Maria Runs - Maria Runs

Not quite s’mores!

So, I mentioned the other week that I bought some vegetarian marshmallows, and that I should try making s’mores with them. More on that in a minute! A few weeks ago I had a cough, but it had pretty much gone when I did the 5 mile race the other weekend.

After that, I headed into London to meet Andy, and we had a wander, saw the lights, had some dinner and then watched Aziz Ansari (a comedian).

Anyway, that week I ran with my new club, and also on Wednesday with Sweatshop, and felt OK. But on the Thursday morning I woke up, was coughing loads, and my voice has pretty much gone too. So, I didn’t go to pump, and have been trying to rest ever since. I was a bit grumpy at the weekend- I was looking forward to parkrun- it as going to be my 25th so I would be half way to 50 (and that was my target for the end of this year).

I did have a festive afternoon tea with some friends, which was great for a catch up, but when I got home I felt so awful I just had to lie down.

I also was going to do a long run on Sunday, but no, I could not really walk very far without an awful coughing fit.

So, onto the s’mores. I got home today completely exhausted, and decided to attempt them. I had no biscuits or chocolate (or open fire…), so I put some nutella on some raisin ryvita, broke a marshmallow in half and put it on the top, and then microwaved for 20 seconds. Well, the marshmallow sort of exploded- I thought it would just melt!

So, lesson learnt!

Right, I am off to feel sorry for myself with all this coughing, and taunt myself by reading about all the running that others are doing that I can’t!

Although, silver linings- we may decorate our Christmas tree this evening- look on the bright side eh?

Any microwave disasters?

Keeping cosy

Wow it has got chilly over the last few days! A while back I bought some chai hot chocolate, and then put it in the cupboard and forgot about it. I have been having some this week- it is pretty good, but I think Montezuma’s hot chocolate (especially the peppermint one) is the best.

Way back in September (I think) I ordered some vegetarian marshmallows from the marshmallow deli (they are all free from gelatin and they do vegan ones too). I am not a hige marshmallow fan, but I think the novelty of being able to have them, plus their amazing array of flavours (gingerbread man, peanut butter…) swayed me. Anyway, the order was a bit delayed, but finally arrived the other week- again perfect timing with this cold snap.

I bought vanilla chai ones (which are more vanilla like and less chai like) and hazelnut caramel ones (I have yet to try them)- I think I need to try and make a s’mores at some point.

They are worth a look for gifts if you were looking for something a little different- they have gift boxes and also some amazing looking dairy free caramel or butterscotch sauce.

I have also been keeping cosy with tea. On our last trip to Brighton I bought some tea from the Bluebird tea company.

Including vanilla earl grey, Candy cane, Christmas cake, mulled wine and gingerbread rooibos- they even included a little card to show how to make a gingerbread latte.

The Christmas cake tea even has little sprinkles in it!

So pretty, and so festive.

I have also been running- I was really sore on Monday after the 5 miles on Sunday, but by Tuesday I was OK. We did 3 miles with the running club, in the wind and cold. In fact I nearly didn’t go as I had been coughing a lot and had such a headache, I think from the pressure of coughing, but I had missed last week due to being ill, and the week before because of work, so I felt I had to go. I was so glad I did- the headache was still there half way into the run, but by the end it had gone- I think the fresh air really helped.

Tonight it was a quick 3 miles with the Sweatshop crew, and then home to a hot shower and warm tea.

And this:

My athlete card arrived! How exciting! Now I can get cheaper race entry, hmm, what to sign up for….

Can’t get more local than that (Hatfield 5 recap)

So this morning I was up again fairly early, ready for the Hatfield 5. This was the inaugural event, and a pretty small field of 400 runners. I was hoping it would be pretty low key, but it seemed that running clubs from all over had travelled to be there.

I decided to drive, even though the start was only about 2 miles away. I think had I been well all week I would have run, but I still have a bit of a cough and I thought that if I was struggling on the way around I would not want to have to run another 2 miles to get home. It did feel a bit lazy though!

Anyway, it started at the uni campus, and parking was fine (they have a multistorey car park) and then race HQ was inside one of the buildings which was great – I had left my jumper in the car so it would have been a bit cold to stand about in a t-shirt for 45 mins. The numbers were available to collect- no safety pins but I had brought my own!

The timing tag was not very secure- it had nothing sticky on it, it just sort of looped around, but luckily one of my friends had some tape so I used that to tape it up. A well as my Sweatshop friends I also saw a lot of ladies from the running club I have just joined, so the 45 mins before the race flew by as I was chatting to them all.

I was feeling pretty nervous- there were so many people in club vests I really think that hardly anyone was not a club runner (and yes, I know now officially I am one, but I wasn’t a registered one as I had not joined when I signed up to the race)- it really felt like I would be right at the back which is silly because although I am not the fastest runner, I have sped up and I think I am sort of running average speeds now.

Anyway, just before 10 people began walking outside to the start- I tried to stand near the back, and then we were off! The route was quite nice actually- they had put a map of it online, but I wasn’t quite sure where all of it was. We ran along roads initially, then along the old railway line (now a path/ cycle way), through some country lanes, a bit alongside a dual carriageway (part of some of my longer running routes), then the final mile was repeating the first mile in reverse, through the country lanes and path again. I was not sure what to aim for, especially as since doing Brighton two weeks ago I have only run once- the first week I was just so busy with work, then we were away at the weekend, and then I had this bad cough, so on Friday I did a 2.5 mile run to check I would be OK, but that was all. I looked at my past 5 mile times- one was a 5 mile cross country mudbath in 2010 that took me 52 mins, and then the other was the Olympic Stadium 5 miles in 2013 which I did in 48.19, so really I wanted to beat that time, but if I had a massive coughing fit then I would have to adjust my expectations.

I decided to aim for 9 minute miles to aim for 45 minutes, as I managed that sort of pace at Brighton the other week, so I knew my legs could take it. At first when I was glancing at my watch I was a bit too slow, but later on when I looked I had managed to get 8’s at the start, which is always good!

The final mile was pretty tough as the sun had come out (a really gorgeous wintery pale sunlight) and even though I was just in a t-shirt I was really hot. My worries about the club runners were of course unfounded- I mean, there were lots, but everyone was very friendly (in fact when I had finished someone came up to me and said “great running”- I think I may have passed her towards the end but I don’t know). I caught up with one of the club girls with half a mile to go, and had a brief chat (more like gasps) before heading to the finish line. The rest of the Sweatshop crew had finished ahead of me and were right on the finish line waiting for me, so once I had put on my medal and had a drink (we all got given a water bottle with water in- you know, a memento bottle and not a throw away one) we had a group photo.

It was so sunny by then too. My watch said 44.48 so I think I got in under 45- shall have to wait to see what the official time was. Looking at my Garmin my miles were 9.00, 9.06, 8.50, 8.54, 8.48- pretty pleased with that! (EDIT- chip time was 44.44- how cool!).

There was a Starbucks in the race HQ building, so I got myself a warm drink as I had left my jumper in the car and it was a bit chilly.

The race organisers also do a local 10 mile race in January, so I signed up for that this afternoon.

After a shower and some work I had pancakes for lunch- yummy buckwheat ones with Meridian mince pie filling and a cooked apple- delicious.

All in all, a great race, and one I would certainly do again. It was not costly, you got a medal and a water bottle (with water in it) at the finish, it was local, quite a nice route (apart from a small section by the dual carriageway but even that was OK), and 5 miles is a good distance too.

A day in the life- volunteering mode

I love reading the day in the life posts, and I have not written one for ages, so today I thought it was about time!

Although it is about today, which hasn’t finished yet!

Anyway, here goes.

7.45am Wake up- I did set an alarm luckily- usually I wake up at that sort of time at the weekends, but I have had a cough this week so less sleep. Potter about and get dressed.

8am- Drive to parkrun.

8.20am- Collect the bib and map, and head off to my marshaling position.

On my drive there, there was the most beautiful sunrise- really pink, and when I was in my position it was still visible.

I took some pictures of the course, although it is one big loop so not all visible from where I was.

Such a pretty place to have a run in.

I was cheering runners past until about half 9, and then I collected the sign and the gate lock and headed back along the path to the start.

Then I walked back to the car and drove home.

10.10am- Have some breakfast- toasted sourdough bread and tea. Then I straightened my hair, put some washing away, weighed out some dried fruit to soak and watched The Soup with Andy.

11.15am- Drove to work. I was helping out at the Christmas market- I had worn a festive t-shirt to get into the spirit.

(Hard to photograph while I am wearing it). Anyway my stall turned out to be outside so no-one saw it! Ah well.

2.45- Get home and have some lunch (ryvita and hummus, and festive clementines hooray!) and watch a bit of TV.

Head into the kitchen to make some stollen dough. Pop onto the computer for a bit while it is doing the first rise, and peruse shops for Christmas present ideas. Suddenly I am feeling festive!

4.30pm- Walk up to the shops with Andy. I needed a few bits for work, and for my lunch on Monday. Urgh Tesco was just horrible- the heat was blasting out and I felt like sweat was pouring off me within seconds of getting in the shop. It was also heaving and horrible annoying Christmas music was playing- makes me want to get out of there as soon as possible! Festivometer is going back down! We got a chai latte to share on the walk home as I had a free drinks voucher.

6pm- The stollen dough still needs a bit longer so went back on the computer for more browsing of shops and general time wasting. I do have work to do but that will have to wait until Sunday now!

The rest of the day will look something like- finish making stollen (hopefully feel more festive again), have some dinner (spiced butternut squash soup), watch a film, and get my running gear ready as I have a race tomorrow morning.

Have you put up your decorations yet? I have not, but some friends have. And for the record, I think they are crazy! I mean, it is not even December yet. I love having decorations up, but having them up for weeks on end makes them feel less special. Also, people with children should remember that it hypes the children up even more…

All the gingerbread! A quick visit to Vienna.

So on Friday night we drove down to Gatwick, as we had a super early flight the next morning- getting up at 5am was not my favourite way to start the weekend, but it turned out well in the end.

We dropped our bags at the hotel and headed out on a walk- it was pretty cold but not as freezing as it could have been (yet).

There were plenty of little Christmas markets on street corners- I love seeing all the gingerbread houses.

Plus plenty of very grand buildings- neither of us had been before and it was a great city to walk around- I think it would be lovely in the summer too as there were so many parks.

Just like in Cologne (we went there last year) all the markets had different cups- when you bought Gluwein (mulled wine) or any hot drink (Andy had that whereas I had a hot chocolate), you pay a deposit (a couple of Euros) and then get that back when you return the cup.

There were a few bigger markets that we walked to- in the day they were not too busy so we could look at what was on offer (and take photos).

There were so many amazing food stalls- these pretzels were gigantic- I don’t think the photo does it justice. We shared a marzipan pretzel (oh yes) in the evening.

Yet another market, by this church (cathedral?) with the most impressive patterned roof.

The gingerbread stalls were my favourite- we bought one to take home as we had one last year and it was just so good. Although some of the phrases piped onto them were a bit amusing- #yolo or #b*tch being the strangest two.

We had a rest in the hotel for a bit before heading out in the darkness to see the beautiful lights. I was not sure about food options, thinking it would be all sausages and stew, but there were a few veggie options about (although one market was so huge that you had to just get something when you saw it as you might not find it again)- I ended up having a jacket potato with cheese (my German is not the best, but I could translate that for sure) and Andy had a bread bowl filled with tomato soup- just like Boudins in San Francisco!

We went back to the biggest two markets, and they were just so pretty (but also rammed).

There were plenty of lanterns in the trees, including cupcake ones!

We were pretty shattered (and also freezing- it was so much colder after dark) so headed back for a long sleep- according to my vivofit I walked 29,000 steps- not too shabby! On Sunday we got a train pass and went out to the Schonbrunn Palace which is a big palace (over 1000 rooms) with enormous gardens- perfect for a walk. It also had a large Christmas market.

The sun even came out for a bit.

After a little walk around we fancied a warm drink – Andy again got the mulled wine, and I noticed on one menu an After Eight hot chocolate, and it stated alcohol free. The day before when I ordered my hot chocolate they asked if I wanted cream (I can’t remember what the word is, but it is a long word but it was written on the menu so I was prepared…) and I didn’t but this time they didn’t ask (and it wasn’t written so I didn’t think it would be included). The lady poured out the hot chocolate, covered it in cream and then stuck an actual after eight chocolate in the cream! I am not a huge fan of cream, but I put up with it because it held the chocolate in place!

Although the chocolate melted quickly!

Cheers!

Then we walked to the top of the hill for stunning view of the gardens and Vienna.

Then we walked back to the main building, had another mooch around the market before getting the train back to the city centre. I was going to buy a few gifts, but the shops had shut by the time we got back, plus we had hand luggage only so I was a bit limited with what I could bring back.

Our flight wasn’t until 9pm so we had time to re-visit our favourite markets before collecting our bags and heading to the airport. We still managed 22,000 steps for the Sunday- impressive!

It was a great weekend away- the flight was under 2 hours and because we didn’t check bags it was really speedy at both ends. The train from the airport to the city centre takes 16 minutes, and the centre was really walk-able too, with plenty of markets around.

Now we need to decide where to go next year! So far we have been to Copenhagen, Bruges, Cologne and Vienna, and I must say that the Germanic ones win so far for festiveness, food and gifts. I mean, last year I had a marzipan and nutella filled crepe, this year a marzipan pretzel- sounds good right?

Are you a fan of Christmas markets? I love that they are becoming more common over here too- we are off to Bath in a few weeks as theirs is always a nice one too.

What Christmassy food would you go for at a market like that?