Category: Stuff I love!

So my dad has been quite keen on doing a bit of parkrun tourism (visiting other parkruns). We have our two local ones (St Albans and Panshanger, although we favour Panshanger now and rarely do St Albans) which we visit together, and have all been to Gadebridge in Hemel separately. He has been to a few different ones to me; Wimbledon Common, Cannon Hill in Birmingham- both when he was at the tennis tournaments, and Lloyd parkrun in Croydon, which he and my brother visited before a football match a few weeks ago, whereas I have been to Hove Promenade and Crissy Field (San Fran). For the last few weeks they have either had to head off soon after, or I have been volunteering so we have been tied to Panshanger. This week we realised that as I was not volunteering and they had no plans we could go somewhere new.

We spent a while looking at the local ones, but Dad was not keen on the idea of 3 lap courses- so many of them are, and we were losing hope. Then we came across Aldenham County Park parkrun, which is only 2 laps, so decided to give it a go.

I picked them up at 8.15 to give us plenty of time to get there- we arrived at about 8.45 so plenty of time. I am awful at directions so had spent a while on their course page, and on google maps, trying to work out where it was (it didn’t help that I went to uni at the Aldenham Herts campus, which it turns out is not the same place as the country park!), but the postcode on their course page took us right there so there was no need for me to worry. As we drove up the little road to the car park, some sheep wandered across the road (no lambs though). You do have to pay to park (well, you pay on exit) and it’s normally £4.50 (most people would visit for the day, there’s a little farm, nice walks, a Winnie the Pooh trail…) but now if you show your parkrun barcode it’s only £2, which isn’t so bad.  It turned out that I parked right by the finish straight, so I think next time I would park a bit further back. When we got there, we were the first runners to arrive!

(The view of the final turn from the boot of my car- after we had finished).

It was a bit chilly at the start- I had worn a long sleeved top under my t-shirt and had thought I might be warm, but that was fine for me in the end.

The lady that did the new runners briefing was so lovely and welcoming- she asked where the tourists were from and wrote our home parkruns down, and there was one first timer so she made him feel very welcome too.

From their facebook page- I think we are cheering the new parkrunner here!

Almost as soon as that was finished, she then gave the main briefing (again giving everyone a reminder about the car park token system), mentioned that there was a pacer who could run between 25 and 30 minutes (one man took him up on his offer), welcomed the new runner and tourists (and mentioned each of our home parkruns which was a lovely touch), thanked the volunteers and then we were off! There were only 25 runners so I was conscious of not going off too fast. I ended up chatting to a lady who had come from Milton Keynes, and that was perfect as the chatting speed meant I was keeping a steady pace.

The route itself is lovely- it was two laps, the first lap being slightly longer, going around the lake and then through some woods. They had warned that it was muddy (and I had worn my newer trainers, not my trail shoes) but the first section of each lap was fine- mainly concrete type paths with a thin covering of mud and a few puddles to skirt around. But then the second section of each lap through the woods was far muddier- I took plenty of detours to avoid the biggest muddy sections. I really enjoyed it though- as there were so few runners at times I had the woods to myself. I saw bluebells, plenty of ducks and coots, a few dog walkers and just generally enjoyed the change of scenery. At one point I noticed an amazing carving of some acorns in a fallen tree trunk- it would be a lovely place for a walk too. The marshals were lovely- one was indicating which way you went towards the end of each lap (right for the first lap left for the second). I was just behind the first timer, and she told him “remember, you don’t have to run the whole way, walk if you want”.  On my second lap she congratulated me on my 50 parkruns (I was wearing my 50 t-shirt)- really friendly.

From their facebook page- the half way point (ish)

The finish was back into the car park, and I could see everyone standing by the finish line which is always motivating. I did get told off for being so clean! I think I had one splat of mud on one leg, whereas my dad had mud all the way up his trousers! I really was avoiding the mud because of my newish trainers!

I ended up as number 16, 4th lady and second in my age category, with a time of 30.41. It’s a good flat course though so once I am feeling more confident I am sure I will be back to try and get myself a nice pb. One thing I loved was looking through the photos on their facebook page- pretty much every runner was smiling.

Then we headed home and Mum made us all pancakes- a pretty good start to the weekend!

I had to be careful not to run any ducks over on my way out of the car park!

It did get me thinking though, why some parkruns have such low attendance. This parkrun is 12 miles from where I live, so not at all far. Our two closest, St Albans and Panshanger are regularly getting 200- 300 + runners each week, and St Albans particularly is so congested now which puts me off, whereas close by there is Barclay (in Hoddeston) which seems to have 40ish. Gadebridge in Hemel seems to get around 100. Does the car park charge put people off? But then in St Albans the parking charges start at 9.30 so unless you are very speedy now you are unlikely to get your chip scanned in time. Do people just tend to go to their local one and not explore other options? Do people prefer ones based in towns as opposed to out in the country somewhere? It would be hard to get to Aldenham by public transport I think, and it does seem a bit far from the nearby towns to be able to run there and back. Do ones linked to local running clubs do better? On the results the only clubs were from tourists (this week), and I wonder if having that base of runners helps with word of mouth, volunteers and generally upping runner numbers.

On a side note, a while back (using some EarthMiles points as a discount) I bought myself a Stnky bag for my sports kit- I have used it a couple of times- it unzips on both sides, one side has a net (I use that for my trainers) and the other side is for clothes- it keeps all the smelly kit confined, plus the bag can go in the wash after. (I got the normal sized one and it is fine for my trainers plus running kit, but they do a bigger size too). Worth a look if you travel to races or training (and worth a look on Earthmiles as the discount code will save you a bit too).

The bag filled with my kit today before I put it all into the wash.

How many parkrunners do you tend to get at your local one? Do you prefer the smaller or larger events? How many ones have you visited?

So after the weekend I was feeling much better- I could walk fine and was not having pain or stiffness- I could put on my socks easily again (before it was a challenge to get my hands anywhere near my left foot) so I was hoping to try a run. On Monday I was visiting a friend, and when I got home we had to walk up to the shops, so that was my fresh air fix for the day. I also tried the yoga for hips video that was recommended to me- I really liked it (it was from Yoga in the Big Smoke) because they had 3 people showing the moves in different ways which meant I could still do the poses even though I am very inflexible.

On Tuesday I woke up feeling fine, so I went for a very gentle run. I felt really paranoid, and kept stopping to walk. I kept thinking that my calves were aching a lot, and I felt like I was running in a slightly weird style, but I was OK.

It was a lovely day so I headed out to the fields and enjoyed being out in the sunshine- I even had on capris which I think is the first time this year.

Andy commented that I should wear sunglasses as the capris are so bright. I don’t think they are that bad!

And argh! Look at the sign I found on my run!

When I got home I found a yoga for runners cool-down video on you-tube. I have actually been organised and saved a few to my page (I think? I am not 100% sure it worked) so hopefully I’ll be able to do the same one after each run.

As it’s the holidays I decided to make the most of being in no hurry- I had an orange before my shower, and then later made some pancakes- I found some coconut flour at the back of the cupboard so have started to use it up- this was just an egg, a little almond milk and some coconut flour. Once cooked I used the same pan to briefly cook the banana slices in (and topped the pancakes with a little maple butter- so good).

I’ve been enjoying Bluebird Tea Co matcha powder- through the Earth Miles app (you earn point through exercise, and then can redeem point for money or % off certain goods) I had a voucher for money off Bluebird matcha, so I decided to try the one mixed with acai and blueberry. It’s still green (I thought it would be purple) but really smells of blueberries. I have discovered that if I put a little milk in the bottom of the glass first, then add the powder, it mixes so much better than when I put the powder into the bottom first. Not sure why this never occurred to me before.

After my run I felt very conscious of not sitting still for too long in case I stiffened up so I spent a lot of the day pottering around at home, and in the afternoon popped to town for a while for another walk- but it was all good. I got very tempted by a long sleeved thermal running top for sale in John Lewis, but the size I tried on was possibly a bit snug. I wanted to try the next one up but it was not in store, and when looking on-line later I ended up buying some new running trainers instead (and not even from John Lewis- how did that happen?). They are the new version of my beloved old Asics DS 19, and they were on offer so I thought I would give them a go and rotate my trainers instead of wearing one pair all of the time. I used to find it easier to have one pair, to keep an eye on when they need to be replaced, but now with Strava keeping track of the miles for me I think it might be better to swap between a couple- I do this with my trail shoes already.

This morning I went to the doctors- I did ask about a physio referral but the wait time is around 8-10 weeks, and as the stiffness and pain is gone she didn’t think there was much point. She did examine me and thought it was most probably sciatica, and advised painkillers if it happens again (but fingers crossed it won’t- I did manage the whole of 2015 without it happening- she thought that falling over would have been the trigger). So anyway, generally good news and it means that I will continue to run then have a day off on alternate days so I am easing back to it gently. I had a nice walk of a couple of miles before lunch (and before the heavy rain luckily) and I am sure we will pop out later at some point too, so I am making sure I keep moving.

On an unrelated matter, this stuff popped up on Ocado and so I ordered a jar to try it- cashew butter with honey and cinnamon (and a little coconut in there too)- I had some on a crumpet and it was delicious! One to keep an eye out for if you like that sort of thing.

Finally, has anyone been watching the new Bake Off, Creme de la Creme? Because I have, and it is just no-where near as good. (This is a bit of a rant I am afraid). First of all, the guy that is narrating it has the worst French accent ever! Honestly he is not even trying, and seeing as most of the things they are making are French, you would think they would choose someone (how about Mel? She can actually speak French too) who would at least attempt a good pronunciation. Secondly, the things they are baking look like such a faff. For me the appeal of the Bake Off is that I could generally imagine attempting most of the recipes, and they would give me ideas of things to make, and seeing people try them would help me see hints or tricks to use in my own baking. This is just not like that at all- I would not attempt to build a tree from chocolate or make 100 mini fancy cake slice things. Finally, although Paul Hollywood gets a bit of a bad reputation and can be a bit intimidating, on the whole the judges on Bake Off are encouraging, and honest, but also fair. I think Mel and Sue help here too as if there is a bit of a disaster they will pick up the broken/ burnt bits and eat them too, but I really think that the judging is more honest and less for effect. With this new show, it just seems that they are being harsh and picky to make the show more dramatic. Which really is the opposite point of Bake Off. It should be a relaxing hour watching people bake, and yes some people have disasters, but that’s not why people watch it. I do get that the people on this are professionals, whereas Bake Off have amateurs, but I still don’t want to see people being nasty just for effect.  It seems like they see that Bake Off is a hit, see shows like Top Chef (which I love) and have tried to combine them, making some sort of terrible hybrid.

Are you a matcha fan? Do you get easily annoyed by spelling mistakes (or the wrong homonym being used)? Do you keep one pair of running shoes or do you rotate through several pairs at once? Are you a fan of Bake Off or the new one?

I had already signed up to do the new runner briefing at parkrun on Saturday, and usually it’s a great role to do if you are running. I was walking so much better, and could actually lace up my shoes (that is progress- my lower back had been so tight that putting a sock on my left foot was a challenge and I could not even zip up my boot), but I knew that going from resting to a run was a bad idea. Maybe I did learn something last week! Anyway, Dad and my brother were still running, so they picked me up as per usual. There was a big bunch of volunteers, including some from the new (coming soon) Hatfield parkrun, so after the tail runner (and about 10 late runners) headed off we chatted for a bit.

The field of sheep was closed as they were close to giving birth. Sadly several sheep had been mauled by a dog (they had some horrible photos on the notice board)- usually they ask for dogs to be on leads but because of the attack they have closed it. It was a gorgeous day, and it wasn’t long before the lead runner headed back up the hill.

Later we had to collect a parcel and spent a bit of time walking around town (including buying some bargain 59p 4-packs of PB cups- for some sort of baking I think)- I know I am walking more slowly but I think partly that is me being cautious now. I did some baking (banana peanut butter cake) ready for Sunday, and some general pottering, before we had another walk in the evening.

Today was another beautiful day, and we fancied a walk somewhere, but could not make up our minds. Andy suggested Panshanger park, so we drove there for a walk.

We walked along the parkrun course. Bluebells were starting to flower, and there were so many birds in the trees.

At about 3.5km along the parkrun course, there is a new (ish) path up to an old oak tree, so we decided to walk up there and have a look. There were leaflets in a box on the gate (which you returned at the end) and the walk was marked with oak leaves.

The walk went beside one of the lakes, past a little weir and an old water wheel, and up through a field, eventually into some woods.

The oak was circled in fence with an information board- it’s around 500 years old.

The walk then took us past where the old house used to be- it was sold and demolished in the 50’s which is weird- the photos make it look like a National Trust house and it had quite a bit of history including some royal visitors (Queen Victoria I think), and it was strange to think it was just sold and knocked down.

Then we re-joined the parkrun route and headed back to the car park. Why does this never look steep in photos? Someone was running up it so I thought that might show how steep it is!

Still no lambs in the field. Anyway, it clouded over a bit as we neared the car, but it was so lovely to be outside in the fresh air. My hip held up well which is a good sign as that was around a 7km walk, and it’s really my back which is worse now- my lower back is still so tight and so bending down to untie my trail shoes was a bit uncomfortable at the end. But I have saved a yoga for hips video to my laptop (thanks to Steph the magpie for that) so I will try that either later this evening or tomorrow.

This sort of park is my favourite- it’s not very busy, there are no toilets or cafe (parkrun has a coffee van there on a Saturday morning) but there are plenty of different walks and loops that you could do.

How have you enjoyed the spring weather? What shall I bake with the pb cups?

So, last weekend after my parkrun pb I spent the afternoon pottering at home, having a walk and catching up on some work.

The long run

On Sunday I finally broke out my new trainers- these were my parkrun Sweatshop prize from back in the summer- the same style that I was already wearing. Strava keeps reminding me that I have run over 500 miles in them (more like 600 I think) and for the last few long runs I have started to feel that my feet are aching a bit more, but I didn’t want to change them before Brighton just in case. The old ones were not too badly worn on the sole, although on the outside they are a bit, but I think it’s the padding inside that has slowly been flattened and they do feel much bouncier.

I had a 10 mile route planned, so although perhaps I should have started with a smaller distance, I thought it would give me a good idea for the half next weekend.

It surprised me how faded my old ones look now!

I could not decide what to wear, and ended up in a t-shirt and long tights. I started off so cold- it was very misty and my hands were nearly numb, I was wishing I had brought my gloves. About 5 miles in I stopped to briefly text Andy as I had forgotten to get the hot cross buns out of the freezer (priorities!) and I got really cold only stood still for a minute or so. But later on the sun came out and by the end I was very warm and glad I had not opted for anything more.

My post-run red face is returning and spring isn’t even here properly yet! I felt good though- it wasn’t my fastest long run by any stretch, but I felt like 2 weeks after Brighton I was back to normal and had not lost the endurance fitness in that time. I think 10 miles is the perfect training distance- done in under 2 hours but long enough to feel like I have earned a bit of a relaxing time after, and to have those post run endorphins going.

I had some orange slices and then a shower, and then we had a lovely breakfast of toasted hot cross buns and IKEA marmalade (with elderflower- it’s very nice), and of course tea.

Cake (the epic one)

Then I got to baking. I have not used the new CCC baking book as much as the old one, as the recipes are more complicated, and more like special occasion cakes than normal Sunday tea cakes. They had a peanut butter chocolate fudge cake in there, so this week I had bought the ingredients.

Basically it was a sort of red velvet cake batter, which is so much nicer than normal chocolate sponge which can be dry, with chunks of dark chocolate in the batter. Then you made a peanut butter filling and sprinkled that in the middle of each chocolate cake.

The cakes ended up being huge! The recipe didn’t seem that much bigger than normal cake recipes for baking in 2 tins, but this was epic.

It was meant to have a chocolate fudge frosting with various ingredients including evaporated milk ( or condensed milk, I can’t remember) but I thought it would be way too rich. On Saturday I made some pumpkin cupcakes for work, and had bought some cream cheese for the frosting, so I made a vanilla cream cheese frosting instead, which complemented the chocolate instead of overpowering it I felt.

It would not even fit in my biggest tub, so I had to cling film it and carry it while Andy drove (we went to his parents) and hoped that he took the corners nice and gently! It was good but oh so rich. And huge- we sent slices home with everyone as there was so much left over! One for special occasions I think.

Kit

I was sent this Kalenji sports bra crop top to try out. I love how it looks- they had a few colours but I liked the grey/black/white combo. The shape of it is much nicer and more flattering than the shock absorber RUN bra I usually go for. It does say it is suitable for runners seeking comfort and support, and I would agree that it is very comfortable. However I would not try it for running. I wore it to a Body Pump class, as I need a sports bra but I don’t like ones with clips on the back of the neck as that is where the bar rests. We don’t do much leaping about (the only thing in this release is where you hold a plate and do squats and then lift the plate above your head- things wobble during that move!) so it is always good to try clothes out here before trying them running.  I would wear it again for Pump, and really like it for that, but even running from my car to the gym (it was so cold) I had to run with my arms in front as otherwise things were moving too much. I suppose partly it’s because of the size- I think I chose Medium, which isn’t very specific. I am not sure if I would find a smaller size more supportive, but I can’t see how it can fit properly when it is just a small/medium/large sizing. Anyway, I love how it looks and it has washed well so I will be using it for other sports, just not high impact.

Mud

Last week on one evening run I went on the fields as it was still just about light when I got home. The loop goes along the road first, and then ends up on the fields. I didn’t quite realise how much water there would be- the puddle was still huge.

Also along the final stretch I didn’t realise how deep some of the puddles were and ended up with cold soggy socks.

And muddy socks! I am always surprised by how much mud gets through my trail shoes.

This weekend I have my 13th half marathon- the very local Welwyn Garden City one. Lots of my club mates are either running or marshalling so I am looking forward to a more social run- no time pressure, I just want to enjoy it.