Athlete Pizza

Another food favourite of mine – 5 Minute Athlete Pizza. Being a busy athlete, sometimes the last thing I want to do is cook and prepare food. As a quick 5minute fix for my lunch – this has been ideal.

It sounds a little weird but I love it as a quick snack. I use any wrap, usually wholemeal as they are a little thicker, spread some tomato passata on the base, add peppers, salami, fennel seeds, basil leaves and then cover with some grated cheese – usually mozzarella or cheddar. 

The base is a little strange to get used to and perhaps doesn't quite qualify as a standard 'pizza' but it still tastes good! The 'pizza' is then placed under the grill at the highest heat for a minute or so. 

Loneliness of a Distance Runner!

The loneliness of the distance runner! This was one of my first sessions back after my end of season break.

20X400m on the track down at Stretford, Manchester. It was absolutely freezing and a tough session to slog out all alone. Tuesdays are almost always on the track for me. Thankfully now, I get to do the majority of my sessions with the wonderful Gemma Steel rather than completely on my own.

She really is amazing to train with. Such a strong athlete – setting the pace from the word go and consistent in her times, lap after lap. Training with a 10K, half marathoner is definitely having a positive affect on my fitness - it makes me focus on becoming a lot stronger over the longer distances and using my strength to produce some speed in the summer season. I don't get the chance to day-dream within the longer sessions and loose concentration because Gemma is ON IT. Every rep is important.

20x 400s is a key session for me throughout the year and we even sometimes revisit it over the summer in order to see where my endurance is at. Repeating the same session at certain points throughout the year allows you to gauge exactly where you are and compare to previous times which I find vitally important in order to learn what works and doesn't work for you as an athlete.