Hill training

I'm well into my 5th week of training for Stockholm and I'm proud to say that I've clocked up about 170 miles - it's very motivational to add it up like this; it makes you feel so much better. 

After a good breakfast of porridge with honey and wholemeal toast and marmalade (both homemade and very scumptious), I managed to get out to do my hill training in Ashton Court (8 x 40 secs uphill, no this is not a pic of Ashton Court, but it is a good pic of a hill!) without MBJ, my husband and chief motivator, as he has disappeared off to the Alps with some mates....and yes, I am insane with jealousy as I haven;t been able to fit any skiing in this year at all. 

Hill repeats really are hell, especially the first two when you feel that you'll never be able to do all 10, or 8 or however many you are planning. But when you get past the half-way count and you've only got 2 or 3 repeats to go, you start to feel a great sense of achievement and can suddenly see the light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. Well, that's me done on hill training for another couple of weeks - fantastic!

I've come across a very informative website - take a look at these for some inspiration:

www.newyorkmarathon.co.uk
www.berlinmarathon.co.uk
www.greatnorthrun.org.uk

If you're considering any of these runs, these sites are good and include information on the history, qualification and charity places, travel and accommodation. Take a look.

Slow-roasted tomatoes

A pot of fabulous buffalo mozzarella has been sitting in my fridge for a while now and I suddenly had the urge to make a classic italian tricolore salad of mozzarella, fresh basil and tasty tomatoes. The tomatoes were so disappointing, however, that I binned that idea, chopped them in half and slow-roasted them in the oven instead. This is a great idea for sprucing up flavourless tomatoes and produces a deliciously deep flavour, especially if you help this along by sprinkling them with some balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sugar, salt and pepper.

You could eat these tomatoes with a lovely balsamic dressing and mop up the juices with chunks of crusty bread, you could leave them to cool and keep them for tomorrow's lunch/lunch box...there are lots of tasty options, but I decided to use these tomatoes as the base for a pasta sauce - a much more sensible idea for fuelling the body than a salad, especially as I did a pretty hard 12 mile run yesterday and have 5 miles to do today.

 I used fusilli bucati, a great fun pasta with a hole running through the centre and I reckon this goes very well with a good rich tomato sauce. Spaghetti is good as well, or conchiglioni shells .The pasta and the tomatoes have a low glycaemic index and so will release energy to your muscles slowly and gradually, the tomatoes are a rich source of several nutrients, including a vitamin C, vitamin A, and B vitamins (niacin, riboflavin, magnesium, phosphorous and calcium). They are also a good source of fibre and the antioxidant lycopene (good for fighting disease). This pasta is so quick and easy to make and is a perfect midweek staple for your training diet. Scatter with mozzarella, feta, basil leaves and crispy bacon...  

Pasta with roasted tomato sauce
Serves 4-5

500g pasta 
8 decent sized vine tomatoes
1/2 bottle of sugocasa (just to add a bit of bulk, you can use more fresh tomatoes instead if you have them)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
glug of olive oil
1tsp demerara sugar
Plenty of salt and black pepper
1 flaked dried chilli (optional)

1 tbsp small capers (optional)
big bunch of basil, chopped, saving a few leaves for decoration
feta cheese, cubed or slices of buffalo mozzarela
5 rashers streaky bacon or prosciutto

Method

1. Cut the tomatoes in half and place on a baking sheet. 
2. Sprinkle over balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sugar, salt and pepper and place in the oven at about 170.
3. Add the garlic about 5 minutes before you remove from the oven - after about 30-40 minutes.
4. Transfer to a saucepan, scraping off all the caramelised bits as well, add the sugocasa and chilli if you are using it and cook very gently, covered, for another 20 minutes or so, stirring every now and then.
5. Add more balsamic, olive oil, seasoning, maybe some lea & perrins etc to taste. Add the chopped basil at the last minute.
6. Grill the bacon until really crispy
7. Cook the pasta shells in salted water according to pack instructions - warning, you need a really big pan if you are cooking 500g! When you drain the pasta, leave some of the cooking liquid to stop it getting sticky, and add some olive oil.
8. Serve with pasta in large individual pasta dishes. Place a slice of bacon on top with some basil leaves and pieces of feta/mozzarella sprinkled over. Enjoy!

Caramelised sweet potato and chickpea couscous

What is a healthy training diet? Regular and varied meals which are high in carbohydrate, relatively low in fat and well-balanced with protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals. There you have it; it’s not rocket-science. It is best to listen to you body – if you are training hard and you feel hungry, you probably need to eat something; training for something like a marathon burns a vast amount of calories! Average weekly mileages vary according to your training schedule, but training for a triathlon or a marathon can easily burn between 3000 and 5000 extra calories a week, even more for some. 

I try to base my diet on about  60-70% carbohydrate – that’s cereal, potatoes, pasta, rice, fruit and vegetables -15% meat, fish and alternatives, about 10-15% milk and dairy foods and just a small percentage of foods containing fat and sugar

.  

I made this sweet potato and chickpea couscous a few days ago. It's a nice high carbohydrate dish with a low glycaemic index that makes a fantastic alternative to pasta or rice. It's also quite light on the stomach so you can get a nice portion of carbs down you without feeling absolutely stuffed! We had this with a piece of grilled sea bream and it made for an absolutely delicious meal which only took a few minutes to prepare.

Sweet potato and chickpea couscous

250g couscous

a few sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into small cubes

1 red pepper, halved and deseeded

1 tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

small bunch of flat-leaved parsley

squeeze of half a lemon

a few good glugs of extra virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp ras-el-hanout

 

1. Put the sweet potato and the red pepper on an oven tray, drizzle with olive oil and a few grinds of salt and black pepper and roast in a hot oven for about 20 minutes, until the sweet potato becomes soft and a little caramelised.
2. Prepare the couscous - put the couscous in a bowl with a pinch of salt and a glug of olive oil. Pour over 300ml boiling water (check pack for exact amount). Stir and leave for 5 minutes (or time stated on the pack).
3. Chop the parsley roughly and slice the red pepper.
4. When the couscous is ready, fluff it up with a fork and then add the herbs, the chickpeas, the sweet potato, red pepper, ras-el-hanout, lemon juice and olive oil. Taste and add salt and pepper accordingly.
5. Serve warm or cold with grilled fish or chicken, keep it in the fridge to snack on or  take as part of your packed lunch.  

 

37 miles

It always sounds better when you add up your weekly mileage rather than count individual runs. My training for Stockholm is going to plan and I clocked up 37 miles this week, doing an average of 8.1 minute miles on my steady long run yesterday...not fast enough yet but I'll have to fartlek that figure up, so to speak. 

37 miles...that's about 3700 calories too. We replenished a few of those lost calories after our long run yesterday with a delicious lamb tagine, accompanied by potatoes and parsnips mashed with coursegrain mustard and parsley and a crisp frisee salad. Potatoes and parsnips are great veggies to eat after a long run as they have a good level of high G.I. carbohydrate to work on replenishing your glycogen levels...and they are very easy to cook (I didn't even bother peeling the potatoes).

Pud was some homemade walnut and white chocolate chip brownies with a fresh fruit salad of strawberries, blueberries and very expensive blackberries (very non-eco, I know, I expect they came from Peru or somewhere).

If you discount the few glasses of Shiraz we washed this down with, this was probably an almost perfect post workout feast.

Pancake Day

Pancake day again. I must say that I wouldn't run a marathon on a pancake breakfast, but to me there is no better treat than a traditional pancake rolled up with lemon and sugar....great for this evening's post-workout treat! 

We make so many different varieties of pancake in my family that I've invested in a proper pancake pan...in fact I have two so that we can have a rolling stock of pancakes arriving at the table. I have a range of "healthy and sustaining" pancakes comng out in my book in July, but on pancake day there is only one choice for me -the bog-standand traditional english pancake recipe...you can't go wrong with it:

Ingredients:

100g flour

1 egg

pinch of salt

300ml milk, or 250ml milk plus 50ml water

Sugar and lemon juice to serve

butter to cook

1. Make a smooth batter with the flour, egg, milk and salt - blend together with an electric blender. If you can, leave this to stand for 30 minutes or so (I made my mixture last night for this morning's pancake feast).
   
2. Heat a knob of butter in a large frying pan until hot and then pour enough batter to thinly coat the base of the pan. 
3. Cook for a couple of minutes each side.
   
4. Sprinkle with sugar and lemon juice, or whatever your prefered topping is...jam, maple syrup, sugar....roll up and enjoy.
   

9 miles

My longest run for a few weeks and, fingers crossed, no achilles pain. Went to London on Saturday and then to my parents to eat on Sunday, so no cooking this weekend...a very strange feeling. It has been such great running weather this week; sunny, not too cold, just beautiful. 

These are pictures of Sand Point, a wonderful place to run near Weston-Super-Mare, and a million miles away from the less scenic Weston-Super-Mare seafront...

Why go to a sweaty gym when you can be outside in scenery like this!

I am going to try Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's chocolate biscuit cake this week. I am very fond of choc biscuit cake, and it is an especially good high G.I. snack to have straight after a big endurance session. I usually make mine with digestive biscuits and stem or crystallised ginger, plus other goodies such as nuts and dried fruit, but HFW's uses stem ginger cookies and golden syrup which, if it is not too sweet, could make it even better for replenishing those tired muscles. There is a lot of talk about the importance of sticking to slow-burning, low G.I. foods to keep energy levels at a constant level, hence the advantages of eating porridge before a big race or training run,  so why do we need high G.I. foods when we are training? 

Carbohydrate is stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen. Glycogen levels become depleted after a workout and the quicker they are topped up again, the quicker your recovery will be and the better you will feel for your next session. The higher the G.I., the quicker the glucose will get into your system. What's more, the sooner you tuck into something the better, as your muscles are at their most receptive directly after your workout. Eating something high G.I. directly after exercise helps your body to recover and tops up your glycogen levels for the following days' endurance. Training intensely on a regular basis means that you need to recover from the previous session, that is, your body’s glycogen stores need to be replenished as quickly as possible, so that you can start again on the next. If you fail to refuel properly over a period of time, the glycogen reserves in your working muscles will become progressively depleted – you will feel lethargic and your muscles will feel heavy and tired. Maintaining your carb-rich diet on rest days, you will delay the onset of fatigue and help avoid those dreadful days when your legs feel like lumps of lead.    

Do you need any better excuse to eat a delicious slice of chocolate biscuit cake?

Sweet Potato, Coconut and Orange Cake with Orange Ricotta Cream

I've been trying to develop my repertoire of "healthy" cakes to eat as training snacks and I have to say that this one ticks most boxes. For a cake, it is pretty high in 'good' calories and it has a medium glycaemic index so it will keep up your energy levels for a while longer than, say, a traditional victoria sponge. Based on sweet potatoes, it is not packed with too much sugar and other nasties, as the potato provides enough sweetness in itself. And what's more, sweet potatoes can be included as part of your five a day! It is also made with unrefined wholemeal flour and soft brown sugar. I have to say that dessicated coconut is pretty high in fat, but it really adds to the flavour and we marathon runners need a little bit of fat or we might fade away completely!

 Some may balk at the idea of sweet potato in a cake - my 15-year old daughter, for instance, said "Yuk! Sweet potato is just not meant to be in cakes, mum, why don't you just make some wedges (sweet potato chips), they're delicious" -

 but I noticed her helping herself to a second slice and quite openly admitting that, actually it was delicious...

There is a lot of talk about the importance of sticking to slow-burning, low G.I. foods to keep energy levels at a contstant level, hence the advantages of eating porridge before a big race or training run.  Carbohydrate is stored in the muscles as glycogen. If you are training intensively and for long periods,  you need to keep these glycogen levels  "fuelled up" at a constant level or the glycogen in your muscles will start to gradually become depleted, you will tire and your stamina will start to wane. It will also keep your blood 

sugar levels steady, reduce those mighty hunger pangs and sugar cravings and help maintain your energy levels. More of this later, or take a look at my eat well, run well posting, but here's the recipe for the delicious sweet potato cake:

Sweet Potato, Coconut and Orange Cake with Orange Ricotta Cream

Use a 20cm round spring form tin

Ingredients

110g butter

200g sweet potato (about 2 medium-sized potatoes), peeled and finely grated

50g desicated coconut

140g soft brown sugar

140g wholemeal self-raising flour

3 large free-range eggs

zest of one orange

juice of 1/2 orange (about 50ml)

25g pecans

50g sultanas

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

pinch of  salt

Method

1. Turn on the oven to 170 degrees (fan oven temp). Grease the tin lightly.
2. Cream together the butter, orange zest and sugar with an electric whisk until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs, beating well as you add each one.
4. Fold in the grated sweet potato and the coconut.
5. Add the orange juice and then fold in the flour, nuts, sultanas, cinnamon, salt and bicarbonate of soda.
6. Pour into the cake tin and bake in the oven for about 45 mins. You will know the cake is done as the cake will come away from the side of the tin and if you place a skewer into the middle of the cake it will come out clean.
7. Leave in the tin for 5 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Spread the ricotta cream on top when cool and enjoy!

Orange Ricotta Cream 

Ingredients

25g unsalted butter, softened

1 250g pot ricotta 

1 tbsp icing sugar

finely grated zest of one orange

Method

1. Beat the butter until smooth, then add the rest of the ingredients and mix until combined and smooth.

 

Up and Running again

I can finally start running again. THAT IS REALLY GOOD NEWS!  I seem to have made a miraculous recovery and there was not even a slight twinge in my acchilles during my 4 1/2 mile tester run on Sunday. Perhaps this was because of the fab sauna I had at the Canons gym  where we made use of a very nice free weekend offer.

The bad news is that I'll have to make that sweet potato cake again...it's not quite right and certainly not good enough to post on the blog. I'll try it again today with some more sugar - that should do the trick.

Now that my training is going to start again I need to get myself a new pair of running shoes as there is no way I can run a marathon in the current ones...they've just done too many miles.  

I certainly do NOT want to impede my running with a pair of unsuitable shoes, so I am going to make a trip to my local Up and Running shop. 

If you are not sure what kit to use, these guys at Up and Running really know what they are talking about (well, the place is run by Bristol's very own Nick Rose,  holder of the British Half Marathon record). They also have a free video/treadmill gait analysis which means that they can give you a pretty good idea of the sort of shoes you should be wearing... they can analyse how your foot hits the ground, discuss with you the type of running you do and pick the right pair of shoes accordingly...quite reassuring when we are bombarded with the jargon of biomechanics, cushioning, midsole cushioning, heel padding etc, not to mention the hundreds of different brands and qualities of shoe on the market now.  

Let's face it, running is a pretty cheap sport...what better justification to spend a bit of cash on some gear once in a while!

Achilles problems are a right pain

It has been a frustrating two weeks. I have had a pain in my achilles which became particularly acute on my first attempt at a long run for my London Marathon training. I think I did the first damage on a very cold, steep walk in North Wales wearing my brand new 'Christmas walking boots', then running on it continually after this must have aggravated the injury....just so annoying! Having always been rather smug about my lack of running injuries, aches and pains, I have found it hard to actually admit to the fact that I actually have got an injury and the only cure is rest. So I've had 10 days complete rest now and did a little jog around the docks yesterday. I set off slowly and sensibly but I could feel it after just running a mile - so it's back to the drawing board. I've decided to withdraw from London and carry forward my lovely good for age entry to next year. That will give me a little extra time to rest before starting training for Stockholm....so it's stair exercises and swimming for me for a while. And I think it is definitely time to visit my friend John Hardy, orthopaedic surgeon, (thank you so much for the pheasants, by the way, John, they really were delicious), although I think my hopes of a miracle cure will be dashed and he'll probably recommend good old r and r.

Oh well, all the more time to 

create some new yummy running recipes. 

Today I made a sweet potato, coconut and orange cake, the ultimate high G.I. recovery cake to replenish those tired muscles after a big long training run....absolutely packed with fantastic nutrients to keep your vitamin and mineral levels topped up and to help prevent progressive glycogen depletion for all those lucky people who are doing serious training! A blog with the recipe will be posted over the next few days.

 

Split Pea, Bacon and Leek Soup

Everyone loved the soup I made last night - split pea, bacon and leek soup - tasty, healthy, a doddle to make and a meal in itself when accompanied by some nice crusty wholemeal bread.

Good for your everyday training diet:

This soup is not like that heavy, thick pea soup which nails you to the floor and gives you terrible wind. It is surprisingly light and yet highly nutritious. It makes a fantastic addition to your everyday healthy training diet, especially if you use fresh, home made stock. 

Split peas are packed with goodness - cholesterol-lowering fibre, a decent amount of low G.I. carbohydrate,  important minerals, protein and B-vitamins...and virtually no fat.

Stock for the soup

I think this soup really has to be made with homemade stock - chicken is best. I happened across a reduced chicken in the supermarket yesterday - £2.49! - and took it home (feel a bit bad about this, as I usually only buy free-range), chucked it in the saucepan with an onion (unpeeled but cut in half), some celery and a carrot, a few whole peppercorns, a few bayleaves and some coriander seeds, covered it with water, brought it to the boil, skimmed off the scum and then simmered it for hours. I don't put salt in my stock until I actually use it, as the amount you need varies according to what you're making - actually this soup needs little salt as the bacon provides a good deal of salt in itself. You can make stock with fresh meat or with any old carcass or left-over bones and it is well-worth keeping it in the fridge. You can freeze it for later if you like, although stock in my house seems to get used immediately, mostly in soups and risottos. Top tip: the next time you are at the butcher counter, ask for some left-over bones.

The soup

This soup reminds me a little of the "Erbsensuppe" I used to eat when living in Germany. It is my version of a really old "Good Housekeeping" recipe from my ancient Good Housekeeping recipe bible. I think it is much lighter than the German version, which I seem to remember sitting in my stomach like a lump of lead and also repeating on me for days!

120g split peas ( more if you like, it doesn't have to be exact) - soak overnight or for at least 2 hours
100g smoked bacon, chopped
2 big leeks (100g), sliced quite finely
2 pints stock
Good handful chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Soak the split peas for two hours and then rinse and drain them.
2. In a saucepan, fry up the bacon gently and then add the split peas and the stock.
3. Bring to the boil, cover, and then simmer for 40 minutes until the peas are tender.
   
4. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper according to your taste.
5. Add the leeks and continue to simmer for 1/2 hour, or until the leeks are tender.
6. Add the parsley and serve with crusty bread on the side.