Running and weightloss

I was really happy with my weightloss this week. Lost 1.5lbs and I worked hard for it so it was well deserved. However, I have gone completely off track this week so am hoping to stay the same when I weigh in tomorrow morning :(

I am no runner, but last year gave it a go for a 10k. It was an awful time and I didn't manage to run the whole thing and had to walk sections. This lead me to not running outside again until now. I've upped what I'm doing on the treadmill and attending alot more classes at the gym, so I was hoping the stage I had got to wouldn't have diminished too much. A lovely day on Friday made me leave work early to get my kit on and go out for a little jog. I knocked 5 minutes off my 5k speed and didn't feel nearly as exhausted as I had in the past. Really really thrilled with it. My trainers need replacing so I'm going to invest in some proper trainers for running and just get a little cheap pair for my classes.

Someone said that the fitness levels you can achieve from gym classes is finite. You can only get so fit repeating the same level of movements. I have found this as I'm now realising to work as hard as I did a year ago I need to do more classes. There are only so many anyone can have time to do and I have no intention of spending my life in the gym so by running I hope to have something I can always improve on. I have my Tae Kwon Do too and I hope that this can also help as I can always work harder sparring etc.

Allotment

After only a few months on the waiting list my boyfriend and I got an allotment. We went up to see it a few weeks ago and it's rather larger than we expected. It's still to be split and they seem to want to remove some of the annual crops that are there (don't know why, thought that would be our job, but I'll not complain!). Hopefully should be able to get started next weekend.

We've sown in the house some butternut squash and tomato seeds, so we don't lose too much opportunity waiting to get in. I'm not expecting too much this year as we are novices, but I have my books and working at an agency full of experts I'm hoping to make a success of what I do grow.

I have myself some little gem seeds, but I'm really struggling to find some veg that will come through in the Autumn season. Will need to look harder!

Pancake day!

This week was pancake day. I wasn't planning on making any, but as my dinner was going to be 'something with spinach and tofu', I decided to put that into some pancakes.

I took some flour, water, sage, salt and pepper and cooked up the pancakes in a very hot pan with some low-cal spray. In another pan I cooked the frozen spinach, garlic, onions, mushrooms and tofu. I then sprinkled on some flour and then poured in the soya milk and stirred until done. The result I can only describe as legendary.

Picture isn't too great as the camera on my phone is a tad gash.

Satay Tofu

I love this. It's from a big red book called 500 Vegan Recipes . I can post the recipe if anyone wants it. I probably won't make it again anytime soon though as I ate the whole jar of peanut butter in a week :(

So for those pointers out there, a rough guess on points would be 2 for my quarter pack of tofu, and 4 for my peanut butter. There is rice vinegar in the recipe and some other things but I think the only other thing to point is the oil. It's quite filling I find so I just had it with some veg.

If I ever talk about dogs it's likely to be these two..

Introducing my mum's dogs; Megan and Katie! Megan is an 8 year old retriever, easily the most stupid dog I have ever met. She is rarely seen indoors without a toy in her mouth.

Katie is a 13 year old Springer Spaniel. She thinks she is a little princess, but there is evil in those slightly cataracted eyes. She is however a bit mad and despite her age, will bully you into walking her 10 times a day and leaps about all four paws off the ground jumping to hip height while you're getting your shoes on.

I haven't lived with my mum for 8 years, but I still think of these dogs like my own!

A bit late!

I thought I would tell you about this chocolate that my mum bought me for Christmas. She bought it in a town next to her village from a man she calls 'the ethical man' from his shop that she calls 'the ethical shop'. I have never seen this shop so she is possibly inventing the whole thing up, however she did go and buy me some lovely chocolate from the imagined or not ethical man.

It seems to be spanish by make but the chocolate is labelled as Ghanian or Ugandan. It is mighty mighty tasty! So if you ever see it, I would get it bought!