Well hello there Friday, nice to see you around again. These last couple of days in the office I have been FREEZING. A choice few of my fellow workers have decided to commandeer the air con dial and make it sub-zero temperatures. I spend my time glaring at them while hunching over my laptop sipping hot drinks all day long. They’re comments of “there’s nothing of you” for reasons why I’m cold are not well accepted. I mean, what if I was to say the reverse to them hmm? I’m not sure that would go down so well.
Anyway, it’s Friday!
This week has been fairly good (hypothermia aside). I’m really pleased with a few runs I did –especially my out of the blue super speedy run the other evening for example. And though I skimped on the Tuesday night running club run, I did go to the Thursday night (last night) one instead.
I didn’t really know what to expect to be honest. I got to the meeting place and there were like 30 people. And they were planning on doing an off-road style run, but in different paced groups. There were three paces 11mins/mile, 9-10mins/mile and 7.30-8mins/mile. My plan had been to take it easy and just enjoy the run but I really didn’t want to be running 9mins/mile or slower. I hugely faffed about not deciding what to do. Then after speaking with the three guys who were doing the 7.30mins/mile they persuaded me to join them.
It started well, I was happy with the pace. UNTIL we got to like three consecutive hills. Oh my goodness, these hills. And these guys were just bouncing along happily while I was quietly dying. It was definitely an ego check for me. I’d say about 60% of the run I was trailing behind them. To put this into perspective, one of these guys had just done the Paris marathon and was treating this as a RECOVERY run.
I think I held my own quite well, and the guys looked after me well and looped back if they went off too fast and pushed me on when I lagged. There was a great team-feel between us. But by the end I was just couldn’t maintain the pace and had to lag back. I felt terrible that I was holding them back but they didn’t seem to to mind.
I was so shattered by the end that when I past a fellow runner (not part of the club) who said hello to me I replied “morning” in a spluttering daze.
But it was brilliant. Though at the time there were many points where I literally wanted to cry it was so hard (ahh OK maybe it wasn’t that bad) and when we ran close to where I live it took every ounce what strength I had left to not run away home, it pushed me and I felt hugely satisfied by the end. I’d run with the big boys and done myself proud. They seemed happy to have a female member in their clan as well! Haha.
When I got home it was just after 8pm and I literally didn’t want to eat at all. Though obviously I did have dinner it was really hard to get myself motivated to feel hungry.
But I am never one to miss dinner and I knew it was really important to refuel after such an epic run. So I had three whole eggs, a LARGE scoop of cream cheese, and lots of veggies.
When I stood up after dinner my calves had massively cramped and were so painful, so after I showered I made sure to get some of this action in.
Yes those are my PJs
And I am so glad I did because honestly this morning my legs were still quite painful but I imagine not half as bad as they would be. THOSE HILLS!!!
Though I enjoyed running last night it did mess with my system last night. Like not wanting dinner, feeling a bit unsettled in my tummy (lots of strange noises going on in there when I went to bed) and not being able to feel tired at all. Usually I’m ready for bed at like 8.30pm 9pm but I got into bed at 10pm and just didn’t feel sleepy. I didn’t fall asleep until after 11pm!!
I know this is because of doing quite intense exercise in the evening and it is a bit annoying but I’m happy to have a change in routine, and plus the next day is FRIDAY so it isn’t that big a deal.
On a non-running related note, I am so excited that my lovely parents have let us borrow their slow cooker so we can give it a test drive to see if we want to buy one ourselves. I have seen so many recipes using slow cookers that I’ve look longingly at and pinned in the hopes that one day maybe we’d invest. But the thing is, I know the slow cooker is potentially one of those appliances that could end up on the Dead Shelf. You know the shelf. The shelf where those amazing, gadgety appliances you bought ages ago because they’d save time and looked cool and of course you’d use every day…that you now never use. Yes, hand-held milk-frother, I’m looking at you.
To stop this from happening, I’m going to see if I’d actually make use of a slow cooker before parting with my hard-earned moolah. I’m hoping it’ll work out well. Especially with me doing the running club now it would be ideal to not have to worry about cooking when I get in late.
So watch this space… if you don’t hear anything about it, you know it’s gone back to my parent’s Dead shelf after failing.
Right, lovely readers, have a lovely weekend!
Do you exercise in the morning or at night?
Does mixing up your exercise (or eating) regime mess with your system?
Do you use a slow cooker? What’s your favourite recipe?
I’m lending my managers slow cooker this weekend to see if I like it then I might buy my own too! Those eggs and cream cheese look yum 🙂
Ooh I’ll be interested to see what you make using it 🙂
I saw a recipe for porridge in a slow cooker today!
When I was marathon training I had to do some long runs in the evenings (I am too slow to do 10 miles before work)- and those evenings I would sometimes find it hard to sleep. But then I do body pump each Thursday and that is pretty intensive, and finishes at around 8.30pm, and I normally sleep fine. Although I do have dinner first as I found that when I waited until I got home and showered it was too late to eat and that stopped me sleeping. I suppose it is trial and error- eg maybe for you have a big afternoon snack, and then something light when you get home, even a smoothie or some porridge or something, and that might mean you can sleep better?
Nice work on those runs though- you are so speedy (and it is all relative, so compared to those guys maybe you feel slow, but you are not).
Yeah maybe it’s eating just before bed that isn’t too good. I just don’t have time to get dinner before I go is the issue. It just means a later night, which is fine as it’s Friday the next day and then the weeeeeekend. Yeah maybe the snack and lighter meal will work better for me.
I’ve been using my mums, I think I will definitely be investing in one!
Yeah seeing the recipes you’v come up with has definitely inspired me!
hahaha I love that you wear ridiculous pjs too!
I have several pairs 😉
First off, a ginormous congrats on completing that stellar run with the “big boys!” Nine miles at an average 7:30 pace is so impressive, Anna! I’m not sure that I would have been able to sleep afterward either—I would have been too proud of myself. 😉 In all seriousness, though, I’ve found that when I exercise at night, I have a hard time drifting off as well. I think a large part of it is due to the fact that eating dinner post-workout, revs up my digestive system, which makes it difficult to relax. I definitely commiserate with the “strange noises” scenario!
Oh, the Dead Shelf. My crockpot knows it all too well! I finally received one for my birthday two years ago, after lusting over them for ages. How many times have I used it? Umm…maybe three? However, I always intend to use it, because like you, I’m constantly finding crockpot recipes that call to me. Maybe one of these days the stars will align, and I’ll become a crockpot queen! I’m sure hoping that you’ll love your parent’s, which will lead to a purchase, followed by tons of posted crockpot recipes that are too hard for me to resist. 😀
Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend! <3 xoxoxo
Yeah I think my system was far more interested in digesting than sleeping!
I’m glad you’re well acquainted with the Dead Shelf too…it’s depressing! I haven’t used the slow cooker yet :-S this does not bode well.
Girl, no need to feel as if you were holding those guys back, you rocked it!!! And your pjs are adorable.
Hope you had a great rest of the weekend darling <3
Hehe thanks 🙂
Great job on your run!! I really don’t think I would have been able to do it. You’re such an inspiration for me to keep on pushing!!