Cider fuelled running

This weekend I headed down to the South West and Cider country to spend a weekend with friends.

The weekend (as with most activities in this part of the world) involved drinking a large quantity of that apple based alcohol beverage which happens to be one of my favourite forms of refreshment as it does quite literally grow on trees around there.

My two nights of sampling what Bristol had to offer were nicely segmented by a trip to Ashton Court Parkrun. 

I think I have finally caught the Parkrun bug as this was my second successive Parkrun weekend and my third different Parkrun in the last couple of weeks. 

Now you have an idea of my weekends itinerary you can see why I coined the term cider fuelled running for my weekends activities. 

Before I get onto the running let's start off with the cider as well as some amazing food.

Friday night was meant to be spent in Wembley stadium rocking out to Dave Grohl and his foo fighting gang before an early morning trip to Bristol. Unless you have been living under an incredibly dark social media deprived stone for the last week or two a badly broken fibula put paid to those plans.

So an early Friday evening was spent instead sipping cider on the Apple, one of Bristols finest cider serving establishments, a bar based on a barged moored up on the harbour just outside the city centre. 

Two nights on the cider does come come that highly recommended, (I speak from previous experience from previous trips to Bristol) so having Parkrun on the horizon the following morning was my saving grace to save my liver from too much punishment.

I did take it kind of easy on the cider on Friday night then, a few pints followed by a trip to the Spitfire BBQ for dinner. This place was amazing, the kind of joint that you could find Adam Richman salivating excitedly behind the counter while pestering the chef for a taste of everything from the menu.

In a place like this the only problem is deciding what to have! I took my time sipping on some cider while I decided. 

I opted to go for everything, well a little bit of everything in a burger courtesy of the Pitboss Burger, a 6oz beef patty topped with rib tips, pulled pork, brockwurst slices, smoked applewood cheese and bbq sauce. 

It was every inch the delicious meat feast it promised to be, a brilliant burger went so well with the succulently soft pulled pork, incredible tasting brockwurst and creamy out of this world sensation of the smoked applewood cheese.

Accompanied by a bowl of BBQ chicken wings, my double order being enough to get labelled 'greedy' by the waiter, man versus food and the obesity epidemic obviously haven't quite reached the South West yet?!

A deliciously tasty farmyards supply of meat devoured it was time to move outside into the cool summers air to sit by the harbour side surrounded by the smokey fumes from the restaurants log fires.

It was Friday night we were with friends enjoying ourselves so talk quickly turned to the desert menu and a mouthwatering suggestion of sweet treats soon led to orders being placed.

I was soon polishing of a ridiculously rich and chocolatelay Peanut butter stack which left me glad I would be running some of the calories consumed at Parkrun the next day.

Despite not overdoing the cider a combination of a heavy belly full of meat and the several above average strength cider led to my customary early evening passing out on my friends incredibly comfy sofa.

I was still up bright eyed and bushy tailed to take on Ashton Court Park run in the morning. A thirty minute walk took us away from the city and to the Ashton Court estate providing a great viewpoint down over Bristol and the surrounding areas.

An example of some of the picturesque views from A
shton Court courtesy of  http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2191279

The course run is really a tail of two halves, the first half taking you up a steep winding hill before turning around and the second half taking you downhill in a fast descent. It's known for being one of the tougher Parkrun routes and I can appreciate why, although you can fly down the hill in the second half it is difficult to judge your effort level on the steep climb up and especially in the sunny mid June heat the hill was pretty energy sapping.

Overall I finished in 23.50 in 62nd place out of some 200+ parkrunners, although my official Parkrun time was actually clicked at a slower 24.03. Prior to the race I was interested to see how the two halves of the race would compare in terms of times, I completed the ascent in around 13.30 and the return in about 10.20, the rapid downhill also provided me with a sub 4 minute km and my fastest 1/2 mile, 1km and 1 mile I have clocked since using strava.

It was a really challenging yet rewarding run, adjusting my stride length on the way down was tough as was the rapid pounding on my lower legs as I hurtled down the hill.

After my exertions I was left to refuel and rehydrate and I did so with great relish taking advantage of the fine food and cider being served from the many excellent establishments Bristol has to offer, notable mentions to the Stable, the Apple again and the Old Duke.

Thank you Bristol for another thoroughly enjoyable weekend in your most excellent city, I came, I saw, I ran your hills, I drank your cider and ate your food and I conquered all you had to offer!

A weekend in Somerset

This last weekend was a weekend without running but instead filled with the delights that Somerset had to offer.

Friday was a journey down to Taunton on the train and then an afternoon drinking cider in The Plough Inn which has held the recognition of being CAMRAs Somerset cider pub of the year. 

With all that drinking some food was required to soak up some of the alcohol and what better than a delicious pieminster pie?! I opted for the beef and Stilton option which provided a nice combination of rich meatiness and creamy cheesiness. The pie was served with an accompaniment of mashed potato, minted mushy peas and onion gravy and the meal was enjoyable and fulfilling. 

Friday evening and off to the main entertainment of the day, cricket action with the T20 blast game SomersetvEssex. Although the game was delayed by rain and interrupted and cut short through bad light it was still a pretty entertaining game and good contest between the teams with Essex coming out on top which made the trip down to this away game more than worth the wile! 

Saturday was then a visit to some of the attractions you only really find in Somerset, cider farms! As a cider lover my first visit to a cider farm had the potential to be an almost religious pilgrimage experience. I managed to contain the gravitas of the situation and met the prospect with my usual excitement and exuberance.

Our first visit was to the Burrow Hill cider farm in Martock where their rustic farm shop was decadently laid out with an abundance of cider and apple related products beautifully laid out for sale. A strong mental disposition was required to overcome the inherent urge to splurge money on every pretty shiny bottle containing sweet apple tasting goodness. 

The farm and the shop was very traditional and rustic and gave away little to suggest that their cider making process had developed much since their production began some 150 years ago despite advances in technology and increased demands due to the surge in popularity in cider. 

After much deliberation and quite a few tastings to try to help make my mind up I eventually settled on a 4 litre bottle of medium cider to take away with me. A large bag of their own brand salt and cider vinegar crisps as well as a bottle of their renowned cider brandy completed my purchases and I was glad to beat a hasty exit form the shop without inflicting any further damage to my bank balance. 

Luckily we had managed to avoid the frequent showers that kept recurring throughout the day and we were able to take a walk around their orchard to get more up close and personal with their prized crop. 

The walk also gave a good view of the burrow hill, an unmistakable local landmark of a one tree hill peering out over the local landscape. You can just about make it out in the centre of the following photo, as you can also see it unfortunately wasn't the most pleasant of summers days. 

Next it was on-wards to Perry's cider farm in Ilminster which is in contract a more commercial and visitor friendly operation containing a small museum as well as a shop and Cafe and eatery. 

The museum although small is completing crammed with old farming and cider making artifacts as well as information on cider apples and cider production.  

The shop is where the magic really happens though and is again a place where your bank card could come in for some real punishment. 

The large barrels below contain the different varieties of ciders Perry's produce in an almost try before you buy fashion. The shop is slick and sharp country farm type shop full of not only a wider range of Perrys merchandise and products but also a comprehensive range of all kinds of products from other suppliers who follow the same natural ethos that Perry's adhere to. 

After helping myself to a more than a fair and acceptable amount of cider its a good job there was some food on offer. The onsite Cafe and Eatery served up a great tasting lunch of locally produced and naturally prepared food. I opted for the special which was a Perry's Platter which was a generous serving of cold meats, cheeses, salad, chutney, pickle and fresh bread, needless to say this was all washed down with generous amounts of cider!

I would recommend a trip to Perry's for anyone visiting the area with a passing interest in cider or even an interest in freshly produced natural produce. 

Once again my visit to the West Country has provided a great weekend, it must be something about consuming large quantities of cider that makes for a great time!

Thank you Bristol!!!

Awesome weekend in Bristol; food, drink (mostly cider), abseiling and mountain biking.

Weekend report 4th-7th April

A little late in writing a weekend report considering it is now Tuesday but you will realise why shortly.

Unfortunately it was a runless weekend only this time not through injury. 

Without sharing all the details I was on a stag weekend in Bristol so needless to say with the large amounts of cider we consumed I wouldn't describe the weekend in any way as healthy.

Our hotel did have a swimming pool and gym facilities but drinking until 4am on both Friday and Saturday put pay to any chance of making use of those facilities.

The weekend wasn't exercise free though as our activities for Saturday afternoon were abseiling and mountain biking.

As a first time abseiler I must say I really enjoyed it, its a great challenge for pushing your mind and I would be lying if I said I wasn't absolutely bricking it taking those first few steps over the edge. 

I cant tell you how much I enjoy mountain biking it is on a different level to running as it is a different type of fitness and adds that element of danger and risk. 

Needless to say that a drink fuelled night finishing at 4 am followed by over an hours mountain biking was completely tiring! 

So this week I really must get back to running and after such a weekend my desire for clean living is sky high, detox isdefinitely  my buzzword for the week ahead! 

Sunday brunch & dinner

What better way to enjoy a sunday than with trying out a nee tasty brunch idea and then having a big roast dinner?

Step one, brunch.

Decided to follow the instructions from this link to try out breakfast cupcakes, http://www.viralnova.com/breakfast-cupcakes/

I think it will take a bit of trial and error to perfect but our first attempts were pretty good and provided such a different hit of the usual breakfast combination of flavours. Basically they are cupcakes made of a bacon outer layer with a bread/toast bottom filled with your choice of breakfast fillings. Bacon really is magic!

Check out the link above for the recipe and some better photos.

Step two, roast dinner.

A classic roast beef sunday dinner with all the trimmings, well mashed potato, roast potato, roast parsnips&carrots and mixed veg anyway.

Can't really beat it on a sunday, I really enjoy cooking it and preping it then of course eating it accompanied by a nice cider.

A weekend of food and drink in Bristol

A massive salad packed falafel pitta from a street market, I am now a falafel convert!

A tasty cider selection, the stuff seems to almost flow from every tap in this part of the world.

A Hawaiian pizza with avocado? Never seen it done before but a definite winner! 

A lovely home cooked roast dinner to round off the weekend, a pieminster pie, loadsa veg, some awesome mash and thick gravy all washed down with a soothing cider.

Shakshouka! A middle eastern breakfast, poached eggs in a tomato sauce with peppers and onions? Slightly odd for brekkie but mega tasty!

Am I really that fit and healthy?

Am I really that fit and healthy? 

That’s been the question on my mind quite a bit this week. I am currently training for a half marathon on 2nd March which is fast approaching. I am aiming to beat by PB of 1.46 and think I could even go as low as 1.41. I consider theses to be above average times but by no means special or anywhere near out of the ordinary for the average runner.

My training has gone pretty well but more than usual I have felt my training and fitness levels affected by work and social commitments and over indulging in alcohol and food on social occasions. 

 

You are what you eat....

My problem has always been my love of food, not just the bad stuff like chocolate and cake but my general eagerness to consume vast quantities of whatever food is on offer and always wanting to be eating something. Inevitably an increase in socialising in recent weeks has resulted in an increase in alcohol intake and the kind of foods consumed on evenings out such as burgers and pizzas.

I am becoming more and more conscious of how food affects my training and am becoming increasingly aware for the need to be more conscious of my food intake the older I get especially with my next birthday seeing me hit the 30 mark.

During the week I am have been trying to eat smaller amounts and stick to a wheat free diet with high volumes of fresh fruit and veg and I have found this to be very beneficial and have enjoyed some really good midweek runs where I have felt light and energised by what I have eaten during the day.

I guess it’s an on-going battle of trying to eat well and get enough training in around other commitments, no one wants to constantly decline nights out or meeting up with friends because 'I am running' although along with attending the gym it does almost seem to be a growing modern trend excuse to rival 'I am washing my hair'.

All in all eating junk food makes me realise I am not the super athlete I sometimes think I am just because I try and train at least once a day and my main hobby is entering running events. I think there are so many different levels of fitness and of 'eating well' and while I am definitely not near the bottom I realise more and more I am also nowhere near the top in terms of having the healthiest diet. I think it’s about trying to find a diet that you are happy with and that fits in with your schedule and lifestyle while contributing to your training as much as possible. 

Putting my fitness to the test…

The other thing that has made me question my fitness has been attending a boot camp with my friend recently. I always considered my fitness levels to be considerably above average especially when your ego is stoked by friends and colleagues being amazed at how I can go to the gym before work or run nonstop for 3 hours. However being taken out of my comfort zone of running on my own and being put through my paces in a boot camp I felt somewhat disheartened with where my fitness levels were as I didn’t seem to fare any better than the rest of the class who comprised of people who didn't exercise regularly and/or were forcing themselves to exercise for weight loss and/or fitness benefits rather than gaining any enjoyment from training which I really do.

The class was made up of the usual kind of exercises you would expect, star jumps, press ups, squats and burpees and really worked you hard; I was completely knackered after the first circuit.

Mixing up my training to do something completely different out of your comfort zone and away from my usual training regime was a real eye opener in terms of gauging my fitness and is something I would highly recommend to anyone as a great way of improving their own training.

I think all the clichés and inspirational messages about not comparing yourself to others and how the race is against yourself and not against others is all very true. The more time you spend looking at yourself and seeing how you can improve instead of comparing yourself to others and worrying how you fit in with social norms the more positive you will be and the more energy you will be able to dedicate to achieving your goals.

Running off my weekend excesses…

So my training plans for the week ahead will be going out for a 10K when I get home tonight to help me recover from a cider filled weekend in Bristol. Then I am planning to do some speed work and interval training to work on my speed ahead of my upcoming half marathon before aiming for a rehearsal on the weekend to see how I have progressed and to give me an idea of what time I can achieve on the actual day. Then there will be boot camp midweek where I hope I will see some progress in my personal performance as I have hopefully improved over the last few weeks. And if I can get a few gym sessions in as well I will be pleased with my efforts, I am sure I am not the only one who wished they could fit their work in around their training instead of the other way round!

gareth.davies31@hotmail.co.uk