Volleyball Inter Insular 2015 - Game Footage

Volleyball Inter-Insulars 2015

After months of hard work and training the Volleyball Inter-Insulars were finally upon us. Last Saturday (18th April 2015) the Guernsey island volleyball teams travelled to Jersey to compete.

The Ladies B team played first, unfortunately losing 3 sets to 0 against the strong Jersey side. The Ladies A team arrived after the first set was played (after having to travel over on a later flight) so unfortunately we missed some of the match but what I did see the Guernsey ladies were fighting hard and making their island proud. There was great team work and excellent back court hitting from Carly Tucknott and Laura Eggo (even if she managed to jump above the height of the net!). Once the match finished, Laura was approached by the umpire to congratulate her on her efforts and how well she played.

Ladies B Match ended 3-0 to Jersey

1st set - 25-18 to Jersey

2nd set - 25-10 to Jersey

3rd set - 26-24 to Jersey

Laura Eggo (11) goes in for an outside hit

Our youngest female island player Becky Gauvain (5) showed her excellent setting skills throughout the match

The unstoppable block - Sophie Alder (8) goes up to block a Jersey outside hit

Next to play were the Mens B team and they too lost 3-0 to Jersey. The final result does not represent how close the match was, with the final set ending 24-26 to Jersey. I definitely feel the younger players in the team deserve some recognition. Sam Eggo, Luke Archard and Tom Guille played really well despite the opposing team having much more experience. (Also a quick shout out to Andrew Maiden who played for the Volleyball Mens B team, then flew back to Guernsey to compete in the first ever mens netball inter-insular match and WON!)

Mens B Match ended 3-0 to Jersey

1st set - 25-15 to Jersey

2nd set - 25-13 to Jersey

3rd set - 26-24 to Jersey

Great defence by Andrew Maiden (4) and Luke Archard (3)

Tom Guille beating the Jersey blockers with his outside hit

The Mens A team played after the Ladies A (I will get to our match a little later) and they fought until the end. Unfortunately Jersey won again but this time the final score was 3-1. The match was everything you would expect from top island players - it was fast paced with big blocks and even bigger hits! Nick Gaudion's setting was brilliant and both Ross Martel-Welsh and Dan Skipper dominated at the net. The Guernsey guys really gelled well as a team, despite only finding out the final squads 4 days earlier.

Men A Match ended 3-1 to Jersey

1st set - 25-27 to Guernsey
2nd set - 25-22 to Jersey
3rd set - 25-15 to Jersey
4th set - 25-29 to Jersey

Callum Hockey (5) somehow making jumping THAT HIGH look easy

Dan Skipper (8) going up for an outside spike. The main question though, what is Nick (2) doing?

Big block from our Guernsey guys Ryan Martel (6) and Callum Hockey (5) against the "fit meerkat" (Helen's words, not mine).

I think it's fair to say the Ladies A match was the most nail-biting of the day. Our match was the only one to go to the 5th and final set and Jersey just won by 2 clear points. During the course of the match we saw some great three touch volleyball - accurate digs coming in to the setter (particularly by our libero Hannah Riley). Our setters, Karen Jehan, Gemma Nicolle and Helen Crawley were then able to set the ideal ball to us hitters to spike. Jennifer Lindfield, in particular had some stellar spikes that, I'm sure, impressed even the Jersey team. I was fortunate enough to be awarded the player of the Ladies A match title for which I am extremely grateful and flattered. I would like to thank all my team mates for such an amazing game and season so far.

Ladies A Match ended 3-2 to Jersey

1st set - 25-16 to Jersey

2nd set - 24-26 to Guernsey

3rd set - 25-23 to Jersey

4th set - 17-25 to Guernsey

5th set - 15-13 to Jersey

The Guernsey Ladies A Volleyball Team
Karen Jehan (7),  Jennifer Lindfield (5), Carla Marly (4), Emily Gaudion (12)
Sarah Biggins (8), Tyler Thorne (9), Hannah Riley (11), Gemma Nicolle (10), Helen Crawley (2)

Jennifer Lindfield (5) doing what she does best!

Ladies A - Me (9) to serve

The medal I received for being awarded player of the match

It was a long day but well worth it. I feel so proud to represent Guernsey and play with such lovely people. Of course we made some mistakes and simple errors but we now know what we need to work on and practice in order to improve further.

It was a long day... zzz
Head cheerleader, Karen, having a well deserved nap on the ferry back home (Sorry Bucky! It had to be done!!)

I would like to take this opportunity to thank a few people who have helped me and the rest of the ladies along the way. First and foremost our coach, Rodney Elmy, for all the hard work and effort he has put in to training us and improving our skills. Also to Neil Elmy who has helped out a many of our training sessions. Lisa Dowinton helped organise the whole Jersey trip as well as play some great volleyball, so thank you Lisa for all your had work.

Finally I just want to congratulate all of the men and women who played in the inters this year and say well done to them all. I am so proud of all the women I play with and I absolutely love my volleyball family! We have trained so hard this season and it showed in our performance! We have improved so much since last year and that shows in our final result. We should all be so proud of ourselves! Now to concentrate on the Natwest Island Games that are being held in Jersey in the summer time.

GREEN ARRRRMY!

PS: Thank you to Karen Jehan for letting me use the images she captured (along with Karen Buck-Archenoul & Ross Martel-Welsh) - they are great.

Below is some footage I managed to capture of the matches with the help of some other players. Enjoy

Bye for now x

Cook With Me: Soup Diet & Recipe

The soup diet was initially used in hospitals for patients that need to lose weight quickly before an operation. I have not used this diet myself but my dad uses it when he wants to lose weight for a holiday or to kick start his weight loss before improving his diet and increasing exercise. 

Disclaimer - I am not a nutritionist. I am aware this diet is high in fibre and low-fat therefore it is not for long term weight loss. It is however ideal for short term, quick weight loss. The soup can also be enjoyed as a part of a normal diet - I eat the soup for lunch or a small bowl as a quick snack.

There are many variations of this soup and you can add any additional vegetables or remove any ingredients that you like. This is just the recipe that my family follow if we are making this soup. The diet below is a 7 day plan and what you are allowed to eat each day. The only drink you are allowed is water (unless stated otherwise). I would however recommend adding some complex carbohydrates (e.g. pasta, bread) if you are exercising during the week to give yourself some energy. 

Ingredients

·  Tinned chopped tomatoes (with garlic - optional) x2

·  Celery

·  Spring onion

·  Chopped carrots

·  Beef steak tomato x2

·  Red pepper

·  Green pepper

·  Yellow pepper

·  Green beans/sugar snap peas

·  Knorrs packet vegetable soup

·  Knorrs beef stock cubes/stock pots x2

· Knorrs chicken stock cubes/stock pots x2 (Substitute chicken and been stock for vegetable stock if you prefer or if you are vegetarian)

Method

 TO START get all of your ingredients and equipment ready. The equipment you will need: a sharp knife and chopping board, a jug, a large saucepan with a lid and a fork.

I forgot to add the tinned tomatoes to the picture... Doh!

 VEGETABLES chop all of the veggies and add them to the saucepan. If you want chunky soup, chop the vegetables into large chunks (this is how I make the soup. I find the chunkier the soup, the more filling it is). If you prefer to have smooth soup, blend the vegetables together in a blender.

 SOUP boil the kettle and add the dry Knorrs packeted vegetable soup into a jug. Pour over roughly 550ml of boiling water and mix well. Add the Knorrs stock pots to the mixture and stir until fully melted. Pour this into the saucepan with the vegetables.

 BASE & COOK add the two tins of tomatoes to the soup and mix well. Cook on a low heat with a lid. Mix and check the soup regularly to ensure the bottom does not burn and it is cooked evenly. Don't worry if the vegetables are not covered in liquid - the vegetables will release water when they are cooked and the soup with become runnier. Cook until the veggies are not raw (personally I like to have a bit of crunch but if you want your soup softer, cook until the carrots are completely soft).

ENJOY to serve, use a ladle to dish the soup into bowls. Enjoy with croutons or bread (NOT if you are following the diet though, sorry!)

The 7 Day Diet Plan

DAY 1 

Soup & Fruit (besides bananas). You can eat as much soup and fruit as you like. You can drink cranberry juice, unsweetened tea and water on this day.

DAY 2 

Soup & Vegetables only. Whether they are raw, cooked or steamed you can eat as many vegetables as you like. You can also treat yourself to one baked potato.

DAY 3 

Soup, Fruit & Vegetables (no baked potatoes). This is a combination of the first 2 days so enjoy those veggies and fruit snacks.

DAY 4 

Soup, Bananas & Skimmed Milk - Drink as much skimmed milk as you like and you can also eat up to 8 bananas and as much soup as you need. This day should lessen your cravings for sugar.

DAY 5 

Soup, Beef & Tomatoes - You can have between 10 and 20 ounces of beef and up to 6 tomatoes.

DAY 6 

Soup, Beef 7 Vegetables - you can eat as much soup, beef and vegetables (besides potato) this day. Preferably 2-3 steaks and green leafy vegetables like cabbage.

DAY 7 

Soup Brown Rice & Vegetables - again you can eat as much of these as you like. Make sure you eat soup at least once this day.

DAY 8+ 

It is not recommended for long term weight loss. It can be incorporated into a healthy diet and used to kick start your weight loss journey.

Thank you for reading and I hope this helps you to lose weight if that is what you're looking for or just make some DELICIOUS soup. Remember in order to lose weight safely only follow this diet plan for a short amount of time the incorporate soup into a healthy diet as you progress.

Bye for now x

Cook With Me: Family Steak Night

A bit of a different blog post today. I decided to cook fillet steak for the family and I thought I would record it. I love to cook and experiment with new flavours but it is rare that I am able to prepare a meal like this. This is because I work shifts, so sometimes I wont finish work until 8:30pm and I also play volleyball 3-4 nights a week.

Below I will add the ingredients I used, the method to make it and a video to follow along with if you want to cook this meal (or an element of this meal).

Ingredients (serves 4*)

Beef:

• 1 fillet of steak (of your desired size) per person
• 8 sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme

Sweet potatoes:

• 1 large sweet potato
• Semolina
• Paprika powder

Red-skinned potatoes:

• 400g red-skinned potatoes
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme or rosemary
• 1 bulb of garlic

Carrots:

• 500g baby carrots
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 1 heaped table spoon of caster sugar
• 1 knob of butter

Cheats gravy:

• 4 tablespoons of Bisto Gravy granules
• A glug of red wine
• 1 Knorrs beef stock pot
• Half a red onion

Seasonings:

• Olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper

To serve with:

• Half a pan fried red onion
• Pan fried mushrooms
• Béarnaise sauce
• English mustard
• A bottle of red wine

*My family eat rather large portions, so if you do not eat much it may be best to reduce the quantity.

Methodology:

TO START get all your ingredients and equipment ready. Preheat the oven to 220°C/470°F/gas mark 7. Fill and boil a kettle.

SWEET POTATOES Wash the sweet potato. Chop the two ends off the unpeeled sweet potato and begin to chop into fries. Place the fries into a baking tray, laying them flat. Season with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika powder and a generous amount on semolina to increase crispiness. Shake vigorously to cover each potato fry with seasoning. Place into the oven and cook for roughly 40 minutes or until lightly browned and crispy. Ensure you keep checking the sweet potato fries throughout.

POTATOES Wash the red-skinned potatoes, leaving the skin on. Chop into even chunks, roughly 2-3cm, and throw them into a saucepan. Cover with boiling water and season with salt. Boil for roughly 10 minutes, or just until cooked.

BEEF Pick and finely chop the rosemary (and thyme leaves if using fresh ingredients). Turn the heat up under an empty frying pan. Lay a sheet of greaseproof paper and drizzle with olive oil. Dress the greaseproof paper with the herbs, salt and pepper. Roll each fillet back and forth on the paper until fully coated with herbs.Add the meat to the hot frying pan. (you will have to add each fillet at different times depending on how each person would like their steak cooked. Obviously Well-done will be cooking for the longest and Rare for the least amount of time.Turn the heat down to ensure an even cook throughout. Turn the steak every minute or so to prevent uneven cooking or burning. Remember to seal all ends.

CARROTS Pour the carrots into an empty saucepan and cover with boiling water. Add thyme, a couple of bay leaves, a heaped tablespoon of caster sugar, a pinch of salt and a splash of olive oil. Cook with a lid until tender.

POTATOES Check the potatoes are fully cooked, then drain them. Add them to a large frying pan with olive oil, rosemary and a pinch of salt & pepper.

EXTRAS At this time, add any extras to your meal. Chop some red onion to pan fry. Fried mushrooms and beefsteak tomatoes also go well with a good fillet steak.

CHEATS GRAVY Finely chop half a red onion and add to the empty frying pan where the steaks were cooked. This pan should still have all of the flavours and juices from the beef fillets - this will add extra flavour to the gravey. Add 4 tablespoons of Bisto Gravy Granules into a jug. Slowly add water until the consistency is how thick or thin you like gravy. Add a Knorrs beef stock pot and mix well. If you like, you can add a glug of red wine. Pour the mixture into the frying pan with the onion and simmer.

TO SERVE How you dish up your meal is completely up to you. Personally I dished out each plate (mainly to save more dishes to wash up!) Drain the carrots and toss with butter. Dish the squashed potatoes, fillets and extras out onto the plates. Place the sweet potato fries in the middle of the table for family sharing. Serve with your drink of choice - the dish goes well with red wine. My personal favourite - Gallo Family Summer Red (and its only £5.99 per bottle, bargain!)

I gained a lot of inspiration for this dish from Jamie Oliver and his Roast Beef 30 minute meal. I adapted the ingredients and methodology to create a new meal for our family steak night. I hope you have enjoyed cooking with me!

Thank you for reading my blog post, see you next time

Bye for now x

Gym Bag/Volleyball Kit Essentials

Whenever I leave to go to the gym or volleyball I always feel as if I'm forgetting something - and half of the time I am. This blog post is going to be all about my essentials I take to the gym or to a volleyball session. I figure even if no one reads this post at least I can use it as a check-list to make sure I have everything before I go!

These bags are based on the occasion that I would be heading straight to the gym or volleyball from work or if I were already out (hence the actual clothing I would wear during the work out). Obviously if I were going straight from home I would just wear my workout gear there.

Gym Bag Essentials

Gym card & money - Pretty self explanatory. If you need a membership card to gain access to the gym, best not forget that. If your gym requires money to rent lockers make sure you always have change on you. It's not worth risking leaving your things out for anyone to take - so make use of the lockers.

Sports bra - if you're a lady please please please wear a sports bra when you work out. You need to protect your puppies and keep them supported! The sports bras I use are from Shock Absorber. These sports bras give the ultimate support, even when I play volleyball (which involves a lot of diving and jumping). They also come in a range of colours and I currently own the white and black ones. I would highly recommend this sports bra for ladies who require a bit more support.

Shock Absorber sports bra

Work out gear - When I work out I like to wear lycra leggings and a loose vest top or shirt. I tend to always wear dry fit clothing as they are the most comfortable when I sweat and allow for a wide range of movements.

Sweat towel - although this may not be an essential for everyone, I NEED to take a sweat towel with me when I work out. Besides, if you aren't dripping in sweat, are you really working hard enough?

Socks and Trainers - I wear ASICS trainers to the gym. I love having a pop of colour coming from my shoes. I have always worn ASICS trainers for as long as I remember. These trainers are very light weight and really comfortable. The mesh around the toes makes them super breathable and allows everyone to see my matching florescent socks - what more could you ask for?

Water bottle - I always take a water bottle to the gym with me. It is really important to keep hydrated and I'd much prefer to take a sip out of my water bottle while I'm on the go than stop and to find an available water fountain.

Gadgets (phone and headphones) - again this may not be essential for everyone but to really get into the workout I love to listen to loud, upbeat music. The music I have is stored on my iPhone so I just take that to the gym with me and I use my Beats by Dre Solo Headphones to listen. I much prefer headphones to earphones. I find earphones tend to fall out of my ears and the sound quality isn't as good.

Layers - It is important to keep warm when you leave the gym so take some layers with you (especially in the colder seasons). I usually take a pair of tracksuit joggers and a hoodie.

Extras - If you need any medication, obviously take that with you. I'm asthmatic and I could not go the gym without my inhaler. Although I may not use it, I know if I don't have it with me I will panic and not push myself as hard as I could. Also if you are planning to shower at the gym please take some body wash, shampoo, conditioner and deodorant. I always go home straight from the gym so I don't need to take these with me.

Volleyball Bag Essentials

A lot of the essentials in my gym bag are also needed in my volleyball bag including a sweat towel, layers, a sports bra, any extras (inhaler) & a water bottle. There are also a few changes that are specific to volleyball.

Volleyball Kit - Like my work out clothes, most of my volleyball wear is dry fit and lycra. I always wear a pair of lycra shorts when I am playing volleyball and usually a t-shirt. If I'm playing a match I would wear my numbered team shirt.

Trainers and Socks - When playing volleyball I wear a different pair of ASICS. I have had these shoes for years and I will need to replace them soon. As you can see they are wearing out a bit. The reason why I wear these trainers is that they are a bit sturdier than my others and provide a bit more support to my ankles which is important when playing volleyball. I also where higher ankle socks - these too provide more support than the socks I wear to the gym.

Knee Pads - Last but definitely not least, knee pads. Men tend not to wear knee pads as often as women as they are able to dive for the ball onto their chests. For obvious reasons women can't do that so we tend to slide onto our knees first to take the brunt of the dive. That is why we need knee pads to protect our knees from the hard court. Although that doesn't stop the bruises!!

Thank you for taking the time to read my gym/volleyball bag essentials. Let me know if you have any extra essentials. I hope you have a fabulous day.

Bye for now x