Category: Running

Yup, I am half way to the half marathon distance- woo!

I am getting used to these early morning runs too. Andy got weekend tickets to the British Grand Prix, so on Friday the alarm went off super early as he had to drive up there. I did body pump on Thursday, and I always find that a run on Friday (just a gentle one) helps me to be less stiff, so I went out before breakfast. Plus because I was meeting friends for a waffle after work, I knew I would not fit one in in the evening.

Saturday morning was another early start- a bit later at 6.30.

I had half a clif bar as a pre-run boost, and then headed out (Exciting news- there are going to be new clif bar flavours in the UK!! And the bars are going to be 68g, not 50g- which I don’t think is so good as I like the smaller size, but I will cut them up I suppose- and for the same price). I would normally have breakfast, but then I have to leave it for ages before I go out. I have been teaching myself to run on empty (you know what I mean) as before my limit was about 3 miles. I had a 7 mile run planned, so I decided to have something just to give me a little bit of new energy.

The run went really well. It was very very slow (but it is called a long slow run after all)- I felt quite stiff so I was quite cautious, plus I didn’t want to struggle. In the end I felt like I could have continued further, which is a good thing and gives me a mental boost too. I did the 7 miles (well a fraction under) in 80 mins (although when I got home I thought I had only done 6 miles so I was worrying about my lack of speed!)- not too bad. And half way to half marathon distance- I think I can make the GNR!

I took some water with me and had a few sips on the way around, but when I got home I was thirsty so had a nuun tab and the rest of the bar.

Then the most delicious breakfast:  frozen cherries, Dorset muesli, almond milk (I found out that £1 is the intro price as the St Albans Waitrose had the “offer” signs out), almonds, dried cherries- all soaked overnight, then topped with a little drippy pb. Yum.

All this was before 9am! Getting up early meant I was so productive! I did some cleaning, vacuumed, sorted out the recycling, packaged up some parcels, went to the post office, went to the market.

I bought some strawberries (which sadly are already going mushy) and some amazing looking sourdough with walnuts and sultanas.

Then I was off to the summer fayre at work to help out, then to the shops, and then home to watch the ladies final- my Dad found out on Friday that he was selected to be in the line judge team, so I wanted to make sure I saw it.

They all get to line up at the end, and he is right over her shoulder!

I got a quick text from him after, but then he was back on doing the men’s doubles final too- busy day!

I got a Graze box today for the first time in months, and it came with an afternoon tea punnet! A teabag and carrot cake, so of course I had to have some. Very tasty indeed.

Then my productivity slowed right down! I had a snooze in front of the TV (oops), and sorted out a drawer which I have been meaning to tackle for ages, but that is about it.

Tomorrow we are off to the Grand Prix, so I am hoping that the rain does not continue. I will be wearing my wellies for sure. This year Andy splashed out on a covered grandstand which will be well worth it I think!

Hope everyone else is staying away from all the flooding. Have a lovely Sunday.

(and, of course, visiting tea rooms)

On Friday I had an almost half day- we had an Inset day (staff training) and these officially finish at 1.30/2, so Andy booked the Friday afternoon off and we headed to the Peak District. He said we had to be leaving quickly, as we would stop somewhere on the way. I thought it was just a pretty town, but as we were walking we could see the high street cordoned off, and it turned out to be the Olympic torch relay! I was very exited, because next weekend when it comes near us, we are at the Grand Prix. We did have to wait for about an hour (and put up with people selling tat like whistles and vuvuzelas  (sp?) to the kids- I mean how come the shops on the high street cannot have the rings in their windows, in case they profit from the olympics, but these people can wander up and down and sell junk, anyway, rant over!)- and the crowd basically pushed forwards and ripped the tape and everything. Plus there was a sponsorship procession- a big Coke truck and things like that. But seeing the torch being handed over, and the grin on the man’s face as he carried it past, was just brilliant. I did think it was a shame that I had no idea who that person was. It wasn’t on a sign, and it wasn’t announced. But anyway, it was special to see.

We stayed in a lovely B&B in Matlock, and had a day on Saturday making the most of our National Trust membership (10% back on Quidco right now)- we went to a lovely Tudor house (Little Moreton Hall) with the most brilliant guide, and then went to the tearoom. We sat outside which turned out to be a mistake- there were some very hungry and determined ducks. We each had a tea and shared a flapjack, and the ducks kept coming around and nudging our legs. They would not go away, and then one of them flew right up into Andy’s face! He was not amused!

We also went to some lovely gardens (Biddulph Grange), but by that time the rain had caught up with us- luckily during the heaviest downpours we were near shelter, but it was a bit miserable. Andy took some lovely photos but not sure when I will be able to add them!

This morning we had a lovely breakfast in our B& B again (Andy did laugh at me putting pb and cherry jam in my croissant- I am sure that is what the French do…) and then headed off for a walk at Dovedale.

This is what it looked like last year. This year the stones were closed due to flood damage- the water level was up to the top of the stones and a couple had been washed down the river a little. The river has burst its banks and so walking alongside the river was harder. We walked for about an hour (drizzled a bit) but seconds after we got back to the car it poured with rain again.

On the way home we drove to Kedleston hall, and had a look around the house. It did have lovely grounds but it was raining hard again, and we didn’t fancy getting soaked. We did manage to visit the tearoom- carrot cake makes a good lunch 🙂

Once we got home (we had to stop at Waitrose on the way home to get a few bits and I was very excited to see some Almond Breeze unsweetened almond milk for £1! And it doesn’t seem to be an offer price, it was just the regular price label- they also did a chocolate version) I headed out on a run. The plan was 6 miles, so I headed out on a route I always used to do but have not done for months. It ended up being something like 5.96 miles, and usually I would run up to the end of the road and back to add up the mileage, but I was so tired and thirsty I headed right in. I realised I had had hardly anything to drink (compared to normal) and it was quite warm out there, despite it being very windy. I had a nuun tab in some water, and then diluted some of the Sainsbury’s coconut water- having it half with water was much nicer, although it did mean I drank 3 glasses of liquid pretty quickly- I was thirsty! I was pleased because each time the garmin beeped (for each mile) I was speeding up- only a little but I think I started at 11.40 or something, and gradually increased to 10.30 or something for the end- I am trying to keep this going as I used to start out too quick on my long runs.

Much nicer anyway:) That nail polish was recommended by Jess (looks nicer on her blog too as the pic is natural light), and when I went to the Butter London website I noticed they had 30% off, so I have ordered another colour too- they have some lovely summery shades.

Right, I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. I am hoping for no rain tomorrow as we have a lot of outdoor activities planned at school for this week, but who knows. Has the rain put a damper on your plans this week?

I can’t think of a title, so feel free to help out. Something like “It’s grape”. You get it.

The grape jelly was very nice (great/grape)- but very sweet. I just heated grape juice and sprinkled on the agar (as per instructions), then stirred in and left to cool, poured over fruit. I think next time I would have 1/2 grape juice and 1/2 water.

I also added a little to my overnight muesli in place of some of the milk- that was refreshing too.

On Monday I had a run after work and it was so hot. I saw 3 rabbits, which get a smiley face, but I also saw 2 rats, which totally counteract the rabbits. I must have looked rather crazy as I ran along clapping as loudly as I could to make the rats run off the path. When I got back I was in need of rehydration- I think I probably looked like a dried cranberry from some trail mix (covered in salt from the peanuts)- really I needed to be soaked in water. Anyway, ramble aside, I tried some of the Sainsbury’s coconut water. Now, I am not really a fan. It tastes so sweet- it reminded me of the “juice drink” cartons you get, or maybe like strong squash, and I never even drink weak squash. I suppose if it was diluted with water it would be OK. Also it didn’t taste of coconut water- the first one one tasted of orange squash, and the second one (pineapple flavour- I had it today after my Sweatshop run) was OK- a bit nicer as I prefer the pineapple flavour, but not great. It is a shame because it is much cheaper, but I suppose that is why.

On Tuesday I had a rest day (I did have a run on Sunday after the cinema too), and had a lovely easy dinner. I found these beetroot and goats cheese roasts in asda- they had a pretty good ingredients list so I decided to try them. It was nice- like something you might have for a pub lunch if that makes sense. Anyway, easiest ever dinner served with roasted veggies, cucumber, tomatoes and more beetroot. Not too much goats cheese either as although I love it, sometimes it can be overpowering.

To cool down I had a fruity iced tea- I poured hot water on an orange and coconut teabag, left it to cool, and then added the liquid to a glass with some rose grape juice, ice and lemon slices. This was lovely. I do like the grape juice on its own, but it is very sweet, so I prefer it watered down a bit.

I also decided to make some fruity cakes for work- I used a recipe for light fruit cake from the Home Bake book, and soaked the fruit in grape juice first. If I make anything with dried fruit I always soak it first, as I find then it plumps up and also does not burn in the oven. I topped them with a little lemon icing (lemon juice+icing sugar), and they turned out really well. I used wholegrain spelt flour too, which I love in baking.

My Sweatshop run today was good too- although again it was so hot and I was baking by the time I had jogged up there- not a good sign. I qualified for my free t-shirt today (it is a technical one and everything) but I was too sweaty to try them on, so will have to get it next week- haha.

But- exciting news- from Tuesday (at 5.30pm) they are starting a run/walk for beginners- starting at 2 miles. I really cannot rave about it enough, so if you are tempted then check out your local store to see if they have one.

Anyone tempted? 🙂 Anyone else tried the Sainsbury’s coconut water, or discovered anything else new?