A Little Relief

On yoursel' Davina.  It's the week of Sport Relief and like millions of others, I followed Davina McCall's big 500 mile challenge of cycling, running, hiking and swimming for Sport Relief - raising money for disadvantaged children around the world and promoting us to be healthier, fitter and get off our back sides!  Seeing poor, exhausted and tearful Davina get virtually no sleep but force herself to get up, put on her trainers and face the worst of weathers - she really pushed herself to the absolute limit for charity.  Wow.  You should be proud Davina.  I'm sure most people will donate and be inspired by your challenge - you certainly motivated me!  I have donated and I will be thinking about Davina this week when I'm on my 22 mile run as part of my marathon training this weekend - my last 'big' mileage - yee ha! 

Davina - at breaking point after her swim in Lake Windermere as part of her Sport Relief epic challenge - go Davina!

Also for Sport Relief, there are more challenges for ANYONE to take part in and raise money too.  This Sunday you can come along to do 1, 3 or a 6 mile walk, jog or run from the Aqualibrium at 11am - come along and join me!  This is YOUR challenge - you choose - it's not a race, just participation is required!  Excitingly, if running isn't your thing  at 12.30 my little sister Mairi and I will be leading a combat/piloxing fitness class in the Aqualibrium - open to everyone and anyone to come and try.  One thing I will guarantee it will be FUN!  I'm super proud of my wee sis for qualifying as a Piloxing instructor last weekend and she did a fab job at leading combat with me on Wednesday night, throwing in a Piloxing track for good measure.  It's an awesome workout including a mix of pilates, boxing and dance - and did I say super fun?!  Lots of other challenges to get involved in too - race day spin and zumba to name but a few.  Come along folks - raise some funds for charity and get fit along the way, you won't regret it :-)

Come and join your own challenge for Sport Relief

To fuel all this activity of course we need to eat some good grub!  Friday night is always pasta night at Bodega - always variations on the same theme.  Here is my recipe for my carb-loading regular Friday night meal.  I exchange ingredients all the time depending on what is in the fridge and change the protein - tuna, prawns, chicken breast, smoked sausage or even occasionally chorizo for a wee treat.

Ingredients

• 200g of pasta (my favourite is rigatoni, spirals or linguine)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 red or green chilli pepper inc seeds
• Chopped fresh herbs (coriander or basil are my favourites)
• Tea spoon of olive oil
• 1 red onion
• Vegetables of your choice (I interchange between spinach, mushrooms, peppers,
• 100g of Lightest Philadelphia
• 100ml of low fat natural yoghurt (swap with greek or cream if you're being indulgent!)
• 200ml of passata or tinned chopped tomatoes or freshly chopped tomatoes (or exclude completely and use extra yoghurt if you prefer a creamy sauce without tomato - if using prawns add some lemon juice)
• Protein of choice - tuna, prawns, chicken, sausage, chorizo, quorn etc (exclude meat if you wish but my husband has now persuaded me that it's not a real meal unless meat is included!)
• Parmesan for serving
• salt, pepper and dried italian herbs

Friday night pasta - yum!  No passata tonight but added sundried tomatoes

Method

• Chop up all meat, veg and herbs
• On a medium heat, lightly fry the onions, garlic, chilli peppers and herbs in the olive oil in a large saucepan
• Add in meat 
• Add any other veg of your choice for a few minutes until cooked
• Cook the pasta in another pan (season with some salt and/or italian herbs if you wish)
• Stir in the philadelphia until it melts into a thick sauce
• Add in the natural yoghurt and passatta and simmer on a low heat for another 10 minutes
• Once pasta is cooked, drain and mix the sauce altogether.  Add extra herbs/seasoning to suit.
• Serve with a little shaved parmesan and a slice of garlic bread (I like toasting a slice of thick oatmeal or wholemeal loaf with some italian herbs like oregano with some crushed garlic for a healthy and tastier alternative to garlic bread)
• Enjoy!

My 'healthy' cheesecake - 1/2 banana, 5 hazelnuts, tablespoon of lightest philli mixed with 1/2 lf greek yoghurt topped with fresh rasberries

 I can't stop eating!  I'm trying to better but the weekends I am particularly TERRIBLE!  I completed my Sports Nutrition course last weekend and I KNOW what the good things are I should be eating and what NOT to eat but... I just can't resist delicious food!  Only one more month until the marathon - I will aim to make this the best regarding nutrition and practice my pre, during and post running fuelling.  No alcohol or easter eggs for me until after 12th April!  I'm away to get my chia seed based, all-natural 33shake energy gels prepared for tomorrow's big run.  Wish me luck and see you all on Sunday for some running, combatting and piloxing!

Nutrition and training diary:

15/03/2014	Breakfast	Snack	Lunch	Snack	Dinner
Sat	Pre - porridge & 1/2 banana.  Beetrootjuice.	During - 333 energy gel + high5 hydration tab in water.   Post - protein shake and toast.	Carrot and lentil soup with tuna sandwich.	Small cupcake and jasmine tea.	Thai red chicken curry with sticky rice and pitta bread.  Apple pie and custard.  Tea and rocky road!
Exercise	20 mile run - very slow.  Peninver road + sheep fanks.		Horrible weather but enjoyed run although v slow.  Good to run with friends all the way, just chatting along.  33shake chia gels were great- weird texture but tasty and gave me a boost!  All natural ingredients - no junk, and bonus is that it's a screw top - no hassle to get open or sticky fingers!!  Felt good at end, wish I just did 22!
Sun	Toast, yoghurt and blueberries.	Green tea and oat biscuit.	Scrambled eggs and toast.  Scone and jam.	Tea.  Crackers and cheese.  Tiny slice of carrot cake.	Thai red curry with rice and pitta.  Malteser cheesecake!  Tea and rocky road.
Exercise	15 mile cycle.  3.5 mile run.  24 lengths.		VERY WINDY!  Cycle was hard in wind so cut quite short.  Did a slow easy run, legs were tired.
Mon	Toast.  Vit water.	Alpen bar & green tea.	LF houmous & oatcakes.  Apple.  Alpen bar.	Healthy 'cookie'.*  Green tea.	Chicken fajitas on wholemeal wraps.  Peaches & lf yoghurt.  Green chia tea & oatckaes.
Exercise	7 miles easy.  Spin.  3 piloxing tracks!		Beautiful night for a run, great to have lighter nights.  Spin hot and sweaty as ever.  Mairi and I practiced some piloxing for Sunday's sport relief - it's fab!
Tue	Toast.  Yoghurt and blueberries	Green tea and alpen bar.	LF houmous & ryvita.  Apple.  Banana.	Green tea & lf 'cookie'	Tuna pasta with red onion & peppers.  Tea & oatcakes.
Exercise	10.5 miles inc 12 x 400m at 10k pace		Very windy! But not as bad as it looked.  V busy at work so was good to de-stress at club with a hard run and banter!
Wed	Porridge & banana.	Green tea & special k bar	Ryvita & beans.  Banana.	healthy' cookie, dried fruit + 2 crackers	Spinach & tomato omelette with toast.  Slice of NFNS loaf.  Oatcakes and tea.
Exercise	1 mile swim.  5 mile easy run.  Combat.  Piloxing practice.		Not much sleep but felt good when up.  Hip a little sore.  Piloxing intro track at combat tonight with Mairi - it was FAB!  Great fun and great workout.
Thu	Toast & yoghurt with blueberries	Green tea	Ryvita & banana.  Tangerine.	NFNAS cookie, 2 ricecakes pbutter + jam	Spanish chicken' - baked chicken with chorizo, red pepper, olives + red onion.  Cous cous.  Tea and oatcakes.
Exercise	2.5 mile run round bengullion with x country at lunch.  8 miles easy run to sheep fanks.		Hip/knees a little sore but enjoyed de-stressing with both runs today.  Cold but dry - good weather for run.  Good chat with Joc and Fiona at club- great to have light nights again!
Fri	2 spoons muesli, yoghurt, chia seeds + blueberries.  Beetroot juice.	Green tea & oatcakes	Ryvita & banana.  Tangerine.	Chai green tea & cereal bar. 1 cracker.	Friday Night Pasta*.  Healthy cheesecake* Slab of dark chocolate & tea.
Exercise	Spin.  50 lengths.  1 miles jog for sport relief.		Lovely sunny morning. Sport relief at school today!  Each year group gets to do their mile and donate for sport relief, encouraging everyone to do their bit.  Everyone seemed to enjoy and get behind it.  It had nothing to do with the fact it got them out one of their lessons...  CRC AGM today - lots to discuss, club is expanding so v exciting.
Mileage	57