Kind of a mishmash of randomness today as I don’t really have anything specific to talk about!
Rave: Though I’m not running, I am still going to the gym. Annoyingly though I’m avoiding heavy squats and deadlifts to be on the absolute safe side with my hamstring. It’s frustrating but hey ho I can still do lots of other heavier weight stuff, like focusing on my upper body. And I like do about a 30 minute routine of different strength and plyometric exercises.
It’s similar to the strength workouts I was doing last year during the lead-up to Liverpool marathon. I enjoy having variation and it involves a lot of running-specific exercises which will help when it comes to marathon training in the autumn. I have a mega spreadsheet that I track all my running and workouts that I use as a resource for what exercises I’m going to do at the gym. I’ve basically stolen ideas from the Internet, other bloggers, magazines and classes I’ve been to. I like it because I get bored very easily at the gym so mixing it up each day helps. An example of a routine I did on Monday:
– Press-ups
– Eccentric weighted lunge drop
– Box toe taps
– Scorpions
– Eccentric box jumps (jumping off a box into a squat)
– Medicine ball squat:
– Burpees
And I repeated it three times.
Rant: HAY FEVER. I’m being savaged by pollen, despite taking anti-histamines. I wake up with a blocked nose, I sneeze consistently through the day (I’m not a one sneeze girl either, I’m one of those “at least three times” kinda sneezer) and the absolute worst: the itchy eyes. *Shakes fist* damn you, Mother Nature!
Rave: But I will take that pain for the sunshine we’ve been given. Waking up, even at 5am (yes, really), and seeing the sunlight pouring through my windows just makes me wonder how the hell I was able to do that during the cold, bitter, dark months of winter. Walking Alfie at 5.15am without a coat on – what is this dream??
Rant: I’m very lucky that I live in a quite nice area right next to a beautiful park. There are lots of paths through the park, a play area for kids, picnic benches and a large pond.
Every morning I take Alfie for a good walk and, like 95% of the dog owners, let him off his lead to run about. Generally Alfie is very good, he comes back when I call him and he gets separation anxieties if he can’t find me (sometimes I’ll walk ahead while he’s sniffing around and if I go out of his sight he gets panicked and starts running about looking for me…when he notices me he charges over. It’s adorable).
Unfortunately one morning Alfie spotted two ducks near the path we were on – the rest of the ducks were down the slope near the pond. Before I could stop him he ran towards them and chased them down to the pond. He then spotted all the other ducks that were out of the water being fed bread by a lady and ran at them too, causing them to head back to the pond.
The lady yelled up to me “oh well done”. I got Alfie under control and said I was sorry. By way of explanation I said he was a dog and it’s in their nature to chase. To be honest I wasn’t really sure what to say as I felt a bit embarrassed. I know I’m in the wrong of course – the ducks did not deserve to be chased and frightened but the lady was really quite aggressive. She then proceeded to tell me Alfie should be on a lead and that I was a “stupid cow”. I felt a bit affronted. Alfie has never chased the ducks before and has always been quite good off his lead. I think it was just the two loan ducks that caught his attention and then seeing the others nearby.
Anyway the lady carried on yelling at me saying there was a sign saying dogs shouldn’t chase the wildfowl and that I was being irresponsible. At this point (7am by the way) my back was up. Could she stop yelling at me please? I understand I’m in the wrong already! But Alfie was back with me and, as I said to her, “the ducks would come back again”. None of them had been savaged to death or scared into having a heart attack.
She then told me to “f*** off”. At this point I was done. I (perhaps somewhat sarcastically it must be said) said “well good morning to you too” and walked off. She continued to yell that I was a stupid cow and “f*** off”.
Again, I know I was in the wrong. It was a tricky situation that short of rugby tackling Alfie to the ground or foreseeing him chasing the ducks in the first place and putting him on his lead (though, again, he’s never bothered the ducks before), I did what I could. She didn’t have to be abusive or rude!
And on a lighter note…Things that made me chuckle: this is fairly true for me. Even without running my appetite is crazy. Luckily I’m quite savvy with my snacks (think high protein, sustaining nibbles over empty sugar).
And like so many other runners, I’ve had many a black toenail. As summer and flip flops is upon us, nail polish is used to hide the evidence 
(Not sure where I found this sorry!)
One last rave: I’ve been sent these very cool laces to try out.
They’re called Elastic Lace System by Phoenix Fit UK and basically stop the need for tying laces. I’ll do a full review of them in another post but so far I think they’re pretty good. Probably ideal for triathletes who need to transition quickly from one sport to the next during a race. And they come in lots of colours 
What are your rants and raves lately?
What do you like to do in the gym?
Do you suffer from any allergies?
I am suffering from a bad case of hay fever too, sooo annoying.
That woman was so rude! It’s not like your cute little pooch was doing any harm. You were much more patient and understanding than I would’ve been I think..! Blimey and at 7am too!
Ka Man P recently posted…Running Gear Round-Up | May 2016
I walked away wishing I’d said a hundred different things 😉 I hate it when people are aggressive. No need!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Rants and Raves #32
It’s worth going to the GP for hay fever. I’ve been prescribed some stronger stuff and no longer suffer as badly.
Poor Alfie. He was only being a woof. Silly woman. There’s no call for language like that.
Oooh: could you do a post on office appropriate flat shoes? I’m struggling for smart, pretty shoes that last (and are wide enough!). And I know you usually wear flats!
I’m going to try a different brand see if that helps, then I’ll head to the GP (we all know how long THAT takes after all…).
I can certainly try – it’s true, I rarely ever wear heels. My exception is weddings – unless they’re very summery weddings, then I’ll wear flipflops (but sparkly pretty ones).
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Rants and Raves #32
Oh my god – what was wrong with that woman?! I don’t necessarily think you were in the wrong. Yes, Alfie is your dog, but it’s what the dogs do. She needs to chill out…maybe she should get a dog.
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy recently posted…Comment on Caprese Stuffed Mushrooms by Dannii
I think a dog would definitely help her! Stop her bugging the ducks as well 😉
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Rants and Raves #32
Some people just need to get a life, there’s no need to be that rude to another human being. So unnecessary. I think I’m over my hayfever season now, I always suffer earlier like April/May time. I used to get really bad watery eyes and itchiness when I was younger, but these days I just get really horrendous fatigue with it. Hope it improves for you! Nettle tea is really good for hayfever.
Lauren (@poweredbypb) recently posted…Super Sporty Smoothie
Thankfully I don’t get the fatigue, just the itchiness and sneezing. Glad you’re over the worst!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Rants and Raves #32
Good lord.. That woman sounds like a right piece of work – maybe she was having a bad day – personally, I’d have said sorry and left it at that – no-one was harmed, its in dogs nature to chase things about and its not like you could have predicted he was going to do it!
I dont actually tend to be affected by hayfeaver at all, luckily but my OH suffers quite badly and he’s always sneezing.
I swear by those types of laces(i have a different brand) – but I actually hate normal laces now – they’re easy, I don’t have to worry about them coming undone mid race and I don’t have to worry about stopping to loosen them if I did them too tight!
It’s an asbsolute nightmare to have your laces come undone at a race. It’s like a huge “schoolboy error” moment. These laces are great!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Rants and Raves #32
I am also suffering from the pollen after being smugly ok until about two weeks ago. I switched which antihistamines I take as different brands use different ingredients and that has helped a bit as I think I had become immune to the ones I’d taken for over ten years! I can’t believe how rude some people are – it just seems so unnecessary when you’d already said sorry! x
LilyLipstick recently posted…Travel: Billund, Denmark
Yeah I’m going to switch brands as the one I take is clearly not helping.
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Rants and Raves #32
Oh my gosh, what an awful woman! I mean I get that she was upset your dog chased the ducks, but even after you said you were sorry and everything she still couldn’t just let it go? Ugh people sometimes. Sorry about that girlie <3
Before reading that I was going to say how your Alfie and my Opie are quite similar in how they can't be too far from us. If I put Opie out back to go potty and my hubby lets her in she will run through the entire house like crazy until she finds me and then jump into my lap. It's like "mommy where have you been?!" haha she's the best. I can't even go to the bathroom without her following me! She has even been known to jump in the shower 😉
Kat recently posted…WIAW 6.8.16
Ahh Opie does sound exactly like Alfie. So so cute!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Rants and Raves #32
That mug is priceless! I haven’t seen that phrase before and I feel like I have seen them all by this point. Totally with you on the sunshine thing. It’s such a contrast to the cold darkness of winter! And even though running in heat is tough, it’s just nice to be able to see where you are going and not have to put on 10 layers! Great post, Anna!
Elizabeh C. recently posted…The Boston Marathon Course Revisited
I totally agree. I’d rather be hot running then be cold 95% of the time!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Rants and Raves #32
The lady was clearly crazy! Who feeds ducks before 7am?!
The laces look pretty nifty!
I know, bit random! Doesn’t she have work to get to?
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Rants and Raves #32
That mug is so funny- I saw it on the DYRT facebook page. Good old Airplane!
That lady sounds so rude- yes dogs should not chase the ducks but as soon as you realised you stopped him, and so by swearing at you she isn’t going to make the situation any better.
I love these lighter mornings too, although our new house has sort of office style blinds (white vertical strips of fabric) and so they keep out no light whatsoever.
Andy has really bad hayfever right now too- he uses a nose spray as even the things prescribed from the doctors did nothing, but that spray stops the sneezing somehow- might be worth a look as it isn’t prescription medication.
Maria @ runningcupcake recently posted…The house move
Yes I have those blinds as well, so it’s quite nice being woken by the sunshine in the morning.
I used a nose spray last year and it does help. I need to get myself one!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Rants and Raves #32
OMG what in the world is that lady’s problem!? That picture of Alfie is super cute!
Current rave: my hydro flask! I just got one and love it.
Lora @ Crazy Running Girl recently posted…Currently…
I love that flask you have, so handy!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Rants and Raves #32
Allergies….ugh. I still have a recap to write that will say a lot on how I feel about them!
Sorry you had to deal with that woman. She obviously has no people skills.
Staci recently posted…The Busy Life and a question
Sorry you have to deal with bad allergies too 🙁 Sucks doesn’t it?
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Rants and Raves #32
Oh wow that woman was rude! How stupid – it’s not like anyone died, and they weren’t her ducks! I’d probably have ended up giving her both barrels (I am so not a morning person).
I seem to have grown out of my hayfever, though I did used to suffer really badly as a child.
Anyhoo – that pic of Alfie is absolutely adorable!
Steph recently posted…Whole 100 Day 30 – Progress Update
It was very tempting and I had a million replies to her in my head as I walked away… but I didn’t want to make a name for myself in the small park hehe 😉
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Rants and Raves #32
I would have cried if I’d been your shoes in that duck situation Some people are just not nice… Maybe you should have told her feeding ducks bread is very bad for them, much worse than getting chased by a dog.
As for elastic laces with clips – love them.
I did feel really affronted afterwards and attacked. You don’t normally get people yelling at you out in the open!
EXACTLY. You shouldn’t even feed ducks – it’s bad for them.
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Rants and Raves #32
Love that mug! Airplane makes me laugh out loud every single time!
How rude of that lady at your park! It sounds like you were doing everything you could to improve the Alfie-duck-chasing situation. Continuing to shout helps no-one! And there was no need for her to add swearing into the mix either.
I’m very lucky in that I have never been affected by pollen, but I really feel for everyone that does. Several kids in my form at school have come in lately with streaming eyes. Not fun for anyone. 🙁
Mary recently posted…All the delicious Summer foods