Assignments, BBQs and Camping

Wow, so, first day of August huh? For me that means 10 days until I go on holiday, two weeks until the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge with Anita and just over two weeks until my birthday. It's all go round here I can tell ya. This week's training looked a little like this:

Saturday: 7 mile walk

Sunday: Rest day

Monday: 5 mile run

Tuesday: 8 mile run

Wednesday: Rest day

Thursday: Hill session & metafit class

Friday: Rest day

As you can see I had an easier week this week. And the weekend was very relaxing as I accompanied my friend Joanne for her first camping trip under canvas. We stayed at Etherley Farm, just a stones throw from Leith Hill where I marshalled the half marathon earlier in the year. We took advantage of the National Trust's wonderful maps and sign-posted paths to explore most of them in a 7 mile amble around the area. We climbed the tower, visited the house and just made the last Soundscape tour of the day. NT volunteers are always so cheery and interested and knowledgeable, they really are a great species of human.

Leith Hill Tower

I climbed a tree!

Views across the valley

Of course food played a big part in the weekend. We enjoyed eating early breakfasts of fruit, yogurt and granola outside in the first rays of sunlight with a cup of coffee, eating wonderfully simple dinners of BBQ'd sausages and veggies and getting snug around the fire as the sun went down again. Chatting and enjoying the simplicity of life. I had a delicious Ploughmans at the pub whose landlord shouted at me when I was marshalling. Thankfully I didn't see him. They make their own chutney and bread, both of which were just divine. 

Then on the Sunday I joined Joanne and family at their annual church social for braai, games and chat. I even learnt how to make loom bands! Good times. Later that evening I managed to finish off and submit my assignment for the Nutrition for Sport & Exercise module I've been studying. No excuse for not fuelling myself correctly now... just need to do my analysis!

Despite a blazing 5 miler at the start of the week I have to confess to feeling a little lack lustre during the middle of the week to the extent that I had to pass on the opportunity to go on a mega microadventure with Anna McNuff and crew in London. I'm hoping desperately it's not an anaemia relapse. That said I've managed to find a way to get my runs done in a way that hasn't worn me out too much. I'm even kinda proud of the fact I managed a hill session followed directly by a metafit session that was chosen specifically to beast the legs. I can feel myself getting stronger thanks to these workouts. I still get my form corrected a little but I can do a minute of chest-to-floor burpees before having to make them easier.

This weekend I am looking forward to running parkrun with my mum, which will also double as a virtual run for The Lullaby Trust, going to my cousin's wedding reception and doing another long run. I intend to do very little else in-between!

What are your plans for August?