Warning - Urine May Turn Pink!

My favourite run this week yet again was my long slow run on Saturday, this time it was 20 miles and it was mainly due to the great company and the beautiful sunny weather.  Jocelyn, Sarah and I began our run at Ballochgair where the first 6 miles were a hilly forest track, up to Lussa Loch then down Gobagrennan Road, turning right on to the West Road where my supportive husband (who had already run 14 miles) was waiting to handover a welcome bottle of lucozade sport.  He had also brought mars bars and haribo for us but we politely declined which I'm sure he was pretty pleased about....  The time passed by so quickly as we chatted all the way round the Moss Road.  I then left Sarah and Joc who carried on to Machrihanish and I tried to pick up my pace a little as I did the last few miles home on my own and I was so happy to get back home to a big bubble bath, blueberry protein shake and toast with peanut butter :-)  Of course my food treats didn't stop there that day - carrot cake and a 3 course meal at the Harbourview Grille also were enjoyed!

This week, since it was Shrove Tuesday, I tried out a sugar-free recipe for pancakes for breakfast and they were delicious!

Ingredients
1 cup of self-raising flour
1 cup of skimmed milk
1 large free range egg (beaten)
1/2 cup of granulated sweetner
Tablespoon of flora light
(any fruit for serving - I used blueberries, rasberries and strawberries)


Method
Mix the flour, milk and sweetner together, gradually adding the beaten egg into a batter.  Using a large frying pan, melt the flora light on a high heat.  Drop temperature down to mid level then spoon the batter on to the pan until it starts to bubble.  Flip!  Once ready serve with any fruit or condiments.  Stuart's choice was nutella.  Next time I'm going to try without the sweetner as the fruit sweetened it enough.  I'm going to try better to cut out sugar.

The weather was still glorious early Sunday morning so headed out a wee run with Jamie G who blasted the half marathon distance in a great time, supported by Stuart.  I turned back after a few miles to go a cycle but sadly the weather turned bad and I gave in after 10 miles as my hands and feet felt like ice cubes!  Not only that but someone told me they could see my bum through my worn away tri-suit - mortified!!  Wasn't going to swim in it either then - home time!  Later that night we went along to big Creamy's house for some home baking.  Do not listen to any of my friends, I ate nothing other than an apple and refused to eat any cookies, brownies or chocolate.

Oh and yes the pink urine thing.  Well, not only had I read about the fantastic health benefits of beetroot juice in my Sports Nutrition Course, I also read an article about the same very thing in this month's edition of Runners World.  Not only do the high concentrates of nitrates in beetroot juice give you one of your 5 a day, proven to reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure and reduce heart disease, it also supposedly improves the oxidation in the blood helping athletes perform better and longer.  Enough said, I was on Amazon buying a carton before you could say "beetlejuice beetlejuice beetlejuice"!

My first organic shot of beetroot juice that came with the warning that it may turn urine pink!  I await the results....

I've ate a lot this week and a bit annoyed at myself, time for change next week!

01/03/2014	Breakfast	Snack	Lunch	Snack	Dinner	Exercise	Comments
Sat	Pre-run:  Slice of soreen. 1/2 a banana.  Water.   During run: lucozade sport.	Post-run: blueberry protein shake and toast with pbutter + bramble jam	1 l water.  Spicy tomato and mungbean soup with pitta bread.	Green tea.  Slice of carrot cake.	Fantastic meal at Harbourview Grille, Royal with family.  Chicken tenders, pasta prima vera and a taste of all desserts!  1 glass of chenin blanc, crabbies and a baileys.	20m in 3 hr 5 mins.  Beautiful sunny day and fantastic run with Joc and Sarah.  Starting at Ballochgair so quite hilly to begin, ran into town via Gobagrennan, round Moss road and back into town.	Loved the run although a bit slower than last week.  Enjoyed meeting my aunties for coffee in pm, one of them is going through a bit of a rough time so trying to cheer her up.  I also used the last of my vouchers at Serenity on a wonderful back massage and mini facial.  Bliss.
Sun	Toast with peanut butter and jam.  1/2 Banana.  Water.	Mini fruit/oatie cookie.	Scrambled eggs and toast.  Water.	Green tea.  Mars bar.	1 fishcake, potato waffles and spinach.  Fishcake huge disappointment - no seasoning and just potato :-(  Had a few slices of pizza to try and recover Sunday night dinner.  Then tea, peanut butter and oreo brownie, coconut cookies, and about 1K of mms.  Elaine!!!!	6 miles recovery run.  10 miles easy cycle (soooo cold!)	Beautiful morning turned to horrible dreich weather by 11am so cut cycle short.  Too early for pool to be open so went to sauna instead.  Exhausted!  Ate ridiculous amount of sugary treats at Big Creamy's house on Sunday night that gave me a headache and cramps.  Why do I do it to myself?  Can't help myself!!  Never again....
Mon	1/2 slice toast, activia yoghurt + blueberries.  Vit water.	Green tea.	Mung bean soup and bread.  Tangerine.  Apple.	Jasmine green tea.  2 brazil nuts.  Rice cake with pbutter.	Spaghetti with fresh scallops, chorizo, red onion, garlic, lemon juice, tomatoes and nat yoghurt.  Homemade garlic bread (50 cals).  Shape mousse.  Tea and oatcakes.	7.5 miles steady - great catchup with Jen, weekend fun!  Spin - sweaty!!	Stunning day - blue skies, sunshine and crisp cold.  Perfect weather for being outdoors.  Legs a bit tired but better after exercise.
Tue	Sugar free pancakes with fruit - yum!*	Green tea.	Mung bean soup and bread.  Tangerine.  Apple.	Coffee.  2 brazil nuts.  2 rice cakes with pbutter + jam.	Baked 1/2 breast chicken with homemade mushroom risotto (no milk or butter).  NS Jelly.  Tea with Jen's AMAZING NSNF fruit loaf.	8 miles inc ladders at 10k pace (2,3,4,5)	Felt good in run, was good to put a bit of pace into run.  Great weather.
Wed	Muesli, activia yoghurt and berries.	Green tea.	Oatcakes with lf cottage cheese.  Tangerine.  Apple.	Jen's NSNF fruit loaf slice and tea.	Chilli con carne with rice.  Chocolate protein mousse* and tea.	5 miles easy.  Combat.	Miserable wet and windy weather.  Parent's night so a bit rushed from combat and v late dinner.  Large portion but hey - I was starving!
Thu	Muesli, activia yoghurt and berries. NFNS loaf.	Green tea.	Oatcakes with lf cottage cheese.  Tangerine.		LF Beef goulash and mash poatoes. SF jelly.  Green tea and lfls cookie made by maz!	10 miles in 1.27.	Weather improved and enjoyed run.  Thanks to Jen for doing 1st 3 with me!
Fri	Porridge and banana	Green tea.	Oatcakes with lf cottage cheese.  Apple.	Maza cookie and skinny cap	Thai green chicken curry with jasmine rice.  Homemade cheesecake.  Tea and oatcakes.	Spin then 50 lengths before work.	TGIF!
					Mileage	57