Category: Running

So after last weekends Parkrun and long run (10.3 miles) I was pretty tired. It took me 1.49 which I was pretty pleased with- ideally I would run faster in the race than I have done in training. I kept Monday as a rest day, and had an epsom salts bath to help.

On Tuesday I went on a short 4 miler (no blackberry picking this time as I got home quite late and it was getting dark by the end of my run), and I felt fairly slow (although it was a faster pace than my long run), so this was more like a recovery run.

It must have helped because for the Sweatshop run on Wednesday I has to race up there as I got home 5 minutes after I usually leave. It was a slightly longer route than usual but I managed to keep a 9.13 average pace which isn’t bad seeing as I run up there and run home too.

I went to Pump on Thursday (the instructor has been away for the last 2 weeks) and I knew it would be tough. I was aching like mad on Friday so opted for a gentle 2 mile walk before dinner instead of a run.

Yesterday when I woke up I had a gingerbread nakd bar, pottered about for a bit and then headed out. I was expecting showers and cooler weather, but it was muggy and humid and the sun kept coming out which made it really tough. I was slower than last week but that was due to a combination of being stiff from pump, and the humid air getting to me.

Pancakes for brunch are my favourite and I am still going through my first box of the Orgran buckwheat ones. I had them with a huge apple (from my apple tree!) cooked in a little coconut oil, coconut sugar and cinnamon, a little cinnamon and raisin pb, and a little vanilla maple syrup. I was so thirsty. As soon as I got home I had some water, then some coconut water, and then after my shower with my pancakes I had a nuun tab in some water, plus a vanilla chai tea. My headband (which I just use to keep the hair out of my eyes) could have been wrung out.

I had a delivery of some soya milks to try out for the blog- I used the regular one in my tea and it passed the first test (no curdling).

After some work, some housework and more pottering I headed out to the shops.

I ended up buying a lot of tea related things. I was looking for the char-brew tea I had seen on Laura’s blog (I have bought the tropical rooibos tea from Sainsbury’s before) but I could not find it. While I was perusing the shelves I found an earl grey latte, some concentrated peach juice to add to hot water (I am going to add it to normal black tea to see how that goes), gingerbread syrup (my fave- I had some from Whittards last year and it is so good- just for putting on pancakes or cooking fruit in), cinnamon tea to take to work, and peppermint tea as I was running low.

Then I made a chocolate cake as it is Andy’s mums birthday today.

This was my attempt at making lilies to top the cake with.

Not too bad for a first attempt, especially as I didn’t have the proper cones to put the lilies on to dry.

A friend has asked for some lilies to top a wedding anniversary cake, so I have ordered some proper cutters (and also flower sugar paste, which I then found in Sainsbury’s but I had already ordered it by then) so will have another practise with the real things later on.

My legs are not feeling too bad today- this week I am going to take my runs a bit easier, and probably have my last run on Friday so I am rested for Sunday.

My word that Parkrun tired me out yesterday! I was feeling good and decided that as I had not been to pump on Thursday, or run on the Friday I should try and see how fast I could go. I looked on the Lucozade website (they create free pacer bands) just to see what sort of speed I should be aiming for- I think I put in 27 minutes even and I had to aim for 8.41 pace. I ended up starting right at the back as I was chatting to one of the girls from Sweatshop (she was running with a dog so was at the back)- the start took me by surprise and I felt like I spent a long time weaving in and out of people. A few times I got stuck behind a couple of slightly slower runners, and had to wait as the path can be narrow in places. I glanced at my watch a couple of times- the first time I was doing 9.09 so a bit too slow, but then a bit later I was 8-something. After the second mile I flipped my watch around so I could not see the screen, as often if I think I am going fast all the adrenaline starts going, which then makes me feel drained, and I end up really slowing. I got overtaken on the final stretch to the finish line, so I wasn’t holding out much hope, but once I had crossed the line I stopped my watch and was amazed to see 26.48 on there. I kept my fingers crossed that it was close to my recorded time. I was so excited to get the text at lunch time to say I had indeed got a new pb- 26.50 (by 22 seconds!)! I was not sure it was possible for me to go that fast!

Breakfast- Orgran buckwheat pancakes made speedily with their egg replacer, apple cooked in coconut oil and sugar, vanilla chai and some chocolate coconut water which was weird.

After heading home, shower and breakfast I had a few hours of work to do. I then did some housework (which I think is good as it keeps me moving), popped to the shops as we are replacing the blinds in our living room, and made an apple cake.

These are apples from my garden! There are a few more left on the tree too.

I was shattered! After dinner we watched A Winter’s Bone which was more heavy going than I had expected, but I needed to chill out!

This morning I was awake early again, and pottered around for a bit- I downloaded the newest marathon talk podcast, and had a nakd gingerbread bar instead of the dates I have been having for a pre-run snack. I even pre-planned my route, which is something I have not done in a while!

It seemed quite mild so I went for a vest again, and that was fine but when I got out of the door it was drizzling- that wasn’t forecast! I went back in to fetch my tennis visor, and headed out. A few minutes later I heard my comment being read out on marathon talk, and they had a bit of a field day with my tennis visor- should I call it something else? It’s not a baseball hat!

Anyway, the ten miles went fine and although I felt pretty tired by the end that is to be expected I suppose! I had the same pancakes for breakfast, only this time I used an egg instead of the egg replacer- partly because I had loads of eggs but also because I was very very hungry.

So, onto the Nutribox Sports Nutrition box review.

I was kindly sent this box in exchange for a review, and I have been loving it. These sort of snack box delivery services seem to be taking off, and I can see the appeal. In case you are not familiar with them you sign up to receive either a large box (containing 16-20 snacks) or a small box (with 8-10 snacks) and they will deliver the selection to you each month. They are all gluten free, and you can select a vegan option too. They say that the retail value would usually exceed the price of the box too. You can look at previous months’ boxes to get an idea of the sorts of things that would be included but it does seem good value- those Bounce balls are usually close to £2 each.

Love those coconut Bounce balls.

The Sports Nutrition Box aims to include items with good amounts of protein, carbohydrate and healthy fats (but no trans fats). I loved the variety in the box. If I visit a health food shop (or Wholefoods) I will be tempted by new cereal bars and I liked the range included in the box. I had already tried and loved the coconut and macadamia Bounce ball, but all the other products were new to me.

There were some favourites (the beond bar/ Bounce bar/ Pulsin’ raw chocolate brownie), some I enjoyed but I am not sure I would go out of my way to find them again (the creative nature seed bar/ peanut Bounce ball/ the salad topper seed mix) and ones I didn’t enjoy that much (the Pulsin’ maple and peanut protein bar had a chalky texture, and I am not a massive fan of dried apricots so the Turkish delight mix – apricots, dates, brazil nuts- was not for me).

The element of surprise is great too- it was exciting to open it up and see what was included.

If you are tempted by it, they have set up a discount code: RUNNINGCUPCAKES which will get you 35% off your first box- not a bad deal.

What should I call my tennis visor??

Have you tried or would you be tempted by a snack delivery service like this?

Did you have a good run/ workout this weekend?

Gosh this week has been busy! There has also been a lot of cake. And also lots of blackberries. On Monday after work I went out on a run- I got home later than planned and so was going to do a shorter route, but when I got near the fields I decided to do the loop there as soon it will be dark and I like to get away from the traffic. After 3 and a half miles I passed the most enormous blackberry bush patch, and remembered that I had a bag in my little belt to waterproof my phone (left over from my weekend run). So I stopped for about ten minutes and picked some. Ended up with a big scratch down the back of one of my legs, but the berries are worth it! Although I had to run the last mile home carrying it and I am pretty sure it looked like I was carrying something else …

On Tuesday night we went out for dinner as there is a new Giraffe and we had a discount coupon (from the Buzz website). We also had a voucher for the new Euphorium bakery in Tesco so when I got home I had some carrot cake (half that slice as it was huge!).

The voucher was for a small cake (!) and a pastry, so I chose an almond croissant and had it for breakfast on Wednesday (plus mango and a vanilla chai tea). I warmed it in the microwave for a little bit, and it was lovely, such a treat to have that on a workday. I thought I might be really hungry later on, but I was fine until lunch (probably all the fat helped to keep it filling).

On Wednesday evening the Sweatshop run went across the fields too. I was home late and didn’t think I would make it, but I did, and a run in the fresh air was just the perfect way to get a big smile on my face. Then after dinner we headed to the cinema to see “In a World” (a comedy about a girl trying to be a voice over artist for film adverts)- I really enjoyed it.

On Thursday I had my hair cut (I thought pump was cancelled as the instructor was away, but I found out on the day they had a replacement- too late to cancel and my hair needed it!), rushed home for a quick dinner (I bought a cous cous and roasted veggie salad from Waitrose and had it with some salad, tomatoes and hummus as I knew I wouldn’t have time to cook) and then had my nanaimo bar from the cake show. It was lovely- a coconut base, a sort of vanilla filling, and chocolate topping, But it was very rich so I shared it with Andy. Then we were off to the cinema again, this time to see Rush which was brilliant. The cinema was packed which I didn’t expect for a Thursday night.

Yesterday was a cake free day- well needed after all of that! I went to see my Nan, and then spent the evening at home listening to the film podcast and relaxing.

Right, I had better get ready for Parkrun this morning! Have a great Saturday folks!

What is your favourite cake?

Where has the week gone? I had forgotten how busy the start of term can be!

On Wednesday it was drizzling when I headed up to the Sweatshop run, and I didn’t think that many people would come. I was quite impressed with the turn out in the end. We opted for a lap of the fields as pretty soon it will be dark so we won’t be able to go there. This meant that we were a bit more exposed to the wind and rain, but it was pretty enjoyable. I ran with my brother and another girl and we chatted most of the way around- I felt that it was sort of comfortably hard if that makes sense?

Before my run I tried the Maple Peanut Protein bar from my sports nutribox. It was OK- it was a weird light green colour (due to the pea protein) and although it didn’t taste particularly sweet, it did leave me with my teeth feeling a bit funny. But it didn’t give me tummy issues or anything during the run, and helped bridge the gap between lunch at 12.30 and dinner at 7.30.

On Thursday we had a late meeting at work (not starting until 7pm). Some people were going to go home but I thought that I would not want to go back out again! Plus the traffic can be a bit of a nightmare. So I was planning on going to Starbucks for a bit of a break, but then someone told me it is closed for a refurb! Oh no! In the end I drove to the one half way home and had a chai latte and a caramel shortcake (I was hoping for a cinnamon roll but they had none- boo) and did a bit of paperwork. It was good to have a bit of a break I think- gave me a second wind to last the evening.

On Friday I had the Peanut Bounce ball for a post-work snack. The flavour was good but it was so chewy! I have liked having a variety of snacks this week- often I order a big box of nakd bars and have them as snacks but they can get a bit boring. Then I went on a short run (3.5 miles) in the rain. I think the thought of running in the rain is much worse than when you get out there. I have been wearing my tennis visor which slightly helps keep some rain off my glasses, and psychologically it makes me feel a little drier, as does wearing a t-shirt instead of a vest. Not sure why! I really enjoyed it though, in fact I have loved all my runs this week. I am back to feeling strong again and sort of where I left off before my holiday.

The weather is so much colder now, but one good thing means I can wear my new PJ’s! (The ones with the bears on them)

Although they are a little long for me!

I had a couple of dates to eat this morning- I was going out for runs before breakfast but have recently started having dates with some water before I go out to give me a little boost- then I downloaded the new Marathon Talk podcast, got ready and headed out into yet more drizzle. My plan was 8 miles, but last weekend I did 7.9 so I really wanted to do a bit more. I did the slightly longer loop that goes through the town centre, and took my debit card with me to get some money out- love these multitasking runs (although I prefer the blackberry picking). The weather was fine and I felt good as I neared home so added a little loop on the end to total 8.8 miles.

Of course pancakes were on my breakfast menu! More Orgran buckwheat pancakes (I love these so much!) – I cooked an apple and some blackberries in a little coconut oil, coconut sugar and cinnamon- this was such a delicious combination. Plus a ginger peach tea (so delicious but I have to order on i-herb as I have not found a UK company that makes it).

Ahem. I was indeed tempted yet again by the Thoosa sale. My excuse? Well, when we went skiing the zip broke on one pair of my running tights (I was trying to zip them over my thick socks…), and you can’t have too many running tops can you? I also caved in and ordered the pretty dress from Fat Face- back to school treats!

Do you ever multi-task on your runs? It’s quite satisfying to tick off a job at the same time!

What autumnal foods are you looking forward to? I had ordered some bramley apples today to have baked apples, but they didn’t come so I shall have to wait another week.

PS: The folks at Nutribox have set up a discount code: RUNNINGCUPCAKES which will give you 35% off your first box (and they do a vegan option).

 I was sent a nutribox in exchange for a review but I won’t get any discounts if you use the code. 

So after work today I headed out for a run- I watched the weather last night and saw it was meant to be dry here until the evening, so was planning in leaving work sooner than usual, but I forgot! By the time I was driving home it was drizzling heavily, so I had to dig out my tennis visor and a t-shirt (too cold for a vest now).

Recently I have seen lots of blackberry bushes covered in berries so I took a bag with me and decided to scope out the bushes on the first lap of the route, and then stop to pick them on the second lap. Great idea, but it turns out that blackberries grow by stinging nettles, and I noticed this too late! Capris and a t-shirt meant that my ankles, hands and arms were all attacked by nettles! Plus as it was raining once I stopped I got quite cold- I think I stopped after about 4 miles, so I was nice and warm (and the bushes sheltered me from the worst of the rain) but I stopped for about 15 minutes (well, with some running between bushes), and even though I then had a half mile run back home I was super cold! I was going to bake the berries  (or cook them in a pan to make a sort of sauce to have with porridge) this evening but I didn’t get home until 7, so I am going to save that for another day.

After a shower and some dinner I had a cup of tea and some cherry and marzipan cake to accompany my marking- loads of cherries in that slice!

I was also lucky enough to receive a Sports Nutrition box from the folks at Nutribox for me to review. It is meant to have a good balance of snacks containing protein, carbohydrate and fats, and they all look right up my street. I have had the Bounce ball before (those coconut and macadamia ones are amazing) but I don’t think I have tried any of the other items so I am looking forward to trying them all over the next few weeks.

Right, I am off to watch the Bake Off now.

Are you digging out your autumnal workout clothes now? I find it so hard to know what to wear as when I get home I am often cold, but I know that I will probably warm up once I start.