Hey guys.
First, glad you are all (mostly) enjoying Wimbledon.
Second of all, I got an email today from someone called Lee Gant who works on ITV’s The Biggest Loser (so by getting this email I am thinking it is bloggie big time). He wanted me to give a little shout out for potential contestants (I nearly wrote customers there) on my blog, so here is the information:
‘The Biggest Loser is back and we are on a nationwide search for duos of friends and relatives and couples that are desperate to lose weight. The programme aims to take these people through a structured plan of rigorous exercise, training and diets in order to help them attain their dream physique.
Last year’s winner Wil Graham lost a staggering eight and a half stone. As if that wasn’t enough he also went home with £25,000!
If you’re ready to transform your life, and have someone to share the journey with you, then apply to be on the new series of The Biggest Loser.
Go to www.biggestloseruk.com for further details and to fill out an application form.
Or if you prefer, you can e-mail us at biggest.loser@shine.tv, or simply call our voicemail box on 0844 6780 156 and leave your name, address and contact telephone number. We will send you an application form with a SAE.
(Calls cost 5ppm including VAT)’
So, the info is there in case anyone fancies acting on it (or knows someone who would- I always wondered how they got contestants for things like that).
And now normal service resumes.
Breakfast was lovely today- I had some frozen blackberries (still trying to empty the freezer so we can defrost it) and so I put them in my porridge. Yum I just love berries (and cinnamon) in porridge.
After work I had a cereal bar for some energy;
This gave me quite a sugar boost I think! Some nice seeds in there, and dried cranberries, but also the yoghurt coating, although it went quite well with this bar, whereas on some I find the yoghurt coating a bit too sweet. Maybe the seeds and other things kept the actual bar less sweet.
Anyway, then it was time for a run. My calves have been stiff all day (it was a different instructor at aerobics last night, and I do not think I stretched enough after), but I was keen to try the next Audiofuel one. It turned out to be the same, but each section was 5 steps per min faster (so we got up to 180, I say we, I mean me and Martin Yelling of course). The recovery pasts still felt slow (but not quite as bad) but the fast bit was hard- by the end of the final fast interval I was finding it hard to get my breath! But that is a good thing! Then I came home and did the yoga for runners podcast, which I think really helped stretch out my muscles.
Then I had another freezer meal- a lentil, kidney bean and veggie chilli with added spinach and frozen broccoli. Bonus points for me all round today!
I was thinking today- association vs disassociation. When I first started running I would do anything to take my mind off the run (eg listen to music, think about other things) but since listening to marathon talk I have been trying to think about the actual running a bit more. I have read articles before about this, and how people like Paula Radcliffe focus on their running and form and breathing etc as this helps them improve and perform. I was worried that the Audiofuel podcasts would seem too hard as I would not be able to think about something else, but I think it is really good for me to have the little reminders about keeping my shoulders relaxed and so on. During body pump I tend to try and focus on how strong I feel, as I think the positive mindset helps me achieve, and it is hard not to think about it while your muscles are burning!
So which kind of exerciser are you? Do you think about what you are doing, or try to take your mind off it?
🙂
I also made some cookies for Andy- he requested some (as all the baking I had done had gone away!). These are peanut agave cookies from the Vegan cookie book- the recipe has agave and brown rice syrup, and I used wholegrain spelt flour which I love in cookies. Anyway, they are lovely- sort of soft, not chewy cookies but not crunchy either. Anyway, another winning recipe from that book.
There are so many amazing looking recipes in here, but due to my current tea obsession, it had to be Earl Grey Cupcakes! Perfect for Father’s day too I thought. Although I think I will try it again with different teabags- Chai cupcakes anyone?
Now these puffed up like crazy in the oven, and the icing went very drippy, as you can see (not like in the picture in the recipe book) but we had one at Sunday tea and they were fab. The rest have been given to my family and Andy’s family.
I was actually amazed at how the rolls turned out 🙂
Gotta love a burger with some gherkins in it! Yum yum. Plus my first fresh sweetcorn cob of this year. I love the summer time 🙂
Cannelini bean, lentil and veg chilli with nutritional yeast. (Trying to empty the freezer a little).
Coconut chocolate cookies from the Vegan cookie book (these were amazing- you had to toast the coconut first, and also they used coconut butter in the recipe and melted with the chocolate). They were a hit at work 🙂
And some dried peaches. I was a little alarmed when I opened it and they were quite black, but they taste like peach jam. Yum.