Category: General ramblings

Maple peanut butter

Hello!

So I was looking on this website, basically salivating over all the flavours of pb. I have finished my jar of chocolate pb so I decided to mix things up a bit. In the mini chopper went some smooth pb (I think it would explode if I started with nuts), some maple syrup and some cinnamon. Loads of cinnamon!

The picture does not do it justice! Enjoyed with a crunchy jazz apple- yum!

Body pump was great as per usual 🙂

Ok so I am having a bit of a dilemma. I normally have a rest day Friday and Sunday, but this week I had an extra one on Wednesday (I missed aerobics for the 10 mile run). Tomorrow I will be home pretty early, and I have the 16 mile run planned for Saturday. I am leaning towards having a 4 ish mile run after work, as I have not run since Tuesday. I need a rest day after a long run, but tend do be alright if I run before. But the only times I have run twice in a row, the second run has been 10 miles max. Also I have only got up to 14 miles, so will it spoil my chances on the 16 miler? Am I better to rest+ walk?

I am leaning towards a walk, some work and maybe the housework that I normally do on Saturday. When I mentioned it to Andy he told me I was silly to think about it, which sort of makes me want to prove I can do it. Hmm. This leads me to believe perhaps it is silly? I have done the midweek miles that the plan says for this week. And I am running a mile at work tomorrow for comic relief (we all are).

I think I have rambled for too long! Night

(Actually it is not night for me, it is read blogs while watching the channel 4 thingy).

Dreaming of holidays

Hey guys

I love holidays! They are my favourite thing in the world. My cereal bar habit aside, I don’t have crazy shopping days/ go out drinking or anything like that. I save my money for holidays! I was looking through some photos today, so if you don’t mind I am going to share some pics from some holidays. They were all over 2 years ago, but they feel so recent.

Loved Canada 🙂 Sooooo soo beautiful!

There is amazing wildlife (we were not that close- Andy has a great camera so he zoomed in but some people were only about a metre away- crazy).

And cute wildlife! We had walked around a park, got back to our hotel and then saw on the news that there were loads of racoons there so the next day we went back! Maybe they are like squirrels to Canadians but to me they were exciting!

This is me trying to hide my nerves while going up a cable car at Lake Tahoe. The views were worth the nerves!

We went to San Francisco twice- the first time the bridge was surrounded by cloud for the entire trip (and I had to buy a coat as I didn’t take one with me!)- the second time it was beautiful weather so we walked a long way to get the perfect picture!

The stunning Pacific Coast highway- amazing scenery again.

And of course it could not be complete without a Disney/ gingerbread photo! 🙂

Just looking at the blue skies has lifted my mood- today was such a grey day and I felt in need of some sunshine!

Normality resumed, today was a rest day. I had a staff meeting, and when I got home I had a cup of tea (teapigs chocolate) with a sesame honey stick;

Yum! Then I did a spot of baking (I had a brown banana you see….)

I made the banana oatmeal breakfast cookies from the vegan cookie book (I used half chickpea and half wholegrain spelt flour)- the only sweetener they have is 1/4 cup brown rice syrup, and 1/8 cup agave (I used sweet freedom as that is what I had), and of course the banana and some dried cranberries. I used brazil nuts instead of pecans, and added a few chocolate chips. Yum 🙂

So on the subject of holidays- what is your dream holiday?

I love a good road trip, I love sightseeing, walking and being outside. I do not like laying on a beach. I would love to go to Hawaii to see the volcanoes, the blue skies and blue sea.

Off to dream some more….

Another successful week

Hi guys

I can’t believe another sunday is here yet again- the weeks are going by so fast!

Today I was tired from yesterday! I also forgot to get my porridge ready last night (shock) but then I remembered I had a couple of porridge pots- I am thinking these are good for weekends away etc.

I made it with coconut milk- porridge rescued 🙂 Although it did make it so thick- I kept on adding more milk as I like my porridge more runny than this!

We walked up to the shops to stock up on nuts in Julian Graves (and I also found some dark chocolate coated cranberries which I don’t think will last long when I open them!), I was tired on the way home- not too stiff but a little.

Then I made chickpea pancakes 🙂 I don’t like making the thin pancakes (I don’t like them as much, plus they are hard to flip over) so I made little ones with (I guessed the amounts) chickpea flour, baking powder, egg, milk, vanilla and cinnamon. While they were cooking I added some chocolate chips, and also topped mine with a little choc pb.

They were tasty and I was pleased they actually looked like real pancakes 🙂

Onto the week;

Monday- 6 mile steady run- completed but I was still tired from the 14 miles on Saturday.

Tuesday- Aerobics- fuel fail meant I was tired again. But I still did it.

Wednesday- 7 miles- done- mind over matter made me complete this one.

Thursday- Body pump- kept the same weights and matched last week on the abs track front.

Friday- Much needed rest day!

Saturday- 10 miles accidently turned into 11.7 miles- lesson about route planning learnt!

Sunday- Another rest day and again well needed! Managed a gentle walk but I was very tired by the end.

Weekly total; 24.7 miles. Lesson learnt- fuelling and route planning are important. I am calling it a successful week as I managed to complete my runs, and I recovered ok from the longest run I have ever done. I was doing well with my snacks etc in the previous weeks, but this week for some reason I have not done so well.

I am going to really concentrate on eating properly during the next week, as next Saturday I am supposed to go 16 miles. I don’t want to think about that too much, but if I get there tired then I will do no good. I am also having another messed up week, due to an extra and longer staff meeting, so I am going to miss aerobics and do my runs on different days. Anyway, I won’t ramble!

I need to do some more foam rolling now. So, what have you done this week that you can call a success? Let’s all be positive and celebrate our achievements 🙂

On a completely random note, I got an email from wiggle saying that until Tuesday (I think) they are having 20% off “nutrition”. So any guesses on what I have ordered? (Clif bars and nuun). But someone might find that useful? They also do Mule bars on there, but I like the apple ones and Andy doesn’t and it made sense to order ones that we both like.

Talking to the geese

Hello!

I have had such a lovely saturday- some running, some gardening and some baking. These pretty much equal a perfect saturday.

First up is the run! The plan was for 10 miles- having a cut back week after the last few weeks of higher mileage. I thought I had run 10 miles a couple of weeks back, and so I went out on that route. I also thought the weather would be colder- I had on a craft long sleeved top and a jacket over that (luckily left the gloves and ear warmer at home)- well after a mile I had to stop and take the jacket off but I was still too hot. The run was ok- I had some clif blok things during the run. But it turned out that I miscalculated/ misremembered the route and ended up doing 11.7 miles- whoopsie. Then when I looked at my plan, due to me being ill and missing a few runs I actually have not run 10 miles for 7 weeks. Silly me again. Half a mile from home I had to stop and cross a busy road and when I started running again my muscles had practically seized up- the last half mile was a painful stiff hobble. I am alright now though. So another lesson learned- actually plan my route.

I got a friendly wave from one runner, and a “hello” from another one which I always like. Also when running around the park there was a big white hissing goose on the path- they are nearly as tall as me. I said out loud “I don’t like the look of you” and then a man (who was also right in front of me) turned around and said “were you talking to me?”- I had to admit that no, I was talking to the scary goose. Whoopsie again.

Refuelling time-

Kara coconut milk with nesquick, and a Hazelnut honey stick. This was so amazing (my first time trying it) that I took a pic once it was opened too- how unlike me;

Yum– a gooey carob (tastes like chocolate) centre coated in hazelnuts.

I also put all my nakd bars in a box today (remember a while back I got the deal off the website?)- well I think it will keep us going for a long time;

They are all about 4 deep I think!

After some soup it was time for gardening. I didn’t take any pictures but I saw so many ladybirds 🙂 It was such a perfect day for it too.

Then I got down to baking- I made some raspberry and white chocolate brownies for tomorrow. Basically I made a normal brownie, and then sprinkled it with some chopped white chocolate and the last of my frozen raspberries.

Before baking and then after slicing.

It is so good- the raspberries turn into a sort of sharp jam. Yum.

Then it was time to lay on the sofa (compression socks on) with some tea and snacks.

Lovely Whitards Christmas tea 🙂

So – your perfect Saturday?

Spread the love

Hello lovelies!

I am having my usual post body pump high this evening!

The usual instructor was away, and normally this means it is cancelled, but she mentioned last week that she knew someone who might be able to cover. On Tuesday (aerobics) I asked at reception and they were “pretty sure” it was on. So I was keeping my fingers crossed and very happy when I got there to find it was on. The usual crowd were there; when I arrived one regular was already getting the bars ready for us. The instructor was so impressed with how helpful we were, how well we put away the stuff between tracks once we no longer need it and how well trained we were in general with the routine. She was really good, and near the end told us she only qualified to teach it 2 weeks ago! We were all very impressed- during the chest track she walked around to check we were holding the bars in the right position, and she was very encouraging. Loved it! (And we are a class of such swots too haha!)

Boy I am tired now though!

I shared a stoats porridge bar with Andy;

This one was raspberry and honey, with sunflower and pumpkin seeds and sultanas. Yum.

I also tried chamomile tea;

This smelled like sweeties 🙂 Again I have never tried this before, but I actually quite liked it. It also has liquorice in it, which I think adds to the sweetness. I am gradually being converted to more and more to herbal teas. (Do not panic I still love chai).

I also got an email from Martin Yelling (a bit star struck haha) saying my prize it on its’ way! How exciting 🙂 So I am now spreading some marathon talk love-go check out marathon talk– it’s the rest of the interview with Andrew Lemoncello this week- go on see why I keep on about it! 🙂 Anyone else ever listen to it? Or anyone going to give it a go this weekend?