Brit Chick Runs

HELLO!

Happy Easter / Happy Sunday / Happy Weekend!

Did you all have a fabulous one? Mine has hardly been wild…I would do a long, rambling drawn out post, but it’s late where I am (read: it’s my bedtime!) so I’ll do a recap of noteworthy happenings:

Note Worthy Breakfasts:

Frozen oatmeal?

I saw on Elise’s blog the other day that she mentioned she’d put her overnight oats in the freezer, so they went like cookie dough…fair enough, I thought. I cooked up 1/2 c. oats with banana, almonds, milk, cinnamon etc, and stuck it in the freezer overnight…..hmm.

Very hmmm….I ended up melting it a bit, then covering it in the good stuff -

It was weird. I probably wouldn’t recommend freezing your oats.

AAAHH that smoothie was GOOD! I put in a sachet o’ this:

Along with frozen banana, spinach, soya milk, and strawberries. Very tasty!

Cereal, soya milk, lucuma powder, chia seeds, frozen banana, melon —> awesomeness personified.

Faux-Iced coffee! I have lost count of the number of glasses I’ve had this weekend [but no Diet Pepsi! I haven't touched the stuff in 2 weeks!!!]

Note Worthy Events:

Hmm..number one note worthy event has to be awarded to Chika! Background? I’ve hardly ridden her since January – a combination of dastardly weather, lots of lectures, and a heck of a lot of studying + stress have meant she’s had to take a back seat. Not that she minds – she likes being a tubby lady of leisure! Howevz, on Fridee, I felt sorry for her – as usual, Tig was being ridden and it was sunny and she was just stuck in the field. SO, I decided to throw caution to the wind, and grab her tack and hop on!

I took her in the field where Tig was working, put her straight on a contact, warmed up, and was having a lovely fast canter when she got a tad … overexcited!? In other words – she had a big old bucking fit out of sheer JOY (for her, not me. I didn’t enjoy it. Not at all.) and next thing I know, I’m on the floor!

Now I have pretty good stickability normally – Chika’s spooks and bucks have taught me how to stay on! But I suppose a combination of going fast, being out of practice riding-skillz wise, and the fact that when she bucks, her head goes between her front knees somewhere and she bounces like mad, meant I came off! Very embarrassing!! I tried my best to stay on, but there was NOTHING in front of me, so out the side door I went.

Mid-fall, I twisted round and screwed my arm up somewhat (I can’t even open a drawer or chop a parsnip without it hurting!), but the best bit was thought process before I hit the ground: Sh!t, she better not stand on my legs, they’ve just started to get better!

LOL. Priorities!

Anyway, I got up, dusted myself off, and got back on. We then did a few minutes of the most faaabulous canter work – think [if you're horsey] 5m half circles with 1-step simple changes (canter-walk-canter) to change rein, about 4 or 5 times in a row. Zig-zagging, kinda? It was awesome! Girl just likes to be under my thumb, is all.

Second note-worthy event goes to another successful physio appointment! My Mr said that my legs – for the first time pretty much – felt waaaaay softer! Like, the muscles were nowhere near as tight and tense as they had been, which is awesome! AND, there were NO sore points whilst he was massaging! Normally there’s one or two, but NOPE!

Third note-worhty event – I tried some of my mumma’s caramel soya frappaccino whilst we were in town….holycrap. My new addiction!

Fourth NWE: On Sunday, I decided to school Mrs Pony again! I just didn’t want to leave our last session as having been one where I’d fallen off, y’know? I took her in the school, and did 15minutes, and she was AWESOME! 4 months off, but within 10mins we were doing canter 3 loop serpentines, except from B to E, as opposed to C to A. Like, width wise..? Does that make sense!? Oh, and we had space to spare! I was a mega proud fur-mumma!!!

Note Worthy Other Eats:

Swamp water. The best there is in all the land.

Chickpea-fennel-pear-parsnip-aubergine-tofu salad, with a sweet maple-y dressing. Note the grass has been cut!

Tis what dreams are made of!

Hmmm…I don’t even remember what was in that! At least it looks preddy

OOH! That was melon, cereal, pear + vanilla extract, and was somewhat fantastique! My memory hasn’t 100% escaped me this weekend then, obvs.

Parsnip pancakes. Oh yes.

Soya flour / chestnut flour / wheatbran / cinnamon, with lots of grated parsnip. SO good!

There’s also been copious amounts of chocolate…but I’m sure y’all know what that looks like

Oh – and I also got in a run – 5miles, 41.30. Mild left leg pain, but it felt more muscular than anything else, plus it was WAY hot – so I’m not gonna worry!

Annnyways, I’m done in for the day. My bed is literally YELLING my name – I must obey it!

Question: What did you do for Easter?

Also – pretty soon, I’m going to take a blog holiday so I can focus on my study / revision. However, mon sister has offered to take over! Something a bit different though – she suggested she does a challenge of sorts, where YOU guys pick stuff for her to do each day! Anything from say something random to a stranger in the street, cook a 3-course meal, eat spinach, ummm….ok, I can’t think of anything, but do you get the gist!? Then she’d blog about it each day. Something note-worthy about Hannah – she is NOT a health food blogger type person – ie, no spinach, oatmeal, lucuma powder, chia seeds….you get me!? So a challenge like ‘eat spinach’ really WOULD be a challenge! Let me know what you think. Oh – and the challenges can be as crazy or sane as you like. You guys would be in control!

(source)

For most people, yes. For me?

.

(source)

This is a far more likely picture.

FYI: I’m the bloke in that pic! My mum and I spent the evening working on my dissertation…which means I AM a ball of fuzz, mush, and everything else unstable. So no proper post!

I’ll be back tomorrow though, with frozen oatmeal and tales of my falling off the fat blob in the field I call Chika.

See you then!

Bonjorno, mon beau blog readairs! (No, that’s not French – it just sounds nice in my head!)

Before I launch off on one – did you see me over on The Athlete’s Plate? World wide domination will be mine soon, folks. I’ll be appearing on every blog, whether it’s a foodie one, running, living, painting, being happy, being sad, being weird…you name it, I’ll be on it. Mark my words. Anyway.

I am SO glad that it’s Friday tomorrow!

1) it means the weekend is almost here… which actually doesn’t mean a huge amount in my world. It’s not like I have a Mon-Fri job, where weekends really are free. Every day is just study study study…gah!

2) it also means I have my next PHYSIO appointment! THAT I am looking forward to

Talking of running (we were, weren’t we?), I went out on a 4mile jaunt today. After the last one was mildly sore in the old leg department, I decided to take it easy and go slow and steady (like the tortoise – we always win the race!)

- 9.19 (during this mile, I rounded a corner, only to have a Hugh Jass dog jump out at me! I believe I may have gasped and said ‘oh my days’, or something less polite, whilst the rugged beast tore at my clothes and tried to eat me…ok, I exaggerated the last bit )

- 8.51

- 8.38

- 8.28

There was ZERO pain. None AT ALL. Now, I would get all excited, but I’m trying to contain it – after all, I got excited after that amazing speedy 7miler a few weeks back, and subsequently got worse again. Sooo it’s one step at a time!

Breakfast when I got back (post-stretching of course) was THE most tremendous thing I have had in a loooooong time!!

Last night I combined 1/2 c. oats, 1/3 c. soya milk & 1/3 c. water, 1 scoop of Vega Vanilla-Almond smoothie mix (from the HLS swag), 1 tsp lucuma powder, salt and a mashed banana. This s’morgen, I added strawbugs, peanut flour blob, cereal and almonds:

OH boy. It was super sweet from the overripe banana and vanilla-y everything, and amazingly fantastic! Honestly, one of my all-time favourite bowls <—and that’s sayin’ something! If you can get past the green-tint, and get hold of some Vega – I’d recommend you make it. Ay.

Afterwards, I went out for my daily stroll in the sun with my notes, and realised something super awesome – I REALLY AM DEVELOPING A TAN! I made it my mission this year to not be one big ball of white day-glo (like I was last year), where I have to wear sunglasses just to put my trousers on in the morning. In fact, I hope to look like this come August:

(source)

Good look, ay? I’m partway there…though I do have a striking tanline where my shorts go, and another one where my trainer socks start. Oh crikey. I hope no potential marriage-material men are reading this right now, cos I have totally just undersold myself. No-one wants a stripy bride!

Uuhm. Let’s move on.

In fact, let’s not just move on, let’s celebrate LIFE!

That my dears, is the result of my first attempt at creating life, by sprouting! My dry little buckwheat groats have been turning into sprouts (with some advice from the LOVELY Katie!) the past few days. I’m one proud mamma

You know what else makes me proud? Lunch. Or more specifically, when I make a tasty one! Involving this beast:

Yum.

No-Quinoa Quinoa Chickpea Confetti Casserole

(I wanted to cook the Quinoa Chickpea Confetti Casserole from Eat, Drink and Be Vegan, but I didn’t want to wait that long, so I just altered it slightly and voila!)

- 1/2 can chickpeas

- a few tbsp finely chopped fennel (I used up the stalky bits from the top)

- 1 large garlic clove

- dried rosemary and thyme – probably about 1/3 – 1/2 tsp of each

- mixed spice – just a pinch

- EVOO

- fresh basil – 6- 8 leaves or so?

- lemon juice

- salt and pepper

- optional – parsnips!

1) If you’re using parsnip, chunk it and put it in the oven to roast. Chop the fennel and garlic finely, and fry them on a medium heat til brown and a bit crispy.

2) Mix the chickpeas (drained, but not dried) with the spices/herbs and lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Add a splash of EVOO if wanted. Let it sit to absorb.

3) Add in the fennel, garlic and roasted parsnip, mix up, and BAM! You’re done:

Blooming. Heck.

It was so tasty! I don’t usually use those kinda flavours, but I’m glad I did cos it was AWESOME.

On the side, I wanted to use up some more bar stash – 2 choices:

I’d had one of the Nu-Go bars before and hated it – Nu-NO, as the case may be(or Nu-Not-Go, or No-Go – whichever phrase you prefer!). Sooo I opted for The Simply Bar, which I got at the HLS last year. I ended up having the chocolate version:

And apparently forgot to take a picture, which is a shame cos it was really delicious! I normally hate crispy puffy rice-y bars cos they’re like eating air – but this actually had a bite to it, which I luffed. It tasted heavier than it weighed, if that makes sense….

Anyway. I also had a SIAB!

Smoothie in a bowl – cooked squatter nut bosh, soya milk, maple sizzup, cinnamon, maca powder (which tastes like dirt, if you try it straight up), lucuma powder. faboosh! Lunch of champions!

For dins much later on, I made some grooveh tofu, marinated in apple juice, dijon mustard, soy sauce and honey:

(The back piece looks like a FACE! Errh)

Aaah, my elegant photogger skillz strike again. I really should bring out a ‘how to present your food so it looks pretty’ book, shouldn’t I!? Don’t answer that :/

Hmmmm.

The rest of the evening was spent getting stressed and brain-fuzzed over my blasted dissertation, which is due in 2 weeks tomorrow. I am NOT happy with it, at all. But meh, I shan’t moan on here!

Instteeaaad, I’ll do Day 6 of the 30 Day Challenge

Oh crap – 30 interesting facts!!?? Here goes nothin’!

1 – My step brother, sister and I used to play ‘dogs’ when we were little, and my step brother would ALWAYS name us Chloe. No idea why!

2- I’ve owned 5 hamsters – Fluffy, Chip, Tink, Dido, and…one other, I’ve forgotten it’s name! (I was young, so young!)

3- I’ve owned two rats – Daisy and Dynamite.

4- I once appeared in the local newspaper, because my dad bred organic free-range chickens..

5- I’ve been to France 5 or 6 times.

6- When I did the French exchange, aged 12, I spent a week in France – and had ONE shower. I couldn’t work it, and I didn’t know how to ask in French what to do!

7- According to my mum, I said my first word at 7months.

8- I have backwards elbows.

9- I didn’t have my first kiss til I was 16.

10- I’m 5ft9.

11- I was ranked 5th best Junior rider in the UK in 2004 (for non-race rides) in endurance riding.

12- In two seasons, I rode over 650 miles in competition in endurance riding.

13- I have size 8 feet (a 10, in the USA I think!)

14- I went through 5 groups of friends in the first 5 years of high school.

15- I used to be a goth (hmm..it was a short phase!)

16- My middle name is Katherine. With a K.

17- My mum was 37years old when she had me.

18- Chika is my best friend in the entire world!

19- I used to own a cat called Tiggey, that hated cuddles, would claw you if you walked passed her, and used to hiss if my sister walked into the room!

20- When I was little (like, 4years old), I forgot to feed my fish. The largest one – Sharkey – ate the little one, Gilbert!!

21- My sister’s rabbit died whilst we were on holiday (aged 10 or so), so my aunt froze her – when we got back, my sister was presented with a freezing cold, stiff rabbit – eyes wide open, mouth open and everything! She was NOT happy.

22- I got 2 A*s, 5 As, 2 Bs, and a D at GCSEs.

23- I used to be a very very competitive swimmer, for a club and all!

24- I once burnt my hand by pressing it on the iron, ‘to see if it was on’. It was. ooohhhh boy, it was.

25- I was scared of horses til I was aged 2 or 3.

26- I once badly sprained my arm, following a boy I liked up a steep hill in nursery – and then subsequently falling down it again (LOLz)

27- When I was 4, I leant over the side of a round-a-bout and thought it was tipping up and I was going to die. My great-aunt rushed to save me, and somehow I managed to badly break her finger in the process..oops.

28- I hate sweetcorn, peas, broad beans, sugarsnap peas, green beans, string beans, pistachio butter, potatoes, and … I can’t think of anything else

29- It’s 11.02pm and I really want to say goodnight to the kittens.

30 – I’m shocked that I managed to think of 30 things!

Tell me ONE thing about you!

It’s SPRING!

Spring means three things to me:

1) Exams (obviously. Hurrumph).

2) Warm weather! Oh boy, there was warm weather today, fo’ sho!! It was B-E-A-Utiful I just wanted to roll around in the grass aaaall day – though I refrained, because..well, I’m not a 14th century pauper.

3) Babies! Not for me, thank goodness, but for the animal kingdom. This time last year, my aunt had two of her horses expecting bubbahs, which resulted in these delights:

But this year, it’s ME who’s expecting the little ones! Well, indirectly, via Michelle and her liddle widdums:

Hannah and kitten

Sooo cute

In sad news however – Hannah found a 3rd kitten this morning. It was dead It was a tiiiny weeny little tabby thing, and so pretty! One of its’ feet was all mangled up though..I actually think Michelle killed it, cos she’s a little cat and probably thought she wouldn’t be able to nurse 3 kittens. Ohhh nature is so cruel!

It seems like baby fever is well and truly here now though! So many bloggers seem to be pregnant, have just had a baby, or have a strong desire for one. To be honest – I just don’t get it! I am THE most unmaternal person ever! I have zero desire for a kid – in fact, the whole notion of something growing inside you?? Well, it creeps me out! It reminds me of the film Alien (which my dad showed me when I was 7. I think I’m scarred for life!):

(source)

Blerch! Not for me. If I did end up having to be forced to have a kid, I’d adopt – ideally a little girl from China! I think my views on having babies are like my views on breeding dogs and cats – why keep breeding them when there are soo many that need a loving home?? Baah well. Maybe I’m cynical, or downright weird – you be the judge

Let’s move on! This is Brit Chick Runs, not Brit Chick Discusses Babies and The Over-Breeding Crisis….

So what happened today – ah! I did a DVD workout this smorgen – Jillian’s Boost Metabolism one, an all-time favourite. Even though I’ve done it a billion times, I can still get mah sweat orrrn. No better way to start the day IMHO. Unless you like to being your day clean and fresh, not a hot mess post-workout…

Straight after my DVD-fun, I shot into the nearer-to-me town (errands to run), so I packed a super quick breakfast on the go – a Clif Builder’s bar (out of date, of course):

Except when I got to town, I accidentally left it in the car…I came back (after getting hit with a serious dose of Royal Wedding Fever – man alive, the shops have gone mad!) and it was one gooey, melty mess! Still tasty though I also had a soya cappuccino from the wonder that is Costa. You know I think Costa is actually rivalling my Starbucks obsession now? Maybe it’s cos I have one of those loyalty cards – thus the more Costa coffees I buy, the more free I will get! Heh

I got home, and saw I’d received a faboosh email! I don’t want to say what it was about yet, but it was awesomeness personified!! However – it may mean that I have to take a brief blog holiday this May, during the crazy exam period – blog writing takes up a lorra lorra time and I’m gonna need all the time I can get! I’d still try and check in though, and maybe have some guest posts lined up or something OOH! And I just thought – maybe I could make my sister take over for a few weeks! SHE could be Brit Chick Runs! Except..without the running, veganism or incredible, amazing, talented camera skillz. Ha.

Lunch today – it was amazeballs!

Was ist das?

Das ist dis:

Homemade seitan, stir fried with a chopped plum and date sizzup. I may or may not have chugged the date syrup straight out of the bottle as I made this…don’t judge!

Accompanied by roasted squash and parsnip-nip:

Oh, and apparently a few hunks of aubergine, which I totes forgot about.

For my carbs – a frozen banana, soya milk, strawberry and lucuma powder smoothie:

With almonds and cereal. It was kinda like a dessert! Except, it wasn’t – cos real dessert was my LAST square of some of the best chocolate I’ve had in a loooong time:

I’m gonna miss that bar. I tried to replenish my stock of it today, but alas – there was none available. Meh – worse things have happened at sea…

Snacks included a lorra almonds, a lorra PB fingers, and a lorra mushy milky cereal:

I did eat more than that – I just wanted to show you the best bit, the mushy bit! Nothin’ beats it.

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30 Day Challenge time!

Day 5: A time you thought about ending your life.

Hmm – that’s a tough, personal topic! But I signed up to the challenge soo…here goes.

I think I wanted to very much when I was 15 or 16 – I was not happy, and although that was the time in my life that was pre-ED, I was still very confused and stressed, and hated being in my own skin. I never tried to (and I never have) but the thoughts were there. When I was ill with my ED, I wanted to die – especially when I felt alone and trapped at uni during my first term, back in 2008. I was on the phone to my mum every single night, crying and crying. I hated life!

I had a bit of a ‘blip’ at the beginning of this year too, what with exam stress, life stress, and injury stress – but I’m managing to cope with it all at the moment, and I think things are turning around and starting to look really positive again. The end of uni is near, and uni has been one mega downer of an event for me, so I can’t wait for it to be over! I know I’ll feel 10 x better when it is Besides, just the thought of being done by June 1st is enough to make me smile a bit..oh, and the email I got today! Rahaha!!

I do have a lot (A LOT) more to say about this topic – but I’m not 100% comfortable posting it on here at the moment. Maybe one day in the future!

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Question: Do you want kids? Do you have kids already? Do you have Baby Fever? (sooo nearly wrote Bieber Fever there!!)

PS: I have to share this link with you! The lovely wonderful Katy tweeted it earlier, and it made me smile, so here you go!

Click me!

PPS: Lovely reader Mari emailed me about this the other day, and as it’s something I strongly believe in – and you should too! – please sign! It’s a petition to stop Derbyshire from introducing a massive new pig factory farm. Petitions to stop these things DO work (I signed one to stop a huge cow factory farm being opened, and it worked), so please please take the time to register your oppistion!

You can do it here.

Mari, the pigs and I all say a massive thank you!

PPPS: KOVAC! Freshly photogged this morning and all.

So peaceful. I wish I was a cat.

Aaah I just cuddled the kittens – they are the cutest most adorable little fluffy blobs of black ever!! Maybe tomorrow I’ll try and get some better pics…’try’ being the important word there – i just can’t work out the right setting to get the best pictures! I reaaally need to find my camera book Oh, and FYI: the family is now named – Michelle (the mama – it seemed appropriate given the last cat was called Obama) and the kittens are OJ (my sister named that one!) and Snoop Dogg – my mum’s choice!)

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Here’s something random that bugs me about blogs – the bloggers ALL have access to GYMS! I find this so infuriating! My nearest gym is about a 25min+ drive away, which isn’t really do-able (have you seen the fuel prices recently?? Yeah.). There is a tiny tiiiiny gym a bit closer (think: one treadmill, no cross-trainer, room the size of my kitchen) but it is open only to members, for 2-3 hrs a day. It’s literally – a room with 2 machines in. That’s it! No TV or anything to look at to keep entertained, and the room really is tiny and stuffy. Hurrumph!

So when I see people talk about weight reps or going on the elliptical machine (not even sure what that is!) I feel kinda woeful you know? Like I’m missing out! BUT – I have a replacement for the gym. It’s probably cost as much over the last few years as a super cheap gym membership would, but I don’t have to share my replacement with stinky sweaty men, or have to listen to ‘bodybuilders’ grunt and gawk at themselves in the mirror. I can also dress like a bum when I work out with my replacement, and no-one cares I have water on tap, food if I need it, and a nice view. I can do my replacement at any time I like and I’ll never have to wait…it’s a pretty good deal really

The replacement in question?

Workout DVDs!!

I have a somewhat large collection….

See? I’ve been collecting them for about 2-3 yrs, and now have almost 40!! Impressive [though not as impressive as my cookbook collection, but that's a post for another day]. Soo in celebration of DVD-awesomeness, I thought I’d show you some of my favourites!

1) Jillian.

I don’t know where to begin with my love for that woman. I just ADORE here! a) she looks awesome! b) she can kick my butt, and c) she’s Jillian. She’s motivational yet normal looking – she has an attainable figure and she’s so encouraging. I seriously have one big fat old girl crush on that woman Oh, and did I mention she likes horses!? WIN!

Jillian = my first love.

2) Clubland

Gah – this box makes me sad. The actual disc is stuck in the old DVD player that broke, and I can’t get it out which is awful! That DVD used to be one of my favourites – a dance section, which was awesome [one could attempt to be sexy - one found it very entertaining], a boxing section which was faboosh to get anger out on, and a cardio section, which had groovy music. Oh, and some abs section…but I always skip those sections :p

Random trivia: the lady who does the DVD, on the front cover? She used to date Robbie Williams! You heard it here first.

3) 10 Minute Solution

One word: annoying-as-heck. I’ve done that DVD twice, and both times I wanted to tear out my own eyes with rusted blades – that WOMAN!! Ohemgee. A waste of £5, if you ask me.

4) Mel B

Mel B is pretty hardcore – I mean, look at her:

(source)

She IS Scary Spice! The DVD is sorta hardcore enough to match – there’s lots of sweat and grunting (which goes against one of my reasons for liking home workout DVDs…) – but she is very, very repetitive. There’s a limit to how many times you want to lift a 2litre water bottle over your head. [note: the limit is not big. Once is enough for me!]

5) Kristin McGeeHee!

Ok, it’s just Kristin McGee. But McGeeHee is how I say it in my head, and so she will always be Miss McGeeHee to me. These 2 DVDs got me lovin’ yoga – they’re very easy to follow, well explained, and have 3 levels for each move so you can be a beginner, or one of those weird freaky people who can bend backwards and balance on their head – and you’ll still get something outta it! I credit the McGeeHee with increasing my flexibility, and making my mum and sister jealous about how far my hands can stretch past my toes

6) Pump It Up

Robbie’s girlfriend is back, with some very skimpy outfits indeed! Oh, and a pervy man who hangs around in the background, sweating profusely whilst none of the lady dancers do. It’s odd. Saying that though – this DVD is fun! Not the most hardcore exactly, but the music is awesome and it makes you jump about!! Love it.

7) Strictly Come Dancersize

Crap. Awful. Don’t waste your money, like I did.

Pump It Up (again)

Apparently I have a thing for Robbie’s girlfriend!? This is her third appearance! I actually really like this DVD – it’s 6yrs old and still going strong! I only ever do one section off of it, cos the other two succeed in raising my heart rate by approx. 2beats…but the one section I DO do, I have done to death and love it!

9) Nell

Do you want to sweat? Do you want to run on the spot for 1hour, waving your arms? Do you want to hear Nell’s trainer yelling at you? Do you want to be totally bored? Then buy this DVD! It’s tiring but dull, and you won’t hear a peep out of Nell! BUT she does know what she’s talking about (or..not, as the case may be) cos she’s a multiple speedy marathoner

10) Daviiiiiiinnnaaaaaa!

:

The British Jillian, if you will! I love love love her! She’s a great presenter and she looks fabulously and her trainers – Jackie and Mark – are so cute! I get a lot out of her DVDs, and she just makes me smile

11) Celeb – DVDs

Fake fake fake fake. I think every one of those women lost weight, did a DVD and made boatloads of $$$, then proclaimed how miserable they were and put the weight back on. I don’t get it. It’s dishonest – if they’re marketing a routine and method which us mere mortals are meant to be able to stick to, and we buy them on the basis of how fabulous these women say they feel, it’s not fair to 6months later go and say how terrible the experience was!

12) Billy.

Aaaah. Billy Billy Billy. My man! He’s big and muscly and sweaty and I LOVE him.

Marry me, Billy?

So there you have it! The low-down on some of my most frequented DVDs Next time I say I’m doing a DVD workout, you can bet yo’ ass it’ll be in the company of one of those merry folk! Except the nasty 10 Minute Solution lady. Never. Again.

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Moving on!

I ate oats:

Oats, chia seeds, soya milk, lucuma powder, salt – to be more specific! I actually cooked them, left them for 20mins and returned to a stiff bowl of cool goodness – just how I like it! I topped the bowl wiiith:

Frozen banana, almonds, peanut flour mess and maple syrup cereal. Good times!

Before that though, I went running! I tackled 4.5miles today:

Mile 1: 8.21

Mile 2: 8.17

Mile 3: 8.07

Mile 4: 8.01

Mile Nubbin: 8.01

Total: 36.45, 8.11 min/mile average.

I was pleased with the splits, but GAH – my left leg is STILL playing up! It was very much muscle soreness today, as opposed to shin soreness – which I kinda see as a good thing. But it was still irritating Next physio appointment is Friday, so we shall seeee…..

Oh- when I finished the run, I noticed a problem:

Apparently my new trainers came with teeth.

The rest of the day didn’t really hold much of anything spectacular – I found some rotten bananas at the store:

Don’t they look perfect!? Oh, and note my gum addiction, on the left :p

And I ate the other half of my not-so-sea-vegetable-y tempeh:

That looks so gross!

Annnd that was the extent of my day :p

30 Day Challenge anyone?

Day 4 – your views on religion.

Well (and I’m somewhat reluctant to write this) – I’m about as atheist as they come. I don’t believe in God or spirits or anything like that. I think it’s awesome how much some people get out of believing in God, in terms of support when they feel down, being able to put their trust in their faith and so on; but it just isn’t me. I suppose I’m very ‘what you see is what you get’, and see individual differences just being down to individual ‘wiring’ and social learning. I also firmly believe that I am in 100% control of my destiny, and that there is no path or plan laid out for me by God (of course, I’m generalising here – I know all religious people don’t feel like that).

It also sometimes frustrates me when religion causes problems – wars or bombings, for someone’s faith. I suppose I do want world peace (!), but it seems that when so many people sooo strongly believe in something, it’s hard for everyone to get along. I could keep talking about this forever, but I don’t want to ram my beliefs down anyone’s throat!!

Now – please no-one be offended with what i wrote! That is purely my personal opinion which I’m entitled to, so don’t get mad at me!

Question: What are your views on religion?