Filed under: British Military Fitness | Tags: British Military Fitness, monsters, Oops Up Side Your Head
So, three British Military Fitness classes over the last few days: a rare Saturday session followed by Monday and Wednesday evenings. I seem to have brought an end to global warming with my last comment on the subject as last night was really quite chilly. The car read 9°C when I got back into it last night, but my hands felt colder. The middle finger of my left hand did that weird dying thing for about two hours afterwards, and remained completely white while the rest of my hands warmed up and turned pink again.
Still, at least the cold weather should kill off whatever little monsters bit or stung me on the back of the leg on Saturday, the after-effects of which are still driving me nuts five days later.
Other monstrous things included a repeat of Dan’s fartlek special on Monday, and all of the leopard crawling last night. Oh, and the multiple plank manoeuvres which have given me a tummy ache today. Reminds me of one morning after a wedding when all of the guests woke up with stomach pains. It wasn’t the food that affected us; it was some slightly over-enthusiastic moves to “Oops Up Side Your Head” – rather like this but with fewer props and more vigour.
Evidentally my appearance is fairly monstrous too. Instructor Harry remarked, during the water break on Saturday, that I appeared to be “leaking water.” The look on his face said: “Gosh, I thought ladies were supposed to merely glow…”
Filed under: food, recipes | Tags: BBC Good Food, breakfast, Dorset Cereals, food, granola, recipe
I’ve decided I don’t write about food enough on this blog. Food, as anyone who knows me will testify, is a subject very close to my heart. I am pretty much always thinking about my next meal, get exceptionally grumpy when I’m hungry, and just do not understand people who “forget” to eat lunch. I love cooking, especially for other people, and am happiest pottering about in my kitchen. If I didn’t work in PR, I’d run a tea shop supplying lots of Yorkshire tea, home-made cakes and other yummy snackage.
I am not, it has to be said, particularly creative in the kitchen though. I rarely make up my own recipes, but scour newspapers and magazines for ideas to steal, some of which I adapt as I go along.
So, I’m going to try to share at least one recipe per week, referenced accordingly and with my notes. This week: home-made granola, which comes courtesy from the BBC Good Food site. I discovered this recipe when I realised Dorset Cereals granola costs over £4 a pop and I can easily go down a whole box in a week. By myself.
Good-for-you granola
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 125ml maple syrup
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- I also add a couple of teaspoons of spice – e.g. cinnamon, ginger, mixed spice
- 300g rolled oats (I like the jumbo ones that come in big bags in Sainsburys or Waitrose)
- 50g sunflower seeds
- 4 tbsp sesame seeds (I halve this amount, as the end result can be a bit “bitty”)
- 50g pumpkin seeds
- 100g flaked almonds
- 100g dried berries (sultanas work fine)
- 50g coconuts flakes or desiccated coconut (I halve this amount as above)
- Heat oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Mix the oil, maple syrup, honey and vanilla and spices in a large bowl. Tip in all the remaining ingredients, except the dried fruit and coconut, and mix well.
- Tip the granola onto two baking sheets and spread evenly. Bake for 15 mins, then mix in the coconut and dried fruit, and bake for 10-15 mins more. (I add the fruit right at the end, so as to avoid it drying out). Remove and scrape onto a flat tray to cool. Serve with cold milk or yogurt. The granola can be stored in an airtight container for up to a month (Ha!! like it’s going to last that long).
The end result is incredibly moreish. In fact, the boyfriend pronounced it “better than Dorset Cereals”. Praise indeed.
I did work out the cost, and it came out at around £4 to make 750g. Not that much cheaper than Dorset Cereals then, unless you have a good discount health food store nearby. Which I don’t, that I’m aware of. However, it is very filling – 750g equates to about ten portions (with milk) for breakfast, and staves off the hunger pangs until lunchtime which is nothing short of miraculous. It’s also rather marvellous with fresh fruit and yoghurt as a snack or pudding.
Filed under: running | Tags: hampstead heath, health, heart disease, Jerry Morris, running
Many thanks to Highway Kind over at Running Matters, who flagged this article on the late Jerry Morris last week – an absolutely fascinating account of the first person to make a link between sedentary lifestyles and heart disease in 1949. Jerry studied postal workers and transport workers; some of whom were active and others relatively inactive at work.
Jerry became certainly one of the first people to take up running as a means of reducing the risk of contracting heart disease:
“I was the first person to run on Hampstead Heath, in the 1960s. Every Sunday morning, if the weather was at all possible, I took off my coat, and my little boy carried my coat, I took off my jacket and my little girl carried my jacket, and I ran for 20 minutes. People thought I was bananas.”
It’s amazing to look at how far our knowledge has developed in the two generations since. Few people in the developed world, at least, can be ignorant of the importance of exercise in promoting good health and long life.
What a shame, then, that the National Obesity Forum has seen fit to declare this “National Obesity Week“. Apparently one in two people do not have an accurate picture of their weight, and are being encouraged to calculate their Body Mass Index (BMI). For the record, at 5′4″ and 9 stone 12, my BMI is 23.7 (just about within the healthy bracket – the result, in part, of a sedentary lifestyle at work and a deep-rooted love of food).
Phil and I ran in Jerry’s footsteps around a bit of Hampstead Heath yesterday morning in torrential rain. Despite being really quite displeased at the thought of going out in the soaking wet, I really enjoyed it once I was out.
4.5(ish) miles
46 minutes
4 very soggy feet
Filed under: British Military Fitness | Tags: British Military Fitness, Reading
…it had been snowing. Weird then, that I did British Military Fitness on Wednesday wearing a short-sleeved t-shirt and cropped trousers. Lovely mild night it was. It’ll be a massive shock when the weather does finally get cold. For now, I’m enjoying global warming.
The conversation turned to Christmas over a beer in the pub afterwards – must have been the influence of the Christmas tree in the porch on the way in (it’s still bloody October, whose idea was that?!) Anyway, a social of some sort is loosely planned for 11 December – if we can find somewhere in the vicinity of Reading that’ll take a large booking. Any ideas welcome!
Filed under: running | Tags: Abbey, Bracknell, Hellrunner, running, St Albans, St Michael's, Swinley Forest, The Look Out, Verulamium
Last weekend was a relatively quiet one, and Phil and I ran both Saturday and Sunday. We were visiting my parents on Saturday, and did a nice 4(ish) mile circuit around Verulamium, the Abbey and St Michael’s village which took an acceptable 35 minutes. However, I don’t think it was anywhere near enough to burn off the cheese, bread, meatballs, spaghetti, wine and ice cream, courtesy of Mummy J, that we consumed during the course of the day.
So, back out we went on Sunday after getting back to my place. We drove over to Swinley Forest in Bracknell, aiming to do around seven miles. Navigating the forest is a bit tricky, even with the map you can get from The Look Out, unless you stick to one of the marked trails. Trouble is, the marked trails are only up to around five miles in length. We had a go at joining up two routes – the “nature trail” and the “heritage trail”. I didn’t have the faintest idea where we were most of the time, and I’m not even sure the map points north. We were running for 62 minutes, which suggests we finished some way off the seven-mile mark. Ah well, it was a pleasant run underneath the autumn leaves on a lovely sunny day.
Monday brought with it a bonus run. Phil was still at mine on a rare school night, so I skipped British Military Fitness and we went for a short run around Twyford. That was an experience. The Map Reader decided to take us off down various country lanes and through a ford, in the dark, wearing head torches. I threw a bit of a wobbler at the ford actually (bad day at work, hungry, tired, generally prone to stroppiness). Perhaps I should have gone to BritMilFit after all…I don’t lose my rag quite so quickly with comparitive strangers.
Filed under: food, recipes | Tags: Anna del Conte, food, marmite, Nigella Lawson, pasta
Me on the phone to the boyf this evening (we do talk about food a lot so this is a normal conversation, up to a point):
P: “I’m stuffed – just had round two of the soup I made last night.”
Me: “Nice – I had pasta and marmite.”
P: “Sorry?”
Me: I had pasta and marmite.”
P: “What, together?”
Me: “Yep.”
P: “What were you THINKING?”
Well, what I was thinking when I walked in the door at 8.25pm after British Military Fitness was that I was bloody hungry and I needed to eat within five minutes or I was going to kill someone. I had some fresh pasta, but only root veg which take a flipping age to cook. And I don’t buy ready-meals because I think they’re evil. Then fortunately I remembered reading something by the slight-irritating-but-undeniably-talented Nigella Lawson, recalling a recipe invented by her friend Anna del Conte, the lady she calls the “cook who changed my life”. And this lady used to cook spaghetti with marmite for her Italian-English kids when they were growing up – kind-of based a bit on the Italian habit of using the leftover roast stock a day later as the basis of a pasta sauce.
So, here it is (this is enough for one person). Try it, please…
fresh or dried pasta
25g butter
half to a whole teaspoon of marmite – depending on how much you like marmite. I used half, but will use a bit more next time
parmesan cheese
Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the pack. In a separate pan, melt the butter, add the marmite and a tablespoon of the pasta water. Drain the pasta, and mix into the sauce. Serve, with lots of grated parmesan all over the top.
Ready in five minutes flat. No need for an evil ready-meal. Life sentence for murder averted.
Filed under: British Military Fitness, running, running gear | Tags: British Military Fitness, fartlek, leggings, seasons
Despite the significantly cooler temperatures and fading daylight, I’ve made it to British Military Fitness twice this week – on Monday and this evening. I couldn’t believe the difference between this week, and when I last went about four weeks ago: it was as dark at the start as it had been at the end of the class before.
But despite this slightly depressing trend, training outside does make you appreciate the changing seasons more than you would if your gaze sinply drifted away from inside the gym while slogging away on the treadmill. And, without trying to compete with Mr Highway Kind’s much more eloquent and philosophical musings, I like that. I fully appreciate the excitement and sense of something better to come in spring; I adore the long, warm evenings in the summer months, sweating out all the stresses of the day; I like jumping around in damp, autumn leaves; and I even get a thrill out of the looks on my colleagues’ faces when I head out of the stuffy, centrally heated office in my BMF kit for a class in the middle of winter.
In fact, I haven’t been to the gym in such a long time that I’m thinking of giving up my membership.
Both today’s session, and Monday’s session were taken by Dan. And Dan’s got some new moves…
Exhibit 1: the “tripwire” – while jogging along, Dan shouts “TRIPWIRE” and we all have to jump in the air, legs tucked underneath ourselves
Exhibit 2: the “grenade” – when Dan shouts “GRENADE” we all dive to the ground, hands over heads
Exhibit 3: the “firing of one’s partner across the grass” – where one person lays down on their back, legs bent and in the air. The second person leans back with their bum against the first person’s feet. #1 bends their legs, then straightens them – firing #2 up into the air. Most amusing, though I do think it could be improved by introducing an element of long-jump -style competition, as I’m pretty convinced long-limbed Stu might be able to fire Leigh right across the road outside the park.
Exhibit 4: the “fartlek” – possibly a contender for my least favourite exercise and one most like to make me vomit. Involves the line of lamp posts down the middle of the park – you start running at 50% of maximum ability, increase to 75% at the second lamp post, then 100% at the third, back to 50%, then 75% and 100%. After a 30-second break – you repeat the exercise…and so on. It’s HORRIBLE. Even worse than the hill runs. But it has to be good for you, right?
Oooh, and in fashion news, it would seem that lycra is the new black. Three of the chaps turned up in snug little leggings on Monday – and spent the entire class fretting about them falling down, being draughty and having a general feeling of tightness. You’ll get use to them lads – much more practical than baggies in the winter. 
Filed under: running | Tags: Hellrunner, Knowl Hill Bridleway Circuit, running
Upon my return from Morocco last week, it dawned on me that there were only four weeks until Hellrunnner – and I hadn’t run for four weeks. And then it was only about a four-mile run. I don’t think four is my lucky number.
The Hellrunner website says:
HellRunner™ is over multi-terrain and varying underfoot conditions. There will be everything from running tracks and trails to water-filled areas and plenty of steep hills. Expect to get very wet! It will be nature at its toughest. The course will be marked but do not expect to see mile or kilometre markers….that’s for those softy road running types. All you need to know is that the course will be probably more than 10 and less than 12 miles in length. Hey! With what we have in store, who’s counting?
Crikey.
Time for some reasonably serious training then, ideally of the off-road variety. So Phil and I set off for Knowl Hill in the new and improved MINI on Saturday morning, and ducked south of the M4 onto the Knowl Hill Bridleway Circuit intending to run the eight-ish mile bit round in a circle back to the car.
And, to our surprise, we managed it feeling almost fine. A few twinges in the knee department, slightly sore back and leaden legs by the end, but nothing you wouldn’t expect given the lack of recent running expeditions. I had to admit that, left to my own devices, I probably would have done a less ambitious five- or six-miler and worked up over the course of a couple of weeks; but I’m actually glad I proved I could run more than eight at this point in time. Not that we will be breaking any records – that took an hour and 24 minutes over pretty flat terrain, but the great thing about off-road races is the lack of pressure to put in a good time. It’s all about finishing and having a bit of a laugh.
The back was still sore again on Sunday, but I think that’s the hip flexor/glute trouble again. I must must must do more post-run stretching. That’s one thing I’m just beginning to learn as I stumble towards my mid-thirties…
Filed under: walking | Tags: altitude, Exodus, High Atlas Mountains, marathon, Marrakech, Morocco, Mount Toubkal, trekking
Sorry for the radio silence readers; I’ve been away for the past 12 days or so – peacefully trekking around the High Atlas mountains on a trip organised by a company called Exodus followed by a few manic days in Marrakech. Had a fantastic time and am quite upset to be back at work, particularly given the bulging inbox I discovered this morning.
Phil and me at the top of Mount Toubkal, complete with silly hat (his not mine)
The trip incorporated a non-technical ascent of Mount Toubkal, the highest peak in the High Atlas range at 4,167m. That’s by far the highest I’ve ever been, and rather took my breath away – in so many more ways than one…we discovered some mad people doing a marathon up there. All credit to every single runner for managing such a tremendous physical feat – it’s not one I’ll be trying to emulate in the near future. I’m still getting over the fact that my resting heart rate was 120bpm even at Toubkal base camp (3,207) – double its normal rate of 60bpm. No wonder proper athletes train at altitude.
In other news, the MINI is fine – thanks to those who’ve asked after her. She’s now purring after her prolonged stay with 3D Transmissions – I should think so too, having had 1,280 quid spent on her. It’s been an expensive month…
