Later on this week, HCX will be teaming up with CoppaFeel to complete Exeter’s 10km RockSolid course, raising money and awareness to help young girls get to know their breasts and promote early detection of breast cancer symptoms. As the day approaches, we caught up with a couple of our girls who will be participating… First up we have our very own Health and Fitness Editor, Rebecca Steele.
What is your weekly training regime?
My weekly training regime is less of a regime per se and more of a ‘see how we go’. I like to take fitness seriously, but I also like to keep things flexible. Typically, I will go to the gym around 4 or 5 times a week for a minimum of 40 minutes. For at least 3 of those sessions I will focus on cycling on the university gym’s spinning bikes, attempting to cycle upwards of 25km per session. When I cycle I love to push myself both in terms of the distance I can achieve and the difficulty. Essential to my training is doing intervals of high intensity cycling and more moderate paced cycling so to get the blood and energy flowing. At least one session I will dedicate to doing squats and improving my upper body strength through doing assisted pull-ups and bicep curls. I probably need to spend more time on my upper body if I am honest!
Is there a particular aspect of this regime you enjoy the most?
I love cycling as you can probably tell, so doing this with a friend or even after a stressful day in the library is my favourite part of the regime. Its good to go with a friend every so often so to make sure I’m not slacking too much when I train by myself, plus it’s a great opportunity to let out all that pent-up stress and nerves.
Honestly I don’t really have any particular secret or trick in terms of motivation. Most of the time I am logical about whether I have enough time or energy to go to the gym and try to not feel guilty if this means going more than a day without going to the gym. When I do aim to go to the gym I make sure I go onto campus in my gym gear so I’m all ready and without any excuses. Essentially what it comes down to for me is simply putting on the clothes and filling up my water bottle.
Why are you supporting CoppaFeel, and what does it mean to you?
Unfortunately my godmother died when I was young from breast cancer and it is this that has often inspired me to participate in races and fundraising so to raise awareness of cancer. I believe that CoppaFeel has a great aim and purpose to the work it does and I am very proud to be supporting such an organisation.
Personally I am not too worried about what I look like in the gym. For me, whilst it is great to feel good when you work out, if you are going to work out then concentrate on that. Don’t plaster your face in makeup! I see so many girls with a full face of make up on in the gym and to be honest they look ridiculous. The gym is a place to sweat, to push yourself and improve your fitness. Don’t worry about what you look like just enjoy your workout.
Do you have a favourite outfit to exercise in?
I love the three quarter-length leggings Nike makes. I tend to wear a pair of just plain black ones with a rim of pink at the top and although they may be boring, they are so comfortable! To me, if I feel comfortable then I feel confident. I also love to wear a brightly coloured, preferably purple, sleeveless racer-back top. I feel like the bright colour gives me a sense of energy but also the lack of sleeves makes me feel unrestricted and able to maintain a good body temperature.
Do you have a special meal/snack that energises you?
Porridge in the morning can keep me going for hours. It’s a great source of slow-releasing energy and for me it honestly makes the difference between an average workout and a kick-ass workout. Sprinkle a few pumpkin seeds and a drop of honey in the porridge and you are off to a nutritious, energy-packed day.
Any advice you would like to share with fellow runners?
Don’t let injuries get you down. Before I broke my coccyx I was a regular runner and tried to participate in lots of 10km runs. When I broke it I was unable to run and this really threw me off my game. I stopped going to the gym all together and became really demotivated. I found it really hard to get back into a routine at the gym and often found myself leaving before even half an hour had passed. However, since signing up for this I have pushed myself to go and embrace the gym. Whilst I currently stay away from running, I have taken this opportunity to embrace a new form of cardio. Injuries may put you out of the game for a while but its really up to you to get yourself back there and pushing yourself. Don’t let yourself make excuses for not going. Wait until you are better and then get straight back to it!