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Matcha Porridge

Ingredients (serves 2):

75g gluten free rolled oats

1/4 tsp rose water

1 cup (230ml) coconut or almond milk

1/4 cup water

1 cinnamon stick (or 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon)

1/2 tsp Matcha tea powder)

1 tbsp almond/coconut milk 

Method:

- Put the oats, rose water & milk into a pan on low-medium heat. Add cinnamon and stir.

- Once the milk starts to absorb and thicken the oats (after around 2 minutes), slowly add the cup of water, stirring constantly. This helps to make it nice and creamy. Continue stirring until porridge becomes thick.

- Whisk 1/2 tsp of Matcha tea powder with 1 tbsp milk.

- Remove porridge from the heat and remove cinnamon stick (if necessary), before stirring through your Matcha powder.

- Top with TRIBE Cacao & Coconut seeds & enjoy hot!

Big thanks to Honestly Healthy (http://www.honestlyhealthyfood.com/) for sharing this delicious breakfast recipe from the new Green and Lean plan.

Get 50% off the Green and Lean plan using code TRIBE50 @ http://www.honestlyhealthyfood.com/pages/green-lean-plan

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Why sodium is crucial for athletes.

Most athletes understand that replacing the sodium lost when they sweat is important for maintaining performance, but they don't really know why. So, here's why...

Your body contains lots of water, 50 to 70% of it is made up of the stuff in fact, depending on the amount of muscle and fat that you have. Around two-thirds of that water is inside your cells (as intracellular fluid - ICF) and the remaining third outside your cells (in the extracellular fluid - ECF). Your blood accounts for 15 to 20% of this extracellular fluid (about 5 litres in the average-sized adult) with interstitial fluid, lymph, saliva and gastric juices making up the rest.

The main electrolyte in this extracellular fluid is sodium; and much of the body’s total sodium reserves are found here. This makes it rather ‘salty’ and the total volume of extracellular fluid in your body is directly related to the amount of sodium you have on board at a given time; i.e. more sodium equals more ECF, less sodium equals less ECF.

Pretty straightforward really!

As well as maintaining fluid balance, sodium plays an important role in the absorption of nutrients in the gut, maintaining cognitive function, nerve impulse transmission and in muscle contraction. Basically, it's really darn important.

Taking in - and losing - Sodium.

Most of the sodium we consume is in the form of sodium chloride (NaCl), or the common table salt found in food and drinks. We take salt for granted these days as we've developed ways to make it widely available. However, in ancient times wars were fought over access to salt and wages were even paid in it. The word 'salary' actually derives from the fact that Roman soldiers were often paid in salt! Which gives you a pretty big clue as to its importance to life…

When you lose extracellular fluids (that’d be when you go to the toilet and when you sweat), you lose sodium from your body. Because the body can’t manufacture sodium or store it beyond a certain point, you need to consume it every day to keep your levels topped up.

Sweating is the main way athletes lose sodium during exercise. (The same applies for fluids too). That's basically why those of us who train regularly have different needs when it comes to replacing sodium than those who don't.

The amount of sodium in sweat, and the total volume of sweat lost, can vary dramatically from athlete to athlete. At Precision Hydration, we see a wide variance in the sweat sodium concentrations (i.e. the amount of sodium in sweat) of the individuals we test. We see athletes who lose as little as 200mg of sodium per litre of sweat and those who lose up to 2000mg/l. I personally lose 1842 mg/l and I often suffered from hydration issues in hot climates as a result. It was actually my personal search for a solution that led to me founding the company.

Sweat rates can also vary from individual to individual of course; as it can from situation to situation for any given person (from almost nothing in cooler conditions and at low intensities, to several litres per hour during intense exercise in the heat like when Guy, Rob and Tom did the Marathon Des Sables!).

When you combine differences in sodium concentration with those in sweat rates, the potential variance in net sodium losses experienced from one athlete to another can be really significant.

And, in a lot of cases, those losses are many times higher than someone who is not sweating on a regular basis. This is why the standard government guidelines for sodium consumption should be viewed cautiously by athletes who train a lot. It's more than possible to lose the 2,300mg of sodium recommended by the existing government guidelines in just 1 hour of exercise, if you’re sweating heavily and you're sweating out lots of sodium.

What happens when sodium losses mount up?

When losses reach a certain point, the effects can be detrimental to your performance.

Blood volume is gradually reduced as sweat losses increase, because sweat is drawn from your blood plasma. This increases the strain on your cardiovascular system, making it harder to pump blood to your skin (to cool you down) and to your working muscles.

Other issues like a general feeling of fatigue and muscle cramps can also be experienced if losses are allowed to go uncorrected for long enough, or if significant imbalances between fluid and sodium are allowed to occur.

Up to a certain point, taking in plain water is enough to mitigate sweat losses. But, as those losses start to mount up, you need to replace sodium too, to avoid your blood becoming diluted. This is a potentially disastrous condition called hyponatremia, which can certainly ruin your race and, tragically, is even fatal on occasion.

How much sodium should you be taking in?

Because sweat/sodium losses are so individual, any generic guidelines on the replacement of sodium and fluid should always viewed with suspicion. Having said that, figuring out whether your net losses are likely to be low, moderate, or high can be a great starting point for honing in on the level of sodium and fluid replacement that'll work best for you in different circumstances.

The two main inputs that drive your personal net sodium losses are...

1.    The total amount you sweat. This is a factor of your sweat rate and the number of hours you spend sweating during a given timeframe.

2.    Your sweat sodium concentration.

Figuring out approximately what these are is a sensible place to start.

Calculating the volume of sweat you lose can be a bit awkward and hit and miss, but there are plenty of online calculators that get you to a reasonable estimate.

Your sweat sodium concentration is genetically determined and doesn’t vary much at all (we’ve tested pro athletes playing in frozen Michigan, then retested them years later in the humidity of Florida and seen consistent results, for example). This means that, whilst you can only find it out by getting sweat tested, you only need to get tested once.

At Precision Hydration we offer an exercise-free Sweat Test, which Tribe customers can get 10% off. Just mention Tribe when you email Rob at rm@precisionhydration.com. We also offer a free online Sweat Test that helps you get started with personalising your hydration strategy. Just visit precisionhydration.com/pages/tribe.

Once you know how much sodium you need to be replacing in different scenarios, we have a range of all-natural, multi-strength electrolytes that match how you sweat. Just use the code TRIBE15 to get 15% off your first order.

6 things to remember.

1.     Sodium performs critical roles in the body, including maintenance of fluid balance, nerve transmission, and muscular contraction.

2.     It's particularly important for maintaining extracellular (blood) volume, and that's why it's so important for serious athletes.

3.     Stores of sodium in the body are finite, and it can't be produced, so any losses have to be replaced in your diet (or through supplementation).

4.     The amount of sodium lost in sweat varies from person to person, and the losses experienced by athletes can be many times higher than non-exercisers.

5.     Replacing an appropriate amount of sodium (and fluid) at times when sweat losses are high helps maintain extracellular fluid volume and sodium balance, which in turn benefits exercise performance.

6.     Understanding your individual levels of sodium and fluid loss in different situations can help you put an appropriate amount back in, and make it easier for your body to perform at its best.

Train hard (and stay hydrated!)

Andy Blow has a few top 10 Ironman and 70.3 finishes and an Xterra World Age Group title to his name. He founded Precision Hydration to help athletes solve their hydration issues. He has a degree in Sport and Exercise Science and was once the Team Sports Scientist for Benetton and Renault F1 teams.

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Banana Bread

This banana bread has no added sweetener which makes it a totally guilt free treat, or a great pre or post workout snack

Ingredients:

3 over ripe bananas 200g of dates chopped 1 teaspoon of maca powder 1 teaspoon of cinnamon 150g of buckwheat flour 3 tablespoons of chia in 9 tablespoons of water 200g of almonds (or ground almonds if you don’t have a food processor). 150ml of almond milk

Method:

Preheat the oven to 150c. Start by soaking the chia seeds in water. Stir well and place to one side until a gel forms.

Chop the dates into tiny pieces, removing the stones as you go.

Next peel the bananas, then take one and slide it lengthways. Save one half for the top, then mash the remaining half with the other two, in a large mixing bowl.

If you have a food processor and are using whole almonds, whizz these up for about 20 seconds until they are broken down. You can make them totally into a flour or leave a few larger pieces to give a little texture to the banana bread. Then add this (or the almond flour) to the bowl with the bananas and all of the other ingredients except for the almond milk.

Once you have stirred the ingredients together, begin to add the almond milk little by little until the mixture is sticky but still solid enough to slightly hold its shape. Line a loaf tin with baking paper and pour in the mix. Finally press the halved banana on the top.

Bake it in the oven for about 1hr, then leave to sit for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Thank you Annie for this delicious and healthy post-workout snack recipe. www.mindbodybowl.co.uk

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BLAZE TRAILS >> INCOMING

We launched two new TRIBE Blaze Trails Energy Bars this week, which will be appearing in your TRIBE Pack soon. Here's what you need to know about these products.

TRIBE Blaze Trails.

Formulated to eat 45 mins beore exercise.

20-25g nutrient-rich carbohydrate.

Optimal balance of macronutrients for sustained energy.

Cold-pressed to maintain nutritional value.

Vegan, Gluten & Dairy Free.

INGREDIENTS MATTER.

Cacao & Orange Bar - Made with raw Peruvian cacao nibs, one of the highest plant-based sources of iron, vital for muscle function. Cacao is also an excellent source of monounsaturated fat, vitamin E and magnesium, essential for energy metabolism. 

Beetroot Bar - Beetroot is a genuine endurance superfood, rich in antioxidants & a source of naturally occurring nitrates, helping your muscles work more efficiently, great for endurance and athletic performance.

We know these bars will be great for your training, but if the flavours aren't for you, you can deselect them in the Product Preferences section here.

We’d love to hear what you think and how they're helping fuel your training, so please get in touch and let us know what you want to see next in your TRIBE pack!

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5 Tips to help you Train Smarter.

Rest and recovery is often overlooked. On a daily basis we put our bodies under large amounts of strain and stress and what you do before and after your workout is just as important as what you do during it. Add in these quick and easy tips to improve performance and help train smarter.

Refuel. Take on between 10g – 20g of protein, and 20g – 40g of carbohydrate within half an hour after exercise. This is your glycemic window - the period when your body is most receptive. 

Eat Smart. Try include foods with all 9 essential amino acids, these are vital to help build and repair muscle tissues. Eggs are a great option.

Get moving at work. A daily lack of motion damages our posture, muscle strength and effects are flexibility. Spend just 5 minutes every hour moving around, this will help the blood circulate, keep you loose and make the next workout less of a shock.

Reach your limits. Push yourself beyond fatigue and take on a morning fasted training session. Forcing your body to work in irregular and tough conditions will improve fitness and force your body to tap into different fuel systems improving your fuel economy.

Rehydrate. Electrolytes like sodium, potassium and magnesium, are lost through sweat and need to be replaced, (we can see this through white marks left on our kit). Just add a touch of salt to your post-workout meal to replenish these.

Blog by Ultra runner & TRIBE Co-Founder Rob Martineau.

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Pesto Buckwheat Risotto With Asparagus And Rocket

Ingredients: Serves 2

For the pesto: This will make way more than you need but it freezes very well) Big bunch of parsely 1.5 cups of hazelnuts 1 clove of garlic 1 cup of olive oïl Juice of half a lemon Pinch of sea salt

1 cup of buckwheat (preferably soaked for a few hours) Big handful of rocket 1 courgette Small bunch of asparagus

Method:

Blend all the pesto ingredients for a minute or two until nearly smooth. At the same time, bring a pan of water to the boil, then add in your buckwheat and cook for 10-15 minutes (or until soft). While the buckwheat cooks, slice the courgette and sautée it in a little olive oïl until just turning golden brown, then cut the asparagus into pieces and steam for 2 minutes (so they still have a bit of bite). When everything is cooked, stir the pesto, courgette, asparagus and pesto together then serve on a plate of rocket.

Made by, Serena from The Herb Diaries @ http://www.theherbdiaries.com

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Emma Timmis runs 3974KM across Africa

In 2014, Emma Timmis ran 3974km, coast to coast across Africa. From Namibia to Mozambique passing through Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

Running from one side of a continent to the other sounds like a tough task alone, before adding in 48-degree heat, scorpions and snakes, sandy deserts with head winds and shorts burning your legs like branding irons! 

I began with my bare feet in the Atlantic Ocean with miles of desert spread out before me. Running on sand all day is demanding on your whole body, especially when running directly into a head wind the entire time. Far from being an expert on weather systems, I seemed to seriously misjudge the wind direction of the whole trip!

After pushing my way through the windy desert, the next section was a runner’s nightmare. A 200 mile plus, straight road! Digging deep to overcome this stretch wasn’t my only challenge as this area is also known for still having lions living in the wild. Luckily or not there were no lion sightings.

With the estimated length of the run being 4,000km the biggest struggle for me came reaching halfway in the middle of Zimbabwe. Feeling the pain in your legs, blisters on your feet and the mental exhaustion was pretty tough, but knowing you have the same distance to complete again is hard to get your head around. Thankfully the environment began to change. Leaving behind the dry, bare, flat landscape, the roads undulated through jungle that got thicker as the miles passed.

As I crossed the border into Mozambique, high on a hill, trees and lush forests stretched out as far as the eye can see. With this change in scenery came a change in temperature too. There was no escape from the heat. In the middle of the day we would set up a tarpaulin to create some shade but this made next to no difference. The heat was so intense sweat would pool around my body as I lay still on the ground trying to relax.

As I approached the east coast I started to increase my daily mileage to around 70km a day. I was looking ahead and counting down the days to finish. I knew there was about three days left and I was desperate to complete the expedition and rest my legs. Unfortunately, my body decided to give in. After spending a whole day squatting behind a tree every kilometre, I had to rest for a day. Mentally this was pretty tough with the end so close.

Recovery was quick and the next day I was back to running. I covered 213km in three days and finally ran into the Indian ocean after leaving the Namibian coast 89 days before. This was the toughest thing I had ever done, it inspired me to see what else I was capable of and made me believe that truly anything is possible.

Check out more of Emma Timmis’s adventures at: http://www.emmatimmis.com/

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Onion and Sun Dried Tomato Quinoa Bread

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients • 1 cup quinoa • 1/2 cup chia seeds • 1 cup diced onion • 3/4 cup sun dried tomatoes • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda • 3 tablespoons lime juice • 60ml olive oil, plus more for frying • 1 tablespoon 100% pure maple syrup • ½ cup mixed sunflower and pumpkin seeds

Method -The quinoa and chia seeds need to be soaked the night prior to baking the bread. In one bowl, cover the quinoa in water. In a separate bowl, soak the chia seeds in precisely 2 cups of water, this will act as an egg replacement.

- The next day, preheat the oven to 180°C and line loaf tin with baking paper. Rehydrate the sun dried tomatoes if necessary by soaking in warm water. Gently fry the onions in olive oil until browned.

- Drain the water from the quinoa. Add the quinoa to the food processor along with the chia egg, maple syrup, bicarbonate of soda, lime juice and olive oil.

- Blend until a dough starts to form. You want to keep whole pieces of quinoa.

- Roughly chop the rehydrated sun dried tomatoes.

- Transfer the bread mix into a large mixing bowl, and stir in the onions and sun dried tomatoes, along with plenty of seasoning.

- Pour the mixture into the tin and scatter with seeds before placing into the oven.

- The bread needs to bake for roughly 1 hour. It should feel firm once ready.

The bread is best kept in the fridge overnight to set further and enjoyed the following day.

Big thanks to Goodness Guru for this delicious Mediterranean inspired gluten free (quinoa-based) loaf! http://www.goodnessguru.co.uk

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Following the Canyon Trail

On the 29th May, TRIBE adventurers Emily and Hannah (Twice the Health) ventured off to the Grand Canyon. Following the Canyon Trail, they traversed from the North to the South Rim, completing the challenging 52km trail in just under 7 hours.

When the temperature is below freezing and the altitude is above 8,000 feet, you maybe need a quick sanity check as an alarm tone. We like a challenge but, we knew this one would take us a good way beyond our comfort zone. As hard as the Canyon tried to spook us with its dark morning call, the bitter chill and the eerie silence stood no chance of putting us off. We quickly found our competition mode. Spirits high and legs still fresh we zig zagged down the North Rim Kaibab trail until we were greeted by the sight and sounds of the racing Colorado river. Looking back, it’s difficult to believe just how strong we felt at this point and how this strength stayed with us through to the 40 km mark. Adrenalin is a powerful drug.

The Canyon both inspired and uplifted us, banishing any thoughts of tiredness and plotting a most beautiful path for us. We meandered beside the river bed, following the rushing waters for around 20km before arriving at Bright Angel campsite. Carbs consumed, legs lengthened and a few stern words to ourselves later, we were back in rhythm and on track.

This was where the real fun began. With a 4,500ft climb before us, this was mind over matter time. We set off up the questionably-named Bright Angel Trail heading for the South Rim where PB&J sandwiches were practically screaming out our names from the summit. Where once there was a sturdy rocky path, now there was soft red sand. The knees were saying thank you but the calves were shouting out all kinds of expletives. The pace was simply unsustainable. We’d settled into a slower jog now only for a trying 300ft climb to give way to a sudden drop down.

What goes down has got to go up again in this landscape and we regained the lost ground without complaint. How could we complain when every time we lifted our throbbing heads from the track below our pounding feet, we beheld the wonder of this miracle of nature.

All of this romance and splendour was soon hit square on the jaw as we collided with the infamous ‘runners wall’. Three miles out, in 30-degree heat and faced by eternal uphill climb, we slowed almost to a stop. There was no disgrace in letting our faithful feet do some walking. No surrender, no loss of willpower, the power was still switched on as we lengthened our strides to fight the contours and ensure we kept eating up the yards.

Nearly there. Its yellow scar slashed the deep red rock and suddenly our fading legs found new fuel and our breath returned for the final push. Revived, we picked up the pace, striding towards the edge of the rim we had been looking up at for so long. This was the equivalent of the jog down the Mall at the end of the London Marathon. This was the victory lap and, in just under 7 hours, we had conquered the Grand Canyon rim to rim.

Blog by, Twice the Health Duo-Em&Han (http://twicethehealth.com/)

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Spiced Coconut & Tomato Soup Bowl

Ingredients (serves 4):

800g cherry tomatoes 1 can organic coconut milk 2 cups short grain brown rice 2 tbsp coconut oil 2 onions, finely sliced 4 tsp curry powder 1 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp chilli flakes A little water to taste 2 slices of halloumi per person 1 ripe avocado A bunch of fresh oregano Sea salt and pepper to season

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and roast your tomatoes until they are juicy and a little golden. Boil the rice in water for about 20 minutes until soft but with a little bite. Drain and set aside when done. Fry the onion in one tablespoon of coconut oil for a couple of minutes until soft and golden, then add the curry powder, cumin and chilli and stir over a medium heat for a further two minutes. Remove from the hob and set aside. When the tomatoes are done, place them in a blender with the onions and spices and pulse gently to liquidise, adding the coconut milk as you go. If you prefer it thinner you can add a little water here instead of the whole can. Return the soup to the hob to warm through and season to taste. Meanwhile, gently fry the halloumi in the remaining coconut oil and slice the avocado. Place a heap of rice in each bowl, ladle the soup on top and serve with cheese, avocado, fresh oregano, salt and pepper.

Thanks to Xochi Balfour for this delicious creamy, spicy Asian-inspired bowl of goodness:

http://www.thenaturalista.co.uk/spiced-tomato-coconut-soup-bowl/

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Cauliflower couscous with basil oil and smoked wild salmon

Ingredients (serves 2):

1 cauliflower A bunch of asparagus tips 1 cup basil, washed and tightly packed 1 wild salmon fillet (smoked or plain) 1 lemon Sea salt Black pepper 2 cups cold pressed olive or hemp oil

Method:

Start by cooking your salmon for 15-20 minutes in a preheated oven at about 180 degrees until it is flaky but not too dry. When it is done, bring it out and leave to cool. Meanwhile, grate your cauliflower florettes into a fine couscous, add a little salt and  a squeeze of lemon juice and set aside. Then steam your asparagus for a minute, run under cold water and leave to cool while you roughly blend your basil with 1.5 cups of oil, the juice of 1/2 lemon and sea salt to taste.

Mix the oil, cauliflower and chopped asparagus with some black pepper and more salt and lemon if needed, then flake the salmon into chunks and run it through before garnishing with some basil leaves and serving immediately.

The perfect summer dinner dish from Xochi Balfour @ http://www.thenaturalista.co.uk/

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Optimizing your recovery will help reduce the risk of injury and help you train to your potential. It is important to take on roughly 10-20g protein within 45 minutes of a tough workout. Here are 5 quick and easy ways to boost that post-workout protein punch!

1/ Include some chia or hemp seeds in your smoothie or some eggs in your post workout meal. These foods include all 9 essential amino acids, the building blocks of protein to help build and repair muscle tissues. Check out this recipe here!

2/ Squeeze some almond or peanut butter on to a banana for a powerful post-exercise snack. Aways opt for high quality wholefoods like nuts, seeds and grains, nothing is more nutritionally dense than these. Trail mixes are a quick and easy option!

3/ Pack a TRIBE 10 recovery bar for 15 minutes after your training. A snack with an optimal 2+:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio, helps replenish depleted glycogen stores. Carbs are just as important as protein for efficient recovery.

4/ Add some dark leafy greens to your post-workout meal or grains such as teff and quinoa. It’s not just about PROTEIN! Vitamins and minerals such as calcium, vitamin D and magnesium are essential for bone strength and muscle function.

5/ Replenish Electrolytes. After a long session it's important to get some salts in. When exercising hard you can lose up to 2000mg sodium an hour. If you lose a lot of salt when you sweat (check for white marks on your tee..), it's a good plan to add some salt to your post workout meal.

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GET £5 OFF TRIBE 10 PROTEIN RECOVERY BOOSTER PACKS.

JUST VISIT THE TRIBE STORE HERE & USE CODE: PROTEINHIT

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Goodness Parfait

Tribe love this GoodnessGuru recipe, hits the spot as both an energising breakfast and a sweet treat! 

Ingredients • 1 large ripe banana • 1/4 cup almond milk • 1 tbsp oats • 1 tsp cinnamon • 1/2 cup fresh raspberries • 1 tbsp sprouted buckwheat • 3 almonds • Sprinkle of pumpkin seeds • Sprinkle of raisins

Method Add the ripe banana, oats, almond milk and cinnamon to a blender and whiz into a thick smoothie like consistency. Pour into a serving glass. Mash the raspberries using the back of a fork until puréed. Spoon the purée carefully over the banana layer. Finish with the sprouted buckwheat, almonds, pumpkin seeds and raisins. This works best if you refrigerate overnight so that the banana thickens into a creamy almost cheesecake like texture.

Thanks to Goodness Guru for the delicious recipe: http://www.goodnessguru.co.uk

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Tribe For Good Charity Vote

Cancer Research UK

Chosen by TRIBE Runner Cassandra: "Because we need to beat cancer soon!”

Prader-Willie

Chosen by TRIBE Runner Andy Pusey: "Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) was first described in 1956 by Swiss doctors, Prof. A Prader, Dr A Labhart and Dr H Willi. Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is a genetic disorder that occurs in approximately one out of every 15,000 births. PWS affects males and females with equal frequency and affects all races and ethnicities. PWS is recognized as a common genetic cause of childhood obesity."

Trekstock

Chosen by TRIBE Runners Kelly, Giles, Lauren and Sophie: "Trekstock do amazing work helping support young adults in their 20 & 30s living with cancer across the uk. They focus on helping the to thrive through and beyond cancer with relevant engaging and age appropriate information and services."

Heads Together

Chosen by TRIBE Runner Ciara Minahan: "These are the charity I support with CALM and I want to run for the heads together in 2017! Mind health is important as our running health.”

War Child

Chosen by TRIBE Runners Jessica Kilduff and Jason Stevens: "The world is witnessing the largest refugee crisis since the horrors of World War II. Today there are close to 60 million people who have been forced to leave their homes, and children account for half of these. This is the highest figure for displaced children in more than a decade. Most of these children have witnessed and been subjected to the horrors of war which they may never recover from.”

Nightingales Romania

Chosen by TRIBE Runner Gunilla Treen: "This is a charity whereby children are taken in to both the orphanage and a house for when they are older. They are at risk from trafficking and prostitution. They are given care and education, sports education and many other things to help them to live a more fulfilled life. It is run by a very good friend of many years, Ben wells.”

Breathing Matters

Chosen by TRIBE Runner Vicky Reynolds: "Dad was diagnosed with IPF in 2012. There was no awareness and no treatment; Breathing Matters were the only charity offering support. We had direct contact and I don't know what we would have done without them. The story behind it is here: https://vicksisrunning.wordpress.com/ Dad died 14 September, 2015.”

Medicins Sans Frontier

Chosen by TRIBE Runner Kirsty Rice: "Whilst whole parts of the UK become more inward looking and closed off, I think its important the Tribe community chose a charity that helps the wider global community. MSF do fantastic work, often in places no one else goes helping those who desperately need it.”

The Simon Trust

Chosen by TRIBE Runner Sally Lawrence: "Disabled people should be allowed to live near their families and not sent to the other end of the country for support.  The Simon Trust is raising £500,000 to make that happen in Surrey, providing on-site facilities and homes for severely autistic young adults with complex needs in Surrey. “

Cystic Fibrosis

Chosen by TRIBE Runner Heidi Quine: "My 13year old niece suffers from CF. I have ran the London marathon this year to raise money for the trust and my niece Millie. I am very passionate about raising awareness for those who suffer with the condition."

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BEYOND THE BIKE ON THE NEW SILK ROAD

Stuart and Claire share their journey whilst they traverse one of the ancient silk roads to China via Central Asia on a nomadic tandem.

When Stuart asked me on our second date if I fancied cycling to China, of course I said yes. Stuart cycled his tandem from South Africa to London in 2011/2012 and was itching to do a second trip to Asia. Little did I know that three years later I would find myself in China having cycled 10,000km, mostly on a bamboo bike!

In 2011/12 Stuart kept the tandem’s back seat free, enabling him to tell the story of the countries along his journey through serendipitous encounters with locals, summarized in a closely followed blog – ‘The Economic Cycle’. Both being teachers, we saw Beyond the Bike 2015/16 as a chance to connect with schools across the world as well as continue with the Economic Cycle blog. We planned to traverse one of the ancient Silk Roads to China via Central Asia. But Silk Roads is simply a term coined to describe East-West trade routes and arguably Africa will become a more important 21st century trade partner for Asia than Europe. We thus decided to cycle to China via Africa.

With great trepidation (on my part) we set off in September 2015 from London, with the tandem and a Ugandan bamboo bike. Stuart helped set up and supports a social enterprise in Kampala making these beautiful bikes. After a quick warm- up ride (550km in 4 days to Amsterdam) we flew to Kampala to meet Kasoma and his apprentice Khalid who made my beautiful bike. 16-year-old Khalid, who dreams of being a professional cyclist, cycled with us to his family home near the Rwandan border. From Kampala we headed south. One highlight was hiking up to the biggest live lava lake in the world – in the DRC-where we camped on the crater rim.

In Zimbabwe we went down a small artisanal gold mine with 19th century technology – men working 8-hour shifts in the dark digging with spades. From South Africa we flew to Singapore then headed north towards China. The hardest thing in Asia has been the heat, often topping well over 40° with 90% humidity. We were cycling from 5am – 11am and then having to stop, especially with all the mountains. As well as through African and Asian mountains we have cycled beside several oceans, several major rivers, notably following the Zambezi from source to Victoria Falls and the Mekong from Phnom Penh to China. 

The last 9 months have been physically and mentally challenging but the hardest thing was getting the courage to do it! As a cycling novice until two years ago I firmly believe anyone can do something like this. We are working with two brilliant educational charities, Beyond Ourselves in Zambia and United World Schools in SE Asia. We spent a wonderful week with both charities seeing first hand the work they do. On our return we are inviting others to join us for two rides near London on 25th June and 2nd July.

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Quinoa Porridge with Honey Recipe

Great morning post workout fuel.

Ingredients: Serves 1

1 cup quinoa 2 cups almond milk 1 tbp vanilla essence 1 tbsp raw honey 1 tbsp seed sprinkle Pinch of salt

Method:

Mix the quinoa and almond milk in a saucepan over a low heat. Bring to a simmer and stir frequently for 12 minutes. When the quinoa ‘tails’ start to break away, you know you’re nearly done! If you need to add more liquid do, add either more almond milk or water. Once the ‘tails’ start showing, add in the vanilla essence. Make sure you taste as you go – it should have ‘bite’ yet not be crunchy. Spoon your porridge into a bowl, add the pinch of salt, drizzle on the honey and sprinkle on the seeds. You’re ready to go! Serve with green tea or a cup of hot water with honey, lemon and ginger in.

Recipe by Eliza Flynn. Check out her blog at Healthy Living London @ www.healthylivinglondon.com 

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TRIBE are loving: Wadi Rum Ultra

The Wadi Rum Ultra is a multi-day ultra-marathon run (September 3rd-11th) over 5 days in Southern Jordan. The course takes participants through historic sites such as the ancient city of Petra, into dramatic Wadis and over magnificent sand dunes covering a total distance of 187.5 (300km) miles – that’s just over 7 marathons in 6 days! 

The WRU is the longest multi day footrace in the world and when combined with 90 degree heat and a backpack containing your week’s supplies, you have the world’s toughest footrace!

Are you up for the challenge? The Wadi Rum Ultra crew are offering an entry fee discount to the TRIBE community! Get £315 off race entry! New entry fee = £985! To get £315 off entry fee, drop the guys a line @ http://www.wadirumultra.com/contact-us/ and reference: WADIRUMTRIBE

TAKE ON THE WORLD'S TOUGHEST FOOTRACE THIS YEAR!