9bar breakfast bar - wheat free, gluten free and vegan

9bar have just launched a new breakfast bar range.  I eat the original bars (peanut and fruity are my favourite) during long runs and on ultras as they are easy to digest; the seeds have slow release carbs for a constant energy supply and they have a decent amount of protein to feed the muscles.

I was very excited to receive some samples of the breakfast range. The original 9bars are around 50% seeds/nuts, the breakfast range is around 25% with gluten free oats and soya protein crispies replacing the seeds.  Instead of honey or golden syrup as in the original range rice syrup and agave nectar has been used.

All varieties are wheat and gluten free as well as being vegetarian society approved and vegan.  The photo shows almond and raspberry. 

The texture is a cross between cereal bar and flapjack. All flavours are moist as well as quite chewy but not chewy and hard work like a protein bar.

Full nutritional information on each flavour is here  http://www.9bar.com/shop/category/breakfast the photo shows information for almond & raspberry but in brief they are all similar and have around 230 calories per 50g bar, 9g protein, 2.5 g fibre and 17% RDA calcium although the amounts vary for each flavour.   

For comparison weetabix breakfast bars contain the same calories, half the protein less sugar and fat.  As the main ingredients in these are seeds/gluten free oats they are slower release so keep you full for longer, they are also a lot more filling so don't leave you reaching for another snack an hour later.  

 

My husband is not too keen on 9bars, he says they are 'too healthy' and doesn't like all the seeds.  When I told him about the new bars he was not that interested as he thought it was just going to be another health bar but when he tried them he was pleasantly surprised and loved them too - the seeds were disguised enough for him not to notice!  I think I will need to hide these!

My order of preference is ...

1.  Almond & Raspberry

Wow, these are gorgeous, I didn't think a healthy bar could taste so good -it's like Bakewell tart. I am not that keen on raspberries so initially was dissapointed to see raspberry had been combined with almond (one of my favourite flavours).  However, I was pleasantly surprised - almond is the strongest taste with the raspberry being quite subtle.  I can imagine these being a top seller, I hope wholebake can keep up with demand; my new favorite snack of all time (apart from a chocalate bar!). 

2. Coco & cashew

I am a big chocolate lover so was especially excited about this coco flavour with (vegan) dark chocolate chips it didn't dissapoint. For breakfast sweetness is just right. If you don't like cashews don't be put off as the chocolate flavour hides them yet you still get their goodness.  For an afternoon snack I would like more chocolate chips but that's because I love chocolate.  Having said that they are really nice and a close second.  For a healthy chocolate bar alternative this is as good as it gets without all the fat and sugar.

 

3. Apricot & strawberry

I like strawberries but am less keen on apricots although I like the flavour.  Apricot was the stronger than strawberry, so if you like apricots this is for you as it was a good apricot taste.  I liked it but prefer the above two; that is just my taste though. My mum loves apricots but is on holiday so I couldn't get her opinion!

 

4. Peanut & raison

This was ranked 4th by both of us although having just had another might be pushing it up to 3rd.  You can taste the raisins but don't really notice the peanuts. There is no strong flavour (which is why we ranked it 4th); just a nice moist chewy bar. For people who don't like such strong flavours or chocolate then this is the one.  It would be ideal if you struggle to get breakfast down on race morning or want something plain.  I think this is the safe flavour which everyone will like; no one will dislike but it will probably not be the favourite for many people.  

I hope that this has given you an idea of what to expect.  At the moment you can only buy them from the 9bar website where you can get a selection box to try all flavours or a box of just one flavour.   Postage is free. If you are a friend message me as I have a 20% discount code.  They will soon be on sale at independent retailers then supermarkets 

Skechers Gorun3 review

I have been wearing the Gorun2 for over a year now so was excited to receive the new Gorun3 a few weeks ago.   

The material is slightly different with the upper having a bit of a pattern on the gorun3.  The pink is just as on the picture, they are bright - I love the colour - I am keeping them for best as they are too nice to get dirty just yet! The green/white is nicer than it looks on the picture - good alternative for people who don't like bright colours yet is still a bit different to usual shoes.   I saw the purple at the London marathon expo, that looks really good - a nice deep purple and the black with pink laces looks better than in the picture on the website.  The ladies seem to have a much better selection of colours.

The biggest difference for me is the tongue which on the Gorun3 is now like the Gobionicride - the weight has been cut down but the tongue is not as soft so if you didn't get it lined up right it could be uncomfortable ( this has yet to be a problem for me although I prefer the tongue on the gorun2)

The other noticeable difference is the heel counter which on the Gorun2 is a bit more squashable; on the Gorun3 it is more sturdy but still quite soft and mouldable (much softer than on the speed which I found to be too hard until I bedded the shoes in) 

The sole is the same - my Gorun2 have now done over 400 miles so are looking a bit worn but still have life left, I expect to retire them around 500 miles as I do most shoes, they look good for at least another 100 miles. 

When you first put the shoes on you will feel like you are wearing slippers they are so soft and flexible as well as being really comfortable. Like all skechers shoes (apart from the Gorun speed) there is a wide toe box so your toes have plenty of space.  I have narrow feet; this is not a problem as it's the toe box that is wide not the whole shoe.  There is a 4mm drop on both models and they both have M strike technology which promotes a forefoot landing which is argued to be more efficient than heel striking.  

I wore the new Gorun 3 for a few short runs then 11 miles before wearing them for the London marathon on Sunday.  I love them (just as I love the Gorun2).  The ladies size 7 weighs 182g (on my kitchen scales) so they are very light giving you a good feel of the ground yet with a surprising amount of cushioning for the weight. Yes you feel stones through them so I wouldn't use them on gravelly /stoney paths but that's the price you pay for lighter shoes.  At no point in the marathon did I think 'I wish I had more cushioning'  they are so light you almost forget you are wearing them. I was very happy with how they felt  throughout just as I was the previous model and was not desperate to take my shoes off once I had finished as used to be the case when I wore clompy Asics Cumulus or Mizuno wave rider.

I have used the Gorun range for all race distances up to marathon (Gorun ride beyond marathon as more cushioning) as well as speed work and a lot of my steady runs as well because I like them so much.  

This shoe is not going to be suitable as a marathon shoe for everyone as it is very light.  When I started wearing the Gorun2 my calves would ache after a few short runs in them, it took several months to build up to marathons with no calf ache.  They are a great racing shoe for short distances.  If you are looking for a lightweight marathon shoe for the Autumn then now is the time to get some giving you plenty of time to get used to them.  There is a bit of a shortage of sizes at the moment but I have been told there will be more in stock this month http://www.skechers.co.uk/style/13927/skechers-gorun-3/prlm

London marathon

This was not my A race - I have been focusing my training on longer races - but as my training and some recent short races have been good I felt I was in a position to get a PB.

Feb - Stamford 30km 5 mins faster than last year 

March - Loughborough 5km ( my first so a PB) 2nd lady. 20.08

          -  Groundhog track marathon 1st lady, 3.16, no PB but it was very windy 

           - Raceways marathon, wasn't racing but was still 2nd lady

           - Loughborough half 1st lady and PB 1.30.28 ( was hilly and windy so hope to go sub 1.30 soon)

April.   - Colwick park run 5km 1st lady  and 4th overall 19.42 PB 

My marathon PB is 3.12.21, I was aiming for under 3.10 hopefully closer to 3.05 which I felt was realistic based on my training and races.  I had a mini taper ( rest sat, only one run Friday, a few miles dropped on other runs, some gym sessions missed and no hard sessions during the week) and cut caffeine from Monday. A week before I was confident but on race day I was not as I had picked up a cold/cough earlier in the week which had meant sleepless nights all week coughing; the hotel had a function until after midnight the night before which was far from ideal and I couldn't get the breakfast I wanted.

I was at the championship start due to getting a sub 3.15 qualifying time.  This meant short toilet queues as well as a marquee to change / wait in and generally a much calmer atmosphere.  It also meant I got to start right at the front so would not have to fight past fancy dress costumes or slow celebrities who get to go from the front of one of the other starts or other slow people who had put the wrong time down deliberately to get in a faster pen.  I was running for Macmillan http://www.justgiving.com/helen-james14 but had to wear my club vest from the champs start and no logos were allowed so I couldn't wear my usual 9bar calf guards!

Got off to a good start, no hold ups like in previous years: I could more or less run at the pace I wanted.   It was crowded but the traffic was flowing well and people were not running two and three abreast far too slow and getting in the way; there was no need to get my elbows out like in previous years!

Thanks to Ian Berry who took this whilst running!

I was feeling good for around the first 5 miles.  Pace was marginally too fast but not by so much as to cause concern as the 1st and 3rd mile are downhill.  It then all started to go a bit wrong, each mile got slower and slower.  My legs felt fine but I had to slow the pace to keep my breathing under control.  Although my cold had been a lot better by Friday my breathing was quite still laboured on my last run; I had hoped 48 hours later things would be much improved and whilst I was feeling fine pottering around London Saturday I was not over the cold enough to run well.   Even today just sitting here my breathing is not quite right - it feels as if my airways are slightly blocked and I can't quite get enough oxygen in.

The next 10 miles or so were not much fun - so many people were passing me which is really demoralising.  It was frustrating that my legs were fine and wanted to go faster but my breathing wasn't having it.  

At around 17 miles the sub 3.15 pacer went past me which was probably the lowest moment as although I realised I wasn't going to get the time I wanted I had hoped I would still at least manage sub 3.15.  It turns out the pacer was going too fast which was a relief.

Felt better from about 18 miles as it was now not far to go and I wasn't being passed as much -  lots of people were walking or slowing so I was passing people now.  I knew for 3.10 I needed to be at 20 miles in 2.25, was surprised to get there only a minute too slow, maybe things were not quite as bad as I had imagined them to be in my head! I knew I couldn't catch up that minute; neither could I pick up the pace by enough prevent the deficit growing so a PB was off but hopefully sub 3.15 still on so I kept going at about the same effort which was one that was not taxing my breathing too much.

It felt good to get to 23 miles as that was just over a park run, I had just under 25 minutes to get that done and get sub 3.15 which is what I did.  I managed to do a bit of a sprint finish ( well in my head it was a sprint).  My time was 3.14.06 which gets me a championship start again but is not the time I was wanting or felt I was capable of.   When I finished all I could think of was getting some water, I must have been very dehydrated as I am not usually that desperate.

My splits tell the sorry story, I do like the bit bottom right which says that I passed loads more in the last 7.2km than passed me!  Another positive is that I wore my new Gorun3 which had only done 11.5 miles, they were very comfortable, light but had sufficient cushioning for 26.2 miles of tarmac.

Now I want to do another one soon to try to redeem myself but need to focus on recovery a bit of training then tapering for the 100km which is one of my A races.  This is going to be a great race, Steve Way who was 3rd Brit at London and ran an amazing 2.16 is running the 100km as it is laps I will get to see him in action as he laps me! There is also a 50km so if anyone fancies an ultra it is not too late, this would be an ideal first ultra for anyone wanting to step up from the marathon and because the pace is more relaxed in some ways it is easier.http://www.national100k.com/index.html

 

Two unplanned races

The plan for last week with London two weeks away was fairly normal training during the week but no long run at the weekend - just 12 miles to test my marathon shoes. The 100km is my A race so I am doing a fairly minimal taper for London in the hope it will be enough for a small PB (3.12.21)

Legs were very tired on Monday after a 60 mile weekend - massage Monday evening hurt! Tuesday legs still tired runs were a bit of a slog. Wednesday back to normal for an interval session - 4 x 4 min off 2 min - fastest pace ever for that session.

Mid week it occurred to me that I could do a park run at the weekend.  I have never done one before because my nearest is not that near and normally at weekends I am doing long run/ races or need a lie in.  A while back I said that once I felt confident of doing sub 20 I would make the effort and sacrifice my lie in and lazy Saturday morning! Last month I found a local 5km which I could run to, I did 20.08 - it was hilly and windy so I felt confident of sub 20 on the right course with the right weather! So this weekend myself and hubby ( who runs once or twice a week) went to Colwick park run.



His and hers Skechers shoes ready for park run

I would recommend doing one.  They are free; well organised; quick results and an email with your results to include gender, age category, WAVA etc, really impressive.  Pre race I looked at the results from previous weeks so that I knew where to start - 2nd row seemed about right. The first few minutes were a bit congested with narrow paths and slower people starting ahead but I could soon run at my own pace.  Although flat I didn't find it the fastest course as there were twists/ turns and it was uneven underfoot in a lot of places but I got the job done - 19.41, 1st lady. 4th overall out of 172.  After I finished I jogged back to run Phil in - not sure if he liked that or not. I was really proud of him, he was working hard, he has only done a couple of races and seemed to enjoy it.

My plan for Sunday was a steady 12 miles in my Gorun3 probable marathon shoes.  Normally I am really organised - test my shoes months in advance then put them away.  I had been planning on using my Gorun2 which I used for Leicester marathon in October with no problems.  Since then I have used them for some short speed sessions but when I used them for Stamford 30km in February my toes were sore.  I put it down to the hills so my toes probably hitting the end of the toe box.  Used them again for a track marathon in March - same problem.  I think that my feet must have expanded.  The new Gorun3 has just come out so Skechers sent me some in size 7 (half a size bigger).  I've had them a few weeks but have only used them for short runs as all my long runs have been really long!



Skechers Gorun3 - London marathon shoe

Sundays steady 12 miler ended up being a 6 mile race sandwich as there was a plea on FB on Friday for vet ladies for the club league race.  Arrived early to do to few miles before.  Wasn't expecting to beable to run very hard after the 5km but decided to go with the flow and just do my best to try to get some decent points for the club since I was there and don't do many of these races.

It was a hilly one - as always I was passed on the uphills but gained back places not the downs.  Was really pleased how well I was able to run after yesterday.   4th lady which I was very happy with, time was 40.07 which is an 11 minute PB ( my last 6 mile race was about 6 years ago!).  Just after finishing I did a few more miles making the total 11.4 for the morning.  Shoes were totally fine - really nice actually so they will be my London marathon shoe. There are a few minor differences between the Gorun2 and 3 so I wasn't expecting any problems but with going up half a size wanted to run a bit further in them before race day.