WE'RE BACK... AND IT'S TIME TO RUN WITH NIKE

Posted by Bethan Holt, Junior Fashion Editor at Large

If you are anything like me then this is just the time of year when you are probably starting to get a bit infuriated. That's because now that the clocks have gone forward and there are some weak weather signs (e.g. not snowing) that summer may possibly be on its way, so it it's BIKINI BODY TIME!! This is when numerous interested parties are sure that we must be (and feel) such gallumping elephants beneath the layers of clothes we've been used to shrouding ourselves in for the previous six months that we must be determined to subsist on edamame beans for the next few months and suddenly enact some kind of crazed exercise routine just so that we can fly off to a foreign land and put on two small bits of bright coloured fabric.

We Own the Night, with Nike

That is not what you're reading about here. I just wanted to tell you about a positive, exciting and empowering exercise-related thing that it happening. Nike and Elle are hosting a 10km race, "We Own the Night" in London's Victoria Park on 18th May and it looks like it's going to be really fun. Like actual fun. It's difficult to describe running as fun. Yes, it's addictive and enjoyable when you feel fit and strong and make some unexpected or hard earned progress. If you're injured or tired then it's really miserable. The feeling of getting back from a really great, long run is almost euphoric and life-affirmingly satisfying. But it's quite rare that the entire experience from first step out of the door to final sprint could genuinely be described as proper fun. Until, that is, you add in the Nike factor which means it will be night time and that there will be music and lights. I've been on a Nike rave run before which so full of bright strobes and brilliant tunes that all the plodding boredom which can sometimes set in when you run completely disappeared and I felt like I was in some kind of mad film.

The best thing here is that there's no mention of that tedious bikini body stuff. It's all about being strong, fit, working out with your friends and wearing amazing Nike workout gear (if you want) in the process.  Running can be a lonely sport but Elle and Nike are hosting special training club events which you can go to in the run-up to the race for great motivation. I'm going to make sure I go to a few and will definitely report back.

You can enter the 10k here and find out more about where and when to train here. Oh, and if you need anything else to get you excited about the idea of running then I am currently reading Alexandra Heminsley's new book "Running Like A Girl". If you don't run already, then I'm pretty sure it will make you want to give it a shot, if you do then you will probably mostly cry/ nod/ laugh hysterically at how accurately she describes what it feels like to be a runner.

See you at the start line.

THE FASHION NEWS ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

Posted by Bethan Holt, Junior Fashion Editor at Large

Today is International Women's Day and so (quite rightly) the internet is celebrating female achievements and talking about the inequalities and injustices which still exist and what we can do about them. One of the things I read this morning was The Telegraph's 'Feminist and Proud' piece in which four high profile women who proudly call themselves feminists discuss why that fight is still important. Personally, I don't see what all the fuss about calling yourself a feminist is. The term has a bad rep but I wish that everyone who just wants to live in an equal, fair world would just get on and say they're a feminist rather than worrying about whether that might label them a man-hating bra burner (yawn).

One of the contributors was Sandi Toksvig who wrote:

"Not long ago... I attended a degree ceremony for the University of Surrey at Guildford Cathedral. Afterwards, a young woman dressed in her academic gown and mortarboard was being helped down the steps by her parents. In addition to being bedecked in educational success she was also wearing high heels; such high heels that she was unable to manage the stone stairs on her own. On the day in which her mind was being celebrated, her shoes infantilised her."

Girls looking happy in trainers (images via facehunter.blogspot.co.uk)

 I am quite into the idea that part of being a good feminist is supporting other girls in whatever they chose to do. Have a baby and stay at home with him/her? Go for it. Get an abortion? Be my guest. Wear ridiculously high heels which you absolutely cannot walk in? Yes, have fun! But sometimes the choices we make aren't exactly autonomous but heavily influenced by what we think others will think of us. Fashion can be guilty of implanting ideas so strong that people who really want to be fashionable follow them, sometimes to their own detriment. So it is my personal opinion that is was quite stupid of the fashion/ celebrity/ TOWIE machine to make those silly heels so very desirable. Luckily we're mostly past that little era. So much so in fact that we have completely swung the other way and pretty much the hottest footwear right now is trainers. I'm wearing my fluoro Nikes today and every street style blog is littered with influentially stylish girls  in Air Max, New Balance, Vans etc. What's more, plenty of shows this season styled their looks not with spindly heels but with sensible brogues. I love The Times' Hannah Rochell's blog En Brogue, which is a tribute and source of inspiration for all shoes flat. 

I'm not stupid enough to think that this will last forever but let's just have fun with it for today. 

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND...

While there might not be loads of sample sale action at the moment, there is one which you might like to take a look at this weekend...

We know that this blog can get rather London-centric sometimes so were very pleased to hear about a fun-sounding fashion event up North. Peter Jensen's SS13 collection was inspired by the sculpture of Barbara Hepworth so he has hooked up with The Hepworth Wakefield to host an event to celebrate the launch of the collection. On 27th March, Jensen will be at the gallery along with models wearing his pieces to talk about how he worked with Hepworth's art. Contact  01924 247360/ hello@hepworthwakefield.org to get your free tickets. 

Peter Jensen SS13 with hats by Bernstock Spiers

If you like shoes, you need to get this book. Pre-order now or get to a Roger Vivier boutique (great excuse!) to get yours from April 5th. P.S These might have heels, but you can definitely stride along alone in them, no infantilising issues. 

FRIDAY FASHION TO-DO LIST

Posted by Bethan Holt, Junior Fashion Editor at Large

FEAL is off to Paris for a few days so expect updates on our escapades while we're there. In the meantime, here are three fashion things to do now...

1. GET TO SOMERSET HOUSE FOR YOUR FLYKNITS

Nike do a brilliant job of creating real excitement around their brand and product launches. Next week, they're bringing the new Flyknit Lunar1+ to the good people of London with a big event at Somerset House. Pop in and get the supremely cool knitted trainers steamed to fit your feet then take off on a run in which you'll 'explore the city in a whole new way'. The experience will be based in the courtyard of Somerset Houseand you'll also get to see lots of inspiring outakes from Nike's running history. The experience is open all day from 9-6. Go, go, go.

2. BUY A BLACKSCORE T-SHIRT

The slogan tee thing is completely huge right now. Every other street style picture is a girl with a kooky phrase or wittily altered slogan plastered across her chest. The latest, and sweetest, version of the trend comes from Blackscore who have produced Cara Delevingne and Jourdan Dunn tees. The man behind Blackscore is Simeon Farrar, whom I had the pleasure of interviewing sometime back. He is both an artist and a fashion designer who brings a great sense of beauty and fun to whatever he does. That's what is so great about these tees; they're whimsical rather than confrontational. Get yours here 

Queen Delevingne tee £30

3.  FAMILIARISE YOURSELF WITH THE NEW BALENCIAGA

Alexander Wang showed his debut collection for Balenciaga yesterday. Rather than going completely mad for it, as one might a Wang bag, most commentators have been measured, calling it "a confident, uncomplicated debut" (Jess Cartner-Morley in The Guardian) and "quietly respectful" (Hamish Bowles on US Vogue). From my chair, it looks like terribly complicated stuff made to seem simple, see the knits made to look like crackled leather (that detail via Cathy Horyn on Twitter). The detail I am most obsessed with  is how the catwalk images were taken with a mirror behind the models so that you can see front and back views at once, genius.

Front view/ back view Balenciaga AW13

RAVE RUNNING IN BERLIN WITH NIKE AND PAULA RADCLIFFE

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

Glowing and ready to rave run

Berlin's Brandenburg gate for the warm-up

Berlin has a bit of a rep as a party city, so while I may be in town for a fitness focused "36 hour Sports Experience" courtesy of Nike, they made sure we didn't miss out on the vibes by welcoming us last night with a rave run from Bradenburg Gate, weaving through the trees of Tiergarten long after sun down to our dinner venue. The route was lit by fluoro spotlights and glowsticks- it was really rather trippy. Boomboxes tied to tricycles rode beside us, blasting out techno tunes to keep us moving and even occasionally prompting a morph from run to dance, how could you not? If you ever thought running was boring or monotonous then a rave run will soon change your mind. You could create your own by running after dark, armed with glowsticks and house music on your iPod,  I know I will be.

There was an added frisson to all this excitement because we were joined by Paula Radcliffe. At Brandenburg Gate, the women's marathon world record holder led us all in a warm-up and motivational talk before we set out for our rave run through the park. Radcliffe is still recovering from the foot surgery which forced her to pull out of running at the London Olympics this summer. She's still confined to jogging in the sea near her Monaco home so a rave run was out of the question. However, Paula was there to join us for a delicious sushi dinner and preview of Nike's brand new Flyknit One+ style which is launching for Spring/ Summer.

Beautiful- the Flyknit One+

Nike have brought me, and a group of fellow European press, to Berlin to inspire us. As someone who  vividly remembers watching Paula set her marathon world record of 2 hours, 15 minutes and 25 seconds at the London Marathon in 2003, it doesn't get more inspiring that getting to meet and chat to the woman who threw assumptions about what may or may not be possible for girls to achieve out of the window. And all just by putting her head down and running faster and longer than any female before her. Almost a decade later, no athlete has come close to Paula's achievement.

Me and Paula- just amazing

Given that London is such a special place for Paula, the city where she ran her record, it is hard to imagine what a wrench it must have been to forgo the chance the chance to compete in an Olympic marathon on home turf. Last night, she explained that "I know I wouldn't maybe have won but I would've loved the chance to run and do it", a sentiment which sums the sportmanship which she has always displayed. It's clear that Radcliffe's main motivation has always been a love of running, the fact of her being supremely talented a happy coincidence . She recalls the aftermath of a doctor's appointment in 1994 when she had been told that may never be able to run, let alone compete, again on her injured foot,"I remember my Dad saying 'millions of people don't run and they get through life' and I was thinking 'But I'm not millions of people'".  To think that 18 years later, it is that same foot injury which Paula has just received more treatment for is a pretty inspiring thing, to be that determined to stick at what you love in the face of that initial prognosis.

I very often hear girls saying that exercise isn't for them because of the sweating and general lack of glamour involved. When exercise is your career I suppose it could become rather difficult to find excuses to get dressed up. Paula proves that there are so many ways that you can use those rituals you might usually reserve for "dressing up" to improve your sporting performance. "I always have to wear a nail varnish when I race with a name that sounds fast" she tells me, "one year, I remember being in the MAC shop before the New York marathon and I had to call my friend to decide whether Fluid or Jet Flash sounded faster". Similarly, whereas we might have lucky shoes for big meetings or special lingerie for first dates, Paula is superstitious about her kit, "You get about five uniforms for the racing year, but if I race well in one then I stick with that for every other race". She is lucky too that the career of a sporting star involves plenty of opportunities for serious dressing up. "You spend a lot of time in tracksuits so it's nice to dress up. My wardrobe is kind of divided between Nike kit and evening dresses and not much in-between" which really doesn't sound so bad, does it?

There's little more inspiring than the chance to speak to your hero, but Paula also had some practical advice for getting your running to work for you, and don't forget, there's always the rave run...

PAULA RADCLIFFE'S THREE TIPS FOR GETTING INTO RUNNING:

1. Join a run club, it's unlikely everyone will be having an off day so if you need motivation you'll find it

2. Set intermediate goals to take you up to your main goal so that you're feeling good on the way and realise what you're achieving all the time.

3. Don't feel like you have to do something, find what you enjoy- whether that's running on a track or doing hills. It's your running"

NIKE'S SPORTING FANTASY

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

 Runners have been known to try all kinds of weird and wonderful ways to keep up the motivation. My own favourite method might sound conventional- very loud power music- but when I tell you that I pretend I'm in a film, perhaps running to save the world from disaster, or fleeing from some stereotypical baddies then you may think I'm a bit strange. This is a method which works best in the dark, when you have the chill of the wintry air puffing against your face, unrelenting. It feels quite glamorous but I'm sure the reality is quite different from a bystander's perspective.

 These images created for Nike by comic artists Jan Duursema and Amanda Conner pretty much sum up where I am in my mind, as I run through the neat suburban streets of one of England's safest towns. Cartoons are never something I've been very into but I can totally see how the medium works perfectly to create a kind of fantasy image of how a girl might look and feel as she does her workout. Conner even says that she comes up with the characters she creates while she is running and doing karate, helping her to envisage who they are and how they'd move.

 The purpose of this series of images is to show how Nike had created winter workout gear which doesn't restrict you but will still keep the cold, wet and wind at bay. As always with Nike, there are lots of super-techy elements which go into the collection but the fantasy figure theme is carried through in names like the legend pant and victory bra. That is a very savvy story to tell which is already adding flourishes to my running daydream.