Category: General ramblings

Hey peeps, I hope you are all well.

The Easter holidays are here, and that means it is high time I tackled the allotment. A couple of weekends ago my Dad came and helped us do some digging, but I knew I would have some time over the next couple of weeks.

On Sunday my plan was to head there as soon as I woke up. Unfortunately on Saturday night I was meant to pick up Andy but my car wouldn’t start. It has been a bit temperamental lately, but did just pass its’ MOT (and have a service) -usually if I try it a few time it starts up, but this time the scary red “STOP” light came on. So Sunday morning turned into phoning the breakdown people, and waiting for the person to come out. Amazingly, he fixed it without me needing a new battery or starter motor! But it meant time had got on, so I spent less time digging. Luckily I had pancakes for breakfast as I didn’t get back until about 4pm!

I sometimes add fruit to the pancake before I flip it, but this then means that the fruit sticks to the pan. This time I added it after I had flipped it, which meant the berries were warmed through in the pan- good plan Batman.

The night before I cooked some apple in the oven, but didn’t end up eating it, so I added that to my next pancake- warm apple pancakes are delicious.

Digging fuel right there!

On Sunday evening we went to see Muppets Most Wanted, which I loved! The last Muppet movie was great, and during the first part of the film I was a bit worried that I would be disappointed (I hate it when my expectations are high like that) but it was such a fun film, with some excellent “real” actors in there too. Worth a see for sure.

On Monday morning I was going to have a run, but it was raining, plus I had not got as much digging as planned, so I headed to the allotment first thing. I did more digging, weeding and even used the mower again.

Then it was porridge time! I keep forgetting about the rest of the Matcha powder, so I added it to my porridge. I thought it would go very green, but it didn’t, and it stayed in lumps (so no photo- it didn’t look good!) but I liked the flavour. I still can’t place it, but thankfully it tastes nothing like normal green tea.

Then I was off to London! I ended up getting into the centre earlier than I thought, so I wandered to Wholefoods for a drink, before meeting some friends for afternoon tea:

Moan alert! Originally I had booked a deal on Groupon for a chocolate afternoon tea. The email came through, but it would not let me book a table before the deal ended. Then the deal ended but I still could not book it. I emailed Groupon who said there was a problem with paypal, and really I should not use Paypal because payment can be delayed. I emailed back to say they should put that on their site, and should have contacted me as soon as there was an issue because then I could have bought the deal again with a different payment method. I then checked my Paypal account because I didn’t think I had paid that way- I hadn’t. Then they emailed back to say that actually I had paid with credit card, which was fine, but they had a “technical glitch” and no vouchers were issued to anyone, and they then refunded me. Anyway, the way they handled it really annoyed me, so in the end I looked on afternoon tea.co.uk for a different offer. Not sure I would use Groupon again after that.

Anyway, the place we went to was very relaxed- with very comfy chairs, so great for catching up. However I had requested one vegetarian, and when the lady brought our tiers over she said “this one is vegetarian; cream cheese and cucumber, smoked salmon” (at this point I laughed rather loudly- I was just not expecting that! So didn’t even hear the third sandwich)-she had no idea why I was laughing so I swapped that one with one of my friends! One of the dessert options was panna cotta which I am sure always contains gelatin so I left that one too. The scone was lovely, and the carrot cake and macaroon were delicious, and the chocolate cake was quite nice. We had one refill of tea, and I would have liked another, but the servers were a bit too relaxed and didn’t check on us that much. It was good to not feel hurried, but at one point my friend noticed some mould in her cream, and it took ages for someone to come and replace it. We were given some champagne to make up for it, but as I don’t drink it was down to my friends to have mine. Overall it was a lovely way to spend the afternoon, but I think the service could have been better. And honestly, salmon is NOT vegetarian!!!!

Trip advisor review is being written!

Do you ever contact places after bad service? I do sometimes, especially with things like incorrect vegetarian items (I am a one woman crusade against the use of parmesan in “vegetarian” meals!), but I read reviews far more frequently than I write them!

I was recently contacted by Sainsbury’s asking them if I would like to receive a copy of their new book, Cake recipe collection. Well of course I said yes! They also sent me an additional copy which I can give away on here.

The book has basic recipes in the front for Victoria sponge cake, chocolate cake and fruit cake, and then the rest of the book is dedicated to decorating the cakes- for every occasion!

There is an Easter cake- rather extravagant (egg-stravagant) with a chocolate egg on the top, but in fact if you missed that off I think it would still look very pretty.

This pumpkin one looks amazing for Halloween.

My favourite is this monkey one- I love monkeys!

I have not tried any of them out yet, but I will do soon (Andy’s birthday is coming up). They all include step by step guides, with which cakes to use, the dimensions needed, and diagrams of how to cut the cakes to make the right shape pieces. I always prefer recipe books that include photographs as I like to know what the different steps should look like.

The book also has sections for decorating cupcakes, so it would be great for people with children- just for fun or for birthday parties.

If you would like to be in with a chance of winning, then leave me a comment on this post letting me know- before Tuesday 8th April. I will pick a winner at random – UK addresses only please.

A while ago I was sent some Deep Heat and Deep Freeze patches to try.

They also sent me some information as to when each product is suitable to use, which I found really useful as I am never sure when heat or ice is best. They also included some Top Tips from John Miles, a professional physio.

Enjoy:

Deep Heat works on several levels. As a counter-irritant it helps dilate blood vessels and relaxes muscles, while its warming action triggers sensory signals which damp down discomfort by flooding pain pathways with competing sensory messages. It’s a trusted brand where its soothing warmth has become a sporting staple. A growing number of users have also cottoned on to the power of the rub or spray to prevent injury and use Deep Heat as part of their warm-up routine. If an injury occurs, it is best to use Deep Freeze initially for first for the 72 hours and then switch to Deep Heat to manage your recovery. Deep Heat is much more than a pain reliever. It not only prepares your muscles for sport as well as offering pain relief, but the heat it provides helps with the remodeling of the muscle after injury and it increases the blood flow so it provides the essential nutrients direct to the site of pain.

Deep Heat Patch

Deep Heat Patch provides effective, warming relief from muscular aches and pains, joint stiffness and backaches for up to eight hours. Each patch contains iron and activated charcoal. When the pack is opened, the air activates a heat generating reaction that produces a warming effect when the patch is applied to the skin. This local, superficial heat improves the circulation to the muscles, so reducing pain and stiffness. Each Deep Heat Patch is active for up to eight hours after the pack is opened, providing long-lasting, deep-relieving warmth. With no smell and no associated grease, the self-adhesive patches are easy to apply and convenient for use during the day.

Unlike Deep Heat, Deep Freeze uses cold analgesia to take advantage of the ‘gateway’ pain relief principle in which cold signals can block out or reduce competing pain signals along the nervous system. Cold analgesia is recommended during these early stages following an injury or trauma such as strains, sprains or knocks. It is the ‘I’ in the established principles of PRICE (pressure, rest, ice, compression and elevation). These principles are most important in the first 72 hours following an injury and provide the tissues with the best possible environment for recovery, ultimately leading to a quicker return to normal mobility and freedom from pain. The benefits of a cold analgesic preparation include: Helping to reduce the blood flow to the damaged area; Helping with the reduction of clot formation and tissue bleeding; Helping to reduce the swelling; Helping the reduction of inflammatory activity in cells; Helping to reduce pain by stimulating the receptors in the superficial nerve endings to trigger the transmission of sensory signals to the brain which compete with and dilute the pain signals arising from the damaged tissue.

Deep Freeze Cold Patch

Deep Freeze Cold Patch offers initial, effective pain relief, just like an ice pack, and provides long-lasting cold analgesia to the site of pain. The adhesive patch is applied simply and easily, and can be worn without restricting movement or needing to be replaced frequently to maintain the cooling effect.

DEEP HEAT TOP TIPS

John Miles, head of medical and phsyio services at Cardiff Blues, offers his top tips on using heat therapy to prevent and treat muscular and ligament aches, sprains and pains.

• For muscle injury prevention – For those people who suffer with  stiff hamstrings, calves or lower back pain when exercising, the application of Deep Heat over the muscle prior to exercise can be a great benefit in stimulating blood flow and therefore reducing muscle soreness and potential problems.
• Returning from injury – When returning from injury, particularly concerning muscle issues, the site of injury can often remain stiff for a while. Applying Deep Heat over the general area will immediately warm up the area bringing blood flow and oxygen back allowing normal movement to resume again. This speeds up the body’s ability to recover normal full function again.
• Cold weather activity – Whether you are preparing for a light run or a day in the garden, it’s important to get warm and remain warm while carrying out your activity to avoid and relieve muscular stiffness and cramps. A great tip for keeping hands warm when out in the cold is to apply Deep Heat to the back of the hands as this will stimulate blood flow to the area and in doing so keep the hands warm.
• Cramping – For those who suffer with cramp either when running or just in general day-to-day life may find benefits from applying Deep Heat over the main muscle area of the calves, or where cramp tends to appear for you personally. This will improve the circulation to the area and keep a fresh supply of blood in the muscle.

 

DEEP FREEZE TOP TIPS

• Like an ice pack, but more convenient and easier to use, Deep Freeze works by lowering the temperature of the skin and underlying tissue which helps numb nerve endings and reduces both pain and inflammation. It contains menthol, aloe vera and water in a hydro-gel layer which slowly evaporates to produce prolonged cooling relief.
• Immediately after strains and sprains – After minor joint, tendon, ligament or muscle injury, the usual advice from medical professionals is the P.R.I.C.E regime (protect the area, rest, ice, compression, elevation). However when out and about ice is not always easy to come by. An excellent solution here is the application of Deep Freeze Patch. It has been proven to give an immediate cooling effect to the area and therefore will assist with the reduction of swelling to a recently injured area.
• Recovery post exercise – Sometimes, after a work-out or even a particularly challenging day in the garden, muscles and joints will feel hot and often throb. This is usually the body’s response to stress and most likely a mild inflammatory response. Applying Deep Freeze Spray to the area will provide not only a pain relieving effect but also a cooling anti-inflammatory response.
• General cooling down – Deep Freeze can be a great help in recovering after running, cross-training or a gym session, by allowing muscles to settle down. Just apply Deep Freeze Gel over the general area, which will create a flushing of fresh blood through the muscle and aid with recovery.
• Keeping cool – When out rambling, climbing or just working on a hot day, applying Deep Freeze Spray, Deep Freeze Gel or Deep Freeze Patch to the wrists and calves can help keep the muscles cool and stop general overheating.

So, how did I get on with them? I hurt my shoulder a few weeks ago and was going to use a patch overnight, but then I read the instructions and you can’t, so I put one on in the morning instead.

It heated up really quickly, and did provide some relief. I think also I was more conscious of my shoulder so I was careful when moving, and mindful of sitting up straight. It is only meant to be left on for 8 hours but I couldn’t take it off at work and kept it on a little longer, whoops.

The only thing I would say (and they do warn about this on the packet) is that it did irritate my skin a bit, but I do have a mild allergy to plasters so it was the fact that something was stuck to my skin as opposed to what was in the patch if that makes sense. But my skin only got irritated after several hours, and once the patch was taken off my skin was fine, so I would use the patches again. I do like using normal Deep Heat but I am not a massive fan of the smell, plus it gets on my clothes too, so I think these patches are really good.

Do you use anything to help after exercise? Do you know when to use heat or ice? I also like the sound of having some Deep Heat cream to warm up my hands on a cold day!

In other news I went to parkrun today and what a beautiful day it was too. I actually got there early for once, and bumped into someone else from the Sweatshop club (the faster girl who I managed to keep in sight this week). It was the off road route but at least the grass and mud is now just soft and not slippery. Before I went I decided to aim for 28.59, as my previous times on the off road course have been 30.36 and 29.41. I felt like I had sped up a bit but I also know that the hills means it is not close to my 5K pb. Anyway, I pushed very hard and found the final lap very tough. I had kept the girl in sight but she was just too far ahead for me to catch up. Then as I was going up the hill for the final time I heard someone call “hey Maria”- it was someone who has not been to Sweatshop for ages, so we chatted briefly before we said we would catch up at the finish line. I was really struggling by that point- possibly a waffle for Friday night dinner and then half a clif bar was not the best fuelling strategy, but normally before a parkrun I don’t have any breakfast. Then just before the finish line someone else called my name- a girl from work was there with her children (they had already finished, what a speedy family)- it was great to see some familiar faces.

Originally I had put down to run 10 miles this weekend, as I saw a nice looking local 10 mile race, but by the time i had checked that I was free it had sold out. So I took my things with me with a view to doing 6 miles, like I did the other week. But I felt so tired that I told myself I would just go home. But then I chatted to the girl at the finish- she was doing some cool down laps and an 8 mile run tomorrow, so I decided that I could manage a couple of miles as a cool down- then at least I would be 50% of the way to my long run pledge. I took it very slow though!

Later on the results came through- 28.36! Not bad at all- a pb on that course and pretty close to my prediction.