Holiday recap

This is going to be a long one, but it seems some people won’t be going anywhere all weekend, so I figured you would have the time to read it!

Hopefully I will remember it- seems ages ago now!

So, on the Friday we rushed to the airport after work. Luckily the roads were fine, and I was so tired from work that I managed to sleep quite a bit on the plane (I am getting quite good at this now)- by the time we arrived at our hotel in New York it was about 1.30am, so nearly 24 hours since I had got up and gone to work.

But of course we were awake very early- we went for some breakfast, got a hot drink to take with us and had a long walk around Central Park.

Lots of people ice skating.

It was freezing! There was snow in the air, but it was not settling at all.

All the buildings had decorations, and it all felt very festive.

I was most excited to see the big tree at the Rockerfellar centre- so pretty!

We did some shopping- including braving Old Navy- everyone was buying everything it seemed! I think we were in the queue for about half an hour- I was losing patience then! Luckily we had eaten lunch first (we came quite fond of sharing a tomato soup and grilled cheese). We had a little rest in our hotel in the afternoon (needed to warm up) and then out again to see the tree in the evening. It was packed, there was a one way system going, but it looked so pretty all lit up at night.

Lots of other decorations too.

(Andy trying something with a blurry background).

We have been to New York before, but never found great places to eat. I am sure there are loads, and we tried looking on the internet (Trip advisor etc) but didn’t find anything that looked great- either sandwich shops, fast food places or really touristy places, and we found a Wholefoods shop near Central Park, so we went there for dinner. Because they have the hot food bar, and a salad bar, it suited us both. Then we picked up a few bits of food (and water) for our room, including the most amazing mini gingerbread scones (seriously, they were amazing).

The next day we were off to see the Rockettes- we had some of the scones for breakfast (yummy), and then went to see the show.

(It looks better at night, but we went to a morning show).

This was a fab show- I was not sure what to expect- we had tickets last year after (randomly) my hairdresser recommended it to me. I thought it would be mainly dancing, but there was a story (about a mum and girl shopping for Christmas presents)- anyway the dancers were amazing! It was so festive too, with people in the audience wearing santa hats and things- I wish I had packed my Christmas hair band!

After that, we got the underground downtown, first stop, lunch at Peanut Butter and Co! Although we didn’t take any photos of us there. It was a lovely tiny cafe, with so many options. In the end I went for a very sweet sandwich with chocolate pb, cherry preserves and coconut (served with a little bag of crisps- that salt was needed, and some carrot sticks for health!). They also let you choose your tea bag, (I had vanilla) and the mugs were massive. We bought a few bits in there- Andy liked the sound of the spicy pb.

We are going to recreate some of these at home for sure.

Then we got the subway again, all the way to the World Trade Centre site. We didn’t realise we would need a ticket for the memorial gardens, so once we had that we had a couple of hours to spare before going through all the security.

The new building is well on its way.

So we had a walk around by the water (Statue of Liberty in the distance) and then warmed up in a Starbucks again.

We had to go through security to enter the gardens, luckily this was inside as I didn’t fancy taking my coat off outside.

The gardens have been done really well I think. The waterfalls in the footprints of the two buildings are really beautiful, and it was a very peaceful and reflective place.

I still found it strange to see people posing for photos in front of it and things though (like when we went to Pearl Harbour in the summer).

Anyway, after that we went to the Rockerfellar centre- that is the best building to go up in New York, because you get the best views of the Empire State Building, Central Park etc.

Lit up with Christmas colours!

The glow from Times Square. Andy must have been out there for a good 45 mins in the end- after a while I went to wait inside as it was so cold up there!

On Christmas Eve we had to catch a train before 7am, up to Boston. The train ride was so pretty- sometimes train tracks are in little valleys and are pretty boring, but this one went past town after town of pretty wooden houses, the sea, lovely countryside- very picturesque.

Luckily by the time we arrived we could check in to our hotel, so we left our bags and then went on a hunt for some lunch.

We were within walking distance of Quincy Market, so we had a look there, although nothing appealed so in the end we found a lovely sandwich shop and went there instead.

Then we were off to get the subway to the Boston Pops!

This was brilliant, my favourite show of the holiday. The Boston Philharmonic Orchestra play lots of Christmas carols and songs, and a choir sing along, and it is just amazing. They did the most amazing version of The Twelve Days of Christmas, with each verse sung in a different style and different tune (eg 5 gold rings was with Bethoven’s 5th Symphony)- it was fantastic.

We had no idea what we would do for dinner, but came across a Cheesecake Factory pretty near the concert hall, so we went there. I love their guacamole so much (but you do get a mountain of it), so we had that to share for starters, and then I had a lovely salad with goats cheese and pecans and beetroot and things. Tasty, and it meant I saved room for dessert! They had a holiday special one, which was basically chocolate and peppermint, so we shared it.

Yummy! We walked back as we needed it after that!

On Christmas morning we woke up to snow! Lots had come down, and it was still going first thing. Our hotel had pastries and tea in the restaurant, so we had that, and then a skye call to Andy’s family. Then we wrapped up warm and headed out. It was the coldest day of our holiday. We wanted to do the Freedom Trail, as we thought most things would be closed on Christmas day, and of course it is all outside (although you have to follow a red line/ brick path on the pavement- not so easy in the snow).

There was lots of snow still in the park, but most of it had gone from the pavements.

In the afternoon we went back to our hotel (again with a Starbucks- there were some open on Christmas day) to warm up, before heading out for some dinner. We had originally booked a dinner, because the sample menu  looked like it would cater for vegetarians, but when we looked online the night before, there were starter salads and that was all (which would be fine, but it was a set menu and pretty expensive), so in the end we cancelled that, and went for a pizza. Then we went to see Django Unchained (which was really good, and jam packed)- I rather overheated in the cinema as I had 2 thermal tops on! It still makes me chuckle that Americans always clap when a film ends.

On Boxing day we walked around a bit more, did some shopping (bought some bargains in Bath & Bodyworks) and then went to see the Nutcracker. I was not sure what to expect, having never seen a ballet before, but actually I quite enjoyed it too. The different styles of dancing were really good, and I always enjoy listening to the orchestra playing.

Then we had to get our bags and head to the bus station, as we were getting the bus back to New York that evening.

I managed to fall asleep, and when I woke up I was shocked to see a lot of snow. We were about an hour behind schedule, which is not bad considering how much the roads were covered.

This was taken at the rest stop. Luckily after that, we saw snow ploughs and gritters go out, and they managed to clear the roads, and in the end didn’t get to New York too late. By the time we got there, it was just torrential rain (such fun wheeling our cases through the street rivers).

We spent our last day walking around Central Park and doing a bit of shopping:

And also having a Starbucks to warm up. I think we had one nearly every day/

We went for dinner at Wholefoods again, and then we had to get the bus to the airport (although the bus we had booked just didn’t turn up, so in the end the company took us and the other passengers in a little mini van- cutting it quite fine to get there on time!). I managed to sleep most of the way home (the magic combination seems to be noise cancelling headphones + sleeping tablet – only the ones that make you drowsy, not the prescription ones,+ don’t eat the food on the plane).

If I were to sum this holiday up, it would be like this:

Gingerbread scones, Wholefoods dinners, Starbucks chai lattes ( peppermint hot chocolate), thermal tops, big boots, lots of walking, lots of Christmas trees, and fun shows.

Or I could do it with a song?

(To the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas)

On my fab Christmas holiday I managed to include:

12 miles of walking

11 thermal tops worn

10 gingerbread scones munched

9 bottles of water drunk

8 thousand miles flown

7 souvenirs bought

6 chai tea lattes

5 Wholefood dinners….

4 hours in Old Navy

3 fab shows

2 cities visited

And I managed to see The Christmas Tree!

Disclaimer- some numbers in the song may be estimated

Two Minute Movers

Hey all

I am sure you have seen this pop up on other blogs before, but if not enjoy! I was contacted by Quaker Oats who are running a campaign to help people along with their new years resolutions.

They have made some little video clips (they can all be found here) with Mr Motivator (remember him???) and Denise van Outen- the idea is you can do them while your porridge cooks (although my porridge takes 2.20 in the microwave). He does the tougher moves and she does them slightly modified (eg knees on the floor for the plank) which means most people could have a go at them.

I was having a look at some of the other ones. The plank challenge looks super tough, although something that I should start doing a bit more often- I usually only do these at pump and when I go to aerobics. The push ups look good too- you could if you wanted to join them up I suppose for a strength workout at home.

Apparently most people break their resulutions within the first few weeks, so something fun like this is a great boost if your motivation is flagging.

Talking of motivation, mine is still going strong for Jantastic. Apparently our blogging team got a mention in this week’s show! How exciting! And well done all those team members! Just hope we can all find somewhere to run this weekend what with all the snow forecast.

How do you stay motivated?

Extra long workout

Hey peeps, I hope you are all staying warm.

I won’t go on about the snow (I wish I had taken some photos yesterday as it looked so pretty) but it did put a bit of a spanner in my plans. Anyway, let’s rewind. On Saturday I went out for a 9.3 mile run- I decided to do my usual loop but add a little on at the start- for some reason that is psychologically easier than adding on more at the end. Anyway, I really enjoyed it. I mean, loads more than usual. It was freezing, and I kept gloves and long sleeves on (whereas sometimes I take them off/ roll them up as I get warm), but I kept a steady pace, and felt pretty strong. I suppose I have been doing a similar distance for a while now, so my legs must be getting used to it. And I didn’t get a headache in the afternoon either- I think “real” tea after I finish helps with this.

Sunday was pancakes (pumpkin pancakes with apple and mincemeat) plus tea. Then we were off to London- we had a lovely walk through Hyde Park and around, had a bite to eat (there was a Leon right by the theatre, so we went there- I had a lovely falafel wrap thing) and then went to see Jersey Boys. It was good fun. I didn’t know much about it, but I recognised loads of the songs.

I was meant to be going to Starbucks after work to meet some friends, but the snow was coming down hard from about 11.15am, and by the afternoon was laying on the playground, paths and road, so we postponed and went home as soon as we could. I was thinking I might have a run if the pavements near me were clear (sometimes they are efficient near me) but they were not, so I did some work and had a hot chocolate instead.

Today by the time I got home a lot of the snow had gone, and the paths near me had been cleared, so I decided to have a run. Oh my word this turned into such a long workout! Because it is so cold I have many many layers on to wear to work, and then going out running today I wore: a thermal long sleeved top, a t shirt, a jacket, tights, leg warmers (love these because the tights let in cold air where the zips are), buff, headwarmer, gloves. It took me about ten minutes I think to change for my run!

But it was worth it. I took the run slowly because some of the pavements were not clear- some had been gritted but most had not, and in the dark it was hard to see the icy patches- I slipped a few times, and where I could I ran on the grass instead. 4 miles, in the freezing cold, but at least I was out there longer than it took for me to change.

I am hoping to make my 4 runs this week still- hopefully the Sweatshop run will be on tomorrow, and then I will do the other 2 at the weekend.

I am so pleased with how the team is getting on! We now have 11 members (and you can still sign up if you want to)- so we count as a medium team! Everyone logged their runs in the first week, and most people got 100% in their target. I am not expecting to get 100% the whole way through- I usually do 3 runs per week, but I was persuaded to go for 4 after listening to the show. I want to aim for something a bit higher- they were saying if you hit your goals all the time then your goals are too easy, and for me 3 runs was too easy. I am not saying it is for others, but I am saying getting 100% is not everything either, it is the taking part that counts. Although I might get a little competitive- I was rivalled by another Maria (this is just for fun- you can compare your % results side by side, so extra motivation I suppose) and she is winning at the moment!

Sadly (although the team name suggests otherwise) there has still been no baking! And not much blogging either. Ah well.

I shall leave you with my post pump snack:

Papaya with coconut coyo and a little lime curd. Delicious, but super rich.

Did anyone build a snowman? Or anyone else had plans disrupted because of the weather?

Popchips + pushing myself

Hey all

Before Christmas I was sent some Popchips to try.

The package had lots of different flavours (all suitable for vegetarians) and a handy bag clip too.

I had seem them on a few blogs before, not I had not tried them myself, so I was looking forward to it.  I don’t regularly eat crisps, but I do love salt and vinegar ones, so if they are offered I will often have some. Popchips are made from potatoes, but they are popped (like popcorn, apparently, although I can’t picture how that works!)- they also contain some oil and seasonings etc. Each bag was under 100 calories- much lower than a packet of crisps, so if you are on a healthy eating kick at the moment they would be a good swap if you normally have crisps with lunch or for snacks.

We tended to share them- especially for lunch on a Saturday (I like something salty after a long run).

The sour cream and onion ones were lovely- I used to quite like that flavour of Pringles until I saw some video on You-Tube about pringles melting and all the fat that comes out of them (although can’t find it when I searched- anyway trust me it was horrible). These were perfect with tomato soup anyway.

The Original ones were fab too (oh dear that is my panettone that I managed to burn in the toaster)- I found the texture a bit lighter than normal crisps- they reminded me a bit of chipsticks (anyone remember those?) but flat. Maybe those crossed with a rice cake, but in a good way.

The Salt and vinegar ones are my favourite so far, as I thought they would be! Andy asked me to save him some, but I didn’t manage to!

I have not tried the other flavours yet, but I am sure we will enjoy them at some point.

Of course, they are a processed food, but they are lower in calories and fat than a packet of crisps. Also I bet some of them would be lovely to dip into hummus. And I am sure the salt and vinegar ones will make their way into my shopping basket!

What is your favourite crisp flavour?

Onto Jantastic! I have been storming through the week- As well as Monday evening I did a run after work on Tuesday (just under 3 miles) and then the Sweatshop run on Wednesday evening. They decided to do a longer route than usual by adding on a small loop at the end. I was not sure what to do (as I have to run home too) so I said to them that if the front group was in my sight by that point then I would add the extra bit on too. The route starts off with quite a tough hill (not many hills around here so it is good to do that one) but even with that (and stopping to cross a road) my first mile was 10.10- fast- and then after that I managed to speed up even more. I could not quite keep up with the front runners, but through the mist I could just about see one person ahead of me, so I did the extra loop. I was last back because the people behind me missed out the last bit, but I don’t mind that. I kept my watch going and included the run home- the trouble was because I had stopped for a few minutes I was suddenly freezing, so I think I ran home as fast as I could to get warm/ to get to the warm, whereas usually it is a bit slower. Anyway, the run and the run home I managed an average pace of 9.27 min miles! 4.5 miles in 42 mins- miles 2, 3 , 4 and the extra half all started with a 9! Including the run up there I did 5.3 miles- I am quite glad I am starting to run a bit further in the evenings again. And of course, Jantastic week 1 run number 3=done!

What is weird is that I ran that by myself, except for the first half mile where we were all together as a group. But I still run much faster than when I am on my own. Not sure what it is about the run that means I push myself harder than when I am on my own. But I suppose it is good to have runs at different paces- my short/ medium length runs on my own are probably 10.30 average pace, and my longer runs are more like 11-11.30 min mile pace, so at least I am getting some variation in there.

After dinner we decided to start our Christmas cake- very late I know! That was very tasty indeed.

I also had a few deliveries this week- I had an Amazon voucher so I put it towards this Leon book, and I saw this amazing Thermospatula (the thermometer but can be taken out of the spatula part) on Lakeland, as the markings on my thermometer are rubbing off. Although we still have not sorted out our oven so there won’t be much baking in the near future.

On Thursday night I went to pump- that turned into a bit of a comedy class as the studio was closed so we had to go in the creche- a tiny triangle shaped room with a low ceiling. There were no steps, not the right weights, the CD player kept skipping, of course there were no mirrors (never realised how much I rely on them during the class), there was hardly any space- we had to lay down in alternate directions to check the weights would not clash, and during some tracks the taller people had to be careful of the ceiling! The poor instructor did her best as it must have been so tough. Hopefully back to normal next week. I still ached like mad all of Friday though!

Right, I am off for a run now (number 4 of the week)- no snow here yet but I shall be wrapping up warm as it is sooooo cold!

What did you get up to this week?

Feeling Jantastic (day one)

Don’t worry, I am not going to do a post for each day of the next 3 months, but today I started the marathon talk Jantastic challenge. I was loving looking at the team today, and seeing that a couple of runs have been logged for day 1! Excellent!

I have challenged myself to do 4 runs per week, as 3 is what I typically do and I fancied a challenge (and nothing bad happens if I don’t do them all). This week it turns out I am out straight after work on Friday, and in London on Sunday, so my runs this week will be Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, with pump on Thursday. Well, that is the plan anyway.

I got home a bit later than I had hoped, but I was pleased there was no rain/ drizzle.

I headed out for a lovely 4.3 mile run- I kept the pace pretty good (10 min miles)- not as fast as when I go running with Sweatshop, but more than my plodding pace.

Anyway, day 1 (and run 1)= done.

Yesterday I made the most of the last day of the holidays- I got up pretty late, made a mint tea and took it back to bed whilst I read a magazine- so relaxing.

We spent the morning chilling out, went on a walk (went to the allotment only to find the shed had blown over again, and it must have been a while ago because there were 2 mice living under it!!!), watched some TV and visited Andy’s parents. In the evening I did some yoga (I really want to start doing this regularly again- since my op last year I think I have done it a couple of times but always ached a bit after which put me off, but now I feel like I am back to normal so it should do me some good). Plus some foam rolling. Lovely.

I also had to find some space for some lovely new teas. When I went to Newcastle for the Great North Run, I bought the most amazing tea (caramel cup and amaretto) from a lovely shop. We were so sad when we used up the caramel cup tea as it was so delicious- not too sweet, and we were getting into the habit of having a pot to share at the weekend if we were both home, so I went on the Quilliam Brothers website to have a look at ordering some more. I ordered some of the caramel cup tea, and then saw they did a festive gift pack, which contained tins of stollen tea, two types of Christmas tea (one black, one fruity), and a tea infuser. Sounded like my kind of thing!

And when the parcel came, they also included a sample of some amazing sounding choco-mint tea. How kind of them. Plus the gift pack looked so pretty. Their website is worth a look if you fancy something different as they have so many wonderful and unusual sounding teas.

Right, off for some TV now.

🙂

If you’re planning on doing exercise its important to stretch and warm up otherwise injury can be caused. A specialist sports injury consultant can give you expert advice on how to avoid getting injured during exercise, contact one of your local private hospitals in Manchester to find out more.