Mum's birthday surprise!

 Monday the 4th was Mum's 66th birthday.  Coincidentally it was also the four year anniversary of me being offered my current job and my brother passing his driving test!  I had arranged with my brother Mark and my Dad to help organise a surprise birthday meet-up later on in the day...

Started the day with a mixed bowl of Jordan's raspberry crunch and Blueberry wheats with semi-skimmed milk.  This was a nice combination and I will definitely be having it again!

I had my snacks for the day quite early (11ish)...A herby box from Graze (I love these, but the garlic smell is really overpowering afterwards!)  And a festival fruits box.

 I was really hungry by the end of the day, and had two hours after work before Dan was picking me up to go surprise Mum.  I had to nip into town anyway to buy some wrapping paper, so headed into town (about half hour's walk away) and also picked up the first healthy-looking salad I could find.  When I got to the till I was shocked to find it cost me £2.40!  It was lovely, and I would definitely have it again IF it was on offer!  It had feta cheese in, and a sun-dried tomato sauce and blended together really well.  There were only 270 calories in the box and I worked out when I returned to school that I had actually probably burnt off more calories on my walk into town and back in the end!  The fact that I needed to eat this so badly made me think about organising proper lunches again for the coming weeks.  I wouldn't have had time to eat a proper meal yesterday as I had a meeting with an Educational Welfare Officer at lunchtime for a student in my form but this isn't an every day occasion and I need to think about the bigger picture.

I live about 2.5hours drive away from my parents so had suggested that Mark arrange a pub halfway between the two.  My Aunt is currently in a care home mid-way and I suggested that Dad take Mum to visit my Aunt earlier on in the evening, casually suggesting they stop at the pub for some food with it being late.  The agreement was that Dan and I would arrive at 7pm.  Mark would also drive separately up and arrive at this time and Dad would bring Mum in at about 7:15.
The traffic was pretty good so we made it by 6:30 and decided to get a pint in while we waited.  Mark was bang on time.
7:15 came and no sign of Mum and Dad...7:30...8pm...starting to get worried by this point so Mark casually called Dad who answered the phone extremely stressed out and very lost!  Mark directed him the right way but unfortunately it spoilt our surprise a little bit!
Dan and I took a photo while we waited and you can see how tired I am by this point!!!

When the food arrived it was absolutely lovely.  I wasn't really very hungry by the time we ordered so ordered a starter vegetable soup instead.  I knew I would be getting Dan's green veg from the side of his plate, so topped those in the soup too.  The veg were so fresh, really crunchy and tasty.  Glad on this occasion that Dan doesn't eat them!  The soup was thick and really warm.  The bread was mediocre, but that wasn't the important part of the meal!

As we finished up our meals, the pub cat came to join us!  It was very friendly, and later on curled up between Mark and Dad and we forgot all about it!

I was absolutely exhausted after dinner and when Dad suggested dessert, none of us could face it so at about 9:45pm, we parted in the car park and headed home.

I highly recommend this pub, if anybody is ever out by Downham Market in Norfolk.  It is called The Hare Arms and everything was really good, right down to the service.  We actually ended up moving tables twice because when Mark arrived he fancied a different corner, and then when Dad got there, he did the same!!!

A more relaxing Sunday evening

I was a little hungry mid afternoon.  I took a nap after lunch and when I woke up felt like I needed a little something to keep me going until tea.  These are my favourite muller light yoghurts...vanilla with dark chocolate sprinkles.

Snacked on a Tracker bar when making tea to tide me over.

When Dan got back from footy I made my casserole dish.  It had chicken breast, potato, sweet potato, carrots, peas and three dumplings in.  The carrots had loads of flavour today and were really nice.

We sat down and watched Argo last night, but I didn't think a huge amount of it.  Dan made me this large strawberry flavoured hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows on top.  Hot chocolates on a Sunday night used to be a tradition, but we have been pretty busy lately.

This is how Bella spent her evening!  The white is my dressing gown, - she pressed herself between me and the edge of the sofa and stayed snuggly and cute all night!

Marathon training: week 9 Long run

Today it is NINE weeks, one day until Milton Keynes marathon and THIRTEEN weeks until Shires & Spires 35.  Getting close!

Breakfast was a toasted bagel with almond butter.  I had this about 2 hours before setting out in the end though.  I'm loosely following the Runners World Sub 4h30m plan, although without intentions of finishing sub 4:30.  Today I was down to run 8miles at 11mm pace, followed by 7miles at 10mm pace.

I knew I would struggle to keep as slow as 11mm to begin with.  I have found pacing with my watch really tough.  As my last few runs I have focused on not looking at my watch whilst running, but instead running by feel, I decided I would do the same today and see how I got on.  8 slow miles, followed by 7 at a slightly quicker pace.
I didn't get on too badly!...
Mile 1: 11:17 (included warm up)
Mile 2: 10:51
Mile 3: 10:54
Mile 4: 10:55
Mile 5: 11:05
Mile 6: 11:10
Mile 7: 10:56
Mile 8: 10:58
Pretty much spot on for 11 minute miles!  I was desperate for the toilet at about mile 5, so turned back on my route to jump into the local visitor centre toilets at my sixth mile.  I couldn't go before I started my run so planned a run with a loo stop as knew I would need it before the end of the run!
From mile 8 I began munching on a few Lucozade jelly beans each mile.  They are very sugary sweet and I can never finish a packet on a run.  I accidentally swallowed two whole today whilst running as well!
My run started to go downhill from here.  I had told myself that as long as the second half of my run was faster paced I would be happy, but I possibly tried to pick up a little too much speed, and was constantly checking myself back.  It didn't help that most of the second half of my run contained hills either!  The rest of the miles are as follows...
Mile 9: 10:23
Mile 10: 10:12
Mile 11: 10:04
Mile 12: 11:59 (I had a stitch this mile, possibly from too much water?  It was quite hot out and I was drinking a lot so walked 0.4 mile to get rid of it.)
Mile 13: 10:15
Mile 14: 10:39
Mile 15: 11:06
1927 calories burnt and just short of 15 miles with most of it run so I treated myself to a glass of cold milk in the back garden with Bella, where I played 'throw-the-leaf-into-the-wind-and-catch-it-in-a-leap-with-your-paws'.  Bella's favourite game!

Going on the last few weeks of training I think my targets for MK second time round are BRONZE: Sub 5h SILVER: Sub 4:50 GOLD: Sub 4:45.  I am definitely capable of all three of those targets and do not want to set myself too strict a target that ends up with me panicking and pressurising myself on race day.  I have to remember I want to run the ultra just four weeks after and running the marathon last year drained me for weeks.

 After a quick stretch and a shower, I came downstairs to see Bella getting some quality time in with Dan in front of the footy before I put together lunch.  I had been looking forward to this lunch all morning as I picked up lots of nice ingredients whilst food shopping yesterday.
I had some wholemeal pitta breads, and filled Dan's with tuna and cheese, sneaking a piece of cheese for myself before filling my pitta with mixed leaves, cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas and goats cheese.  Yum!

Maria pointed out on my post where I compared out and backs and circular routes that the worst runs are definitely runs with repeating loops!  I have to agree...My run from last Sunday was good, but I did wimp out at mile 13 instead of following through to 15 miles partly because I couldn't face adding the two mile loop onto the end and running it again!  There's a lady at my running club who has a park near to her house that is a mile all the way around.  When she's building up her distance for marathon training she runs round and round this park to make up her mileage.  So a few weeks before the marathon she's running around this park 22 times non-stop!  I would be extremely bored and definitely duck out of runs if that was how I had to train!  I love that I can go and explore new places and see things.

Onto Saturday...!

 I had the longest lay-in, and my body clearly needed it after the hectic week at work!  I got up at 6:15, but went back to bed at 8, and although we both woke up at 10:30, we didn't get up till gone midday.  It was nice to actually have time to have a conversation with Dan again!!!
Breakfast was what is becomming my standard bagel with Philadelphia and two ham slices.  I'm almost out though.  Might get on the cereal next week!


Because we didn't have breakfast till really late I wasn't really hungry at lunchtime.  Dan wanted something really filling as we were going out to a party tonight where there would be vegetarians and it was a bring-your-own-dish party so he worried about not having anything he would like (the only vegetables he likes being carrots and peas!)  Therefore he felt it vital to get a meal at KFC for lunch whilst we were out birthday present and food shopping!  I have never liked fast food places but did in the end get a Krush'em milkshake thing.  Shouldn't have bothered.  I hate bits in icecream (like Ben & Jerry's) and Krush'ems have lots of little bits of chocolate inside.  Didn't really enjoy it.

Bella spent the entire day laying on Dan's suit on the bed.

 Because I still had to put together a salad and finish off my cake balls I ended up without time to run which was really frustrating, but I didn't want to rush and stress myself out.  Instead, I put together this beautiful salad, and finished off the cake balls before showering.  The salad is mixed leaves, sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes and goats cheese.  I've also bought some cranberries to add to my salads in the week as I have lots of lettuce left over.  Yum!  :)  I love, love, love salads.  They are my absolute favourite meal to have in the Summer, but Dan doesn't like any of it so I don't get to have it very often.  :(

I drove, so that I could not drink, and just had one small homemade pina colada on arrival which I followed with lots of glasses of water throughout the night.  I had said to myself before going I would only eat homemade food at the party and only items I really fancied.  I was very proud of myself and didn't go back for seconds.  None of the food was very healthy apart from mine so I took a big scoop of salad, one small slice of toad in the hole and then three mini pastry rolls - one with goats cheese and rocket, one with feta and spinach and one with sausage and cheddar.

The cake Claire made was amazing!  I did also have a slice of this later on and Vicki packed me a slice to take home which I demolished in the car on the way back!  Really tired towards the end of the evening and knowing I had to get up to run 15 miles in the morning on very little sleep!  Good night though!

Quick Friday catchup!

I've just had breakfast and now waiting for it to settle before heading out for a run.  I have been working on the blog this weekend, not abandoning it, but by installing Wordpress on my domain and getting it looking gooood!  So just quickly catching up with Friday and Saturday eats.  Will post properly later after my run.

Friday breakfast was my becoming regular bagel topped with Philadelphia and two ham slices.  This is a little more crisp than I tend to like normally.  I like them really lightly done!

 For treats at breaktime at school I had a hunk of crusty loaf dipped in red pepper houmous, two cheese straws, a glass of orange juice, a mini chocolate roll and a small shortbread biscuit.  There wasn't anything healthy to choose from!  It's my turn for treats next week so I've already started thinking about what healthy items I could take with me...

 I went for my run as soon as I got back from work.  Dan had gone out for dinner with work so I would be eating on my own and when I quickly nipped to Co-op to buy some eggs before tea, this WeightWatchers roasted vegetable arrabiata was in the reduced bin for 60p so I picked it up.  I never buy frozen ready meals but I was looking forward to eating this with my bread roll to mop up the tomato sauce.  Unfortunately it was actually really disappointing and didn't have a whole lot of flavour to it.  :(

I needed the eggs to make these beauties...some cake balls ready for my friend Vick's birthday party on the Saturday.  Each guest was supposed to take a dish and Dan decided he wanted me to make these as his dish!

There and back or circular...

Just back from another great post-work run.  6.41 miles at a 9m 59s average pace.   839 calories.
I got changed as soon as I was back from school.  I drove in today as Dan was going out for food with friends from work.  This meant I was back home by 5:15 and that it was light enough for me to run out of town still and somewhere different!  There is a route which runs down into the next village (all street lit) and then alongside the A45 for a mile (not street lit and with a horrific path that has tree roots coming up everywhere!)  I decided a few months back that when it was dark and lots of cars are heading towards you and you are blinded by their lights this route is impossible.  However, tonight it was just dusk and I fancied a change so gave it a go.  I had an easy 6 pencilled into my running diary so planned to head out for three miles, turn around and head back again.
My body felt great from the start.  My mind was still mega busy working through the past week of events and I was finding the run fun and easy.  Heading out my mind was thinking, "You're only going out for three miles before turning back" and it was much easier to focus on than heading out for six miles.
A friend posted in a blog last month that he always prefers out and back routes rather than circular ones (which I have tended to favour) because he always manages to find shortcuts home with the circular routes and not go as far as intended.  At the time I disagreed, thinking that surely it would be much easier to wimp out and not go as far out before turning back on an out and back route.  Psychologically though, tonight, thinking I only had to run three miles helped push me along and helped me play mind games with myself on the way back to not give up!

A there and back route, or circular?  Pros and cons for each.  Which is best?!

The busiest day of 2013!

Yesterday was literally the busiest day I have had in an extremely long while!  I was up by 5am to finish writing my lesson plan as I had an observation Period 1 with a year 9 class.  Grabbed a bagel with philadelphia and ham and a Muller light yoghurt for breakfast, showered and Dan drove me to work whilst I scribbled down on the back of a cookie wrapper details of the resource I still needed to finish creating and practiced my assembly speech.
At work I printed off the seating plan, lesson plan, resources and began cutting up the starter exercise.  Rushed down for a year 10 meeting at 8:25, left that early at 8:40 and rushed over to year 7 assembly where the Head of Year was panicking because the kids were due in any second and I hadn't showed up yet!  Gave my assembly (which actually went great!) and rushed back over to my form room ready for my observation.  Ian, my line manager came to tell me that it would no longer be a full lesson observation, but instead a drop in of 15 minutes in about 15 minutes time.  This could go either way...I could have lost the kids interest by then, or work extremely hard to have them thoroughly on task by the time the Assistant Head arrived.  Luckily, it was the second one and my lesson went without hitch!  :)  Taught Period 3 and was looking forward to a well deserved break Period 4 but I got put onto cover for year 7 music!  All of the students recognised me from assembly that morning, two came to talk about SAMLearning and one came over to talk about running as he runs cross-country for his local club!  Lunchtime should have been a meet regarding a revamp of the English website but the teacher was off sick.  And then my year 11 class in the afternoon were lovely and calm and I really enjoyed teaching them!

I grabbed a snack - Chocolate covered popcorn) from the staff room as a treat to myself for a successful days work as I had forgotten to take anything for lunch in my rush in the morning.  Unfortunately, at our school you can only buy food by putting cash onto your finger to pay for it and only at lunchtimes, which I was busy at.  But there is a charity sweet box in the staff room to raid (for a £1) in emergencies!

Was sooooooooooooo looking forward to getting to club when I got home from work.  Dan had picked me up in plenty of time, so I was back to ours by 5:45 (club doesn't start until 6:30) and I grabbed a snack (mmmmmmmm, cookies and cream Graze box!) before heading upstairs to get changed.  Couldn't find my running bra anywhere.  I was getting really cross.  Dan had taken two loads of washing upstairs on Tuesday night to help me out - normally I take it up and sort it straight away, and I was convinced he'd lost it between clothes horse and bedroom, however, at 6:20 I found my bra hanging from the curtain hooks in the bedroom - where I'd left it to dry the other night.  :(

Went out for a run anyway.  Was in two minds about going for a tempo run (which is what I should have been completing at club) or an easy run.  Did a mix of the two!  Am quite glad actually that I didn't get to club as I have had such a busy week and no time to catch up on my thinking.  I wouldn't have been able to do that at club.  Made another deal with myself that I wouldn't check my watch whilst I was running, but instead, run on feel and wait until I got back home to look at my stats.  I had a great run!
Mile 1: 10:57 (Included my warmup)
Mile 2: 9:23
Mile 3: 9:53  (Including a brief walk to take off my jacket and wrap it around my waist)
Mile 4: 9:35
Mile 5: 9:56
Mile 6: 9:12
When I got home, Dan had cooked us a curry - Chicken Tikka with rice and a large garlic naan bread.  I had never had a curry until I was 21.  My mates think that is really weird!  Was delicious and I felt satisfied but not overly full afterwards.  Just the way it should be!