Festival necessities...

...for the over 30s.

There. I said it.  The game's up. I'm a tricenarian and proud.

Although I do get stupidly excited on the rare occasion I'm ID'd – except that one time in Waitrose when I misunderstood and triumphantly brandished my driving licence at the cashier, only to be told that she'd actually just asked if I wanted a carrier bag – I have to admit to myself that some things have changed since hitting and exceeding the big 3 0.

Things like my sensibilities towards sanitation, sleeping conditions, noise pollution and people in their late teens; all of which can be experienced at festivals.

  

There was a time when I'd have rolled around like the proverbial pig for 4 days straight and not batted a mud-fused eyelid.  A time when a 10 minute snooze every 48 hours would have happily kept me going.  A time when I could have emerged from a vomit-stained tent with a hangover gifted by Beelzebub himself, looking dewy-skinned and perky.

Not. Any. More.

I appreciate that the Glastonbury babies, born into a pair of wellies, will already have this down. They’ve been doing the festival thing for years and are well versed in both the necessities and horrors of camping en mass to music.  But, for those of you who may have come to the world of festivals slightly later in life, here are a few points to note and some essentials for what will, no doubt, be a brilliantly fun weekend.

1.  Toilets / Lavatories / WCs / Loos / Shitbox

When, on the first day of the festival, someone asks you if you'd like to purchase unlimited usage of the 'luxury loos' for a tenner, you say 'YES'.  'Luxury' does not mean luxury, it just means clean.  By day two, you'll be willing to sell your tent for that privilege.  By day three, your husband/wife/children. 

Alternatively, buy a Shitbox (below) and DIY. 

2.  Tent

If you're planning on getting more than a little squiffy, I would recommend attaching some kind of insignia to your tent.  Picking your way back drunk, in the dark, through a giant campsite full of tents that all look the same is a recipe for disaster. 

You could invest in a Field Candy classic to ensure your temporary home really stands out.

3.  Clothing 

Clearly this is a matter of personal taste, but one thing I would say is that it makes life a lot easier to wear swimwear instead of underwear.  For some reason, stripping down to your bikini in public makes you feel far less exposed than whipping out your smalls; useful when trying to get changed in a space the size of a kitchen cupboard. 

I also favour short wellies over long - much cooler in the heat and can always be supplemented with a big pair of wooly socks if it's particularly chilly.

4.  Slap & Barnet

Wet wipes, Flash Balm, BB moisturising cream, waterproof mascara, dry shampoo, done.

5.  A good night's sleep  

This is where I start to sound like a bit of a fogy, but if I'm only going to get three hours sleep, those hours had better count.  This is where the ear plugs and eye mask come into play.  Don't be embarrassed, no one will see you wearing them inside your tent and you'll emerge smug and much more rested than your neighbours who've been kept awake by your drunken snoring all night.

   

The necessities above can be found here (clockwise from top left):

- Field Candy Tents

- We Are Handsome swimwear

- Shitbox

- Hunter Survival Kit

(includes eye mask, poncho, ear plugs, tissues, wet wipes,  waterproof plasters, mini torch, glow stick, toothbrush,  toothpaste, karabiner clasp*)

- Hunter Shoreditch Boot

- Nordic House cushions

- Clarins Flash Balm 

- Bumble & Bumble dry shampoo

- L'Oreal revitalift BB Cream 

*I have no idea what this is but it sounds pretty hardcore. 

Run, fat girl, run!

Please don't be offended, I didn't mean you.  I was talking to myself - something I'm sure a lot of you do when out pounding the pavements, in an attempt to make time pass that bit quicker.

It happens every year.  I watch the London Marathon, feel exceedingly inspired by and in awe of all those taking part, swear I'll sign up for a similar challenge and then... that feeling dissipates and is replaced by the need for a glass of wine.

Well, not this year.  I’ve made an Olympic effort (sorry!) and signed up to a 10km and a half marathon.  I’m not a complete running novice, but it definitely wasn’t something I enjoyed and I really needed to dig deep to find the impetus to start and keep going.  That was until, I joined a running club.

A discount email popped into my inbox advertising 60% off 10 sessions with Run Club London.  Now, I could claim that Run Club is a bit like ‘Fight Club’, given how much pain I was in the next morning, but then I wouldn’t be able to talk about it with you lovely people, so let’s scrap that assertion.

I meet Lizi, our trainer, in Wimbledon Park and it’s immediately obvious that she’s extremely friendly and super-encouraging as she asks about my previous running experience (nigh on zilch) and whether I have any events lined up, as I’m sumo-lunging my way around the periphery of the park cafe. 

The group, 9 of us this evening, is a mixture of newcomers and regulars and, as we set off for a lap of the park, I soon realise that there are varying levels of proficiency.  With my legs burning from all the lunging, I manage to complete the lap not too far behind the front runners and am feeling pretty jubilant until I realise that this is just the warm up.

Run Club

Now the real work begins, which comprises a series of tempo and agility exercises using cone markers to map out our course.  We’re split into two teams and start by ladder running, hopping over and weaving in and out of the cones and then running backwards to the starting point, repeating twice.

Next we race to complete a circuit of cone exercises and short bursts, which culminates in 3 sprints, each one about 10 metres further than the last, by the end of which my legs are screaming and my heart pumping furiously.  Then it’s onto our backs and non-stop bicycle curls until the last person in the team finishes the circuit.  Although the ground is wet and muddy I drop straight onto it, legs flapping in the air like a debilitated beetle, grateful to give them a few minutes’ rest, even if those minutes do involve ab work.

Our penultimate exercise is to try to complete as many laps of the green as we can in 4 minutes.  Lizi gives us our time for each lap and the intention is to use this as a benchmark that you aim to improve upon each session.  After a couple of minutes to get our breath back we go again and, strangely, it’s easier the second time around.  Maybe my legs are starting to get some of that muscle memory people are always talking about.

As we walk towards the steps to do some dynamic stretching and a warm down, I get chatting to a girl who’s signed up to do a half marathon at the end of the year.  We bond over the fact that neither of us actually enjoys running... yet...  but agree that if we keep up these sessions, that’s highly likely to change.  The combination of endurance, tempo and agility training, with a group for a whole hour, is so much more effective than anything I would push myself to do. 

I’m told by one of the regulars that the difference you experience in your running after a few sessions is considerable.  The main difference I experienced the day after was the inability to walk, but that can only show how hard the session must have worked me.  I'll definitely be keeping it up but the real test will be my first 10k in 3 weeks’ time.  I'd imagine it'll make Bikram feel like a walk in the park... well, maybe more like a jog.

A local gem

Well, local to me, that is.  But I strongly recommend a visit if you're in or around SW19 - perhaps during a little-known tennis tournament hosted by the area in June?

Bayley & Sage is a neighbourhood food store that stocks an incredible array of fresh, seasonal produce, luxury artisan brands and products from independent local suppliers.  For those of you who know and love Wholefoods, it's a similar deal but, in my humble opinion, ten times better.

For starters, it's small but perfectly formed (this is coming from someone who has been lost in Wholefoods countless times, mind), thereby narrowing down choice and making the process of deciding what to have for supper a whole lot quicker and easier.  

Plus, there is only one store, so it feels like a true independent food-lover's paradise.  It's also within a stone's throw of Wimbledon common, so you can work up a real appetite with a brisk walk first and have even more of a reason to treat yourself once inside.

But that's enough talk from me - why don't I let some photos speak for themselves.  Happy salivating!

Fresh, fresh, fresh!

At last, somewhere I can buy handfuls upon handfuls of samphire as opposed to piddley little packets (this is obviously when I don't go foraging for it myself!)

Soooo many different breads and freshly made goodies.

Olives for every day of the week.

Breakfast cereals made by Bayley & Sage customer Kate Freestone - talk about supporting local producers.

At least 4 pigs' worth of gorgeous cured meat.

 One word, 'yum'.

 Say fromage.

Well, you can't have one without t'other!

A true local gem. 

Do let me know of any similar places near you that I can investigate (read: drool on the floor of) when around and about London town. 

Bikram basics

Namasté

It’s likely you’ll have heard of Bikram, or hot yoga, as it’s sometimes called, and claims that you can burn up to 1000 calories in one session.  You may even have given it a go and sweated your way through the 90 minutes wondering the entire time what on earth you were doing there.

As far as I know, every Bikram yoga studio in the UK offers the opportunity to take on a '30 day challenge'.  It costs around £30 and challenges participants to undertake 30 consecutive daily classes, the thinking being that it takes this amount of time to make or break a habit. 

I took that challenge and can honestly say that it was one of the hardest yet most beneficial things I've ever done. 

There are many incredible benefits that can be listed, but I believe that everyone will experience different ones, depending upon their body and lifestyle. So instead, I've established a few helpful tips to assist anyone tempted to give it a go or still in their first few weeks of practice.

Top tips

1.  Breathe:  This is perhaps the most important thing you can do in the class; slowly and deeply, in through the nose and out through the nose (except at the very beginning and end sections of the class).  Focusing on your breath and slowing it down after each posture helps you to block out everything else that’s going on – the intense heat, the sweat, the voice in your head that’s screaming at you to leave the room.  Your breath is your strength.

2.  Keep hydrated:  Given the amount you will sweat in class, this means more than the usual 2ltrs a day – around 3ltrs on days that you practice. I’d also recommend including coconut water in your diet.  It has more potassium than the equivalent amount of bananas and is full of electrolytes; a perfect natural sports drink.

3.  Check yourself out:  Okay, not quite like that, but it is very helpful to be in a position where you can see yourself in a mirror during the class.  Try to lock your gaze and keep the focus on you and your body’s alignment.  Don’t be tempted to check out the guy standing next to you – he’s all disgusting and sweaty anyway, eeuwgh!

4.  Don’t wipe away the sweat:  a) It is one of the most fruitless exercises you will ever undertake as more and more will keep forming and b) You won’t be allowing it to do its job of eliminating waste through the skin and cooling you down.  If you're finding it difficult to keep hold of your limbs due to slipperiness, keep persevering - your muscles will become stronger the more you try. 

5.  Remove your make-up:  All of it.  Not only will this allow your skin to breathe and for the better expulsion of sweat along with all those nasty toxins, but it will also prevent you from looking like a panda, which is extremely distracting when you’re concentrating on point 3.

6.  Respect it:  Now, I'm definitely no purist but, having made the mistake of drinking a couple (ok, quite a few) glasses of wine the night before a morning class, I seriously suggest re-thinking this type of preparation. I should have stuck with just a couple.


7.  Less is best: When it comes to clothing, that is.  Small, tight items in sweat wicking fabrics are best - you'll regret those heavy joggers and baggy t-shirt about 15 minutes in.  Please believe me when I say that you won't feel in the least bit self-conscious about your body during the class and will be more concerned with what it can do than what it looks like.  

8.  Don’t eat for at least 2 hours before class:  If you do, you will feel sick. Fact!

I challenge you to give it a go! Do let me know how you get on.

NB. Please consult your GP before embarking on any kind of exercise programme. 

Lifestyle...

Lifestyle [laif-stail] - noun

1. A way of life or style of living that reflects the attitudes and values of a person

I don't believe that there's a more all-encompassing word.  

It has a different significance for everyone, but pretty much sums up day to day existence, whatever that may involve.

Banksy

Recently celebrating my 7 year anniversary as a Londoner made me wonder whether I'd get 'the itch'.  You know, the 7 year one, where you inexplicably feel like you want to do something or be somewhere different but are not quite sure what or where. 

Well, I'm very glad to say that I can't foresee the need to scratch happening any time soon.  
Almost every day I discover something new and exciting that I think is worth sharing. Everything from a yummy recipe to a little-known London hangout, or some killer quick exercise moves to a great freebie business resource. 

Maybe it's because I'm lucky enough to live in (what I think is) one of the world's greatest cities, with endless options to tickle any fancy you might have on any given day. 

Or maybe it's because, with a little imagination, passion and fun, life can be full and varied - wherever you may be. 

Whatever your lifestyle, I hope you'll find something here that interests or inspires you, or even just a few silly pictures that make you smile. 

I'm Celine and I hope that you enjoy reading my blog as much as I do writing it.