Second Chance Summer

Last week, having been signed off placement early, I was free as a bird to enjoy the unusually warm weather.

It felt like a second chance to do lots of things I somehow hadn’t got round to doing in the summer, like cycling home to Rutland, and going wild swimming in the Peaks.  Having unexpected opportunities when I had been preparing myself for shortening days and cold nights makes these things sweeter and more special –I berate myself for not grabbing the first opportunity I have to do them, but then somehow it wouldn’t quite feel the same and I wish I could adopt the ‘second chance’ mindset even when I take the first opportunity.

A far more extreme version of this has become apparent to me this week whilst researching spinal cord injury for an essay I’m supposed to be writing. Melanie Reid, a journalist for the Times, has been blogging her rehab after becoming tetraplegic after a riding accident. Her portrayal of agonising loss of mundane things most of us never pause to think about has made me think very hard, and I can’t help but feel if she were to regain nerve function she would savour these things much more than you or I ever will. So today I very purposefully delighted in the feeling of wet grass under my bare feet in the garden, picking raspberries for breakfast, making biscotti, cycling to the market and even putting the washing out. It has changed my attitude to my race on Sunday from apprehension to excitement – so I may not perform my best on no training, but I can run! And it feels wonderful! I want to bottle this feeling of gratitude and awareness, but I know that all too quickly it’ll fade and I’ll forget that not everyone is able to enjoy these lovely things that so many of us don’t realise we are blessed with.

Sunday is a half-marathon and part of my lack of excitement was to do with its complete lack of the two best bits of triathlon. Secondly, I know it’s going to hurt, and one half of me is standing by my calculated decision not to smash it but run comfortably, the other half of me is irritatingly competitive and doesn’t really understand the meaning of this. The thing I’m most excited about is my sister running her first half (I’ll have her into tri soon, and she won’t look back!) and she even has a bottle of NouriSH waiting with my parents at the finish – so she’ll still be able to bounce around the classroom on Monday morning teaching algebra to year 10s. Or at least not hobble.

nouriSH me now athletes' feedback

Here are some of the comments from Sheffield Tri Club on nouriSH me now!
http://sheffieldtriclub.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1316640620/6#6

buxton triathlon

Absolutely fantastic day at Buxton Triathlon - not only did nouriSH me now go down a treat, but loads tried our new flavour - Blackcurrant, Vanilla and White Tea - the feedback was absolutely fantastic so our new flavour will be out soon by popular demand.  I can't tell you how gratifying it is when people try it for the first time and really love it.  We're such a small company and we're in a market which is riddled with big players like Pepsi/Glaxosmithkline yet people are loving and buying our product.  Thankyou to everyone who supports small business and loves nouriSH me now.

nouriSH me now at Lincoln Children's Triathlon

Had a really great day at Lincoln Children's Triathlon.  It was so interesting taking a natural product there - loads of parents telling us it is just what they want for their kids and it was really well received by the children there.  The comments we had were from people concerned about additives, sweeteners, caffeine etc, all the things we think about for our children.  Some kids didn't like it - but the overwhelming majority drank it five minutes after finishing their race and came over to the stall for more!  Looking forward to Buxton Triathlon tomorrow.

new events for nouriSH me now

Been an exciting week for nouriSH me now! Coleman's Deli and Spar (both in Hathersage) are stocking nouriSH me now for a trial so PLEASE buy some!!  We're off to Lincoln Triathlon Club's Children Triathlon to provide nouriSHment for the athletes plus providing nouriSH me now to triathletes at Buxton Triathlon on Sunday. 

Mum’s the word for high-energy drinks - Food and Drink - The Star

Mum’s the word for high-energy drinks - Food and Drink - The Star

nouriSHing Leeds triathlon

We've just returned from an amazing day at Leeds Triathlon organised by Xtramile events - a slightly blustery standard and sprint triathlon!! just had an amazing time meeting all the athletes and getting brilliant feedback from them - including people saying they used nouriSH me now on the bike leg of Helvellyn triathlon last week.  It's so exciting for a small company like us to be able to take our product to so many athletes out there .... we're so glad you like it!!! Please keep your comments to us coming. Lynwen & Rachel

nouriSH me now supports Team GB triathletes

Sheona McKay just took 4th place at the ITU Triathlon World Championships today - what a complete star!! It was her second time representing Team GB as an age-grouper and, as someone who loves nouriSH me now, she wore our logo on her GB suit.  She's had a great year and I think her training philosophy over the past 12 months has been to have fun and totally enjoy running and cycling around the peak district.  We're really proud that she likes our drink .... congratulations sheona!  Totally can't forget Catherine Faux - current ETU long course WORLD CHAMPION - another amazing girl who loves to bike and run around the peak and then just happens to win every race she enters!! Another person who uses nouriSH me now and probably an athlete to keep an eye on the future.  They have been nouriSHed!!!!!

Pickled cucumbers. Mmmmm.

As I write, it was exactly this time two weeks ago I would have been coming to the end of the bike leg of the European LD Championships in Tampere, Finland, looking forward to an 18 mile run between me and the finish line.

I absolutely loved Finland - I think I fell in love with the country when I woke on the plane at the moment we were flying over countless lakes - and this set the theme for the rest of my trip. The Finns are definitely on to something - with a population of around 5.5 million but 2 million saunas, they abandon the cities at the weekends having all flocked to cottages by lakes for simple pleasures of swimming, fishing, relaxing in the sauna... (if the in-flight magazine is to be believed). The lakes are vast and clean and invigorating. I swam everyday I was there, and only once (racing) in my wetsuit. Splashing about in a lake for no reason other than the joy is hard to beat, and a completely different experience to the frenzy of a race.

One of the minefields of racing abroad that I am quickly discovering is the issue of not having familiar food or drink. I managed to avoid the slightly dodgy looking gels during the race, but at the finish line, as promised in the race information, were pickled cucumbers. Different (but equally disgusting) to pickled gherkins, I'm wondering if these are either something supposedly native and characteristic to Finland, or some magical recovery secret the Finns are keeping to themselves... I ate a tiny piece, chased with a much better tasting swig of NouiSH. Three days of chilling in Helsinki followed and I was thankful that I was feeling pretty normal the next day, so my legs didn't prevent me from seeing all the sights on foot. I somehow think it was probably not the cucumbers that contributed...

Lynwen’s at the business end of triathlons - Sport - The Star

Lynwen’s at the business end of triathlons - Sport - The Star

nouriSH me now sponsors a fantastic new talent

We're really excited at NouriSH me now as we've just agreed to sponsor a fantastic up-and-coming triathlete.  Catherine Faux won the second ever Outlaw ironman distance triathlon last Sunday, smashing the previous course record, winning the women's race in 10 hours 22 minutes.  Superlatives don't even do her justice - she's only been 'tinkering' in the sport for 3 years and already is on team GB.  She is a Sheffield-based medical student who has to fit in her mammoth training sessions around her study.  What we especially liked about her was her ethos of using totally natural products to fuel her recovery - so watch this space and watch out for her name in the future!  Speaking of training in general, life and poorly children have conspired against any training for me.  I must say I'm feeling a bit unfit and podgy right now. Going to try to get going tomorrow ... just have one more sip of red wine ....

nouriSH me now goes West

Have just spent a wonderful few days in Anglesey, where I grew up, talking to different gyms about nouriSH me now.  We've had such a positive response it's really overwhelming.  A lot of people really appreciate the fact that one of our suppliers is Plas Farm in Gaerwen - known for their yoghurt and amazing ice-cream.  The kids and I did out bit for market research and tasted five of their flavours at Llanddona beach today - mint choc chip seems to have been the winner.  I've been doing quite of lot of ice cream scoffing and chip munching since I competed at the Europeans last month.  Training has been scarce to be honest, but I need whip myself into shape (again!) and might actually run tomorrow. Today was the first day for awhile that I felt I really needed to get out. Visiting two gyms tomorrow then up to Llyn Padarn with the kids for a day in the mountains.  Will get my mum to drop me off on the way home for a run or I may try and sneak up Moel Eilio if things are looking babysitting positive!! xx

weekend bliss!

The kids finally finished school and Friday, so six long weeks before the school appears again!  Just visited my sister and family in Derbyshire and caught up with my brother inlaw who ran up Snowdon yesterday.  Andy really has started challenging himself with some the races that he's entered and he's only been running a short time. Anyway gave him a nouriSH me now drink to take after finishing and he really enjoyed it.  He loved the cherry favour and post race found it just what he needed to quench his thirst.  A happy customer!

new drink and new plans

We've had such a great reponse following on from the Hathersage Hilly.  Firstly, so many of the Sheffield Tri Club have enjoyed the drink, and secondly we're now booking up for events for nouriSH me now!! The Matlock Mercury published a story on us and we're now going to be selling nouriSH me now on August 31 at the Matlock Triathlon.  We're so pleased - it's such a great event and we're looking forward to it .. speaking of preparation, my training has gone off the boil since the Europeans .. hamstring injury, busy with the business - life! The great news is that Rachel has promised to do the Hathersage Hilly next year, so if anyone reads this, we can make sure she sticks to her promise.

Right, now going to try and watch the Tour on ITV4 with a big glass of wine - that's another application for nouriSH me now - it's fantastic for hangovers! xx

Launch of new natural sports recovery drink

OMG!!!!!!!!! We launched our first natural sports recovery drink on Sunday at the Hathersage Hilly Triathalon in Derbyshire.

After a very early start and carrying our bottles from our basement to the car, which I have to say was much harder than I thought it would be, but thinking about the potential weight loss!!!! we headed out to Hathersage. Normally I'm tucked up in bed at 6am or being woken by the kids, I drove our into Derbyshire to another world.  To my surprise the roads were very busy and the morning runners and orienteerers were out in force.

We set up our stall and by 7o'clock we had our first nouriSH me now stand.  Lynwen and I were very proud, after all our hard work we'd arrived.  The first atheletes started at 7.30, so we waited around in anticipation for our first customers, scared but excited!

Hooray!!! our first atheletes arrived, we ran over to give the first through a freebie, they liked it, or so they said, that was good enough for us!

We were on a roll! We gave out testers and had some fab feedback, it wasn't for everyone, but hey, you can't please everyone.  The stand had a lot of interest and we started to sell bottles - how exciting.

What a day - such a buzz!!!!!