Category: Stuff I love!

Last year I got more into parkrun tourism, and with that came all the little extra challenges that go alongside it. I was keeping half an eye on the alphabet, noticing that I was gradually ticking a few off, but not really actively chasing any letters. Then last Easter I fancied visiting a new parkrun and decided to look into the letters that were close by. I ticked off O at Oak Hill, and then N at Northala Fields. Handily on our trip up to Scotland last year we came home via York (on the Friday night) so I ticked off the Y, and then in the summer we had a weekend booked in London (to see The Muppets) and so I went to Valentine’s (it was going to be Victoria Dock as we were staying close by, but they had to cancel the event that week). I also made the trip around the M25 to Upton Court and got my D at Dinton Pastures on the way to the Bath Christmas markets.  Jersey Farm started in St Albans, so I’ve been there a few times, ticking off the hard-to-get J. As I have ticked more letters off, I’ve paid more attention to other letters, although of course it could happen more naturally (Dunstable Downs started more recently, so I now have two D’s).

I’d planned a trip to Queen Elizabeth parkrun over a year ago, but it turned out where we were staying was right by Portsmouth Lakeside parkrun, and it seemed a little silly to get up and drive when I could just run around the corner (plus the check out was 11 so it was less time to get back after and shower etc). We then thought I could go on the weekend of the New Forest 10k, but that didn’t work out in the end. Anyway, I finally managed to tick it off last weekend!

I drove us down to Portsmouth on the Friday night, and then on the Saturday morning I drove up to the park. I did have a brief moment where I considered whether what I was doing was entirely sane or sensible, because the Portsmouth Lakeside parkrun route was right next to where I was, but it was only a 20 min drive (if that) so it wasn’t too far.

I had followed the postcode given on the course page, but then followed the brown signs once I got close, and inadvertently ended up parking in a different car park (I didn’t realise there was more than one). A few other runners were wandering about, asking where the start was. The directions said something about 100m along the gravel path from the corner of the car park, so we found a path and wandered along it.  After walking 1/3 of a mile (and slightly worrying that I’d miss the start) I saw the actual car park with the little path going from it up to the start area. Phew!

I was still a bit full of cold, so wasn’t going to go fast at all and was standing near the back of the runners so as not to get in anyone’s way. I saw someone who looked like one of the RD’s from Panshanger, and then at the run briefing it turned out it was him because some of the Panshanger core team were cycling the South Down Way and visiting the parkrun on their way. They are all super speedy and I was starting at the back so I didn’t get a chance to chat, but it was a bit of a coincidence.

I couldn’t hear the briefing that well down to a few barking dogs (even though the RD asked the noisy ones to go up the hill and wait at the start) and my ears were still a bit blocked. I heard words such as “hill”, “steep”, “loose ground”, “hill again”, “second lap”. I just follow the person in front and I knew it was vaguely two laps. The route we did started up a hill ( a bit like Heartwood Forest), along forest-lined tracks, down to the start area, up the hill again and then on a slightly bigger loop, so it could be like Ellenbrook Fields in that respect with a small then larger loop.

I kept having to slow down to get more tissues out of my pocket, and on the second go of the hill I stopped to take a few photos as the views were so pretty, even though it was fairly overcast. It reminded me of Wendover Woods in that respect.

From their facebook page- somehow they won’t rotate!

Although you can see from the Strava elevation profile that it goes up a fair bit, the final mile is fairly downhill (but with a bit of uneven ground here and there) and I did manage a speedier final mile, before heading back to the car.

There was a little mix up with results so although I had token 90 I ended up with position 89 and a time of 32:59.

It was then time to head back to the hotel- Andy  had been to the Starbucks in the lobby for a cinnamon roll- what good service!

If you are interested you can see the page with all my parkrun tourist visits here. I now only need I and K in this country, plus the Z- not quite sure how I can wrangle that just yet!

I’m enjoying all the various challenges available- I only need one time to complete stopwatch bingo, and if I visit two more C’s I’ll become a pirate. If only there was more than one Saturday each week!

Are you tempted by any of the parkrun challenges? 

On the Sunday morning after our trip to Brighton I didn’t set an alarm, and because of the clocks changing it was much later before I was ready to head out on a run. I didn’t need to run far- the only race I have now booked is the Bristol 10k in May, and I’d felt pretty tired on the Saturday after running to and from parkrun, and a lot of walking around Brighton and Hove. In the end I did 6 miles, which was enjoyable, but very cold! Where had the lovely spring weather gone?

Once home I pottered about, made some hot cross buns ( we were making them at work and I wanted to double check the recipe first) and then we popped over to see Andy’s and then my parents for Mother’s Day and a general catch up.

I also made some fudge for work (Sainsbury’s had some mini chocolate eggs, so I topped it with those to make it Easter fudge) and then we discovered the stollen that we brought back from Germany (only a few days past the best-before date, and that’s just  guide right?). It actually doesn’t have marzipan in it (what were they thinking?) but we also bought some marzipan honey at one of the Christmas markets, so decided to spread some of that on to make it back to the best type of stollen.

Monday was the standard walk after work/rest day, and then on Tuesday I went on a short run- I was starting to get a cold, but also knew it was my only chance of a run in the week, so took it gently. It was still light (yay) but the actual run felt very tough so I stopped at 3 miles. Andy got me some lovely tulips as I was having a very busy week at work- I love tulips as they always make me think of spring, and despite the colder weather we know it’s here.

On Wednesday I had a meeting all day, including through lunch, and knew I wouldn’t manage my usual lunch walk, so I popped out on a quick walk in the morning. It was just light, and I managed just under 2 miles which helped with the step count for the day (still on my step streak). I was wondering whether to stay at home rather than go to yoga, but in the end decided I’d feel better after, and I’m glad I did. We did a lot of pair work on shoulders which always makes me feel loads better. We also did some laughter yoga which is a bit weird but does make you feel better once you get into it!

Once home I put some oils (tea tree, peppermint) in the diffuser to help with breathing as I was getting more bunged up.

I also laughed at the Disney Food Blog post- yes Dole Whip shall always be the top Disney snack for me..

Dole whip float (in pineapple juice).

On Thursday morning I had another speedy walk- it was super frosty that morning and everywhere looked so pretty. After work I was helping on a craft stall at a PTA event, had a quick meeting and then was heading into town as our team had booked to have dinner together to celebrate (nearly) the end of term. We went to Pizza Express and then across the road to The Pudding Stop.

Now they do amazing desserts there, but in my opinion nothing beats the peanut butter and salted caramel brownie. Normally I’d share with Andy but he wasn’t there so I just about managed it (helped by some tea). Some people had brownie sundaes (you can choose your brownie + sauce + ice cream) but I don’t want to dilute the deliciousness!

Then Friday appeared and the end of term had arrived! But I’ll get to that another day.

What is your next race or event?  How do you manage the symptoms of a cold? Have you ever tried laughter yoga?

I didn’t feel too stiff on the Monday following the half, but had a walk after work to stretch out the legs, plus some foam rolling. On Tuesday morning my left hamstring was super tight, so more foam rolling was endured. I had a run in the evening- just a short and gentle one, and it did help to ease out the aches a little more.

On Wednesday at work we walked through the woods and to the bakery at lunch time, and I caved and got a Belgium bun- I had half after yoga (which again was very much needed) and then half the next evening.

On Thursday we went for a team meeting lunch at Starbucks and sat outside in the sunshine- glorious!

Also, Sainsbury’s stock Larabars! And the best flavour- choc peanut butter- I was very excited to find this out as I usually bring back a few when I go to the USA.

On Thursday evening I had a lovely 4.5 mile run as the sun was going down- all the blossom looked so pretty in the late evening light.

On Friday I had a Very Embarrassing Incident in Sainsbury’s- I had to stop on my way home to get hot cross bun ingredients for work, and as I was unfolding one of the bag for life’s (lives?) a massive spider crawled out. I threw the bag on the floor and shrieked, before picking the bag up (and watching the spider crawl away)- luckily I didn’t throw the spider at the checkout lady, and she just laughed at me. The whole time I was packing the shopping up, she just kept laughing. I was very apologetic but it was a big spider! Urgh! I had to have a cup of tea and a biscuit when I got home to calm down!

After dinner and packing we headed down to Brighton for part of the weekend. On the Saturday morning I was off to Preston Park parkrun as it was the closest to the hotel. It was so sunny and warm, and the parkrun was absolutely jam packed! My legs still felt fairly heavy so I didn’t go too fast, keeping just in front of the 30 min pacer and enjoying it.

Of course it was then time for pancakes at the amazing Cafe Coho- I met Andy at the station and we headed to breakfast straight away.

I went for the banana and hazelnut ones this time- they are much sweeter than the normal berry ones, but they were a nice treat.

After a shower we headed to get a drink from Bird&Blend (iced drinks- spring is here) and then walked along to Hove. We had to be fairly quick as Andy was off to the football, so I then had a bit of time to wander around the shops. I’d packed my headphones and a magazine, and the weather was so gorgeous that I sat on the beach for a bit (and yes I had suncream on).

A bit later I headed to a cafe to have a cup of tea and read my magazine, as on the beach I listened to podcasts and collected a few pebbles.

Once the football was finished we met up and had a quick dinner at Leon (oh how I love their hummus) and then drove home. I’d picked up a peanut butter brownie in the afternoon so we shared that when we got home. A bit of a flying visit to Brighton, but just as lovely, especially with the amazing weather.

Are you a fan of spiders? Which brownie flavour is your favourite?

On Thursday after work I went out on my only mid-week run of the week. It was really mild- I only needed a t-shirt and it wasn’t even too windy. Andy was out and so I got to treat myself to my favourite dinner- ultimate beans on toast. Sourdough toast, with a little marmite spread on, a sprinkle of cheese (I am loving the violife vegan cheese as it melts well and actually tastes nice) and then beans on top.

We’d had a busy week at work so I decided to make some fudge to help everyone get through Friday.

Peanut butter and white chocolate fudge- always goes down well!

On Friday it was time to meet my friend at The Waffle House (we try and meet once a half term)- I went for the pecan and butterscotch waffle, with added banana. They cook pecans into the batter as well as sprinkling more on top – so tasty. I’d ordered a few treats when payday came around, and they had arrived- some Tropic eye cream and a nice reusable bottle (as my 5 year old bottle may need retiring). It wasn’t that cold so we had a walk, chatting about holiday plans, including this:

(Yay, another race at Walt Disney World in October-Just the 5k this time as then I may even manage the parkrun on the Saturday before we fly home…).

On Saturday I’d volunteered to tail walk at Panshanger because I didn’t want to run the day before the half marathon. I was stood in the car park (where the start is) with my volunteer top on, and I was approached by a couple of people who started to ask me about how parkrun worked. They were planning on walking it, and wanted reassurance that it was OK. I also explained how to barcode worked, and a bit of the course description.

Then I saw Dad as he’d come over to run at Panshanger- as he had a slight injury he was wanting to take it slowly, so he walked with me for the first km or so before heading off to run the rest. He didn’t wait around as he was heading into London for the march in the afternoon.

As I walked around the route, a few marshals joined me towards the end, so we all had a good chat about all things running. As we approached the finish I jogged a little to catch up with the last few people (as I had to also collect signs and close the gates behind me, so I tend to be a bit further back anyway). Once I’d finished the pair of people came to ask me where they went next, so I pointed out the scanners to them, and asked how they’d enjoyed it. They said they had loved it and would be back, and that made me so happy. I think parkrun would benefit so many people, but it’s hard to get people to really believe that you can literally walk the whole course and it doesn’t matter, the marshals etc expect to be there until 10am.

I rushed home once I was finished (56:12- my 190th parkrun), as we were also heading into London for the afternoon.

Above- some of my favourite signs (We love access to medicines/Even IKEA has better cabinets/OMG U OK HUN? which was my ultimate favourite/ Never gonna give EU up). I saw loads more- Fromage not Farage being another favourite, and one with a photo of Tommy Wiseau (from The Room) with “You’re tearing us apart” which properly made me laugh out loud. I mean, I don’t want to go on about it because I feel rather a lot of despair (watching a documentary about the European parliament the other week actually made me cry for so many reasons) so you have to laugh otherwise you’d have a breakdown.

And a selfie with Angela (well, a cardboard cut out of her, because of course someone has one of those…).

As a treat we had decided to head to the amazing Swedish bakery afterwards, and bought one of their Easter specials (a bit like the amazing school bread from the Norway bakery in Epcot- a cardamom spiced bun filled with almond paste) which we enjoyed with a pot of tea once home. Not sure that traipsing around London the day before a half marathon is the best idea, but it was important.

Do you head into London much? How much rest do you have in the week leading up to a race?  I think it varies for me quite a bit- having a busy week at work meant it forced me to have more rest than usual.

Happy spring equinox all! I think by now the lighter evenings are so much more noticeable (I’m not so bothered about the mornings because it’s straight off to work) and it’s so lovely having walks or runs in the evening that are still in the light. Very good for the soul.

Last Friday I had an email from parkrun saying that it was my 6 year parkrun anniversary on the Saturday- I started on the 16th March 2013, and this year the 16th also fell on a Saturday. To not make the numbers quite add up, it was my 189th parkrun (but then I remembered that the first time I was tail walker I didn’t realise I was meant to take a finish token, so technically I’ve done one more..)- anyway, on Saturday I was token sorting after running Ellenbrook, and in the volunteer email it turned out it was my 50th volunteer occasion which was quite nice timing.

It was so windy on Saturday (yet again- another storm with another not-too-fierce-sounding name)- as the volunteers are meant to arrive at 8.30 I checked in and then ran up and down the runway a bit to keep warm (as I wasn’t needed until I’d finished running)- at least the wind direction meant it would be behind us on the final km. It was an enjoyable run, and it was nice to think about what parkrun has meant to be in these past 6 years. Dad persuaded me to go along, as he had done one at Wimbledon with the other tennis officials. I did think “I can just run 5k from my front door”, but once actually at a parkrun it all made sense. At first we only went maybe once a month, when we were all free, and I’d pick Dad and my brother up on the way. But once Panshanger started, it was far more regular, and became part of my weekend. I think it’s meant that I see my family more often. Since moving out my parents are still close by, but with lives being busy it isn’t always easy to make the time (and to find time that we can all do), but if we’re both around then we’ll text in the week and work out if we are meeting at a local one or going on a tourism trip, and Mum will offer to cook pancakes for breakfast when we get back. I love running with my dad too (or trying to keep up with him if he’s heading off on his own to run a bit faster), and chatting about how we found it once we’ve finished.  Mum has been to a few trips with us, and when it was our 100th runs she baked loads of cakes and handed them out while we ran. I could probably ramble on for thousands of words about how great it all is, but I’ll leave it there for now.

Token sorting in the wind was very stressful! The RD did say that I could leave it and he’d do it at home, but I felt bad after agreeing to do it. They have a little toolbox with compartments for each lot of 20 tokens, so in the end I sorted them into the tool box, although I could only do one at a time, opening the lid quickly and then shutting it right away so that the sorted tokens didn’t blow away. The unsorted tokens in the little bucket kept blowing away too- not very easy!

Once home (and after a shower to warm up) we had a late breakfast of chocolate almond croissants warmed in the oven (I’d been to town on Friday so of course I had to pop to Gail’s) plus a big cup of tea.

I had some work to get on with, so I ploughed through it and then we walked into town later on to stretch the legs.

My tea club for March arrived, and I bought some mini daffodils to brighten up the dining room.

On Sunday morning I headed out for a final long run before this Sunday’s half marathon- just under 11.5 miles in the end and it all felt good. Lots of signs of spring about, but also a few big trees that had blown down.

After a shower and a big bowl of porridge, I got on with some life admin. Seriously, changing my name has been rather headache inducing- I had to submit a photo of my passport and wedding certificate 5 times to paypal before it was accepted! My driving licence arrived, I changed it with my running club and various online shops, signed up to the Brighton 10k (in my new name) and booked a hotel for that weekend. All very satisfying. After a quick walk we were off to the cinema to see Fighting with my Family, which I really enjoyed (I still don’t like wrestling though).

On Monday I had to leave work with enough time to get to the opticians as I wanted to get the anti scratch coating put on the other pair. Work has been busy, so on Tuesday when Andy fancied a walk we decided to have a nice 3 mile walk instead of me heading out on a run- it was even light for most of our walk!

On Wednesday at lunch time I had a quick walk around the fields and woods- there were lots of daffodils and I saw so many little birds flitting about. That combined with yoga in the evening was a good way to celebrate the spring equinox.

I’ve noticed that when my to do list gets long, I end up doing half of lots of jobs and not ticking off anything, and even though taking 20 minutes to have a quick walk can seem like I am spending 20 minutes not finishing things, it seems to give me a brain break that means when I come back I actually am more productive.

Did you do anything to celebrate the spring equinox? At yoga we looked at the moon at the start and did lots of visualisations and breathing exercises to “clear out” the stale air and thoughts, and up our energy levels now that spring is here. (We also attempted the wheel pose- I still don’t have the upper body strength to lift my head off the floor, plus my ponytail gets in the way, but at least I can bend far enough to get onto my head).

How do you organise your “to do” list? I love a list (I am one of those people who adds things to lists after I’ve done them just so I can tick them off) and have become a convert to Google Keep- I can have different lists for home, blog stuff, work, a shopping list, and although I do like a paper list, the fact I can add things wherever I am (either on my phone or laptop) means I am less likely to forget to do something.

When is your parkruniversary? And how did you first hear about it?