Go hard, or go home

You have undoubtably heard me refer to Run Dem Crew a fair few times already, and you may well have read my pre marathon interview with the crew's founder and leader Charlie Dark, here.

But just in case you're unfamiliar with Run Dem Crew, let me recap. RDC is a free running community which is held in London every Tuesday night and allows people (note I say people, not runners) of all capabilities to run the streets of London under the reassuring veil of night.

With members of all abilities and all backgrounds all running together, it encompasses everything that is great about running - and I personally can't wait to get involved.

They made a video explaining a bot about Run Dem, and if this doesn't inspire you, then nothing will...

Charlie and the Crew were really supportive of me during my marathon training, and I think that their enthusiasm and friendliness is well portrayed here. Congratulations to all at Run Dem, and I can't wait to join you soon.

For more information on Run Dem Crew, visit www.rundemcrew.com

Re-run like 'elle

Cripes, it's been a while. For the past 40 odd days and nights it's been since I ran the marathon I have been celebrating having a social life again. 

Training was great, and a truly life changing experience - but the intensity of it meant that I didn't get much time to spend with my nearest and dearest, so that's what I've been catching up on. Oh, and a few other things too...

Riding my beloved bike Polly Gretal

Playing dress-up in flame retardant suiting

Cruising in Ford Cortinas

Visiting art exhibitions

A spot o' shopping with friends

Spotting stickers

Drinking cocktails on rooftops

Eating fluro food

Ogling new Nike Hyperfuse gear

Visiting a few more exhibitions

Yet another exhibition

Hanging out with famous faces (albeit cardboard ones)

After a couple of fairly futile recent running attempts, I decided that yesterday's beautifully sunny Saturday was the day to crack my newly found fear of running and get out and pace the streets, and I was truly shocked by how hard I found it. Admittedly it was pretty warm, but it was tough none the less. I did my pre training route of once around the outside of the park, and by the end of the 2.67 miles I was exhausted!

Instead of feeling elated that I'd cracked my fear, I felt annoyed that I'd let my fitness decline to such a degree that I was out of breath by the time I'd reached the park gates. It really shocked me how fast my fitness has deteriorated (and if I'm honest, my body too!) But all is not lost, I cracked it once and I'll do it again. My challenge this time is integrating training in to my lifestyle...

On my run I wore the usuals - Shock Absorber sports bra, Sweaty Betty crop top & running socks, sweat wicking top, running shorts and Lunar Glide 2s all by Nike.

Run like 'elle loves Wilma Rudolph

I was reading about American athlete Wilma Rudolph the other day, and was really inspired by her story. If ever the phrase ‘triumphing over adversity’ rang true, then this would be a case in point.

Wilma Rudolph was an American athlete who competed in both the 1956 and 1960 Olympic Games. In the 1960 Rome Olympics she won both the 100 and 200 metre races, and was part of the winning team on the 4x100 metre relay team.

These wins made her the first woman in US history to win three gold medals in track and field events during a single Olympic tournament. But despite running the 100m sprint at the Rome Olympics in a record breaking eleven seconds flat, Rudolph was not awarded the world record title due to a strong wind, which was said to have increased her speed.

However, she went on to win the 200m sprint in a record breaking 23.2 seconds, and beat a second world record as part of the winning team who ran the relay in 44.5 seconds. These achievements earned her the acknowledgement as the fastest woman in the world, and the international press regularly referred to her affectionately as the Black Gazelle (Italy) The Black Pearl (France) and The Tornado (USA).

Part of what makes Wilma Rudolph so extraordinary is the adversity she overcame to reach her goals.  Born prematurely weighing a tiny 4.5 lbs, she contracted scarlet fever, whooping cough, chicken pox, measles and polio, which caused infantile paralysis in her left leg and meant she needed to be fitted with metal leg braces. After extensive hospital treatment Rudolph’s leg braces were removed when she was nine and she began to play basketball, just as her older siblings did – she was the 20th of 22 children.  She showed a natural talent and tenacity for sport, and she soon moved on to running.

Rudolph’s sporting achievements not only allowed her to realise her professional dreams, but also her ethical ones too. On her return from the Rome Olympics the Governor of her the hometown Clarksville, Tennessee threw a parade and banquet in her honour, but Rudolph refused to attend unless it was a racially integrated event – Tennessee as this time was still under enforced racial segregation, and the event was one of the first mixed race events to be held in the state. This strength of self contributed to Rudolph’s reputation as a civil rights pioneer, and she is credited as paving the way for African American and female athletes internationally.

She once said “Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us”.

I’m totally inspired by this woman, and wanted to share her incredible story with you.

The TG Foundation runs the Stockholm Marathon

This Saturday (May 28th) is the Stockholm Marathon and two ladies are running for a great cause, the TG Foundation, a charity which works to rebuild the lives of rape victims who are attacked by rebel militia in the North Eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The TG Foundation works with grass roots level charities to provide necessary treatment and care for women who have been treated as a commodity and subjected to rape.

Charlotte Gadd and Tatiana Giraud - the TG Foundation runners, are charity volunteers and Tatiana is the Founder & CEO of the TG Foundation. Proceeds raised from the marathon run will provide funds to support schooling and education grants for rape orphans in the city of Bukavu, Congo.

According to UNICEF, at least 657 cases of sexual violence involving women and girls were documented in September and October 2010, during mass expulsions from Angola to Congo: www.tgfoundation.org.uk

I wish Charlotte and Tatiana every luck for a wonderful day, and salute them for their devotion to such a worthy cause.

For more information about the TG Foundation, visit www.tatianagiraudfoundation.org

Leave a Message by Nike 6.0

I've alway wanted to learn to surf, but leading a London-based life is not massively conducive to pulling a 360 on an A-Frame. (That's a surfing term, I think?!)

It's one of those skills that sits on my metal 'must do' list, and alas it hasn't been done yet. But I always watch those surfers bobbing in the water, waiting for that perfect wave, and feel a little envious - as though they've got the best game in the world and none of us land dwellers are allowed to play it. Plus the simple fact that girls who surf are the coolest (along with female drummers).

Just in case you want to try something new this summer, watch this new film by Nike 6.0 and get inspired

Directed by Jason Kenworthy, Leave a Message is a performance surf film that follows six women who have helped redefine the sport. It's really evocative, and definitely makes me want to give surfing a try. Now I just have to slot it in somewhere between becoming a yoga guru, learning to speak French (well), learning to dance like Beyonce and becoming to be a good photographer.

Visit nike6.com/​leaveamessage to download the film for free

Never underestimate your ability

Image sourced from: wooshwoosh.tumblr.com

run like 'elle