January.

It may have been a wintery month here in the UK, but I have had the best start to the year, so I thought I'd give a little round up of my January..

Healthy Balance
I wrote in my 2016 goals post that I wanted to lose some chub and become more confident within myself this year and it has to be said - this month was a pretty good start.

The first thing that needed targeting was my diet. Like everyone else, nutrition went out the window in December and food was 100% the priority (but not in a good way). I began the month by following fitness blogger/YouTuber Carly Rowena's '14 day flat belly' food plan and it was exactly the kick up the bum I needed to get into a healthy routine. I'm now using the 'MyFitnessPal' app on my phone to track my calorie intake daily and being really conscious of fuelling my body with the goodness it needs to function to it's best ability. I feel so much better for it!

If you're looking for something to get you on track with your food, check out the plan here and get down to your supermarket, you won't regret it!

Friendship
Towards the end of January I had a little weekend away in Paris to catch up with my oldest friend and her traveling buddy. We shopped on the Champs-Élysées, went to Disneyland together and had the best time (although it was freezing!).

Other than a brief catch up in December it was the first time we'd seen each other in over 6 years, so as you can imagine there was a lot of talking to do! A sign of forever friendship is when no matter how long it's been, it feels like nothing has changed, and that's exactly how it was. It's so special to have a friendship like that and I'll treasure it forever. 

Marathon Training

There's also been the little task of continuing to train for the Paris Marathon this month, which I've really been enjoying. My two mid-week runs tend to be in my lunch breaks at work, which is an awesome excuse to get away from my desk and destress. Long runs are getting longer (14 miles this week!), which are beginning to take over Saturday completely. I'm so excited to travel to Paris to take on the marathon for the third time and am determined to beat my 2015 time. The aim is to be the best version of myself! 

Quote of the Month

"The best way to predict the future is to invent it."

 - Alan Kay

Hope you've all had an awesome month and are owning 2016 :) Bring on February! 

Marathon Bucket List

I'm a dreamer. 

On a daily basis I will come up with a new occupation I'd like to try, or a new destination that needs visiting. These days those destinations are more often than not places that hold marathons and the list is getting pretty long. It drives my family crazy..

In the hope of giving my family a break, here's a little post of my 'Running Bucket List'; The current top 10 races I'd love to conquer. Let me know if any of these are top of your list, or if you can think of any I should add! 

10. London Marathon

I'll be 100% honest here and say that I don't fully agree with some aspects of the London Marathon and think that it's a little overrated.. but it's still a race that I'd like to say I've run. Pounding the streets of London with epic crowds would be an awesome experience, but I'll be waiting for my ballot place to come through (in 10 years maybe!) or aim to get a Good For Age place. 

9. Tokyo Marathon

The five other Marathon Majors are on this list, so I'd love to make the set and do all six (apparently you get a certificate too!). Tokyo would be awesome.. because y'know.. Japan. It's a great country and very culturally different from the UK so I feel like running a marathon there would be a real experience.

8. Boston Marathon

Boston is definitely a dream for me, as the qualifying time is a lot faster than my current PB. Nothing is impossible though.. 

7. Berlin Marathon

We all know that the current world record was run in Berlin, and simply for that reason I would like to have a go at this one. If I've ever got a chance of breaking 4 hours for a marathon, it will be here!

6. Chicago Marathon

I was actually lucky enough to be accepted for the Chicago Marathon in 2015 with a friend, but unfortunately when it came down to it, it all got a little too expensive and would have broken the bank. This is still up there on the to-do list though and looks like a marathon with a really fun vibe.

5. Uganda Marathon

In 2015, the first Uganda International Marathon was held in Masaka. By entering, you sign up to a week in Uganda beforehand helping out with charity projects in villages nearby. I followed the journey of many runners last year and was so inspired by the unique nature of this race and the experience you are given in the week that you're over there. I would absolutely LOVE to make this trip of a lifetime and have it on my radar for 2017.

4. The Great Wall Marathon

Now this marathon is cool. Tipped as one of the most challenging marathons in the world, the Great Wall Marathon does what it says on the tin and takes you up, down and along the Great Wall of China, as well as through nearby villages. Like the Uganda Marathon, a package trip is offered for a week and looks like really good fun. 

3. Los Angeles Marathon

The idea of seeing more of LA than Disneyland excites me massively (sorry Mickey!). I feel like the LA Marathon 'stadium to sea' course is an awesome way to see parts of the city that are usually packed with traffic. It could be a very good way to kick off a two week LA break?! 

2. New York City Marathon

Watching the NYC Marathon on TV is pretty much an annual event for me. Each year I'll sit there, inspired and determined that next year I'll be there. It hasn't happened yet, but it won't be long!

1. Kauai Marathon, Hawaii

Hawaii is somewhere I have always wanted to visit but never had the chance, and I feel like the Kauai Marathon would make a very good excuse. From what I've read there are serious hills and the temperatures are ridiculous, but it looks stunning and this is absolutely number one on my list right now. 

2016 Plans | Running, Weightloss & Travel

Hey guys, long time no blog!

Life has been kicking my butt recently, which has meant very little blog time, but I'M BACK! It's only three months until marathon time and reading everyone's fitness blogposts or just scrolling through the running hashtags on Twitter and Insta keeps me motivated, so I can promise I'll be online more now that 2016 is upon us.

I thought I'd give you a little update and a run-down of what 2016 has in store for me..

BRIGHTON HALF MARATHON takes place on 28th February and is my first race of the year. I did this one last year (go to my MarathonHarry YouTube channel for the vlog) and absolutely fell in love with Brighton in the process. When entries opened for 2016 I just couldn't help myself. From there, I'll be keeping up my training program (2 short runs, 1 long run, 1 swimming session, 1 kettlebells session, 1 yoga class each week) up until the PARIS MARATHON on 3rd April. This will be the third consecutive time I've run this marathon and I can't wait. Paris is the most beautiful city. Although I'm determined not to put myself through the pain of running it a fourth time next year, I'm looking to be a volunteer in 2017 because I love the atmosphere.

That's all I have planned running-wise, but I'm sure other races will be added to the list. Hackney Half 2016 could be a plan, but nothing is decided for sure yet. My other 2016 focus is to shed some of my chub. Any other long distance runners will know that losing weight and training don't really go hand in hand. I'm particularly bad at giving into the 'RUNger', but I will be good this year and get to a stage where I'm confident in my body. Step 1 is to stop eating chocolate for January (I know.. I'm crazy!). Hopefully now that I've told the internet that, I'll stick to it. Watch this space.

I started a second YouTube channel late last year, for more non-fitness/health based videos. It's a big aim of mine to be posting there regularly this year, so go and check it out and subscribe if you fancy seeing me goof around on a weekly basis.

Travel is also top of the to-do list this year. A trip to visit family in New Zealand is a must, but I would also love to discover some new places. Going to the US for the first time in over 10 years might be pretty cool.

That's it from me tonight, here's to an awesome 2016. We have an entire year to make our own, so go out and chase your dreams, I dare you :)