running diaries and healthy yummy breakfast pancakes...

So yesterday I tackled an eight miler and completed at an average of 9-min miles. Considering it was my longest run to date it was alot less painful than it could of potentially been. However there were a few 'icantdothis' moments... firstly after what I'd estimated to be about 4 miles I checked my phone tracker and  i'd only reached just over 2 miles. This realisation slightly crushed my spirit and was quickly followed my my ipod dying but I carried on with just the music and counting in my head (I count when i run, to 10 and back and so on, its very odd and a bit annoying but I cant really stop it...) So there we go I am on track and improving! Spent the rest of the day at work with sore leg muscles.

As I was running early I didnt want anything too heavy so made a smoothie which consisted of; 1 banana, 2 tbs greek yoghurt, handful of blueberrys, 1 tbs of oats, 1 tsp of peanut butter and a bit of milk. It was really good an I am now a smoothie convert. (I used to think they were pointless...)

I woke up this morning absolutely starving, I was so hungry I couldn't sleep beyond 7.30 on my day off! So I created these...

 Yummy healthy pancakes with homemade strawberry jam (I didnt make that this morning, my friend made it and its the best jam ever with big chunky bits of strawberry!)
So to make these pancakes you need;
Serving 2 for 3 pancakes each-

• 1/4 cup oats
• 1/4 cup wholemeal flour
• 2 tbs flaxseed meal (not essential!)
• 2 tbs greek yoghurt
• 2 egg whites
• splash of milk till right consistency, still like a thick batter
• blueberrys and raspberrys or any fruit you fancy 

Just whisk up all ingredients with a fork then melt a little marg on a frying pan and put a dollop of batter down and fry for a few mins on each side until cooked through and golden brown. Serve with jam or honey or more fruit and yoghurt.

I never really stray from my muesli and banana but have had a radical new breakfast awakening with all this smoothie and pancake business and I like it!

What-a-to-do

At a bit of a loose end with my day, which is also feeling like a loose end with my life. A temporary feeling I know but feel like I should be embarking on productive activities. Spent the last 1-2 hours contemplating a run and went from yes I will attempt my 8-miler, to maybe a short interval style one to no run atall...you see its getting hotter outside and a 8 miler in the mid-day sun would be fool hearty, i should've got up earlier... but I still want to go outside as its so glorious but working at 3pm so cannot go too far afield..as you may gather I am being pathetic and whiney and not actually achieving anything. 

I love seeing the sun shine but I do so wish I had a garden here and wasnt confined to a first floor flat. Am heading back to my home town at the weekend as its my birthday and there I have the freedom of near-by countryside and a lovely garden of flowers, tress and berries. Cant wait, feel a sense of city overload and need some fresh air.

So i tired my first Bikram yoga class last week...Bikram yoga is yoga in a room heated to 40degrees. It is intense and extremely sweaty. I could literally wring out my close after the 90min session. But it did feel great and came out feeling relaxed and well stretched... I havent been back yet but keep meaning to and will do in the very near future!

Finally on another subject, i went to Wholefoods for the first time ever and loved ever inch of it, was like my food heaven.

Breakfast eating

                                                    I have essentially the same thing everyday.
....................................................but i love it. Morning's are only complete with muesli, banana and blueberries.

                                           Straight from the garden!

SUNSHINE and pavlova

London finally felt a big wave of summer yesterday and is still feeling it today. At last we had one of those glorious english summer days of bright blue skies and sweltering heat. I spent the day at a work summer party picnic in Richmond park and it was a perfect day. We lounged in the sun; eating, drinking and playing silly games. My food highlight was the trio of deserts of which i sampled all and slightly regretfully had seconds...but i couldn't not go back when it was that good! Chocolate moose is a perfect accompaniment to pavlova don't you know....

Anyway last week was over indulgent in so many ways, (i also had a 16 course meal on Wednesday night at an Italian restaurant in Richmond, let me just repeat that, 16 COURSES!!) Twas amazing but I can genuinely say i have never consumed that much food and wine in one sitting. However all good things must come to an end and this week I am turning over a new health leaf. I am planning to be dedicated to the health and get a lot of running in. I am preparing myself to brave the heat for  run in a minute, just a short one mind as it is reaching 30+degrees out there...this will be a test of my stamina, i think my stamina may fail...wish me luck.

'Strong is the new skinny'

I read the above quote in some sort of celeb interview a few days ago, I cant remember whose words it was but I keep thinking of it and feeling good. After an unhealthily obsessive phase of enviously looking at pictures of Alexa Chung's bones or Keira Knightly's jutting shoulder blades I have finally realised that this is not a good look and not something I should be aspiring to. I always knew that of course this wasn't healthy and not how my body naturally wanted to be; I could never be one of those willowey girls without an ounce of fat...well not unless I promptly stopped eating and carried out a miserable existence that this would bring... But I am sidetracking from my point here and there is one. Since I've started on this half marathon running challenge business i've completely changed my mind about all that super skinny malarky and I feel so much better.

 I've never felt or looked as strong, fit and healthy as I do now and am oddly enjoying the challenge i've set myself. (well that isn't while i'm actually running up a hill dripping with sweat, at that point i'm feeling quite cross about the whole thing, its more once i'm home feeling smug and eating lunch that I feel good...) And I've been thinking that if I am expecting my body to do this and avoid injury or illness then I need to give it what it needs and nourish it and help it to recover and be stronger. One cant cut carbs and then bash out 7 miles and expect not to die, thats all i'm saying. On that note I completed a personal best today of 7.5 miles and somewhat hilly miles at that. It was hard but i'm pleased I did it.

On foodie matters I am making spicy beany burgers for dinner tonight, will keep you updated on how they turn out, have been planning them and thinking about them for a large portion of the day...

Trashy tv addiction

In recent months I've found myself watching THE MOST trashy reality tv going and really enjoying it, to the fairly shameful point that I set myself the task of watching 'The Hills' all seasons beginning to end online. It all started with a playful obsession with 'the only way is essex', moving onto 'made in chelsea' and then when I noticed the original american reality shows being replayed I thought why not? Not forgetting all the Kardashian related shows I often find myself watching... EEK Im not sure this is that healthy for my brain cells, but I love it soo much!

Is it OK to secretly love all this and still be considered an intelligent human being? Im not sure, but i'm not quite ready to give it all up yet...and think it is fine as long as I do other things to...i'm just trying to reassure  my melting mind...

In running news I completed a 7.3 mile run this morning, which was hard but worth all the sweat and pain. Found a new route, got slightly lost but was refreshing to have a bit of a change of scenery. Made a delish Greek-style omelette for lunch, which I happily wolfed down, feeling a bit smug and a bit sore. Have been taking pictures of the pretty food i've been eating so need to work out how to blog that too...

ps. I am so happy about how cheap summer fruit is right now.

Banana oateyness

In a quest to find a healthy mid afternoon energy bar snackamijig I've baked up some oatey banana things.
Here is the recipe;
3/4 of a cup of porridge oats
1/4 cup of desiccated coconut
2 mashed bananas
1tsp honey
1tsp peanut butter (A BIG TEASPOON)
Couple of spoons of natural yoghurt (until its a thickish but moist consistency
handful of raisins

Mixed it all up and put in a dish and bake until its a brown on top and looks yummy, leave to cool and cut up into bar shapes. They are really yummy and you wouldn't even know that they are super healthy.

On another health note, I was wandering around a health type food shop yesterday, and brought some ground flaxseed mix to have on my cereal, not sure why but I keep reading about it and thought why not? I very nearly brought almond or rice milk but then was like why? I love milk and don't have any problems with it so why down-grade to the pretend stuff ...