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There are many ways to start the day right but one thing we would encourage is to get an abundance of key nutrients into your system to start your day off. Here we have put together the ultimate healthy breakfast smoothie packed with a variety of nutrients and other health benefits.

Handful of Kale

Kale is part of the cabbage family and is among the most nutrient dense foods on the planet.  A single cup of raw kale (67 grams) contains:

Vitamin A, Vitamin K, vitamin C, Manganese, Calcium, Copper, Potassium and magnesium.

This coming with a total of 33 calories, 6 grams of carbs (2 of which are fibre) and 3 grams of protein. Kale contains very little fat but a large portion of the fat in it is an omega 3 fatty acid called alpha linolenic acid. It is loaded with powerful antioxidants like quercetin and kaempferol which have powerful heart protective, blood pressure lowering, anti inflammatory, anti viral and anti cancer effects. Kale can also help lower cholesterol, which may reduce the risk of heart disease as well as being an excellent source of vitamin C and K. 

1 Kiwi 

A 100 gram serving of kiwi has 61 calories, 14.66 grams of carbohydrates, 1.1 grams of protein, 0.52 grams of fat and 3 grams of fibre. It is a high source of vitamin C which is a powerful antioxidant, it can also be a sleep inducer according to numerous studies, as well as being a great source of dietary fiber, and folate whilst also helping in digestion.

Handful of Spinach

Spinach contains a number of healthy vitamins including K, A C as well as folate, manganese, magnesium, iron, potassium and calcium. It is also a great source of niacin, zinc, protein, fibre, Vitamin E, thiamin, vitamin B6, phosphorous and copper. In other words Spinach is loaded with the things to keep cholesterol from oxidising and protecting from free radicals, particularly in the colon. The folate is also great for maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system which is crucial for all athletes.

1/2 Avocado

The avocado is very high in healthy fats and has some really powerful benefits. Some of the most abundant nutrients in avocado are; Vitamin K, Folate, Vitamin C, potassium, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin E. It also contains a small amount of magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, zinc, phosphorus and vitamins A, B1, B2 and B3. A 100 gram serving would come with 160 calories, 2 grams of protein, and 15 grams of healthy fats. They also contain more potassium than bananas which is a nutrient that people usually don’t get enough of however this helps maintaining electrical gradients in your body’s cells and serves various important functions.

1/2 Banana 

A banana despite being delicious contains a number of health benefits including high fibre content which is great for the heart, support of digestion, whilst building up the metabolism, high iron which is great for those suffering Anaemia. Bananas are also packed with nutrients including, Potassium, calcium, manganese, magnesium, iron, folate niacin, riboflavin, and B6.

1/3rd of a Cucumber 

Commonly thought of a vegetable, cucumber is actually a fruit. Low in calories but great in nutrients. Cucumbers contain antioxidants that block oxidation that can lead to several types of chronic illness, as well as promoting hydration due to there high water content. Cucumbers may also aid in weight loss due to their low calorie count coupled with the amount of fibre. Several studies have also shown that cucumber may help reduce blood sugar levels and prevent some complications of diabetes.

Teaspoon of Spirulina 

Spirulina is an organism that grows in both fresh and salt water, and is a type of cyanobacteria which is a family of single celled microbes that are often referred to as blue green algae. A single teaspoon of 7 grams contains protein, Vitamin B1, B2, B3, Copper and Iron. Gram for gram spirulina may be the single most nutritious food on the planet. Spirulina has powerful antioxidants and anti inflammatory properties as well as lowering total bad LDL cholesterol and raising good DL cholesterol. There is also evidence to suggest that it may improve muscle streght and endurance as exercise induced oxidative damage is a major contribution to muscle fatigue and these antixoidant properties help an athlete minimise this damage.

1/2 pint of Water

Water as we know is essentially to survive however here are a few benefits of drinking enough water; provides energy, promotes healthy weight management, flushes out toxins, maintains regularity, boosts immune system, prevents headaches, regulates your body temperature and also preventing cramps and sprains.

Give it a go and let us know what you think.

There are a number of exercises that provide a whole host of benefits but we have put together the top 3 exercises to include in your weekly workouts. 

Skipping

Skipping is one of the best exercises for torching fat. Skipping requires 24% more power than running at the same speed so in short you will be burning more calories.

People often think there is only one way to skip with a rope but there are so many ways to vary up the workouts. You can try integrating double unders where you jump higher to allow the rope to pass under your feet twice before landing, these can take slightly more skill and technique than normal skipping. You could also try increasing the tempo of single skips or even try adding a weighted vest or using a weighted rope. All these variations will transform the workout and add a new element to the session.

Burpees

Burpees are a total body exercise that builds explosive power in the lower body whilst also increasing that heart rate. Burpees are a great exercise to incorporate for a number of reasons from torching fat and burning calories, helping improve strength in the arms as well as the chest, quads and hamstrings.

Burpees can be done anywhere and are a great way to get in shape no matter whether you are training for a hike a new sport or even a triathlon. There are other variations you can add to the burpee as well, including but not limited to burpee into a pull up, burpee into a knee jump, burpee into a box jump. These again will provide a different element to the exercise.

Deadlifts

Deadlifts are known as the king of the compound exercise. They are one of the best exercises for improving strength especially in the lower back and the glute area. Strong glutes transfer to better endurance, better power and also there is a link to pain prevention.

Deadlifts work many muscles across the body which trigger a cascade of hormones from testosterone to growth hormone which are great for building muscle.

You should try and incorporate all these exercises into your weekly workouts to bring your training to the next level.

When it comes to advertising yourself as an athlete there is no better place than Instagram. With over 1 billion active users and with 250 million of them using it every single day it seems like the perfect place to show case your athletic prowess. Some may see Instagram as a social media channel to browse through and keep up to date with friends and family, others may see it as a welcomed distraction from ever day life but there is a growing trend of people seeing it as a marketing tool, where they can communicate with brands, advertise their personal profile or business and for some it is a way of making a living. Increased awareness and following on Instagram can help athletes connect with brands and businesses. The more followers and engagement a person has the more influence and opportunity they have to commercialise it. Brands also see this as a great way of communicating with their target audience and will often sponsor, gift, offer discounts and even pay for people to promote their brand utilising influencers.

It is by no means an easy task generating a strong and loyal following unless you are a member of One Direction. It’s unfortunately a little harder than just creating a profile and expecting the followers to roll in. So let’s have a look at genuine ways to create a highly engaged profile for athletes that can turn your profile from Mr Average Joe Bloggs to Billy the Whizz.

1) Generate Initial Following and Interest from Friends and Family

This seems like an obvious one. But when you are first starting out , use your contacts and connections to help kick off your page. Follow your friends and family, like and comment on their pictures so they know you are now on Instagram. These first few connections show other users that you are a genuine and real account.

2) Produce High Quality Content

If you look at the majority of highly followed accounts they all have one thing in common. They have high quality images and videos. Simply uploading a selfie with low resolution just won’t cut it anymore. People are stimulated by high quality and engaging images and short form videos that are inspiring or evoke a reaction. Make sure your pictures are maximum resolution and are visually aesthetic. Take a look at accounts that you love that have huge engagement and see how you can tailor your page to produce great content like them. People who are scrolling through Instagram have unlimited content thrown at them on a daily basis. You have to think, "why would someone stop on my profile and follow my account". The better the images and more engaging the videos the more likely you are to get people to follow your account. If you use high quality images and tag companies or brands, you are more likely for them to repost your picture and tag you in it - to their following which will improve your visibility.

3) Regular Updated Posts

People go on Instagram to see what is going on and for an easy escape from the real world. If you are not consistently in their news feed then you will be more likely forgotten about. With constant changes in the algorithm it can be difficult to understand how often to post for maximum engagement levels. We recommend to try and post good quality photos or videos once a day at a minimum. But remember to not sacrifice quality in place of quantity. If you are able to update your profile twice a day with great quality content it makes your profile more visible and for people to be able to more easily identify you. The other opportunity is to produce regular engaging instagram stories. Utilising this tool can prove to be tremendous for your visibility and we cove it more in the next point.

4) Utilise Instagram Stories

Instagram has overtaken snapchat in the short form content which erases itself after a period of time. The main reason for this is because of instagrams active user base is huge and it has seamlessly integrated this functionality into is platform. 400 million of instagrams users have used instagram stories and it is on the rise. Make sure you create short snappy pieces of content using your story. Provide behind the scenes of athletic events you go to, an insight into your training or day. Always be providing value to your audience in some form. Also utilise the tools on offer like the voting feature or the new question feature. Allow your audience to interact with you and engage with you.  

5) Provide Value

The best instagrammers out there provide value to their audience in some form or another. Let's say you are a sprinter for example if you just post images of you running, yes you may gain some followers and your followers may enjoy seeing images of you sprint but take it to the next level and give your audience even more value. Create instagram stories of your training, give them some drills they can try for themselves to improve speed, provide behind the scenes at athletic events you go to. Think out side the box and give your audience more than you expect back from them. 

 6) Be Authentic

There are far too many people out there trying to copy others, as they have been successful on instagram. What works for one person may not work for another. Be authentic to yourself. If you are down right hilarious and make humorous content around your workouts or training then that is great, but if you are a complete bore, then don't try and be funny. Instead provide value by being more informative, give more useful tips and relevant informative content to your audience. 

7) Use relevant and specific Hashtags

Another way of expanding your reach and visibility is by adding hashtags to your posts. Hashtags are still not dead and people often use this feature to discover new content in that particular niche. Make sure your hashtags are relevant and searchable. People use hashtags all the time to identify connections with the same interests, so make sure you add hashtags that can be easily searched and that your target audience will be looking for. For example if you are a triathlete add hashtags such as Triathlon, triathlete, Ironmantri, Ironman70.3 as an example.

8) Stand out from the Crowd

Make sure your page has an identity. Standing out from the crowd can be very difficult in a very crowded market but try your best to be unique and stand out. Give your pictures and the feel of your Instagram an identity. We are not saying you have to be drastically different but by unique we mean make your profile engaging with images that are aligned and are structured. If you want to be followed by weightlifters for example make sure your page is tailored towards weightlifting, don’t mix your personal pictures with your weightlifting pictures. Make it unique by keeping a theme to the page and adding your individual touch. Brands are far more likely to engage with Influencers who have a targeted following with a unique page that stands out from the crowd.

We didn't want to do another standard post about how great the London, Boston or Tokyo marathons are. Yes they are brilliant races, which are well organised have huge attendance and are a lot of fun. But if you are looking for something slightly different to the norm then here are the 5 marathon races you should check out; 

1) Big Sur International Marathon

One of the most challenging courses along the California coastline is the Big Sur International Marathon which takes place in the month of April. The course is a struggle through hills and head wind, but the scenery offers runners a big reward. The course takes runners through redwood forests and offers spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. Live entertainment throughout the run may help keep you motivated, too. This is one we would recommend for sure. 

2) The Big Five Marathon

The Big Five Marathon in South Africa which takes place in June, will provide you with a marathon and a safari rolled into one. Named for the famed Big Five African game animals -- leopard, lion, rhino, elephant and buffalo -- the course runs among wildlife in the Limpopo province’s Entabeni Safari Conservancy. You might even be lucky enough to run alongside antelope, giraffes, zebras and lions, as the course does not have anything to separate the runners from the African wildlife. If dodging lions was not enough runners must negotiate steep altitude changes and rocky footing.

3) Great Wall Marathon 

Deemed one of the toughest marathons in the world, the Great Wall Marathon  which takes place in May, challenges runners to climb more than 5,164 steps of the Great Wall, and finish by running through Chinese villages. First run in 1999, the Great Wall marathon has gained popularity over the years, with more than 2,500 entrants. 

4) Great Ocean Road Marathon

The visually stunning views of Australia's Southern Ocean are enough to make you forget your legs are dying (or at least enough to make it bearable). The Great Ocean Road Marathon is in the month of May. You'll travel along Victoria's Great Ocean Road and take in the beautiful landscapes for the entire 44 kilometers. And if you're traveling from out of town, there's plenty to see and do in Victoria -- from exploring Apollo Bay and the surrounding picturesque seaside town with restaurants famous for their crawfish to the breathtaking mountains with its diversity of wildlife and weather conditions.

5) Puerto Rica Marathon

The Puerto Rico Marathon in the month of March is a popular destination race, combining a Caribbean vacation with first-class competition. You run 26.2 miles along the Atlantic and various lagoons, seeing the amazing scenery, and then recover on the beach sipping on a piña colada ;)  (This race is also a Boston and New York Marathon qualifier) 

Looking for the perfect marathon top then check out some of Air Run T-shirts available now. 

 Most runners are quad dominant or in danger of becoming more quad dominant. This is where the quad muscles overpower the action of the hamstrings in the movement of the leg during a running stride. This can quickly lead to a host of hamstring issues, with strains, pulls and tears topping the list as the most common maladies.

So why are hamstrings so important for runners?

When you run, the quadriceps contract as you land and the opposing muscles, the hamstrings, act as the brake to stop your knee from hyperextending at the end of a stride. The quad works when the knee is locked out in extension with movement taking place at the hip.

If your hamstrings are significantly weaker than your quads, one of two things will occur:

1. Your hamstrings will tear as a result of not being able to take the load developed by the contracting quadriceps

2. You will run slower as a result of the diminished power from the hip flexors and knee extensors

So It is probably a good idea to start looking at adding in some hamstring exercises to your workouts.

We have provided 3 of the best exercises to develop stronger hamstrings.

The results found that these three exercises stimulate the hamstrings similarly and may be used interchangeably, as part of a strength building workout for runners.