Moving to Wordpress.

Blogger is driving me nuts... for many reasons, but also I thought I needed to get away from a domain called tryingfood.blogspot.com, because it doesn't match my name! ;P

Easier to find me and all that nonsense.

Now I can be found at:

http://turtlespdrunner.wordpress.com

I haven't done anything with it yet except import my posts. The stupid intensedebate comments haven't imported, of course. I hate intensedebate.

Random Things

Bit of a cliche post... but it's Friday and I feel like throwing some random things out there. What I've been doing, eating, whatever!

1. Kicking butt at Words with Friends with a 71 point word... yep, triple word, triple letter, using all my letters.... ok so I'm a nerd.. who cares ;)

2. Making amazing overnight oats... this was oats, vanilla soy milk, and half the banana cooked in the microwave for three minutes, heaps of cinnamon added... then extra banana added on top after. Pretty simple, but I think the vanilla soy milk really took it over the edge because it was AMAZING....

3. Taking gross pictures of my broken toe... this is after one month of injury... looking kinda angry, and still super fat :( I won't show you the pics I took closer to the injury... eww!

4. Getting up at 5 am to volunteer to take photos at the running club's weekend race - going again this weekend. I figure while I'm out of action, might as well help out! First actual "volunteer" work I've done. Felt good! I think a lot of people didn't like me taking multiple photos of them though... there was like 100 people in the race and I took 1000 photos (it was an out and back multiple times race) :S

This pic is just the view I had before the first runners got to me... that's my tiny little city across the other side of the river :)

One of the better shots I got... blurred the dude out coz I don't know him!

5. Uni starts back on the 27th of Feb! After sitting around on my butt for four months (well, not totally - I did work for a month of it) I'm wondering how I'm going to take being extremely busy again. I do love being busy, and routine, but I have (slowly!) gotten used to not having much to do.

6. Totally random, but I'm in a job which requires me to travel (sort of by choice, though), and have been debating whether to go away for six months at the end of this year. It means delaying the half-marathon I was going to run, as well as deferring uni in second semester, missing some of uni this semester, moving my exams around, quitting the gym & kickboxing, putting my stuff in storage, sorting out finances and bills, living in a foreign country, and STRESS STRESS STRESS... I'm so gonna do it though! Face the fear and do it anyway...

7. One other thing... I've installed intensedebate and I so don't get it. None of the comments that have been sent to me by email are showing up on the blog. I've checked on the moderation and all that and "accepted" all the comments, but none of them show up except my "testing" comment??! Anyone got any idea, or should I just can the stupid thing and return to blogger comments? Grrr arrrgh...

Rum & Raisin Frozen Yoghurt

I normally don't post that many recipes, because most of what I make is pretty simple, or is somebody else's recipe with a few changes. This was one of the simple ones, but it tasted so great I had to share!!!

If you're a fan of rum & raisin flavours, which I am... this will hit the spot :)

In a recycled Skinny Cow container ;)

I was trying to think of more ways to get more calcium in my diet, and brainstorming ideas for mix-ins to make frozen yoghurt. Especially as it's so hot here right now. Then I remembered I had rum essence...

Yum! Forgot to take pictures till I had almost finished ;)

Anyway, this is a pretty loose recipe since it depends how much you want, and I kinda threw it all together last minute last night, but:

Ingredients:
100-200g of your favourite greek yoghurt (I used half and half - one was full fat greek and one a lower fat)
Tablespoon of raisins (or more / less...)
Drop of vanilla essence
Drop of rum essence
2T Cocoa powder
2T Sweetener of choice (or however much you want!)
Splash of almond milk

I also added half teaspoon of vodka because I thought that might help keep it softer, but that didn't work... so maybe don't bother.

I pretty much smooshed it all together in the Skinny Cow cup, and left it to freeze overnight, then microwaved it for 15 seconds to get it to froyo consistency. I suppose you could also just put it in the freezer for an hour and it would be at the consistency.

One modification you could make would be to soak the raisins in actual rum for a while first to infuse them with the flavour, or leave the chocolate out... I like my rum & raisin with chocolate :)

Not counting calories.

So I went and saw a dietician a couple of weeks ago, to try and get some answers on how much I should really be eating with the activity I do. At the time obviously I was running, whereas now I am mainly swimming and cycling thanks to zee toe... She gave me a few pointers on some of the areas my nutrition was lacking (mainly calcium, need more vegetables at lunch, and cut down on my PB intake *gasp*) She also gave me a great plan to follow which should both help fuel my workouts / help recover as well as help me to lose some weight.

To be honest, I've been struggling to follow it! I follow it almost completely, except I have generally been eating one extra snack each day than she has put in the plan, and as a result my weight has been staying stable instead of me losing... which isn't too bad, I guess. I think also the reason I haven't lost anything is because I have been going out for dinner more often than usual, and indulging in a few of these:

Affogato - espresso shot poured over icecream. They are so freaking amazing. When I get obsessed with something food related, having it once does not cure the craving. I usually have to have it, like, once or twice a week probably five times before the craving goes! So I've been kinda going with it and indulging the craving. Just looking at that picture makes my mouth water...

One other thing which has been fantastic and the biggest relief ever, was following the dietician's plan means I am not counting calories. I feel so free! I have wanted to stop counting since forever, but having a plan in front of me means I feel like I finally have permission and can finally do it without feeling like I'm under or over-eating accidentally. It's so great!!!

On the workout front.... I am so bored of swimming. I guess it's because I don't know what to do. I kinda just jump in the pool and swim laps for 30 mins or an hour. Intervals doesn't make it more fun, and neither does changing style every 10 or so laps. I used to love swimming, but that was when I did it once a week. Doing it four times a week now, it's getting pretty old. I'm enjoying the weights I am doing though, and at least on the exercise bike I can pull out a magazine if it gets dull.

Oh well, one week of recovery down... five to seven to go??!

New exercise plan

Ha! Stupid no-running depression, I am totally kicking you to the curb with my new little exercise plan...

Instead of my usual:
4 x runs per week
2 x kickboxing (which I haven't been doing due to work + injury + christmas hols since NOVEMBER ugh)
1 x easy cross-train (swim/elliptical)
3 x weights (usually only manage one per week anyway)

I now have planned:
4 x swims per week (1 long, 1 fast, 2 easy)
2 x indoor bike (1 HIIT, 1 hills)
1 x easy cross-train (probably some game on Wii or modified yoga to only use upper body)
3 x weights sessions (mostly arms, though I think squats would be OK?)

It will be different, and hell yes I will still miss running, but this is a way to keep myself sane....

Oh, and I finally got the results for the cross-country I ran on the weekend... yes with my broken toe (I was clearly in some serious denial). I came 56 out of 86, lol... 20th out of the females and 6th in my age group. The girl who came first in my age group ran at a 5:13 pace. Totally doable, if I had actually run at race pace.... gets me motivated for next time!!

Here's some pics from the locations where the race was:

Yep that's my tiny little city in the background :) 

So purdy!

Broken toe :(

I know this will sound weird, but I was really glad to find out I had "broken" (hairline fracture) my toe. I have been limping for 10 days and the toe was still swollen, and I felt like I was being a sook thinking it still hurts.

Glad in that way... super upset in another. It was not even that long ago that I was really happy to be running at a 6 minute/km pace consistently. Well, today (yeah, after I got the X-ray, because I'm an idiot) I ran a 5 minute pace. (8 minute mile). I promise I will stop running if the doctor tells me to do so tomorrow when I show her the X-ray - as much as it pains me to say so. My toe hurt like hell after I did that run... I don't know what I was thinking :(

Anyway. So like always seems to happen with runners, just when you feel like you're getting somewhere good, along comes a fun injury. And mine wasn't even running induced, which annoys me even more. If you missed the story - I dropped a 73kg item on my shoe while at work.

I tried the elliptical and it hurt, the bike hurt too (the foot strap mainly kept touching my toe), and the rowing machine (which was sort of OK...?). I also tried doing a lunge and almost squealed.... so I'm left with probably upper arm strength work and swimming? BORING...

I'm guessing the doc is going to say 4-6 weeks to heal, since that's what Google has told me. Basically the whole of the rest of my uni holidays :( I was already bored enough without my running being taken away from me!!! Ugh...

 Here's the break - it looks like it's on both sides. The left bit actually protrudes on my toe and you can feel it... not like out of the skin or anything, but it's a distinct bump. In actuality it is a pretty mild fracture, but I've never broken a bone before so it's kinda fascinating to me.

Also - it is very difficult to take a photo of an X-ray.

In completely random other news, trying to boost my mood I had my first taste of fro-yo :D This was banana & chocolate, with blueberries, choc chips, m&ms, jelly beans, froot loops & gummy bears (Basically most of the toppings - I was going to go with just blueberries & choc chips but then I thought why not....!)

It was pretty good except some of the lollies were kind of stale :(

Also - I apologise for being super lazy commenting on blogs / replying to comments lately. I have no excuse since I'm still on uni break... I read blogs and then just don't comment... not sure why!

WIAW - Raw food cafe

Thanks Jenn for hosting this again :)

So anyway the last week or so where I live has been extremely hot. The last two days were 38'C and 40'C and this is the forecast for the next week:

Like.... WTF?! Seriously?! To put it in perspective for you Americans out there... 38'C is 100'F and 42'C is 107'F. The minimum temperature is hardly a minimum either!!!

My house doesn't have air conditioning... so I'm spending my days sticking to the leather couch and not moving a great deal. I have managed to drag myself to the gym for a run yesterday (where I splashed the crap out of the treadmill with sweat... isn't that a beautiful image??!) and a swim on Monday. Tonight might be another swim, I don't think I can face the weights room...

To anyone who says they are jealous, you have obviously never suffered a week of this heat... and to be fair, neither have I. Usually it is two to three days and then the relief of a cooler day - and that's bad enough!

Anyway enough talking about the weather, since this is in fact a WIAW... today mum & I went off to a Raw Food cafe. I've been wanting to go ever since I found out it opened up. It was FREAKING AMAZING....

Here's what we ate...

First out was our smoothies... mine was the green one (spinach & banana and I forget what else) and mum had the mango... it was like a lassi but with almond milk and walnuts and stuff. I tasted both, and both were delicious.

My main meal (nachos) This was soooo delicious. The crackers were I think flaxseed and buckwheat dehydrated, then a tomato salsa, guacamole and cashew "cream cheese". I ate every single crumb.

Mum's soup. She couldn't remember what was in it. Flax crackers on the side. It was yum though!

My dessert... a florentine. I can never say no to these, and why not a raw version too... (You can see how hot it is by the fact half the chocolate has already melted before I've touched it...)

Raw chocolate cheesecake. I tasted this too... it was SO GOOD! The base tasted like a walnutty mix, and I don't really know what was in the middle but it tasted pretty unhealthy even though it wasn't ;)

I would definitely go back there! The meal was about $65 for both drinks, both mains and desserts so pretty average pricing. And I felt full but not disgustingly bloaty gross full like you usually feel when you eat out. So it was great! 

This weekend I'm supposed to be running in my first club race which is a XC, but I'm pretty sure it will be cancelled. They said they will cancel it if the fire danger is in "extreme", and at the moment in the seven day forecast that's what it's saying... :( Hope it changes!!!

On other news... the foot that I dropped the generator on is not really healing and I swear there's a bone sticking up where it shouldn't be sticking up. I can't walk without pain, but I can run without pain. Work that one out.... :S It's also still swollen. But since I can still run without pain, I plan on it!!

Hope everyone enjoyed their Wednesdays :D

Everything will be OK.

I can't believe what a different person I become when I'm surrounded by people I love. I'm happy, bubbly, outgoing and apparently really funny. I just spent two weeks in Melbourne with 20 of my workmates. We see each other twice a year for two weeks, and we have become really close. I had such an amazing time and have a renewed vigour for life, I hope that it lasts!
I think a lot of the problems I was feeling before I left was just too much time on my hands to think. When I was surrounded by friends 24/7, I did not worry or think about food all the time. I was more relaxed. I didn't feel depressed, except 1 day when I just felt off anyway.
I ate really well and did heaps of exercise the first week:

Saturday: rest
Sunday: Interval run session with friends:
4 x 400m
2 x 200m
8 x 100m
(Pushups & squats inbetween each rep)
& a 1.25 km swim.
Monday: arm workout with friends: heaves, pushups, leg lifts & shoulder presses.
Tuesday: 4 km run
Wednesday: 5 km run
Thursday: random gym workout - kickboxing for 30 mins, legs for 30 minutes + 0.5km in the pool.
Friday: 5 km run + 1.65 km swim
Saturday: rest

All of the workouts were awesome fun.

The next week wasn't as great as I got busier with work and injured myself on the Wednesday:
Sunday: 9km run (split into 5 & 4)
Monday: 10 minute swim
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 7.5 km hilly run

and then nothing for four days...

My injury was sustained during work, basically I was lifting a generator which weighs 73kg out of a vehicle trailer with a friend, and must have lost my grip, it landed on my foot. Luckily the shoes are pretty good (not steel cap, but tough enough!) So all I sustained was dark bruising, swelling and a black toenail. It really hurts to bend the big toe though, so I've been limping around and not running. I'm hoping it will be fine soon?? I'm very lucky to have been wearing those shoes....

I plan on spending this week mainly doing swimming and strength work so to let it heal properly, but if I'm desperate I might give a go at running tomorrow and see how I feel.

I must mention also that I'm pretty proud of how disgustingly I ate in the second week... I know that sounds crazy haha :P But I literally had like 3000+ calories in the last three days (each day) - mostly in booze and hangover food! Had some AMAZING nights, and they were seriously really fun, so it was worth everything. I even had a Hungry Jacks (Burger King) meal and enjoyed it... mind you at the time I was really, really drunk and probably seriously needed it. The best part??? I didn't feel overly guilty, because I knew it was just a couple of days of fun and then I could resume eating normally and everything would be OK. I also did not count calories for the whole two weeks.

Quickie

Just a quick one, forgot to mention im away for two weeks work again so another blog hiatus!! Updating on daily mile though, if youre on there.

Have been doing some awesome workouts though as everyone here is really into fitness and one of my good friends is a personal trainer :)

I'm sore all over!!!!!

WIAW - Migraine foods...

Yay! 50th WIAW... can't believe it's been going that long.
I will preface this WIAW by saying that I haven't logged everything I ate today - and that also it was a lighter eating day since I was crook all day. I was pretty bummed. Kickboxing went back last night (after Christmas break), and a migraine started to develop so I went to bed early. Unfortunately it persisted through today, so I can't go tonight either. And then I'm going away for two weeks again with work! D'oh!
So I spent today watching trashy TV like "Glamour mums" and "Dance mums" haha. They're fascinating... what can I say... and also rummaging through my massive pile of running magazines and pulling out inspirational bits to keep. While the migraine came with lovely nausea & epic bloating, that can never put me totally off food. I love it too much.
Anyway, without further adou / adieu / ado???? here is the food.

A weird creation I made over Christmas break - chocolate cherry bread with eggnog & using chickpea flour. A little too chickpea-ish, but yummy all the same.

The best lunch ever. It looks pretty simple.. but it was so tasty!

1: Ricotta with blackcurrant jam on four seed bread.

2. Yellow capsicum (called bell pepper in the US I believe?) avocado and rock salt on the same bread

3. Hommus with homemade cherry tomato chutney and rock salt. Probably the best one!

Dutch mints. Mints seem to help with the nausea that accompanies my migraines. I had to hold off buying the whole Dutch section at the supermarket... stroopwafels, chocolate hagel, almond fingers... *drools* (... I'm half Dutch if you're wondering)

Another snack, self-explanatory. 

Chocolate avocado mousse - this is a recycled picture, the one I had today didn't have the fancy fruit going on.

Soy cappuccino, caffeine helps dull the pain.

Oats... recycled pic. This morning's oats were actually cranberry & vanilla ;P

Dinner... I know everyone's probably sick of seeing sweet potatoes with nut butter.. but that's what I had for dinner, so there :P