Fasting for a liv(er)ing - plus what I pack for retreat

So, by the time you read this, I will most likely either be whizzing above the clouds in a metal tube or in Portugal.  Or, who knows, somewhere else entirely (because, after all, who knows anything?)
I'm off to test out a ten-day detox (this one is a juice-only cleanse, with added yoga). Nice.
I know it only seems like two minutes since I was in Austria, testing out the new VIVAMAYR clinic, undergoing the 'Cure' but, hey, this is what I do - I fast for a living. Can't be bad, huh?

This time I'm checking out Moinhos Velhos for Queen of Retreats.  I review a lot of lovely places for this great site - read my reports by clicking on this link.

Anyhow.  Right now (as in, a couple of days ago), I am (was) packing.  What does one pack for a juice fast with added yoga in Portugal?  Well, not so much really.  I don't like lots of luggage - I'm a firm believer in the art of smart packing (roll, roll, always roll) and the beauty of yoga and juice retreats in moderate climates is that you really don't need a lot.  If I can avoid hold luggage, I always do.

My essentials for yoga/fasting retreats

Manuka Mehndi leggings

* Yoga leggings x2.  I treated myself to a new pair in the Sweaty Betty sale and they're pretty good. But I'm also trialling some from Manuka which look and feel fabulous.  The beauty of nice yoga leggings is that they double up as bottoms for hiking, sight-seeing and evening wear.
* T-shirts x4.  
* FitFlops.  Have had a love affair with these ever since the fabulous Victoria Health sent me some to trial way back.  My current pair are shiny black so they still look reasonably smart for going out or evenings (doesn't often happen on this kind of retreat but you never know). Also they're uber-light.  I usually travel in a pair of Fitflop Mukluks which then double up as slippers on retreat.
* Hoodie.  Handy for chilly evenings or post-yoga coverup.
* Trail running shoes.  Heck no, I don't do trail running!  But they're great for hillwalking and rocks scrambling (should one need to rock scramble).  My current ones are ASICS from Sportshoes.com.
* Two swimsuits and one bikini.  Nothing worse than a soggy swimsuit.
* One kaftan.  This time I'm testing out the Seafolly one below from Coco Bay for Queen of Retreats.
* Two long black tops.
* One pair of shorts - rocking a rather fab Paisley pair at the moment from Zara.  Think they're meant to be men's swimming trunks but what the hell?
* One cardigan.
* Sunglasses and sun-hat.
* iPod (with new addiction, BassBuds headphones), iPhone (no need for camera) and fully loaded Kindle. Travelplug adaptors (x2).
* Notebook and many pens (stored in plastic pouch). Used to swear by Moleskine but have switched allegiance to Muji (fraction of the price and weight).
* Lightweight waterproof jacket (you never know).
* Stretchy black jeans (uber comfortable in case a spot of impromptu horse-riding occurs - I live in hope).  If not, handy for evenings.
* Light cotton bag with toothbrush, toothpaste, comb and trial size cosmetics.  At the moment I'm loving Balance Me.
* Tazeka Aromatherapy Travel Companion - I sniff it religiously throughout flights to ward off bugs.
* SF50 suncream.  Still looking for a totally natural one that really performs (and comes in 100ml sizes or less).  Suggestions welcome.
* Underwear, obviously.  Tend to take five pairs and wash while away.
* Cosy socks.  Even in a hot climate feet can get cold in savasana - particularly when fasting.
* Small lightweight rucksack.
* Passport, boarding pass, credit card, bit of local dosh (doh).  Plastic pouch for security check-in liquids.

Actually, now I've written it all down it looks like a heck of a lot.  But truly, it all fits into a small carry-on with room to spare.  Did I miss anything?  :-)

Me and my ASICS gonna run away...

So, this running thing.  You have to laugh.  I’d just started up and was going great guns when the snow came.  Now, I don’t mind a bit of weather – for pity’s sake we were doing kettlebells by the river in driving hail the other day – but I’m not good on ice.  Instead of striding along in my usual fashion, I morph into little old lady mode, clutching cars and walls as I inch along.  Truly it’s pathetic.  It hurts my pride.  This guy I know shouted on Facebook about how a little snow wasn’t stopping him running and I felt seriously peeved but then I noted that someone else had fallen, running on ice, and had broken her wrist.  There’s gung-ho and there’s plain daft. 

So, my lovely new running shoes fromSportsShoes.com had to sit in their box.  Oh, okay, I put them on and sort of jogged round the house in them cos seriously, they’re rather fab.  I hadn’t realized just how different running shoes are from normal trainers.  They’re slim and snug, they hug my feet like a second skin.  They make me feel all supported and…’held’…and that’s really rather a lovely feeling. 

But not very technical, huh?

In the end, after consultation with my running coach, Trisha, and a good peruse of the SportsShoes.com website (which offers advice on which shoes to pick) I plumped for the ASICS GEL-KAYANO®18.  These usually retail at a whopping £137.99 but were on sale at £89.99.  Still a heck of a lot of money.  ‘I don’t get it,’ I said to Trisha. ‘How come they’re so expensive when you can pick up a running shoe for twenty quid or whatnot?’  And she explained it’s all in the technology. The more expensive the shoe, the better the fit, support and cushioning apparently.  ‘And you really do need the right shoe if you’re going to avoid injury,’ she warned, pointing out that the main reasons so many people injure themselves running (ice aside) are wearing the wrong footwear and not following the right training regime. 

To be very honest, although my ASICS looked lovely, I couldn’t see what justified the price tag.  So I looked a bit further and seems it’s all to do with their GEL™ Cushioning System which apparently “dissipates vertical impact and disperses it into a horizontal plane.” It also has ‘gender specific densities in the midsole’ which sounds a bit…interesting.  I’d often wondered why you got men’s and women’s trainers – I mean, a shoe’s a shoe, right?  Wrong.  Seems that men and women place weight in different areas of the foot when they’re running.  I was also rather taken by the ‘exoskeletal heel counter’ that ‘provides improved support and an improved heel fitting environment for serious runners’.  Get that! Serious runners.  I’m a serious runner?  Like this guy? Hmm...I'm slower but I've got better legs.  

Actually, the Kayano 18 is probably a way more technical shoe than I, as a rank beginner, really truly honestly need.  It’s a bit like when, back last year, I was asked to test out a swimsuit and was fondling the Olympic quality stuff.  I turned to Trisha again. ‘How much should you pay, as a beginner, for a pair of shoes?’ And she reckoned around the forty quid mark would do it – but to make sure you do get the right shoe for your foot. 

Anyhow. Finally the snow and ice pissed off and the road beckoned.  On Sunday, before kettles, four of us took off round the lanes around Dulverton.  My feet felt – wonderful.  Just wonderful.  I wish I could say the same for my lungs but that will come with time.  And I kept the shoes on for kettlebells and they were superb for that too – providing a ton of grip which was really useful given we work out on a pretty rough surface. 

I have to say I’m impressed. I'm also now totally spoiled for cheap shoes - once you've felt that...snugness...it's hard to go back to a lesser holding pattern.  I was also impressed by the service from Sportsshoes.com and by their website which is easy to navigate and offers some great bargains.  Go take a look.

So now there’s not much else to say really.  I’m all kitted up.  The open road stretches before me and I’m off…gonna run, run, run, run away…  Catch me if you can.  J