Will It Blend? Blender Wishlist

Sadly my blender has seen its last days 😦 which means I’m on the hunt for a new one. I can’t live without my amazing breakfast smoothies! Due to moving house next week, I have decided to live blender-less for a short while until I’m sorted in a new place…and sadly, blenders won’t be at the top of my list of ‘MUST BUY’ items. Still, I’ve found a few reasonably priced blenders and also thrown in a couple of dreamy products with super high price-tags!

Cookworks Smoothie Maker  – £22.99

The design is great, with a little tap for dispensing your smoothie but I don’t think this would work for me because I like to vary the consistency of the smoothies, by sometimes adding oats to thicken it up – I’d be worried it wouldn’t fit through the tap!

Kenwood SB054 Smoothie to Go – £24.99

Kenwood products are reliable and I love the ease of use with this smoothie maker. No fancy buttons just a simple dial and two cups that have handles so the smoothie can be whizzed up, lid popped on and taken off the machine itself and you can drink on the go. Handy but those plastic cups can often break easily and I think I would like something multifunctional and robust so I could blend other foods in there etc.

Argos Value Range Jug Blender  – £9.89

This is the lowest model from Argos’s product range but with high customer rating and hundreds of reviews, this basics blender is under a tenner and would do the job of smoothies quite easily! I wouldn’t even mind buying this little blender to tide me over until I could afford a better model. Who’s to say this one won’t do a great job? Purely down to price, this one is top of my list.

Vitamix® TNC Black – £459.00

The most expensive blender award goes to…. The Vitamix! If you own one of these babies I’m sure you can’t live without it, as it’s more than just a blender. It is actually a “Total Nutrition Center” – it makes hot soups in 10-15 minutes and ice creams; the thought of a kitchen with no steam, no pans, no washing up and no hassle is definitely worth it! It’s Christmas in 124 days….

Blendtec Xpress Commercial Blender  – £395.99

Now let’s  move on to the model that inspired today’s blog post title. Having encountered this brand on YouTube I became slightly obsessed with their marketing videos – the infamous Will it Blend series! These extreme blenders can crush up anything (although they recommend you don’t) in seconds and they are very sturdy. Not sure about the x-press version but pretty sure it could do the job of making some excellent smoothies, with frozen spinach being no problem for its sharp blades!

Kitchenaid Artisan Blender – Apple Green £159.00

This blender is flirting with me, the one that has a beautiful feminine frame and makes all the other blenders go ‘ooooooh…’. Ladies and gents, I present to you the Kitchenaid Artisan blender. Any kitchen appliance fanatic will know Kitchenaid is synonymous with beauty, and also a high cost. Sadly I have never owned any Kitchenaid items because in the UK are severely overpriced; I remember seeing a beautiful pink Mixer in Walmart whilst on holiday in Florida and the price was something like $350 compared to £480 over here! Kitchenaid is a firmly established brand in many kitchens, the high price is an indication of quality, and their sets do look the part. I’m very much of a fan of their Apple Green range, especially with this blender – making green monsters in the greenest blender! For some green smoothie recipe inspiration, check out Angela’s amazing blog, Oh She Glows. In all honesty, I don’t think the price is too high for this item, especially as it comes with a huge glass jar, and three year guarantee. It also looks super hi-tech with the control pad, so it fits into the modern kitchen.

• Do you have a love affair with any of your kitchen appliances? If you have a blender, which one do you have?

Long runs, injury and staying sane

I hope everyone has had a good fortnight, I have been naughty on the blogging side of things.. you’ll see why! Please be patient with me, as I will try to blog whenever possible. Still enjoying reading all of your posts and commenting 🙂

I kicked off August with my first 8 mile run at the weekend to round off week 5 of Half Marathon training. I was anxious about it on Friday night but I’d planned a familiar seafront route that worked perfectly. I got up early on Saturday morning, left Dave sleeping and trudged my way down to the sea. I wasn’t expecting the sun to be out and definitely underestimated how hot it would be! As it was an easy, slow run, I neglected to take any water with me, despite the fact I am a very salty sweater (licking my lips when I get in from a run is always my biggest regret). I hardly ever take drinks out, as I don’t like the feeling of holding things when I run and haven’t delved into the world of hydration belts/backpacks yet although it’s something I will be looking into for marathon training. Please let me know if you’ve got a good recommendation!

I got half way to 4 miles and I was down by the beach, thinking I could run forever! Even at 6 slow and steady miles, I wasn’t thirsty or lethargic and I knew I had it in me to keep going for another 2 miles. I had the route briefly written on a post-it which I’d folded and was holding between my fingers for most of the way, and Dave’s Dad once said that even visualising this act can help increase your stamina on long runs, and hey it must have worked. I got to about 7.5 when I was faced with the giant hill up to Dave’s house, my arch nemesis. My legs had started to buzz and I couldn’t run up it, however I tackled it with a jog / walk approach and felt relieved once I reached the top! That weekend was spent celebrating a birthday with friends, at TGI Fridays… accompanied by burgers and cocktails!

I have been consistent with my training and running home from work several times a week now as my training plan specifies I should be running 50-60 minutes. It can be cumbersome running with a backpack though, so I try to incorporate some speedy backpack-less sessions along the seafront after work. Due to stresses of leaving work in exactly 14 days, leaving the flat in Portsmouth, trying to find a job in Bristol, and other personal issues, I have found a whole new solace in running. I started running for fitness reasons, didn’t enjoy doing 3 miles every few days and aching so much afterwards…but the last week or so, the time spent running has been a welcome relief and a time to really concentrate on the difficulties I’m currently facing. Don’t get me wrong it’s not all bad, in fact you could even say it’s exciting, but I feel very much in limbo at the moment. It’s good to know that running is a sturdy companion, always there when I want it, and can push me further.

I missed my 8 mile long run last weekend, in favour of a heavy Saturday night followed by sausage sandwiches and a night on the sofa watching cheesy rom-coms. I was feeling rather guilty on Monday morning so decided I would run home from work that evening. I ran a nice slow 6 miles, taking a slightly different route to add an extra mile to my usual runcommute home, and I thought I felt rather good when I got home.

I WAS WRONG. My groin was on fire, so I stretched even longer and had a cold shower. No time to take it easy as I had to walk another mile to the train station, ready to catch the 7:30pm service to Bristol Temple Meads for an interview the next day. Once I got to Bristol, I used Polly’s supply of Nurofen, Voltarol gel, and constant ice packs from the freezer to help ease the pain which had become rather severe. In the morning, after a couple more Nurofens and some more gel it started to become more of a twinge than a shooting pain and I could just about manage walking. Luckily, by the afternoon and in time for the interview, the pain had ceased and I could walk as normal…won’t say much about the interview as I don’t want to jinx it but think it went very well – enjoyed chatting to the panel and think I came across as very enthusiastic 🙂 Please cross everything for me as I would LOVE the job, and decisions are being made early next week. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek.

• What is your miracle cure for any running injuries / aches and pains? I am definitely taking a couple off rest days but doing lots of stretching – thank you You Tube!

It’s August, Already?

Recently I’ve been to the Southsea Food Festival weekend, and chowed down on an amazing spicy Chorizo ciabatta roll, finishing off with a tropical snow cone. It made me really want a Mr. Frosty, anyone remember those?

I met up with my uni friend Zoe, who also works at QA Hospital as a Radiographer. Although we meet up for lunch at work whenever possible, we don’t tend to see each other as much outside of work so we went to Giraffe at Gunwharf Quays to celebrate her birthday. This included a couple of Happy Hour melon daiquiris and mojitos! We had bruschetta to start, and I ordered the Falafel and Halloumi burger. Tasty food, and a warm night sitting by the harbourside.

Last weekend was the Wedding. It got off to a bad start with horrendous accidents, motorway closures, and traffic. We made it to the St. George Hotel in Kent, with plenty of time to check in and get dolled up! It was a gorgeous day, and I couldn’t wait to meet the other girls in the hotel and arrive at the church altogether. The ceremony was lovely, and I couldn’t believe how beautiful Caz looked in her princess-like gown – I don’t think her fiancée Graeme could either, he had a permanent grin on his face. It was adorable, I definitely sobbed when she was walking down the aisle (ladies, Boots Natural Collection Water Guard mascara worked a dream) and later during the speeches.

We made our way back to the hotel for the meal which was held in a ballroom downstairs, with soft pink lighting, chairs with blue ties, and pink flower centrepieces. It was a brilliant atmosphere, a generous free bar, an overwhelming amount of food (prawn cocktail, sorbet, roast dinner, profiteroles and reception buffet) and an awesome jazzy/rockabilly band. Dave woke up the next morning feeling very rough, he couldn’t even manage his fry up! I was slightly more sensible, and knowing I had to drive the 3 hour journey home, I drunk several cups of tea and wolfed down a vegetarian fry up! Big Congratulations to Mr & Mrs Denbow, may they live happily ever after!

The weekend of wedding indulgence was over, and Monday meant the start of Week 5 HM training. I’d recently picked up this lightweight running backpack for a bargain price of £14.99 (pink and orange) and thought I could finally get around to runcommuting.  I packed all I needed for the day; running gear, Garmin, work ID, rolled up pair of flat shoes, bus pass to get to work, keys, phone and packed lunch. I wore my trainers to catch the bus to work as it was pouring down and I have no waterproof shoes! Donned my lycra and backpack at 5pm, and headed home – an unfamiliar route on foot, so I had a post it note with brief directions – which was just over 5 miles. The route is flat, uninspiring and goes through a creepy underpass that smells of urine. Not great, but I was pleased to get home in roughly 50 minutes (same time as bus journey) and felt satisfied that my run was done! I could shower and sit down for dinner (a wonderful bacon and avocado salad topped with a perfect egg, thanks Dave) by 6:45! A runcommute is about me saving time, money, and a chance to log some miles, it’s not about speed! If you live near work, give it a go!

I did it all again on Tuesday, this time taking a break half way to pop in and see my friend Sheila (my uni friend who is visiting her boyfriend here) before she returns to Taiwan. Once I got home, I stretched a while and tried out some new Karrimor Compression socks (£5.99) because my legs were feeling heavy and sore. I love a cheap and cheerful product, and couldn’t face spending £35+ on big name socks so I opted for these – I’m still only doing relatively short distances so I don’t need them. I don’t know if it’s psychological but I felt better, and they are quite comfortable!

As I flipped my office calendar to August this morning, I was surprised to see a photograph of the Bristol Suspension Bridge and hot air balloons scattered in the sky. It freaked me out yet comforted me at the same time, as I am a firm believer in fate. Dave and I have been thinking about our lives, and where we see ourselves in the future, you know, that sort of thing… It wasn’t an easy decision to make, we will miss a lot of people and places, but ….

Dave and I are leaving Southsea at the end of August, and moving to Bristol. The job hunting has started and the adrenaline has kicked in!

• What do you think of Compression Socks? Do you wear them during/after long runs?
  
• If you’ve moved away from your hometown/city, do you think you’ll ever return?

Be Our Guest: My Dream Wedding

If you aren’t into Disney, I suggest you stop reading now. This post is mostly about my love for Beauty and the Beast, and how that can be incorporated into the perfect wedding theme.

I have been thinking a lot about weddings lately, because a lady at work recently got married (in a romantic Scottish castle…sigh) and my close friend Caroline is marrying her fiancee in just 3 days time! This isn’t me dropping a big hint to my boyfriend of five and a half years, trust me, I am in no rush to get married… I really am just a wedding fanatic! Any wedding scenario will make me well up and cry like a baby, so I fear on Saturday I will be an uncontrollable mess. Note to self: wear several layers of waterproof mascara and do NOT rub eyes. Puffy panda eyes are not a good look.

Weddings are a day for creativity, and passion, to share those things with the people you love. In my view, a Disney wedding would be just that, however it would definitely make the wedding more about me. As a young girl, I became completely obsessed with the 1991 Disney classic, Beauty and the Beast. I watched the video so much I wore it out, I have several copies of it on DVD (Collectors Editions, Blu-Ray etc. I don’t even have a Blu-Ray player) and dread to think how many times I have seen the film. I’m not alone in my obsession, it is one of the most popular Disney animated films and Belle is definitely in the Top 5 Disney Princesses.

Today my equally Disney-crazed friend, Vicky, tweeted me a picture of Disney engagement rings by Kirstie Kelly and predictably, the Belle one grabbed my attention. A silver ring with a gold enchanted rose underneath the diamond. Simple and nothing too garish, it doesn’t scream Disney and would probably go unnoticed by many. Sadly (and for some absurd reason?!), these rings are now discontinued!

Then the recently married lady at work suggested I look at the Disney-inspired bridal gowns designed by Alfred Angelo as she tried a couple on when shopping for her own dress. One look and I was taken; they are beautiful dresses and the Disney element is very subtle, only noticed by those gripped by Disneymania! They come with a hefty price tag, starting from £599 and reaching over £1000, but who can put a price on perfection?

The venue would of course be the Beauty and the Beast area in New Fantasyland at Walt Disney World, Florida. The reception would take place in the Be Our Guest restaurant, complete with replica ballroom! You know the scene….’Tale as Old as Time’…No? I’ve included the YouTube clip, lucky you! Anyway, French cuisine is served (including ‘The Grey Stuff’) and the interior is breathtaking. In this fairytale world, there would be a replica of the gargantuan library inside Beast’s castle, where we could have amazing wedding pictures taken.

I’m getting very carried away with this, so I’m going to leave you with some inspiring photographs, including beautiful invitations from Jessica Frey’s photography blog, and an ornamental china cake topper made by Lenox (Belle’s Wedding Dreams).

Off to the cupboard with you now Chip, it’s past your bedtime…

• Would you like to get married in the future, what is your ideal wedding theme?

My First Stripper and My First Class Boyfriend

The hen-do I went to last weekend was one of the funniest nights I’ve had in a long time. It took me almost all morning to get from Portsmouth to London due to unforeseen train delays/cancellations but thankfully, I arrived around the same time as Gemma. We had arranged to catch the train together from London to Gillingham, but thought it would be a good idea to take 5, eat some sushi (Wasabi is my London guilty pleasure) and relax in sunny Grosvenor Gardens.

Caz met us from Gillingham station and we journeyed back to her house to get ready for the night’s activities! Rather than buy extra alcohol, I’d packed one litre of Tanqueray Rangpur gin in my weekend bag along with a dribble of Midori melon liqueur that I found at the back of our booze cupboard. Surprisingly, I didn’t drink too much, just enough to make things fuzzy and to numb the shock of seeing my first ever stripper, Ron!

In true hen fashion, the night involved lots of pink, party games, cupcakes….and lots of willies! I’m more than excited about Caz’s wedding which is a week tomorrow! The weekend was rounded up with a visit to Caz’s marital home which is currently being done up by husband-to-be Graeme, a necessary McDonalds Quarter Pounder meal with banana thickshake, and another long journey home.

Dave’s graduation took place yesterday, so we have been celebrating a fair bit this week! Luke also graduated and so on Tuesday, the four of us plus baby Francis went to Agora, a Turkish restaurant in Southsea to celebrate. It was a quiet evening, so we could spend time catching up and we didn’t have to worry if Francis started crying. We hadn’t all been out for food in such a long time, I’m pleased that as Francis is getting bigger, his routine is much easier for Hannah and Luke to manage. He’s becoming more adorable every day! We had fried halloumi, hummus, lamb/chicken kebabs, vegetable moussaka and a bottle of wine between us.

On Wednesday night, Dave’s family came down to stay as the Graduation meant we all had to be up at 7am… He graduated with First Class Honours in Business Administration, and I’m proud that I have a boffin boyfriend. It was a beautifully sunny day, we took an incredible amount of photos outside the iconic Portsmouth Guildhall, and also took photos with Hannah and Luke. The job situation is unclear at the moment, but that’s something we will tackle together, whatever Dave does I will be proud of him.

After the ceremony we went to the Slug and Lettuce for drinks and snacks, wasting some time before our lunch reservation at Loch Fyne. I was happily munching through some chips with ketchup, when disaster struck! I grabbed a double chip that had been glued together with sauce, looking forward to eating it, but the sauce became slippery and the chips fell from my fingers…..right into the silk cowl neck of my new dress. NIGHTMARE. I dabbed it with a paper towel, and luckily, the cowl neck could be rearranged to cover the ketchup which actually sort of matched my dress pattern!

Our lunch at Loch Fyne was beautiful – I’m a big fan, I visited the same restaurant on my graduation day (a whole two years ago, sigh). To start, I had two oysters on ice with a splash of Tabasco, dressed Devonshire crab salad for my main with new potatoes, and a naughty lemon and raspberry posset with raspberry macaroon. Delicious food, accompanied by several glasses of cold white wine.

In running news, I am coming to the end of Week 3 half-marathon training and I’ve switched it up a bit to focus on how long I am running rather than how far. The new plan includes 1 x tempo run, 1 x speedwork run, 1 x easy run and 1 x long run. I enjoy the freedom of running for a certain time (between 30-45 mins, 60 mins for long run) and not worrying about the miles, just enjoying the time on my feet. My Obsessive Compulsive side doesn’t enjoy looking at the Garmin stats when time’s up, does anyone else find it slightly frustrating to run an awkward distance? 3.16 is all sorts of wrong.

This plan is working much better for me because it alleviates any pressure if I feel I can’t quite make the mileage, although I have been hitting the targets and ramping it up nicely. If any of you are thinking “WHY have you been running in this heatwave?!” (the UK is currently experiencing an unusually long period of sunshine and humidity) then I answer you with this “because I want to reach my goal of finishing my first Half Marathon, I’m taking it seriously and I want to eat ice cream at work!”…

• How have you been finding this extreme weather?
• What did you do on your graduation day?

Happy French Fry Day!

I really, really wish that July 13th had fallen on a Friday just to make National French Fry Day that teensy bit more fabulous. Fryday.

It’s an American holiday but I’m happy to celebrate food any day of the year, so here are 5 reasons why I love those sticks of potatoey goodness:

1. the size – you can pick them up even as a small child and ram them your mouth, which begins the lifelong addiction.
2. the width – they are perfect for squeezing on a line of ketchup/BBQ sauce (from a sachet).
3. the saltiness – it’s impossible to have french fries and not cover them in salt. I’m usually a do-gooder when it comes to eating less salt but can’t resist with these!
4. loaded toppings – wherever you go, you will always find french fries on the menu, and quite often they have beans/chilli/cheese/curds and gravy slathered on top.
5. burgers love french fries – a beautifully unhealthy match made in heaven. One of my favourite burger/fry combos was at Ruby Tuesdays in Cardiff, Wales. There are only two branches  in the UK! Never been? Think TGI Fridays but better in my opinion… This is largely down to their Buffalo Chicken Burger, topped with swiss cheese and pickles, with ENDLESS FRIES. Need I say more!

It’s clear that I love food. I also love to eat junk food occasionally quite a lot, and I like wearing my love for food.

Feeling inspired by my beloved Loop NYC Donut print bag that I’ve had for years, I perused the internet for other amazing food clothing/accessories!

Lazy Oaf French Fries socks – £8.00

Hannah Makes Things – Funky Pizza Slice Earrings – £3.00

Topshop Popcorn Print Pyjama Set – £26.00

DCI Cupcake Yummypocket – $9.50 (around £6.30)

Black Milk Popsicle White Swimsuit – $90 AUD (around £53)

Loungefly Hello Kitty Ice Cream Necklace – £22.00

Eastpak Hungry Henry Hamburger Shoulder Bag – £16.99

I’ve been for a sweaty 5 miler (my ‘long’ run) this morning, early to try and beat the heat which unfortunately didn’t work. It’s meant to be the hottest day of the year today, up to 32 degrees!

I came home and made a super tasty breakfast muffin; black forest smoked ham, fried egg (both sides) and a slice of naughty plastic cheese.

Perfect way to start the weekend, and fuel for a busy weekend which involves lots of hen-do activities in Kent with my friend Caroline!

• What’s your favourite food-related holiday?
• Do you have any plans for this scorcher of a weekend?

I’ve Escaped to Alton Towers..

It would appear that I have taken an accidental blogging hiatus… I’ve sat down a number of times to write but I end up getting distracted by dinner, or running, or television shows about nature’s baby animals. Oh dear.

I’ve been trying really hard to get stuck into my training plan, Hal Higdon’s Novice 2 but in all honesty I don’t feel like it’s working that well for me. I am finding the structure difficult to follow, having to run 3 consecutive days (Tues, Weds, Thurs, Sat) and my legs get really tired. I’m also having to reorganise it quite often because for once, I actually have a social life.  I think I may just re-write it according to my calendar and swap the days around (Mon, Weds, Thurs, Sun). I know a lot of people write up their own but I don’t feel experienced enough to do that, and I enjoy following a strict plan. Frankly it’s been too hot to run lately, but I am thankful for the coastal breeze!

Talking of social life, this past weekend was a long one spent at Alton Towers Resort with Dave, his friend Scott and Scott’s girlfriend, Penny. After leaving Portsmouth and driving for over 3 hours, we stayed in a nearby Travelodge on Thursday night, ready to get up early for maximum time in the park. We were staying in a family room as it was cheaper, but let me tell you, their sofa beds are the most uncomfortable things in the world. Not only was I uncomfortable, I was also boiling as this was the start of England’s heatwave. Around 5am we had our own personal wake up call from very loud sheep, bleeting non-stop, in a field next to the Travelodge. Perils of the countryside, eh.

We got up around 7am to pack up and make our way to the Alton Towers hotel, where we would be sleeping that night. I’ve been to the park a few times and I have always wanted to stay overnight, so I was feeling excited! We all decided that taking a day off work and visiting on a Friday would help us beat the queues and get on all of the big rides, including the newest attraction, The Smiler rollercoaster.

We couldn’t check in until later so we went straight to the park at 10am, and headed straight for the Smiler. Due to its delayed opening, I knew it would get busy and I was right. We managed to get into the ride’s internal queueing area when I noticed that a carriage was stuck on one of the ascents, then the music stopped and a message was broadcast across the tanoy “the Smiler is experiencing technical difficulties”, noooooooooooooooooooooooooo! We had been waiting over an hour and got so close! We exited the queue and grabbed some deep fried chicken to make ourselves feel better (we had been queueing next to the shop and the smells coming from there were mouth-watering!).

That was the start to what can only be described as my worst Alton Towers experience. The Smiler stayed shut most of the day for testing, so we vowed to come back first thing Saturday morning. The day felt like a blur, we only managed to get on a couple of the ‘big’ rides like dropping rollercoaster Thirteen and the classic Nemesis. We’d queued over an hour for the fastest coaster in the park, Rita, only to be told she was “experiencing technical difficulties” (groan) but the staff gave us a Fastpass ticket to use on most of their rides (all but the Smiler). We ended the day with the Congo River Rapids as a cool-off, mentally and physically, before retreating back to our Explorer themed room.

We all got ready for dinner, and went to Flambo’s restaurant at the neighbouring Splash Landings hotel, which houses an indoor water park! The restaurant was an all you can eat buffet, with a surprising selection of food – spicy steaks, Jamaican curry, salad bar with pulses, roast dinner, Chinese food, and the desserts included a chocolate fountain, mini donuts, jelly, cakes and mousses. I was in my element and needless to say I ate about 5 plates before I felt sick, even though I’d tried to pace myself.

A few drinks, and the hottest room in the world resulted in us all not feeling so fresh on Saturday morning but I rallied the troops and we got to the park at 8:45 so we could obtain early entry at 9am. The park was holding a live concert in the afternoon which meant they were closing some of the rides and there would be huge crowds. The concert area was fenced off and the park was still easy to get around. We hot footed it to the Smiler, which didn’t open until around 9:30 due to testing but we got inside pretty quickly after that. I was so disappointed we didn’t get to ride it on Friday and as I stood in the queue looking at the carriage, my nerves were shot. IT HAS 14 LOOPS AND A VERTICAL ASCENT, IT’S BROKEN DOWN NUMEROUS TIMES. It was an amazing ride, and it makes you feel so dizzy that you feel like you’re still moving when you come off. The build-up in the queue is brilliant and the ride didn’t let me down.

L-R: People stuck on the Smiler, and Google images of Oblivion, Air, and Rita!

We had a much better day despite the park being busier, we got front row seats on the rides we’d missed; Air, Oblivion, and we didn’t have to queue too long for Rita. I absolutely loved going with Dave, his reaction during and after the scariest rides were hilarious – in complete shock after the 180ft drop on Oblivion and not knowing what to expect from Rita. Unsurprisingly, the blazing heat meant that all of the water ride queues were over an hour but we still waited to ride the Flume and get splashed with very cold water! We ended our day at the Resort, by playing 18 holes of Extraordinary Golf and as always, I came last and got no holes in one.

I’m writing this on the bus home, and strangely, the two ladies next to me are discussing a trip to Alton Towers…. I should probably tell her to expect a few “technical difficulties”….

• Have you been to Alton Towers theme park? 
• What have you been up to  during this heat wave?

Pancakes on Canada Day

After blogging almost daily about Juneathon, I feel at a loss as I sit down to write a post this evening! It definitely feels strange now that Juneathon is not at the front of my brain, nagging me to exercise! Thank goodness for the half marathon training that has filled my Juneathon-shaped hole.

I began Monday (also known as Canada Day) with chocolate chip pancakes drizzled with maple syrup (that was my contribution to Canada Day) and felt sad that I couldn’t attend the Canada Day celebrations  at Trafalgar Square in London. Molson beer, poutine, and Canadian artists on-stage all day… sigh. I always say this, but maybe next year… I’m really jealous of my friend at work, Helen, who is currently enjoying a 2 week break in Vancouver with some friends and I hope she’s celebrated Canada Day in an amazing way. I’ve already drilled it into her head that she has to try a double double coffee from Tim Hortons, she must think I secretly work for them but I am just obsessed.

Late lunch was a New York deli staple… The Reuben sandwich. If you don’t know what this is, I urge you to read the Wiki about it. It might sound a little strange (corned beef, sauerkraut, thousand island sauce, swiss cheese on rye bread) but it makes for one of the tastiest sandwiches ever. Tangy and sweet, plus the rye bread softens up after it’s been grilled. You basically shove it all together and fry it either side in butter, oh yes. BUTTER. I’m also a big fan of the classic pastrami, pickle, and mustard sandwich on rye bread.

Seeing as I’d taken on an American allstar sandwich, Dave and I opted for a light dinner consisting of…..tea and dark chocolate Hobnobs. What is the nutritional benefit you say? Dark chocolate, antioxidants, etc. Oats, filling, fibre etc. We filled up our Tim Hortons (repping the Canucks again) flasks with hot tea and we took them down the beach – stopping to purchase said Hobnobs from the corner shop. I was also dressed literally top to toe in Canadian apparel, wearing my favourite blue Roots sweatpants, and my purple University of Toronto hoodie!

Today was officially Day One of Half-Marathon Training for the New Forest Half in September. My first foray into the 13.1 mile race.
I’m following the Hal Higdon plan, which incorporates 4 runs a week. Today was a 3 mile run, which I only just about managed thanks to a niggling pain in my shin.

I decided to rock the bright pink Asics Ayami leggings I bought recently because it was such a grey day, and teamed them with my clashing pink top. Clearly I looked like a mad woman, but they made me feel jubilant as I plodded around Southsea on a bleak Tuesday evening and I definitely got a nod of approval from a few other female runners.

Tomorrow is another 3 miles, I’m bringing the pink leggings out for luck! What do you think?

• How did you celebrate Canada Day – or are you celebrating Independence Day (4th July)?

Juneathon’s Last Day

I can’t believe it is the last day of Juneathon, 30 days has gone by so quickly! I could have been better but I tried to fit in as much as I could, I enjoyed the challenge! I realise I still haven’t written about Juneathon during my holiday, but I have only been given the photos today! I will go through them early this week 🙂

After a few drinks last night, I wasn’t feeling too fresh so I enjoyed a brunch (yes it was a bit greasy) and hung out with Sam for the afternoon. We trekked to the station and I got on the train back to Portsmouth, sleeping pretty much the whole way! The weather was amazing when I returned so we went for a seaside stroll before starting the dinner….which had been pre-planned so we are having Pieminister pies on what feels like one of the hottest days of the year…! Woops!

Although Juneathon is over, I can’t relax as my training will actually become more frequent. Mission half-marathon starts tomorrow, although it’s my rest day so I can fret about it on Tuesday. Currently enjoying watching Glastonbury Festival on live stream and feeling rather jealous! Would love to know how everyone’s Juneathon went 🙂

How do you feel when you start training for an event?

Juneathon Day 29: First Time Trails

Today I had a fun first trail experience thanks to Salomon, running with the Cross max trainers at Ashton Court in
Bristol. It was a free event, Sam and I went along for a little 2km run – I was shattered running up a hill but definitely appreciated the scenery getting up there!
I appreciated the 9 bar and bottle of water even more! Plus the free socks, however they are 2 sizes too big 😦
I had a lovely little shopping spree picking up a Zara skirt and studded sandals 🙂 plus a refreshing matcha bubble tea from Cupp tea bar. My cough has been hideous and I am feeling pretty rubbish, thank god for honey jack whiskey on ice! We had a spicy meal at Turtle Bay (3rd time lucky) before moving on to a few bars!