You are what you eat

And that maxim is never truer when you’re going for a run. Something I’ve learnt due to bitter recent experience. I am currently (on a good day) running reasonably well, even up to 7 – 8km but on a bad day, like today I’m struggling to get over 2km. And there is one thing that can make it a good run day or a bad day; what / when I last ate. Take today for example, run time 7pm, last ate around lunch time between 11am and 1pm, which was basically one and a half rounds of marmite sandwiches, a packet of crisps and some dried apricots at 11am and then a chocolate bar at 1pm and that was it, no wonder every step hurt when I ran at 7pm, my poor legs had no fuel! Whereas if I run first thing for example, ok I do so before breakfast but I’ve eaten a decent evening meal the night before with plenty of carbs and protein (which I’ve been craving big time since starting running), that’s when I can do the 7 – 8kms. Ok part of that is also to do with not having run round after the two rug rats yet that day.

So it’s made me think, ok running is an extreme example of what you eat affecting your energy levels and your ability to do something but like any mum out there I’m often feeling knackered and how much of that is to do with what I’m eating, instead of ‘just’ being a mum? The answer is pretty obvious really. Maybe mums need to eat like the endurance athletes we are.

The long, long, long weekend

Last day of nursery today *sob*, time has flown by so quickly and it’s been an amazing year for Girl Lacer. The staff at the nursery have been fantastic (and a good laugh socially to!) and although nursery has definitely been no hot house Girl Lacer has learnt so much. They’ve been brilliant to at preparing Girl Lacer for her entry into Reception at school. Luckily she’ll be with her nursery class mates when she starts school and even their nusery nursery nurse will be going up with them.

The last day has been marked by a busy day, we had a picnic in the morning, followed by nursery in the afternoon and then coffee around a friend’s after nursery. My friend is lovely, her eldest son is autistic and she’s provided me with lots of information (and incentive to apply for DLA!).

So it’s now the long, long, long weekend, aka the summer holidays (Girl Lacer was describing it as the long, long, long weekend for a while). Not much clue what I’m going to do over the eight or so weeks. Whenever it’s a school holiday two things happen 1) the flat getseven messier and 2) we get even broker. So these summer holidays will consist of me trying vainly to control the chaos and not spend any money . . .