever walking by someone who is fishing, I will probably ask what they are aiming to catch. In Devon, I was surprised to see lots of families with strings on the edge of the harbour walls when we were in Dartmouth. Turns out crabbing is a summer activity that visitors try. In all the tourist shops, you can buy a plastic contraption to catch crabs. Of course, you need to find your own bait (raw chicken seemed to be a popular choice), but the people I saw were having great success. One family had an literal bucket full of crabs. I asked what they were going to do with their catch and they replied 1throw them back’. I would imagine fishing from the shore and by boat are very popular activities for people living in and visiting Devon too.
We didn’t plan too many structured activities as the weather could change at any moment. Plus, Maple’s behaviour was (and still is) a bit unpredictable as we were in a place she was unfamiliar with. While I love that the majority of the UK is dog friendly, we were worried about what we could do with her if it rained. Cinemas and museums do not allow dogs and there is only so much time you can spend in a pub, so before we left home, we researched indoor activities we could do if it rained all day. On the Wednesday, it was already pouring when we woke up. We ended up booking a steam train and harbour cruise excursion with Dartmouth Steam Railway. The biggest selling point was that they allow dogs. We had to drive to Paignton, where we caught a steam train to Kingwear. From there it was a quick ferry ride to Dartmouth. We had some time to kill in Dartmouth before our harbour cruise. Unfortunately, with the downpour, everyone was seeking shelter from the rain, making it impossible to find a place to grab some food and drink with our dog. Long story short, Maple wouldn’t nap which made her uncontrollable. We had to take the ferry back to Kingsmear and then a taxi to our car. Of course, she instantly fell asleep in the taxi once she couldn’t see any of her surroundings. The weather was pretty terrible so I am not sure the harbour cruise would have been as much fun as if it were sunny out. Even now, I don’t think Maple would nap when out so this is something we need to keep in mind if we ever planning a rainy day activity again.
With marathon training, I had a few nice runs during our week away while the sun was out. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a good paved path along the seafront near our campsite. My options were either the car park or sandy paths. I tried running along the shoulder of the road but it just wasn’t wide enough to have an even surface for both feet. The local woods had a few trails which I explored but trail running sometimes irritates my Achilles tendinopathy so I was cautious. A few portions of these trails were also shifting sand, which brought back memories from my week of running in the Jordan desert. Maple and I retraced my steps later in the day. She loved all the different smells but was afraid of the water. This fear is a little frustrating as we would love to take her paddleboarding some day (I even have a life jacket for her in our shed). Recently, she has started walking through puddles so maybe by this summer she will be up for a swim.
Cycling seemed to be the most popular activity if you counted the amount of bikes in our campsite. The gated paved site was a small loop, allowing all the children to cycle around while Mom and Dad cleaned up after meals or packed the car for the day. James packed his cyclocross bike and took it off-road, finding some muddy gravel paths (probably due to all of the rain we got). These paths are also good for hiking or walking, with or without a dog, of course. If you prefer road cycling, the area around Slapton is hilly so the area might be better suited for adults rather than kids if you wanted to take the bikes off of the campsite.
Of course, you can’t go to the British coast without sampling the fish and chips. Our campsite was a nice 20 minute walk to a few seaside shops and pubs. While I don’t eat seafood (I have worked with fish for too long to eat them), James was happy to have his traditional holiday food on the beach while sitting in the sun with a beer by his side. It is funny how good weather can have such an impact on your trip. Good weather means great memories. Wet weather can bring funny stories to share later. Unfortunately, we ended up packing up camp a day early as more rain was forecasted. We didn’t have the patience to sit in a tent with an eight month old deaf puppy while cold and soaking wet. On the days it was dry, there was loads to do outdoors in and around Slapton. However, with Maple, it limited what we could do indoors. If you don’t have a dog or perhaps a better camp set up to deal with rainy weather, I would highly recommend exploring Slapton. With the UK lockdown restrictions easing, I imagine there is even more things to do there this summer.
Have you ever camped with a dog? Leave a comment below with your tips on how to make it more fun for everyone. We definitely need some advice!
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