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

It Must Be the Beetroot

Last week I said I would try out my new Beet It Organic Beetroot juice shots and I did - and got a PB!  Stuart and I along with a few other Campbeltown runners joined 500 others in the annual Balloch to Clydebank Half Marathon on Sunday.  Having not performed very well in the last few years in this race and being in the middle of marathon training I wasn't bothered about a time so I was pretty shocked I managed to knock about 5 minutes off my previous best, finishing in 1.41.40.  The field was very strong, with lots of top athletes there including my husband Stuart who is constantly improving - smashing his own PB, finishing in 1.18, 24th overall.  And yes - he had the beetroot juice too!  OK it probably wasn't really down to the beetroot but hey, I'm going to keep drinking it just in case!

Adding a scottish touch to my sushi

I don't think I'm ever going to be 100% good with food, I just love treats too much!  Last week's training/nutrition diary - 

08/03/2014	Breakfast	Snack	Lunch	Snack	Dinner
Sat	Farm scone and green tea	Water.  Brazil nuts.	Sushi pack + oatcakes.	Tangerine.  Apple.  Green tea.	Chicken, red onions and mushroom spaghetti with garlic pizza bread.  Tea, icecream and chocolate!!
Exercise	1.5 miles easy warm up for x country comp with the girls	Comments	Felt weird not doing lsr in am but glad as it was horrendous weather - windy and v wet!  Left Ctown about 7.30am for x country comp in Irvine (long way due to landslip).  The kids did us proud and competed very well on a challenging course.  Most schools around Scotland were represented and was quite exciting for us too - we wished we could go back to school to compete in the races!  Next year I hope to take a bigger group to compete.
Sun	Toast and jam, croissant with nutella, beetroot juice and coffee.	1/4 lucozade sport.  Banana post race.	Sushi pack + oatcakes.	Banana loaf slice and chai tea.  Mini muffin.	Roast chicken breast, potatoes, leeks, sweetcorn with gravy.  Gooseberry pie with ice cream.  Tea and mars bar!!
Exercise	14 miles inc Balloch 1/2 marathon - pb!  8 mile cycle with Jennifer.	Comments	Never got much sleep in Travellodge and race start was delayed.  Despite this, suprised but over moon with us both getting PB's!  I expected it with Stuart as he's running so well and putting in so much effort into training. Bit windy and wet at start but felt good and think I could've went a little faster especially at beginning.  Continue to feel hungry all day.   So glad managed to fit in a catch up on the bike with Jen, wish we had time to go further/longer.  Got a well overdue tune up massage from Julia too.
Mon	Muller light yoghurt, blueberies and toast.  Vit water.	Green tea and 100 cal cereal bar	Oatcakes and lf houmous.  Tangerine.  Apple.	2 rice cakes, pbutter and 1/2 banana	Stir fry prawns, cashews, onion, mushrooms, beansprouts and rice noodles (thai spice, garlic, coriander and lemon/lime juice)  Tea and oatcakes
Exercise	7.5 miles easy.  Spin.  Cycle to/from work.	Comments	Gorgeous weather.  Great catch up run with Jen.  Lovely to see sun shining after 5pm.  Hip a little sore and legs a bit tired.
Tue	Activia non-fat yoghurt with blueberries & chia seeds.  Toast.  Vit c water.	Green tea & 70 cal alpen bar.	Ryvita & lf houmous.  Tangerine.  Apple.	2 rice cakes, pbutter and 1/2 banana	Baked chicken breast with pesto + mozzarella.  Sweetcorn. Carrot + swede mash.  2 baby potatoes.  SF jelly.  2 squares dark choc + dried cranberries, 3 brazil nuts.  Tea and oatcakes.
Exercise	9 miles (1.17) inc 5 x 1k at 10k pace.  Cycle to/from work.	Comments	Beautiful day again!  Good sleep but could've done with more.  Busy busy at work and finishing editing novel, #exciting!
Wed	Activia non-fat yoghurt with blueberries & chia seeds.  Toast.  Vit c water.	Water.	Oatcakes and lf houmous.  Tangerine.  Apple.	Banana.	Chilli con carne, cheese with rice & nat yoghurt.  SF jelly. Oatcakes and tea.
Exercise	1 mile swim.  7 miles easy then combat.	Comments	Beautiful day for a run :-)  Nice and easy to sheep fanks, good blether with JG.  Up late working on book !
Thu	Alpen bar and banana.	Green tea and oatcakes.	Cup soup, veg pasta and salad.	Oatcakes, dried fruit and nuts.  Green tea.	Chilli con carne, cheese with rice & nat yoghurt.  Special K bar and tea.
Exercise	8.5 miles steady	Comments	LONG day with drive up to Glasgow for conference at 6am, returning at 7 and straight out door for run to blow cobwebs away.
Fri	Porridge + banana	Green tea and oatcakes.	LF houmous and oatcakes.  Tangerine.	LFLS fruit loaf (thanks maz) and skinny cap.	LF smoked sausage and spinach pasta.  Homemade LF cheesecake.  Tea and dark chocolate square
Exercise	1k swim, spin.	Comments	Great sleep - think I got at lest 7 hours - woo! before my cat started to scratch at me!  Happy Friday!!

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