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Running on Empty – What I’ve Learned from beginning to Run

collaborative post

Run Watch

I did my first 10K yesterday. It was on the treadmill, and it took me forever, and I also had to walk a bit of it, but I ran solid for 90 minutes before I had to walk for a little bit, then I ran to the end.

Yes, I’m slow. It’s more of a jog than a run at my speed, but I’ve got two feet off the ground for a long spell of time. Maybe I’ll speed up, and maybe I’ll always be slow, but at my age, I’m just amazed that my body is coping with all of this.

Less than a year ago, I found myself out of breath climbing two flights of stairs. That was incredibly devastating as I used to be fit. Not 10K running fit, but I could have walked for hours on end at a speedy pace. Having a young dog helped then. Over the years, diabetes and the under active thyroid, along with my fibro which affected my feet and plantar fascitis in both of them as well, I ended up as a bit of a wreck.

I was heading towards a big birthday, and all I could see was that my life was headed towards a spiral of weight, being sick, tired and unfit. I struggled to stay awake after eating anything, but the diabetes was a bit out of control and my blood sugars were high. Once I added thyroxine, I seemed to find the energy I’d been lacking for a long time.

I started walking to get my blood sugar down and one day, on a whim, I started the couch to 5K routine. It was a killer. I barely made the first day of running for one minute at a time, interspersed with bouts of walking.

I now know that slowing to a walk is ok. If it needs to be done, there’s no shame in it. Several times, I almost gave up. Especially on the longer runs of 20 minutes plus. It seems incredible to me, that now, I think of 30 minutes of constant running as an easy run. This is me talking. 30 minutes of running is easy – well apart from the first few minutes, which are always a killer, until I find my running legs and my calf muscles settle down to a rhythm.

Yesterday, I did my usual three or four weekly 5K. Then I decided to go for 6.4k, to make it a 4 mile run. At 6.4k, I still felt strong, so kept going until around 8k, where I had to take a bit of a breather for a few minutes, then I picked the pace back up, now determined to hit the 10k mark. Possibly stupid to go straight from 5k to a 10k, but that’s an exercise high for you. I ran the last 1.5k very slowly, slower than my starting off pace, but I did eventually hit the 10k, and slowed to a walk to cool down.

My back hurt….. My feet hurt….. But I did it…..

What I’ve Learned Over The Last Few Months of Running… My Tips for New Runners – those even newer than me, and I’m still new.

It’s ok to be slow.

Never compare myself to anyone else.  Other people don’t have my health issues, and what’s tough for me, could be easy for someone else.  If you sail past me while I jog on, then just give me a smile as I end up eating your dust.

Weight loss can slow up when you start running.

I’ve heard of other people who’ve lost a pile of weight when they start to run.  I’m told that some weight is fluid retention to repair the muscles that are stressed in some new runners.  I have metabolism issues, and for me, weight loss has slowed to a snail’s pace.  I am growing muscle in my legs, and although I fit into smaller clothes, my weight is not reducing at a rate to reflect that, but it’s ok to be heavier at a smaller size clothes.  It will sort itself out over time, as long as I stay in a calorie deficit.

Other runners can be as*es…

Most other runners are encouraging, helpful and understanding.  We can’t all be race winners, or even race finishers.   If we get up off our backsides and try, we are all life winners.  I think of
myself more as a jogger, but everyone seems to refer to running nowadays, and the NHS app says I’m a runner, so run/jog, it’s all getting two feet off the ground.  I’ve heard from other newbies who’ve had their speed dissed by experienced runners.  Honestly, don’t care about it.  We’re not all natural runners.  Sometimes, people who are, don’t understand how much work it is for the rest of us.

Protein is more important than I ever thought.

Learning to run while you’re in a calorie deficit isn’t simple.  When I started upping my time running, I was finding recovery tricky.  I felt fine after the run, but quickly crashed.  Some days, I needed two days rest between a run.  After a bit of reading, I realised that I was nowhere near meeting my daily protein needs.

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I needed to find a way to get more protein at lower calories, and got sick of things like eggs, so started looking at protein shakes.  I finally settled on myprotein, as it has 20g of protein in 25g of powder, which suits me fine and didn’t break the bank.

A recovery drink stops me wanting to go to sleep after a long run.

I’ve found my holy grail of recovery drinks.  Here’s my recipe for it.

  • 50g Frozen Raspberries
  • 50g Banana
  • 20g Myprotein Powder
  • 200ml Skimmed Milk

I blitz this in my Nutribullet for a few seconds, and I’m ready to go.  Sometimes, I replace some of the raspberries with frozen Mango or Strawberries.  I always use frozen fruit for this part, as I like the consistency and it’s easy to always have fruit in the freezer, ready to go.

It has around 220 Calories, with 25g Protein.

Running shoes are a must.

I’ve struggled with my feet throughout this process.  I tried cushioning, but those didn’t support my arches enough, although I’m told I’m a neutral runner.  Perhaps it was the plantar, but the neutral cushioned ones I had caused me problems with the ball of my feet and feeling my tendon move inside my arch.  At the moment, I’m back to my old Nike support ones, but I need more cushioning on the forefoot, so I have a new pair on order.  I don’t overpronate, so I don’t need high stability shoes, but I do need some support.

Doing some research into what shoes you need is very important.  Much more than I realised at the beginning of all this.  The right shoes help keep injury rates down.  My current Nike’s are fine for 5k, but I need more cushioning for longer distances.

Run Trainers

Don’t run in cotton joggers!

Honestly, really don’t, unless you’re in the early stages of the C25K.  I skint my knees with mine on a 5k.  I’ve got some silky trackie bums that slide over skin now, from Asda, and some others on order to try.

Enjoy it.

As hard as this sounds, it’s important to realise that exercise should be fun – eventually.  I really hated the first weeks, and I still dislike the first 5-10 minutes of a run, but once I’m past that, I now begin to enjoy it.  Who’d have thought I’d ever enjoy this…..

Music is Key.

I can speed up to some tracks, and others slow me down.  I’m making a playlist of the songs that help me to go a bit faster and keep my motivation high.  At around 7k yesterday, I got a little emotional, and almost cried.  Not from pain, but because the song lifted me and I felt invincible doing what I was doing.  I hope to keep doing this as long as I can, as I feel amazing after a run.

I don’t always enjoy every minute of a run, and some parts are difficult, but without the right music, I can’t cope.  I tried using the treadmill and watching the news, but found that too boring.  If my music is loud enough to stop me hearing my feet hit the ground, I’m happier.  When I can hear each step, it puts me right off and I almost crumble.  As well as that, some runs are just rubbish, especially if I’m not feeling 100%.

Your Nose may RUN, RUN, RUN

This did my head in to start with.  Whenever I run, my nose feels left out and decides to join in, especially if it’s cold or slightly windy.  I carry some tissues and a few antibacterial wipes in my pocket or my waist bag, as there’s nothing worse than a runny nose.

Running Outside is Tougher for me.

I do most of my running on a treadmill as I was lucky enough to get a great deal after Xmas.  Without it, I doubt I’d be running so far at a time.  Outside, my feet hurt much sooner, as the treadmill is much more forgiving on them.  I’d go outside more if I could face being seen, but I’m not there yet.  I have my treadmill facing a window, so I can see outside and just put on my music.  I started off without the treadmill though, and I’d have kept going without it, although I suspect my progress would have been much slower.

If you decide to go for it, the best of luck, and let me know how you get on.

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Soup Maker Recipe: Asparagus Tips with Aubergine

Asparagus Tips and Aubergine 2000 Bright

I haven’t added a soup maker recipe to this blog for a while, so it’s long overdue.

I didn’t sauté any of the ingredients on this soup, but if you prefer that, give the onion a quick fry with some butter or rapeseed oil.

I find that olive oil reaches smoke point too quickly for me to use in my soup maker on the sauté function.

Soup Maker Recipe: Asparagus Tips with Aubergine

Lesley Smith
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 21 minutes
Total Time 31 minutes
Course Soup Maker
Cuisine Soup
Servings 4 -6

Ingredients
  

  • 300 g Asparagus Tips chopped.
  • 130 g Aubergine peeled and chopped.
  • 200 g Red Potatoes peeled and chopped.
  • 100 grams onion chopped.
  • 2 Knorr Chicken or Vegetable Stock Cubes.
  • 40 g Sundried Tomato Paste
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper.

Instructions
 

  • Work quickly with Aubergine as it discolours fast.

  • I just added all the ingredients to my soupmaker.

  • Fill the soupmaker to the maximum level with water, making sure it fills above your minimum and below your maximum level.

  • Ensure the lid is on properly.

  • Choose the smooth setting for your soup. If you make it in a pot, simply cook the soup and use a blender to smooth.

 

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Cookery Books in the Post

Eat Your Greens, Reds, Yellows and Purples 

Any book that can encourage our kids to eat more healthily has to be a good thing.  That goes for adults too, if I’m honest.  I think a very large proportion of the population doesn’t eat enough fruit and veg.

Eat Your Greens Reds Yellows Purples

In this book, there are more than enough recipes to get started with, and includes lots of lovely and bright images of foods and their descriptions. We get to meet the fruit and veg within each colour, and there are lots of little tips, more than suitably tailored towards our younger cooks, with handy safety rules and a guide to the equipment needed for the recipes.

You can soon be cooking tasty, healthy meals with this recipe book.  Alongside nutrition facts, there are 25 simple vegetarian recipes for children to cook at home, including soups, salads and stir fries, as well as sweet delights, such as muffins, cheesecake and cupcakes.  The focus of the book is on earning to cook with our greens, reds, yellows and purples.

Eat Your Greens Reds Yellows Purples 2

You can find out how carrots help your vision, and why peppers boost your immune system, while learning how to use different fruits and vegetables, and using different cooking methods.

For reds, recipes include tomato, pepper and cherries, with the purples, like aubergine, blueberry and raisins being quite neat.

Eat Your Greens, Reds, Yellows and Purples is published by DK on 1 April 2016, £9.99. DK.com
Eat Your Greens, Reds, Yellows and Purples is published by DK on 1 April 2016, £9.99. DK.com

My personal favourite is always going to be the oranges, with carrot, butternut squash and pumpkin featuring, much to my approval.

There are some lovely recipes, including:

  • Green Bean Stirfry
  • Green Smoothie
  • Tomato and Onion Tarts
  • Layered Berry Cheesecakes
  • Sunshine Rice
  • Carrot and Orange Treats

The carrot and orange treats will go down nicely with my boys, and the green smoothie for me.  Thanks for the permission to post the smoothie recipe.

Green Smoothie

Ingredients

  • 1 small or 1/2 large banana
  • 75g (2oz) green grapes
  • 60g (2oz) baby spinach
  • 150ml (5fl oz) milk (use almond milk if preferred)
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp almond or peanut butter
  • handful of ice cubes

Method

  1. Peel the banana and break it into chunks.  Put into a blender along with the grapes.
  2. Add the spinach, milk, honey, nut butter, and a handful of ice cubes to the blender.
  3. Blend the mixture until smooth.  If it’s too thick or not chilled enough, just add a few cubes of ice and blend again.

We’re told that spinach is rich in vitamins, which helps keep our blood healthy, and we can adapt the recipe to get a different flavour, by adding a large pinch of ground cinnamon or even a few fresh mint leaves.

In summary:

I love the light and bright pictures, with the great tips throughout the book.  This would make a lovely present for kids who already have everything.

Eat Your Greens, Reds, Yellows and Purples is published by DK on 1 April 2016, £9.99. DK.com

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My Middle Child Finally Swims

Sorry, but I just had to share this one.  My middle child, who has learning difficulties, has taken lessons for over 10 years.  Yes, that’s right, lessons for 10 years, along with weekly swimming at his school, and swimming with us, his family on top.  It’s been a long and difficult road for him, but he’s finally done it.

For years, he screamed at the sight of water, or even at the thought of jumping into the shallow end.  We closed our ears and persevered, and eventually he made it in the water.

That was no small feat in itself, no matter how simple it might seem at first.

Determined to keep going, he was signed up for a whole summer holiday one year, every morning, in a group of 6.  When they all moved up to the next class, he struggled along with trying to get his feet off the bottom of the pool as he walked along, his hands doing swimming motions on the top.

Three years later, he was still in the bottom group and his lessons kept going.

Thankfully, his school began swimming, which meant he could go away from lessons with little ones when he was growing fast, and every week since, they’ve persevered and kept chugging along.

Three weeks ago, we all went swimming, and he sailed along the top of the water.  His feet didn’t touch the bottom once, but he was still frightened of going out of his depth.

It’s one thing being able to swim, and quite another being able to swim out of your depth.

To let you all know, he came home on Friday with a certificate from school, to say he’d jumped in at the deep end.  It might not seem much to most of you, but for him, it’s HUGE.

It just goes to show, that perseverance and patience can win in the long-term when the brain says no.  As a very active child, swimming was important to him, and for us too, knowing that if he fell into water, he’d at least have a fighting chance of possibly getting himself out again.

I can’t even begin to say how much this small thing means to us as a family.  Way to go middler, you’ve done yourself proud….

 

 

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The Mother of all Teaparties #fairtrade #happymothersday #twitterteaparty

Happy Mothers Day to all.

The Co-operative sent me a lovely surprise gift for Mother’s Day with no expectation that I would post about it, but I think Mother’s Day is one of the most important days of the year.  More so than a birthday really, as the day signifies all that someone thinks of their nearest and dearest.

I didn’t expect anything at all, so my lovely surprise parcel was a nice way to receive an unexpected gift.  I couldn’t make the Twitter Tea Party, so I had my own.

Coop Mother's Day

I think my biggest Mother’s Day tip, would be that mums are more concerned about what we do for them, than what they get.  I’m lucky if I get a bunch of £5 flowers from the local shop and possibly a card if my hub actually remembers mother’s day is coming up, as he would need to buy for the kids :-).

What I’d really like, would be for them to make breakfast for my mum and I, and keep bringing her cups of coffee all day long, to save me going up and down her stairs around 50 times a day.  Now that would be a fabulous Mother’s day break for me.

As it is, we’re lucky enough to have a carer for a few hours this Mother’s Day, so I will be able to take it easy, though I’m due for my next run session, trying to up my 5k time from the ridiculously slow to the almost acceptably slow……

In my parcel were some lovely little gifts.  Thank you Co-op.

Coop Red Devil Cake Coop Proscetto  Coop Fair Trade Tea Coop Fair Trade Earl Grey coop chocolate tulip

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Toasted Spelt with Dates and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Most of you wouldn’t like the toasted spelt in the way that I do.  The lovely nutty flavoured wheat is perfect for snacking.  I toast mine until it becomes almost a dry nutty consistency as that’s what I enjoy.  If you prefer yours softer, simply don’t roast/toast for long and check the cooking times on your spelt.  Some of you might just prefer the spelt straight from the packet if you buy the ready to eat kind, such as I did, or a quick heat up for a minute in the microwave.

I made this in the Actifry, but you could easily use your oven to toast the spelt, or not toast it at all if you prefer the slightly chewy consistency it can give us.

I cheated and used a pack of Merchant Gourmet Spelt, that is ready to eat.  Nobody said everything should be done from raw…   I don’t always have time for that sort of thing.

Toasted Spelt with Dates and Sun Dried Tomatoes 1000

Toasted Spelt with Dates and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Lesley Smith
Course Main

Ingredients
  

  • 250 g Spelt ready to eat.
  • 100 g Pitted Dates chopped.
  • 100 g Sun Dried Tomatoes in oil drained.
  • Salt and Pepper.
  • 1 Tablespoon Rapeseed Oil.

Instructions
 

  • I used my snacking basket to Actifry my sun dried tomatoes for 5 minutes.

  • After doing my tomatoes, I then put my spelt and chopped dates into my machine, along with a pinch of salt and pepper, and the oil.

  • I Actifried my spelt for 8 minutes, which will be far too long for most of you. Some might just like 1 or 2 minutes. Keep an eye on it and check every minute or so, to find out if it's the right consistency and taste for you.

  • Serve with the sun dried tomatoes on top, and I added some edible rose petals to enhance the look of the dish.

 

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What I’d Like For Mother’s Day

In collaboration with Tesco.

It’s that time of year again when I’m looking for something for my mum, and being who my husband is, with no idea of what I’d like for Mothers Day, I usually end up buying something for myself and he takes the kids to get a bunch of flowers since I can’t do chocolates as a diabetic.  I have horrific memories of some of the disastrous gifts he’s come up with over the years, and I’ve learned to get what I like myself, or drop enormous hints.

I do a lot of shopping with Tesco, so being asked to take a look at their Mothers Day presents range was something I would do anyway, and gave me a good chance to root through the online gift choices on Tesco Direct.

What I’d Choose for Myself

There is just so much to pick from.  We don’t do large gifts for adults in our house, so the range on offer was ideal for me.

Von Shef Snap and Stack Cupcake Storage CarrierTesco Vonshef Snap and Stack Cupcake Storage

I never know what to do with baked cupcakes.  They usually end up squished into a plastic tub, or end up going all over the place.  With a capacity of 24, for £13.99, this storage carrier would be perfect for me.

Quirky Gadget – App Controlled Smart Scale

At £39.99, it’s more expensive that I’d usually consider for Mother’s Day, but I can dream, and I’d absolutely LOVE one of these smart scales.  I’ve looked at them more times that I care to remember.

Tesco App Controlled Smart Scale

If my other half is reading, this is a big nudge, nudge, hint, wink, wink…..  Not only does it guide us through the baking process, it even gives us hints and timers for when to mix, bake or cook.  My gadget girl head can’t wait to try one of these.

Afternoon Tea – Katie Alice Cottage Afternoon Tea Set

How about this to sit down with afternoon tea and a slab of lovely cake?  I think most women appreciate nice crockery, and I’d like a set or two of these in my kitchen cupboards for when friends come round for the afternoon.  Getting myself lovely cups and saucers hasn’t been top of my buying list, so as a present, I’d be delighted with these for £9, which includes a tea-cup, saucer and side plate.

Tesco Katie Cottage Afternoon Tea Set

Flowers

I almost always have to buy my own.  If my husband bought them too often, I’d wonder what he’d done wrong….  For Mothers Day, he does sometimes let the kids buy me some, and although I don’t particularly like lilies, I like most other flowers, especially ones in either very muted pale colours or very vibrant reds and purples.

My choice would be this Mother’s Day Seasonal Posy at £25, which includes the milk churn, if I could persuade my man to get them.  I’d love something like this on permanent display, but it could get rather pricey, but for a special occasion, they’re gorgeous.

Tesco Flowers Mother's Day Seasonal Posy

Many thanks to Tesco for allowing me to reproduce these images.