a week in review

What a busy week last week was!  In the tradition of more random than random posts here on Skinny Latte Strikes Back (!), here's a few snippets of what we got up to:

Hubs and I went to Wholefoods, one of my favourite shops in all of London - it is a foodie's paradise!  We got a few treats - Tom was delighted to see his favourite salt-and-sweet popcorn in stock again, and I was just wandering around openmouthed at everything :)  Got a few staples - quinoa, sprouts, fresh khobz - and a few treaty things that looked appealing.  Not all of my purchases in this picture were winners - lime & sea salt chocolate just didn't do it for me sadly, and the chocolate peanut butter does not taste of chocolate at all (!) but one never, ever goes wrong with Korean Chilli Rice Crackers.  That, my friends, is success! 

A few months ago my work awarded me £100 in vouchers of my choice for apparently going above and beyond :) I gratefully applied for Amazon vouchers, and this week my bounty arrived!!!  Cookbooks are still one of my most favourite things in the world and cosying up with one of them and a cup of tea on a rainy afternoon is a lovely treat.....especially if I've pounded out 14km :)  And do you see a few running books on the pile there?  I started reading The London Marathon last night and I'm not sure it was the best choice for bedtime reading....it has started hitting home what an enormous thing I am doing!!

Went to GBK before going to the Barbican for the theatre on Tuesday.  I decided for a change to try one of their salads, but was very disappointed and glanced enviously at Tom's puy lentil burger for the entire meal, eventually leaving the cold, unseasoned butternut squash to its fate.  Lesson learned: if you're in GBK, just get a bloody burger Phil, it's not the end of the world!  

Coming back from my terrifying interval training sequence on Friday to find Boofle in the hallway, with a note and video message from my Tom.  He is so sweet :) 

Speaking of interval training - damn hard, people!  It began with a warmup which was easy enough, and lulled me into a false sense of security!  Did my stretches at Anita's bench in the park (a bench that I always go to, it's dedicated to a lady called Anita) and then it was interval time.  I had to run  1km in 5 minutes......10 times. It sounds easy enough, but I really had to watch the pace.  My natural style is to start slow, then build up, then drop back.  I had to learn what 1km in 5 minutes feels like (not flat out, but not slow either!) and really work hard to maintain that pace for the entire time.  Sometimes holding my abs in helped, as if pulling my stomach in would freeze my legs in their present running speed!  And I was pleased to discover that1km actually isn't that far.  I loved hearing the voice of the Nike+ lady voice say "halfway point!" and only 2 and a half minutes had gone by.  The first 4 intervals I was so close, just 2 seconds over.  The fifth and sixth I nailed it, and I whooped with joy, much to the amusement of the people around me!  Heh heh.  After that it got a lot harder, and the final interval was nearly 30 seconds slower than I should have been, but my coach Julia told me that regardless of what happened timewise I just had to finish the workout....and I did :)

After a lengthy Twitter discussion about what to do with my newly purchased fresh figs, I had some in porridge, with coconut yoghurt and berries.  A good thing I took a photo of it, as the memory of eating it is very brief :)

Today, after doing my long run (2 x 40 minutes with a 10 minute walking break), I made us a proper Sunday lunch!  Tom said he felt like a kid again, or like it was Christmas!  I must do us a proper Sunday lunch more often.  We walked up in the drizzle to Sainsbury's to get a sheet of pastry, the only thing I didn't have.  I made us a mushroom, walnut, spinach and pesto parcel each, served with roast sprouts and potatoes, and a rather demure cauliflower cheese.  I used to hate sprouts when I lived in Australia, but I love them now.  Also had an unpictured glass of chardonnay.  Marathon training has really made me notice how easy it is to have a drink with everything!  I allow myself to drink the nights before rest days, which are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.  I figured one glass at lunch time won't kill me, but we'll find out tomorrow.....when I have to do uphill strides!!!

This week sees me starting video blogging (they'll be up on Lucozade's site, I'll let you know the links), planning Podcast No.2, and running a half marathon on Sunday!  I remember how overwhelming the build-up was to my first half, but right now I'm not freaking out about it at all.  Coach has told me to see it as a training run, not a race, and that's definitely helped the mindset.  This may all change come Saturday night though ;)

On that note, I'd better get an early night, peoples!

Hope you all have a lovely week!