Month: February 2013

Nameless runner

Hey everyone,

I hope you all had a good week. I am still on track for my 4 runs this week- the run on Wednesday was super tough- they did a route which I did once in the summer, but I was not quite sure of it. The people at the front rocketed off, and after less than a mile I could only see one person ahead (the person from the shop was doing a run/walk with someone behind me)- anyway, I went wrong and accidentally took a short cut- ended up meeting them again, they left me again, and when I got back to the shop (after 3.5 miles) they were not even back, having added on even more to the route. I looked at my miles on the Garmin after, and I was not going any slower, so they must have all been faster. I was so tired after that!

Anyway, what I wanted to talk about was carrying ID with me. I mentioned this before, as I carry nothing with me- no phone (sometimes I do if I am going a long way but my phone is a bit bulky and annoying to carry, plus one less thing for a mugger to steal from me), no wallet or anything. I did at one point carry a pound coin in my pocket, but I keep forgetting to do that too (not that there are many phone boxes around anyway). I do sometimes worry about what would happen if I fell and hurt myself, as no-one would know who to contact etc. I always tell Andy where I am going, but I have a bad habit of running through worst case scenarios in my head (e.g. what if I get bitten by that dog and then I fall over into the road and a car runs me over…) so I finally got around to doing something about it.

I was looking at wristbands, but then it is another thing to remember, so I ordered a shoe tag from here. It is a little velcro pouch (apparently waterproof although as it is not water tight you could not submerge it) with an “I.D. Inside” label on it, so hopefully someone would notice it, but my name etc is not visible to people as I run past. Inside you just put a little card tag which you fill in with name, phone numbers, medical info etc. The pack I ordered had a spare one if any details change.

Then it just attached to my trainers- I just had to loop the tag through the laces and it’s done.

I went out on a run after work today (number 3 of the week)- of course I still let Andy know my route and when I leave/ when I should be back, but it is a little bit of extra precaution to take.

If you go out running/ cycling etc alone, do you carry anything like this with you? 

Perfect pancakes (again, and this time the real recipe)

Pancakes for a leisurely Sunday breakfast are becoming part of my weekend routine. I made the batter the night before again, to speed things up a bit, and they turned out so pretty again!

The black stuff is mincemeat, not burnt apples!

To make the batter, mix in a bowl:

20g peanut flour

20g wholegrain spelt flour

1tsp baking powder

40g pumpkin puree

60-70ml soya milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

I also added in some cinnamon, but I could not taste it in them, so next time I would leave that out.

Then, in the morning, I have it down to a fine art. I heat up the pan over a medium heat, and drop the first 3 pancakes on there (I like little ones- easier to flip), then heat a tsp coconut oil in a little milk pan. While that is melting, chop up an apple and add to the pan with the coconut oil. Sometimes I add a little coconut sugar here too if I fancy them to be more caramelised.

Flip the pancakes once little bubbles appear, and shake the apples in the pan a bit. Make a cup of tea (teapigs chocolate flake tea is my Sunday breakfast tea of choice currently).

Put the first lot of pancakes on the plate, put the second lot on to cook, and then add some mincemeat (I shall be so sad when my supply of the lovely Meridian stuff runs out) to the apple, just to heat it through.

Serve with a little pb, and enjoy.

After that relaxing start to the day, we headed into London. We had a little walk around Covent Garden, went for lunch at Pizza Express, and even managed a bit of time in the National Portrait Gallery, before going to see Let It Be. I was expecting more of a musical (you know, a bit of a tenuous story) but in fact it was basically Beatles song after Beatles song, being played and sung live. It was fantastic- very lively and good fun.

Then we popped to Starbucks for a drink before heading home. A lovely relaxing Sunday.

I mentioned on my facebook page that the Deep Freeze gel really impressed me, so I thought I would mention it here too. I really think that ice baths or cold showers really help after a long run/ hard effort, and in the summer I will often spray my legs with cold water at the end of a shower. Apparently they do it to racing horses? Anyway, the idea is that the cold water contracts the blood vessels, and then when you warm up again after, nutrients etc flood in and help with recovery.

Anyway, after the 11 miles on Saturday my knees were a bit stiff, and my hamstrings always get tight, so I put some on. On Sunday I felt tired (as tired as you would normally feel after a long run and a busy week I suppose) but my legs were not stiff at all. I am really impressed! So worth a try I would say, and more appealing than a cold shower in this weather. I must warn you, at first it just feels cool, but after a few minutes it does actually feel freezing- it did take me by surprise!

Jantastic is now into Febulous- we have to choose the length of the longest run each week as well as how many per week. I have started with 4 runs, as I managed this on 3 out of 4 weeks, even with the snow- it was having a heavy cold that put a stop to one of them. I think I put down to do 10 miles next week, then 13 (for Brighton) and then drop back to 6, as I am not sure what I will feel like doing for those last 2 weeks.

Oh, and don’t forget you can enter the giveaway on my last post– I am loving all the answers so far.

What is your idea of the perfect weekend breakfast? Actually, can I choose The Waffle House?

Perfect hot chocolate and a giveaway

So when I got home from work on Friday I was super tired, but I went out on a run for two reasons- I needed my third Jantastic run of the week, and I like a run after body pump as it helps loads with reducing stiffness. I did a short and fairly quick 2 miles, and that was enough for me!

The temperature had really dropped though, it really was very cold! I think I underestimated how cold I would get, and got quite chilly in the evening after dinner. Hot chocolate was the solution, and I have now the perfect method for it.

Yum, so frothy! I heat the milk in a little jug in the microwave (I use some kind of alpro light stuff), and then put the chocolate in the bottom of a mug (I use Montezuma’s hot chocolate, which is chocolate shavings, but small chocolate chips would work just as well) and pour a little of the warm milk on top. Then whisk it up with an aerolatte (or a mini whisk) until the chocolate melts and the milk froths up. Then pour over the rest of the warm milk.

Perfection.

This morning I went out on an 11 mile run. I did it in just over 2 hours, and I felt OK and a few times decided to go a bit faster for half a mile or so.

My legs were a little stiff when I got home, so post shower I tried out the Deep Freeze gel I was sent. It felt cool at first, but after a couple of minutes the iciness came through- a lot! It had quite a clinical smell, but not as strong as the Deep Heat. Hopefully it will help with the stiffness a little.

Right, on to the giveaway. I was sent a little parcel of goodies for my blog a while ago, from Jamie, to help with fitness and motivation and goals.

So, I have a little giveaway with a couple of the items from the parcel. The Hairy Dieters Cookbook, and some Clipper Green Tea (I love the range of Clipper Teas- my favourites being their Earl grey and their Apple and Ginger).

I love watching the Bakers/ Bikers, and they lost a lot of weight by making sensible swaps and cutting down on portion sizes etc. The book is jam packed with healthier versions of meals; breakfasts, soups, curries, casseroles, tagines, lunch ideas, and even a little sample meal plan. A lot of them are meaty ideas, but you could easily sub them for a substitute and keep the sauce/ flavours the same I would think. It has some fab reviews on amazon, so if you fancy winning it, all you need to do is leave me a comment, saying what meal/ food you would love to be healthified. Mine would be caramel shortcake.

UK people only please, and you can get an extra entry by liking my page on facebook, or by linking to this on your blog. Leave me a comment to say if you have done these things too (or put it all in one comment- I will just write your name on more than one piece of paper, as I am all technical like that).

Over to you!

It will close next Friday, and I will pick a winner next weekend.