Okay, I stand corrected. Though the first souce I looked at did say mange tout were sugar snap peas, I hunted further and they appear to be the edible pod peas that you eat before the pea itself develops. Does this sound better?

Wikipedia says Pod peas (particularly sweet cultivars called mangetout and sugar peas, or the flatter "snow peas," called hé lán dòu, in Chinese) are used in stir fried dishes, particularly those in American Chinese cuisine. Pea pods do not keep well once picked, and if not used quickly are best preserved by drying, canning or freezing within a few hours of harvest.

In any case, we've grown both, as well as what we call "English peas" - the kind where you let the pea develop, then eat the peas and discard the pod.

Sounds like you'll enjoy your bike Helen - after your race and holiday!

It was a gorgeous day here today, and I went outside to cut the grass, and the battery on my riding lawn mower is dead (flat)! I need to call my next door neighbor and see if he has a charger.... We don't.

Hello people. I'm in a good mood this morning, the sun is shining and I've got a 10k at 11. I'm planning a jog down there to warm up, get round, jog back to make it up to about 8 or 9 miles, although we'll see.

Even better, TOM has arrived, which means that I won't have any problems with it in Edinburgh on holiday. It's the first time since about January, so I'd lost all ability to predict its arrival (actually, it gave me food for thought. They say that exercising too much can stop them, could it be that I never get them when I'm training for a marathon because of the mileage, then as soon as I taper down, wham?). After the 10k I might go out for lunch with some people from running club, although I'm a bit broke at the moment so I might give it a miss. I'll see how I feel at the end.

Right, I suppose I'd better start getting ready.

Helen - TAPER PROPERLY! No cycling

Well DH has gone off to Dublin this morning (work thing) I am at home alone with the 'rents. Which is nice apart from I am packing all our Junk! We've just taken 7 big carrier bags to the charity shop! Then I've sent them to Waitrose to buy lunch! I should be dismantling the desk that the computer's on... But the computer was switched on, so I thought I'd just check on some e-bay stuff..... and I have to package something up, so that's cool - one less book in the house!

I'm doing really well with my eating this weekend. No stress eating so far. We even went to Toff's last night in Muswell Hill. It's a fantastic Fish and Chip place. I will post more about it later, but it was fabby and I had spotted dick after my fish and chips and wasn't brutally stuffed or sick or anything!!! DH on the other hand was uncomfortably full I think I was the only one not rolling home clutching my stomach!

See you girlies tomorrow.

Right, I promise I'll taper now. I got a PB in my 10k race, and think I was in the first 10 or so women (it was only a small race so not quite as impressive as it sounds). Now I've just got two short runs and one ultra short one before Sunday.

Enjoy the packing!

Pat, Isn't it amazing how many different kinds of pea there are??? I don't grow normal peas - if I did I'd just sit and eat them raw. I don't think my asparagus peas are doing very well - they went in at the same time as the mange tout and the sugar snaps but nearly all of them have germinated whereas there are only three or four of the asparagus peas showing their heads about the ground. In fact its only the asparagus peas and butternut squash that I'm having any problems with, everything else is doing great.

Lesson learned.... just cos I've got loads of rhubarb growing doesn't mean to say I've got to eat it every night. I thought I had a tummy bug.... turned out it was the rhubarb.

I am so disappointed, I did a couple of hours digging this morning - came home and looked it up on FitDay and apparently it only burns the same number of calories per minute as my normal walk does.... and there was me thinking I'd burned off at least enough calories for a special treat or three this evening.

So much sun is bleaching my hair at the front - I look very strange - almost white hair around my face with it sort of streaked around the back - and, despite wearing sun cream, I've worked up quite a tan - but only on my face, neck and arms. I think it would upset all the old boys if I started allotmenting in shorts and a strappy top instead of my Charlie Dimmock type outfit of jeans and T shirt.

I'm loving rhubarb at the moment. I haven't had it for years, but got some in my veg box last week and I'm in love. fingers crossed there are no side effects from eating it this week though.

Helen is next weekend Edinburgh? Don't tempt fate stay off the bike for now.

Sarah you're getting a farmer's tan. Maybe you should get out the shorts and strappy top I'm sure the old boys would love it.

My hubby went fishing on Friday with the boys from work. He will be back today, he'd better bring me back some fish.

I totally have a bad tan. I have sunglass marks and a vneck tan, very odd looking.

Had my usual bad weekend behavior but ran about 7 this morning. Then I had to replace the wireless card on my computer, very proud of myself that I was able to pull this off and I'm now typing from my bed just because I can

Rainy and nasty today, probably watch a movie and clean this place up, although right now a nap sounds lovely.

Decided to take another few weekends off of the eating and drinking, I'm in another of my vicious cycles on good during the week, bad on the weekend. Red Sox season bumps up my social life a bit so I need to find a few things to cut out.

I had an afternoon nap, I can highly recommend it RSG.

Clydegirl - yes, edinburgh is next weekend. So this time next week I hope to be cradling a well deserved drink and stroking my medal. Either that or sleeping before hobbling out of the hotel to find food!

I'll have a bit of wine this evening. I've got half a bottle, and today is the last day I'm letting myself drink before Edinburgh, so I see it as my duty to remove temptation

Sarah - we always have a ton of rhubarb, so I end up chopping it up and freezine it - no other prep needed. I don't eat it much because of needing to add so much sugar, but DH loves it just cooked up with sugar to a kind of sauce which he then mixes with ice cream. I prefer it in a pie or crumble myself.

RSG - I'm depending on you to cheer the Red Sox for me! I haven't seen them play in person since 2000 when I saw them play the Mariners in Seattle. Alaska is not a baseball kind of place. Though there was guy years ago who started a club called "Far From Fenway." He had shirts and hats made up. My DH had a shirt til about a year ago when it finally fell apart.

Helen - good idea to remove the wine temptation. Enjoy your evening! Wow, only a week to go!

Gorgeous sunny day here today. I'll be out there as soon as it warms up a bit. Still in the 40's (F), but climbing fast.

Hello!

Well Dad's car is full but my house is still full of cwap What IS there that is so important to keep hold of for years and years and why does it build up?

I am reporting a complete success with my eating this weekend! Today I had fruit for breakfast with a slice of toast, I think I had some cheesecake around 11, some quiche and a slice of bread for lunch and a third of pizza with apple crumble for tea. Mum and Dad had scones in the afternoon but I didn't because I wasn't hungry. I think I've come to the realisation that it's JUST FOOD YAY!

Sooooo my computer is on the floor now, I am lying on my stomach on a pillow typing - I'll probably get a big crick in my neck but I shouldn't be on here for too long (well I SAY that! )

Yesterday Mum and I went to Oxford Street and I am dissapointed that I couldn't get into any 14 trousers in M&S I did get a nice linen black dress for work and I could've got a couple of tops but I didn't really want to buy anything in a 16 (I know, vanity!) and I haven't really got the room. But I DID splash out on Nike running gear in Debenhams All XL and L But I'd rather be comfortable than have a smaller size when I'm running! I got grey and turquoise shorts, a matching tank which has mesh panels in and is very cool (temperature wise), a run t-shirt top and a matching jacket I even went to Nike Town and got a matching hat I was just going to buy a bog standard baseball cap, but we went upstairs to the women's running section and they had a mesh breatheable baseball cap that matched, so I got that.

Blah. I have to tidy the bedroom before I can go to sleep. My clothes are all over the place I have about 3 boxes of stuff to ebay and no coffee table or shelves or A3 printer or weights or baking tins (we don't have an oven in our new place).

DH is away today and doesn't get back till late Tuesday night. Then on Wednesday moring we are off to Spain! So I have to pack all our stuff.....

Well that was a bit of a ramble but there you go!

Well done on your pb Helen - make sure you savour that wine

Hubs gotn back from his fishing trip. He caught quite a bit of fish and bagged it up and put it in his cooler last night. Well a raccoon opened up the cooler during the night, took the bag of fish out and ate it in the woods Smart raccoon

Likely story Tell him to pull the other one...we know he didn't catch a thing

Well it's Monday and I'm at work Blah!

Why does the sun always come out on Monday, it rained all weekend, looks beautiful today??????