![]() Apricot and Coconut Muffins - These are YUM and easy to make with lots of healthy ingredients! For 10 muffins, you need: 2 eggs, lightly beaten, 120ml vegetable oil, 1x120ml can crushed pineapple in natural juice, 50g dried apricots, finely chopped, 75g caster sugar, 25g dessicated coconut, 100g plain flour, half tbsp baking powder, a pinch of baking soda and a pinch of salt. In a large bowl, mix together the first six ingredients. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Fold into the first mixture. Line a muffin tray with paper cases, pour in the batter and bake in an oven preheated to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4 for 25-30 mins. Leave to cool and eat as they are, or make a topping out of: 125g cream cheese, 75g butter, 200g icing sugar and quarter tsp of vanilla essence. Blend together and spread over the muffins. Decorate as you wish! ![]() No matter how long we've been running, on a cold autumn or winter's day, many of us still make the classic beginner's mistake of overdressing. It is horrible going out the door cold, but inevitably we end up sweating and stripping off layers, which then flop irritatingly around our waists. Two tricks to help you resist the temptation to wear too much: warm your kit (especially your base layer) on the radiator before you put it on, and do some warm-up exercises in the house before you set off. ![]() As the nights draw in, it's worth investing in some effective reflective kit. Although fluorescent colours are perfect for getting noticed during the day, at night, white kit shows up just as well in motorists' headlights. Most high-tech winter kit includes reflective panels but you could also customise existing kit with adhesive high-vis strips. Stick them onto the busiest parts of your body (such as your lower legs and arms) to get noticed. ![]() Black toenails are common in long distance runners and those who do a lot of downhill running. They are caused by constant rubbing of the toes on the front of the shoe. Blood blisters form underneath the nails and because they can't breathe, they take a long time to heal. Runners in warmer climates are more likely to suffer because their feet swell in the heat. To prevent black toenails, make sure your running shoes are at least half a size bigger than your normal shoes. Trim your toenails regularly and keep your feet dry for as long as possible during a long run, making sure that you wear proper wicking socks and not cotton ones. Lace your shoes tighter along the front if you are doing a lot of downhill running to stop the toes from sliding down and hitting the shoe. If you have a black toenail, the pain should subside after the first day, and the nail will probably eventually fall off and make way for new nail growth. If at any point you notice redness or infection, see your doctor, as antibiotics may be required. |
Author'runnyknows' is a friendly team of experienced runners offering guided runs of varying distances at your pace in and around Puerto Pollensa in North Majorca, Spain. Archives
June 2017
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