I’m really looking forward to running again. It has done me the world of good to have a bit of a break, not just physically but also mentally.

My app said I should be doing a 13km run but I thought that might be pushing it, partly because I am still not sleeping right and my shoulder is sore so want to protect it as much as possible.I tried a slightly different route today and it involved running up more of a hill than usual to help prepare my body for race day.

On Saturday at the Meet The Experts day there was a lot of discussion about running on different routes and terrains and I suppose it is because if you always run the same route you just get used to it and anything new is a challenge.

So I have decided I am going to get a number of different routes together so that I am always running in different places and areas as much so that I can mentally prepare for race day.

In my preparation as well I am going to download an app to my tablet that will allow me to run the marathon route in virtual reality in the gym. I’m not going to run the whole route but might use one of my long runs to give this a try.

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I tried another experiment today and that was the nutritionists advice of eating before running. As I go out at 6:30am most days I decided to have 2 bananas at 5:45am to prepare. This is what I found:

So for me I don’t see the point at all in eating before I run in the morning. The day of the marathon will probably be different as I am not running until 10am. I have already planned to have a ridiculous supply of dates on me when I run to keep my energy up. I cannot bare the thought of the artificial energy drinks but dates seem to do the job for me.

Now you know about my little experiment this is what I ate today:

Pre-Run Snack - 2 Bananas

Enough said about this already!

Breakfast - Mixed Berry Oatmeal

This is pretty much the same as the blueberry muffin oatmeal but with mixed berries instead. This is just pretty much determined by what I have in my freezer.

Lunch - Tofu Scramble with left over roast dinner

It was just too cold for salad today and I knew that my tofu was near its use by date and so I used it with the left overs. Tofu scramble is pretty much a vegan staple and a regular meal in my house. All vegans will make it in a different way and I will vary the type of tofu I use. Today I used a firm variety but I often use Silken tofu for a more egg like consistency.

To make the tofu put the tofu, cheese, turmeric and chives in a bowl and crush with a fork mixing well. Set aside. Heat oil in a pan and add onion. Cook until soft (about 5 mins). Add other veg and cook or warm through. Add the tofu mixture and cook until everything is warm and well combined. Serve immediately with avocado and tomato slices.

Snack - Sourdough & Peanut Butter

I had run out of rice cakes so I had half a slice of sourdough bread with a small amount of peanut butter as an afternoon snack.

Dinner - Turmeric Pumpkin Soup with Coconut & Lime

This was a recipe I took from my Pinterest board and have been wanting to make it for a couple of weeks now and I finally got round to it. I used the pumpkin that my uncle gave me from his allotment.

When I say pumpkin I should clarify that it is the biggest pumpkin I have ever seen and I put 1kg in this soup and there is still about 6kg left!

If you want the recipe you can get it on Homespun Capers

After eating my evening meal I had a short time relaxing, doing my one thing and then did my yoga and meditation routine before getting into bed.

Marathon Countdown​