Maria Runs - Maria Runs

A weekend in Wales

We were off to Wales for the long Easter weekend, so on Thursday night we drove up to somewhere near Birmingham (Walsall?), stayed overnight in a hotel with a bed possibly made of concrete (a Village hotel- they aren’t normally too bad so I think we were just unlucky) and then spent the Friday stopping off at a few places on the way to our B&B in Betys-y-Coed (no idea how you say it still).

We stopped off at a couple of lovely places en route, having nice long walks through woods.

National Trust places were doing Hot Cross Bun scones for Easter- had to be done! Their scones are always good anyway, so with added spices and raisins- a pretty tasty alternative.

The weather was pretty amazing- it was forecast to be warm but I didn’t think it would be that warm- I didn’t pack shorts or cropped trousers, only very dark jeans and waterproof trousers. Thankfully I had packed suncream.

We went for dinner at a gorgeous pizzeria in town- I had a mild panic as we’d chosen and Andy was going to the counter to order, and I then read that their mozzarella wasn’t suitable for veggies- luckily he saw my message and I could order a vegan one instead (which was amazing).

Our B&B was lovely- beautiful views of the countryside, with armchairs by the big bay window and bird feeders on the front lawn. It served breakfast between 8 and 9am and initially when we booked the weekend I was kind of hoping for a welsh parkrun, but the nearest one was about a half an hour drive away, and the logistics of that combined with the breakfast time meant I gave it a miss. On Saturday we headed up to Anglesey to look for red squirrels- we didn’t see any of those but we did see loads of bluebells, heard woodpeckers and also saw “Easter egg rolling” which turned out to be children log-rolling down a hill in return for an Easter egg (I was picturing something more horrific, like the cheese-rolling).

We headed to Conwy, had delicious ice-cream (where we were warned by the shop keeper to be aware of the seagulls because they just fly down and eat it out of your hands), and walked on the castle walls for brilliant views of the water.

For dinner with had a rather weird picnic of chips and hummus (actual chip shop chips, not crisps being called chips in that fancy way) and some fruit salad.

On Sunday we started to make our way home- stopping at a couple of National Trust places to break up the journey. I had started to get a bit of a sore back, and after going to this beautiful castle (which was interesting on the inside as it was used as a school for children evacuated during WW2) it was really sore and I had to do some yoga in the car park to try and stretch it out a bit. That and then rolling up a jumper to sit on seemed to help and it wasn’t so bad for the rest of the journey.

I love our road trips- we caught up on loads of podcasts as we’d been falling behind in things like the Radio 5 film podcast. We’ve recently got into Off Menu, which is where James Acaster and Ed Gamble interview people about their favourite meals- it doesn’t sound that great but they have funny conversations revolving around their various opinions. I was super excited to see that a new Buckles podcast was out (Adam Buxton)- he always has interesting guests on. We heard Tina Fey on David Tennant’s podcast (again, very interesting) and then regular favourites like Judge John Hodgman and Athletico Mince (which is a really weird and at times hilarious sketch show by Bob Mortimer).

It was such a great trip, even though it was only for a couple of days. I’d not been to that part of Wales before and really loved it (the place we stayed reminded me a lot of Aviemore in Scotland), so we shall definitely have to go back another time and visit a few more places.

Where do you like to visit for a weekend in the UK?

Any recommendations for things to do in Bristol? (We are heading there next)

Taking some time for myself (Easter hols week 2)

I am naturally a very busy person- I can’t sit still for that long, and I am very happy to potter about all day. The idea of a duvet day fills me with dread- I can’t imagine sitting around all day. However, I do know that I do need to take some time out every now and then- forced relaxation if you will!

I love reading (and always read before I go to sleep) but will rarely sit in the garden or living room and read, because there will always be something that distracts me (hanging up washing, tidying up or de-cluttering somewhere, doing some baking…). I think this is reason why I like running, because once I am out running that’s all I can do, and I can listen to a podcast and chill out in a way that I don’t at home. I’ve tried the whole fitness DVD or you-tube workout, but I just get distracted by things that need doing- I need to be out!

In the first week of the holidays I’d arranged a few things (catching up with friends and so on) which I loved, but I purposely left the second week more empty.

Activity-wise the week went like this:

Sunday- 10 mile run. Pottering in the garden, a walk in the afternoon to get my free drink.

Monday- A walk and some yoga first thing, then an attempt to change my name at another bank (unsuccessful but should be sorted soon)- long walk to town and back.

Tuesday- 9 mile run to see the bluebells at Panshanger park (incidentally Panshanger was featured on Countryfile this week- looks like they are getting some long-horned cattle). I worked out how to use the timer (I had always looked at the bottom and accidentally did time lapse things before). A walk in the afternoon with Andy.

Wednesday- 5.5 mile run first thing, needed to collect an order in town to Andy dropped me off on his way to an afternoon meeting, and I walked home.

Thursday- 4 mile run first thing, French toast for breakfast, then a walk into town later to get my hair cut.

We then headed off as we had a long weekend in Wales so I’ll save that for another post.

Jobs I’ve completed and ticked off my list (or added to my list and then ticked off, because the ticking is important):

Cleared old leaves and weeded in the front garden

Weeded the back garden and moved some plants about

Made some date and peanut butter snacks (fill each date with peanut butter, then melt a little dark chocolate and pour over the top to seal in the chocolate)

Changed my name on our life insurance policy and with my mobile phone contract, and a few online shopping places (why is my name in so many places??)

Made some Easter fudge

Sanded and cleaned the tiles in the kitchen ready for painting them

Put the green tape everywhere in the kitchen (more decorating prep)

(Andy painted it on Monday and I am so pleased with how it has turned out- you can see the old tiles in the top right picture- they were a weird beige pink orange colour, and the grey just makes it look so much fresher)

Sorted out the bathroom cabinets, Marie Kondo style (this has made me so happy- I could never even find a plaster because I couldn’t remember where they were, so now the drawers are all sorted with one drawer for medical things, one for holiday items like suncream and bug bite cream etc)

Sorted out the kitchen cupboards and cutlery drawer

I also had to get a few bits from the shops (a plant for my mum’s birthday, Easter eggs for nieces and nephew, more green tape, tile paint and roller), popped over to see my dad and drop off my mum’s birthday presents….

Relaxation:

But in between I did manage some forced relaxation. Walks are always good, and I had loads of those- I can listen to a podcast and just wander about and chill. The best way for me though is to go to a cafe and bring a magazine or book with me- if I’m at home I won’t just sit down, but if I am out somewhere I have to take that time to relax. There’s a lovely cafe in town and so after trying to change my name (online said I could go to a branch, but the branch said I needed to phone up, and when I phoned up they said I needed a form which they are now sending to me- might it be quicker if the form was available online?) I went and had a toasted teacake and a chai latte, and read a good half of the magazine.

After my haircut I went and got my free drink and sat outside in the sunshine, again with a magazine.

Andy told me off for wearing a Christmas t-shirt, but I maintain that penguins live a long way from the North Pole and are not way affiliated with Christmas…

If Andy has been around we’ve have been making a pot of tea in the afternoon (well, 5pm ish) and watching some TV together- something we won’t manage in term time. We’ve watched relaxing shows like Escape to the Chateau/ Ugly House to Lovely House/ Tiny House Hunters/ Queer Eye (Oh how I love the new series). If I sit in the big armchair I can see all the bird feeders in the garden so seeing all the little blue tits and sparrows is also very relaxing- who needs pets?

I do love a yoga class to properly relax at the end, but they are term time only (and I’ve done a few yoga sequences at home but they are not the same as a class), and a massage is always pretty relaxing but again funds only allow this to happen around once a month.

We’ve been working out way through some TV series in the evening too- the latest series of Trapped (set in beautiful Iceland), Borderland (which are lots of mini-series about crime in a town in Finland close to the Russian border), Follow the Money (about a Danish fraud squad)- subtitles can be rather fatal for me if I’m tired so we’ve been making the most of the holidays to get through some of these good series. We also watched The Dawn Wall (after watching Free Solo) which was so interesting and inspiring (and I am in no way ever tempted to rock climb – I don’t even like walking up steep paths in case I fall off!). Just for the scenery alone (it’s mainly in Yosemite) it’s worth a watch.

How do you relax?

Which TV series are you enjoying? (And please don’t tell me to start GOT- Andy watches it but fantasy/dragons/too much politics really isn’t my thing).

Penguins aren’t just for Christmas, right?

Millennium Country parkrun with a few milestones

Or, to give it the full name, Millennium Country parkrun, Forest of Marston Vale.

I fancied heading there this weekend as it was event number 4 (I needed a 4 for my Wilson Index…) but it was around 45 mins from St Albans, so getting up early in the holidays isn’t as bad as after a week at work. My dad and brother decided to come too, and we offered to have them back here for breakfast after, so I prepped the baked French toast the night before (brioche loaf spread with peanut butter, a mixture of eggs and almond milk to soak in, and sprinkled with blueberries). I gave our ETA to Andy so he knew when to put the oven on.

I drove to St Albans, then Dad drove us up from there. Millenium Country parkrun is between Milton Keynes and Bedford, and not far off the M1, so most of the journey was very easy. It is made up of woodlands, grasslands, meadows and a wetlands nature reserve, with a car park (pay and display- £1 for the hour) and visitor centre (with toilets and cafe) right by the start.

The welcome centre had a lovely circular skylight above the entrance hall, as well as information boards about the various birds and animals that had been seen in the park.

As it was fairly new (this was the 4th event) the new runners briefing was for people new to parkrun- the RD explained the course to everyone at the main briefing. It was super simple- out and back next to the water- we just had to remember to keep left because of runners coming the other way.

Dad was taking it gently as he was coming back from a little calf strain, and my brother hadn’t run a parkrun for a few weeks, so we ran together and chatted, while Dad ran behind (so he wasn’t tempted to go faster). I really loved this parkrun- I love running by water and the out and back is good as you see people going the other way. The gorgeous sunny weather helped too! It was super flat, and the paths are fairly wide (not like the narrow one of Maidstone which is flat but isn’t good for pb potential) so I think it would be a very fast one if you wanted to go for a super fast time.

I took a few photos as we ran and they came out pretty well. Although we ran by the water, often we were running next to trees and every now and then it would clear and you would see the lovely lake. At the turnaround point we began to look out for Dad, but saw the tail walker and we hadn’t seen him, so we did wonder if his leg had meant he had to pull out, but we crossed the finish line, got our tokens scanned and then Dad appeared in the finish funnel- my time was 30:24, and he finished in 31:05 so he must have been right behind us at the turn around! It was Dad’s 150th parkrun, and my 60th different event, so it was nice to have some (arbitrary) milestones to celebrate together.

After some stretches in the car park (next to someone sitting with their car engine on idling away and polluting the air- why do people think it is OK to sit and have their engine idling away???) we hopped back in the car, drove back to St Albans where we picked up Mum and then headed home for breakfast.

Strava told me off though, saying that my run was easier than usual- I need a button to say “yes, I was chatting and I’m fine with that”. My 10 mile run on Sunday, although slower, was apparently harder than my usual effort. I’ve not noticed this feature on Strava before, not sure if it’s trying to get me to upgrade to the premium one, but I really just like tracking the routes and my monthly mileage.

Anyone else got these messages on Strava? I’ve not had one yet telling me it’s the same as my usual effort…

Which parkrun course do you think is the fastest that you’ve run, and where have you run your fastest time?

Puddings, pancakes, plants, podcasts- part of the holidays

After going to QE parkrun on the Saturday, we headed into Southampton to see Andy’s grandma, and then into the town centre for a wander around the shops. It was really cold, so we popped into Caffe Nero for a chai latte to warm up. We had to get some bits in IKEA, and then went for dinner at Bill’s- I had a really good salad with beetroot and lentils and falafels and all sorts of tasty things.

We then headed to Sprinkled for dessert- I’d seen they did baked cookie dough, so we shared one with peanut butter ice cream. It was really tasty- not as good as The Pudding Stop cookie dough, but still pretty tasty and perfectly gooey in the middle.

In the morning we headed to Chichester for a wander and brunch (we went to Boston Tea Party where I had some lovely blueberry pancakes), and then stopped off at Uppark National Trust Gardens for a walk around, and of course I could not resist a scone in the tearoom (shared with Andy).

It was a beautiful day, but very hazy, so we couldn’t see all the way across the Downs.

As I didn’t run on Sunday, I had a nice long run on Monday morning instead- 10 miles mostly avoiding the drizzle and forecast heavy rain. The tulips looked beautiful with big drops of water on them.

I had an almond croissant in the freezer for a post long run breakfast, and decided to turn it into a chocolate almond croissant (the king of all pastries) by adding some chocolate buttons before heating it in the oven- the buttons melted a bit and it was rather heavenly.

Refuelled I then spent a couple of hours in the garden. Thankfully the rain meant that the ground was soft so weeding was pretty easy, although all that crouching gave me rather sore legs later on! I saw an advert for this podcast- Paradise- about a couple who were murdered in the 70’s and the one suspect being arrested 38 years later. I listened to a few podcasts and the time flew by.

I made some hot cross bun dough, ready to prove in the fridge overnight, as we were having visitors on Tuesday.

I headed out on a quick walk first thing and then my sister-in-law visited with my niece and nephew. We headed to the local park but the rain just got harder so in the end we retreated to home for hot cross buns and tea. After they left we headed into town as we were meeting Andy’s parents for lunch (it was Andy’s birthday). While Andy was working I decorated his birthday cake (it’s a Christmas cake as he loves fruit cake, so I just make an extra and then hide it somewhere- honestly this year I had a hard time finding it and did have to consider making a new one!). After a big lunch we had a long walk in the evening.

On Wednesday I had a 7 mile run first thing, then I was in the zone, ticking loads off my list. I managed to clean the bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, clean the hard floors and vacuum everywhere (even moving the mattress and cleaning out the floor under the bed which you can’t normally get to because it has a solid frame with drawers). I had to pop and get some petrol and then pick up my mum to take her for a hospital appointment, and when I got home I started report writing.

On Thursday morning I did a 5 mile run, had to wait in for a delivery (which meant I couldn’t dry my hair until the parcel had come as I wouldn’t hear the knock at the door over the noise of the hairdryer) and then headed to visit a friend and her new baby. I got home early afternoon and got on with yet more reports.

On Friday morning I drove over to St Albans and walked into to the town centre as I had booked a massage. As always it was very relaxing (and the lovely masseuse actually commented that apart from my left shoulder I actually wasn’t too bad! Progress!) and then I wandered into town for some breakfast (tea and almond croissant).

I won some Sweaty Betty vouchers via The Scientist Runs, so I popped in there to try on some leggings- I’ve only had their running bras (which I love) and I think a vest from there before, so wasn’t sure on sizing or fit. I found a pair of glasses in the changing room- that’s the second pair of glasses I’ve found this year.

I ended up buying two pairs of leggings- one cropped (power leggings) and one slightly longer. They both have big zipped pockets which I love, as so many leggings don’t have pockets. I could fit my phone in the zipped pocket which is an added bonus, and the cropped pair also have a side pocket in one of the legs. You can never have too many pockets!

When I got home I also found that my tea club for April had arrived- hooray! They are holding a tea election to find out which of their specials should become a permanent member- I am keeping my fingers crossed for peach cobbler tea because it is delicious.

More report writing happened in the afternoon, and then we had a walk in the evening before watching The Dawn Wall which was another fantastic documentary about climbing in Yosemite (like Free Solo)- I’ve no interest in climbing at all (I don’t do heights) but these films are so inspiring, and the scenery is just beautiful.

Do you like documentaries?

Pockets in clothes- yay or nay?

Any good podcast recommendations? I quite like series like these.

Finally getting the Q ticked off!

Last year I got more into parkrun tourism, and with that came all the little extra challenges that go alongside it. I was keeping half an eye on the alphabet, noticing that I was gradually ticking a few off, but not really actively chasing any letters. Then last Easter I fancied visiting a new parkrun and decided to look into the letters that were close by. I ticked off O at Oak Hill, and then N at Northala Fields. Handily on our trip up to Scotland last year we came home via York (on the Friday night) so I ticked off the Y, and then in the summer we had a weekend booked in London (to see The Muppets) and so I went to Valentine’s (it was going to be Victoria Dock as we were staying close by, but they had to cancel the event that week). I also made the trip around the M25 to Upton Court and got my D at Dinton Pastures on the way to the Bath Christmas markets. Jersey Farm started in St Albans, so I’ve been there a few times, ticking off the hard-to-get J. As I have ticked more letters off, I’ve paid more attention to other letters, although of course it could happen more naturally (Dunstable Downs started more recently, so I now have two D’s).

I’d planned a trip to Queen Elizabeth parkrun over a year ago, but it turned out where we were staying was right by Portsmouth Lakeside parkrun, and it seemed a little silly to get up and drive when I could just run around the corner (plus the check out was 11 so it was less time to get back after and shower etc). We then thought I could go on the weekend of the New Forest 10k, but that didn’t work out in the end. Anyway, I finally managed to tick it off last weekend!

I drove us down to Portsmouth on the Friday night, and then on the Saturday morning I drove up to the park. I did have a brief moment where I considered whether what I was doing was entirely sane or sensible, because the Portsmouth Lakeside parkrun route was right next to where I was, but it was only a 20 min drive (if that) so it wasn’t too far.

I had followed the postcode given on the course page, but then followed the brown signs once I got close, and inadvertently ended up parking in a different car park (I didn’t realise there was more than one). A few other runners were wandering about, asking where the start was. The directions said something about 100m along the gravel path from the corner of the car park, so we found a path and wandered along it. After walking 1/3 of a mile (and slightly worrying that I’d miss the start) I saw the actual car park with the little path going from it up to the start area. Phew!

I was still a bit full of cold, so wasn’t going to go fast at all and was standing near the back of the runners so as not to get in anyone’s way. I saw someone who looked like one of the RD’s from Panshanger, and then at the run briefing it turned out it was him because some of the Panshanger core team were cycling the South Down Way and visiting the parkrun on their way. They are all super speedy and I was starting at the back so I didn’t get a chance to chat, but it was a bit of a coincidence.

I couldn’t hear the briefing that well down to a few barking dogs (even though the RD asked the noisy ones to go up the hill and wait at the start) and my ears were still a bit blocked. I heard words such as “hill”, “steep”, “loose ground”, “hill again”, “second lap”. I just follow the person in front and I knew it was vaguely two laps. The route we did started up a hill ( a bit like Heartwood Forest), along forest-lined tracks, down to the start area, up the hill again and then on a slightly bigger loop, so it could be like Ellenbrook Fields in that respect with a small then larger loop.

I kept having to slow down to get more tissues out of my pocket, and on the second go of the hill I stopped to take a few photos as the views were so pretty, even though it was fairly overcast. It reminded me of Wendover Woods in that respect.

From their facebook page- somehow they won’t rotate!

Although you can see from the Strava elevation profile that it goes up a fair bit, the final mile is fairly downhill (but with a bit of uneven ground here and there) and I did manage a speedier final mile, before heading back to the car.

There was a little mix up with results so although I had token 90 I ended up with position 89 and a time of 32:59.

It was then time to head back to the hotel- Andy had been to the Starbucks in the lobby for a cinnamon roll- what good service!

If you are interested you can see the page with all my parkrun tourist visits here. I now only need I and K in this country, plus the Z- not quite sure how I can wrangle that just yet!

I’m enjoying all the various challenges available- I only need one time to complete stopwatch bingo, and if I visit two more C’s I’ll become a pirate. If only there was more than one Saturday each week!

Are you tempted by any of the parkrun challenges?