• Breakfast
• Hydration

Happy New Year and best wishes for an awesomely fit 2012.
What is all this fuss about New Year’s resolutions?  Is it really worth making monumental changes to our comfortable, if rather less than perfect lives? Why are we so dissatisfied that we have to start each New Year with hopes for self improvement?  Perhaps New Year is the ideal time for us to step back and reflect on the changes we could make to our lives to make things a lttle better. But we do need to be careful we don’t turn into moaning bores; if we’re lucky enough to be basically fit and healthy with a roof over our heads and a decent meal on the table every evening, then the rest can be just icing on the cake.

This has led to one of those long-run discussions  with my running mate Mark, a staunch believer in New Year resolutions. According to him, you can only let your hair down over Christmas if you’re confident that you can stick to a sober and righteous January (he did indeed avoid all my texts to invite him for a run over Christmas).

New Year’s resolutions may give you the excuse to over-indulge but they can  sometimes lead to great things, like developing a love for running or starting the business of your dreams!

I’m talking about big resolutions, not resolutions like giving up chocolate. Oh no! Indeed, chocolate is to be enjoyed throught the year, throughout life. Real resolutions like taking up running, cycling, applying for a more satisfying job, getting off one’s backside and going for realistic goals that present a challenge but are within the realms of achievement. For me, sporting goals this year are the Weston-Super-Mare Tough Ten in February, the Bristol Half in September and the Liverpool marathon in October. I’ve binned my ambitions for an ultra as I think this is a target for which I’m realistically just not going to be able to find the hours to train. In my mind resolutions must be attainable.  If I resolved to spend less time cooking and more time tidying then I know this would cause great hilarity and last for about 24 hours…

It’s achieving these sort of targets without getting injured or burning out in the process which can be a challenge. It’s ok if you’ve got a lovely personal trainer to guide you along the way, but most of us meagre mortals have to just get on with it ourselves. And that means not only motivating ourselves to get out there and work out, but also to eat the right stuff at the right time. Which brings us back to important things like chocolate. Here’s a great reason to keep consuming the delicious stuff…within reason….especially if you are planning to do some serious training over the next few months.

EAT CHOCOLATE FOR RECOVERY. Try chocolate milk for starters. Chocolate milk makes a perfect recovery drink after a really serious workout. It’s packed with nutrients, easily digested, light on the stomach, virtually fat-free and so much cheaper than buying an expensive engineered sports drink. My kids love it after a massive and muddy mountain bike ride or hard game of rubgy but this drink is not just for kiddies. My simple but effective Go Faster Chocolate Banana Recovery Shake has a 4:1 carbohydrate:protein ratio, which is proven to be perfect for efficient muscle recovery and repair. This will kick-start the recovery process after a long workout when muscle glycogen levels are depleted. The carbohydrate will replenish glycogen levels. The protein will repair muscle cells. There’s also heaps of other nutrients to replace lost body salts and give your tired body a boost, such as vitamin C, B6, potassium and calcium.

All you need is a liquidizer and a spare minute. Here’s what you need for one large glass:

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