I can’t wait to try this myself! Being  pregnant, I’m going to have to wait a little while but then I’ll be a devotee, I’m certain. Instead, I’m living vicariously through Mr. PCG who, in need of a complete fitness overhaul, is the proud owner of an unlimited monthly subscription to our local Movers & Shapers studio. Continue Reading

Are you pregnant? Or perhaps like me, pregnant and ‘older’. I’m going to be forty-three when I give birth to my second child and I’m not in the minority any longer. Women are leaving it later, rightly or wrongly, to start a family. Really, anyone over thirty-five is getting on a bit. You might not feel it and everyone is different, but fertility starts to wane much earlier than you’d think. I don’t want to scare you, most older women go on to have healthy babies but be aware, we aren’t as fertile as we think as we age! Continue Reading

Every so often I must post a piece on something a little banal. It’s not banal however, to have a sparking smile or conversely to have a mouth half full of yellow or grey teeth. This is almost as much a beauty post as a health one and believe you me, I’m sure I wouldn’t look after my teeth as well as I do If I weren’t just that little bit vain! Continue Reading

So the with New Year comes the usual resolutions – some profound (appreciate what I have and remember to be thankful, not rue what I don’t, be thankful for mine and my family’s health – now cancer affects 1 in 2 people), some less so. My less profound but more practical was to find a new trainer that would address my persistent IT band tension/pain and reduce overall impact/potential injury from pounding the mean streets of SW1 to SE1 every other day on my run home. My problem is that having had a reasonably recent Achilles tear and various historic knee injuries, I wanted to find a trainer that both supported and promoted a neutral running style – mostly contrary properties in one shoe.
After doing a little research into shoes which both provide stability whilst also being light, I stumbled upon the On trainers. On is a Swiss company founded by former Swiss Ironman Champion Olivier Bernhard and his two friends David Allemann and Caspar Coppettie. Olivier’s theory was that the sole of the perfect running shoe needed to have cushioning for horizontal as well as vertical forces which worked in harmony both when the athlete lands and when they take off. The technology consists of rubber pods on the sole that they refer to as “clouds.” The clouds collapse flat on contact, providing cushioning. Once compressed they have little ridges that lock together to provide a firm base for push-off.
Or that’s the idea behind the technology. They have drawn mixed reviews from the running community – which made me all the more keen to try them. Now, most runners have commented that despite being a barefoot shoe for those of neutral gait, the Cloudsurfer really is actually quite heavy, with the podded soles holding more weight towards the heel, and being beneficial for those that heel strike by providing that extra cushioning and lift.
Bearing all of this in mind I embarked on my usual 10k run home with extra caution, expecting to strain against the urge to heel strike from my first step. Notwithstanding, my steps felt surprisingly light and my feet were comparatively bouncing off the ground to than with my old Asics Gel Super J33’s, which I love(d). Sorry Asics, I don’t think you quite give me enough of what I need. Which is significantly less effort to run at my usual sluggish pace of 4.40/km(ish). The fit is snug – which suits me and my über narrow feet well; but I will also emphasise that with the breathable, 4Way Stretch and 3D breathable fabric, there is plenty of room for those with greater girth and sweat – which is only a good thing if you are someone – like my good self – whose body liberally expels toxins. My humble conclusion: This shoe has plenty of room to move in the toe box whilst having a well- supported ankle and, give extra bounce. Equally, the clouds do not hinder movement – they in fact encourage forward motion encourages and a light forefoot strike. I found it almost impossible to heel-strike in these shoes.
Over the next few weeks I have built up to my full 10K run home in the shoes and I have to say, despite initial reservations (mainly of the clouds promoting an exaggerated upwards movement) I have been more than pleasantly surprised. The Cloudsurfers really do give lift, feel springy and dare I say it, cloud-esque, but without promoting an exaggerated upwards movement or a heel strike. I have found myself being able to run in my usual, neutral gait without any problem. Continue Reading

To start this post I’d like to recommend that every woman thinking of having children should go for a fertility MOT now. It’s a newish concept that has come about with women leaving it later and later but it’s important at any age because some people are fertile at 25 but not at 35. Not everyone can have a baby at 38 let alone what I almost feel is the impossible at 42; which has crept up on me seemingly in the blink of an eye.
I’m at City Fertility. A relative newcomer to the fertility map in London but not a newcomer at all because they are the London ‘branch’ of the Czech Republic’s most successful IVF clinic, Gennet- a clinic that has been on the map for many travelling abroad for fertility treatment in order to cut costs but not quality of care. They also have a specialisation based in genetics and egg donation.
Opening a branch in the City seems like a no-brainer. Both times I had IVF whilst working were made far more stressful by the journey and travelling to clinic and stress is exactly what you need to avoid whilst trying to conceive! So, had there been an option in the Square Mile then…
Today I’m here to try their fertility MOT. It’s going to help me decide whether to keep trying naturally for a few more months for our second child or to bite the bullet and start IVF immediately. At my age timing is crucial.
The clinic itself is in Farringdon. They have a whole building here. First impressions are good. Everything is new and spotless. I meet Jane,Head of Nursing, who takes me upstairs where we run through a complete health and gynaecological history before moving into a state of the art scan room for a transvaginal ultrasound. Nothing scary, nothing embarrassing, just a harmless probe inserted to get the best view of my uterus, cervix and of course ovaries. She talk me through my reproductive system checking my cervix and uterus for any abnormalities and measuring my ovaries (they get smaller with age) and antral follicles. The follicles produce eggs and are a good guide for fertility. She showed me blood flow to the ovaries, follicles and lining of the uterus too. All of this on a big screen in front of me. Many clinics don’t do this, they look on their own small screen beside your head which I find disconcerting because it’s important to see what’s going on for yourself!
Jane is very knowledgeable. It suits the ethos of the clinic, which is to offer ’boutique’ IVF. They aren’t in it for the numbers through the door, they have the support of a large parent company. Instead they are offering bespoke treatment to each patient. They performed 500 IVF’s last year and intend on 1000 this year with capacity for more. Their success rates are high. Over 70% for egg donation ( their genetics specialisation shining through here) and in the high thirties for my age. Continue Reading