I have a little confession to make. I like medjool dates.
After my workout Saturday, to tide over my hunger while making breakfast, I was going to have 1 square (what I’m saying? 2) of dark chocolate orange. I stopped short as Paul had placed the dates on top of the chocolate stash in the fridge. He’s been trying to get me to start eating them for few months now (‘they’ll fix all your chocolate caramel cravings!’ ‘Go on! Have one!’, ‘Nah’). My previous encounters with dates were the really dried up small ones dipped chocolate at Christmas time. I tried one and have proceeded to avoid eating them ever since. Recently I’ve started hearing more about them, good they are for you, blah, blah. I didn’t realise they were on about the medjool ones. 2 weeks ago we left the trail mix in the car and Paul got hungry. We popped into Monoprix where he picked up some up and edged me to try one. It wasn’t that bad, but I wasn’t gonna let him know! Fast forward Saturday, I thought it tasted okay last time and he’s been raving about them, so I’ll try one. Wow. They’re something else! Like a caramel chocolate bar (but we won’t tell him they’ll fix chocolate fudge craving)! I had another. They were good! I’d used them last week making vegan brownies, which I think prompted me to try one on its ownsome. The only problem is they’re so expensive!
No mini road trips this weekend. Paul had work do to for his next move and only had the weekend to get it done. I planned 2 weeks of workouts. I’m excited for new moves that I finally feel strong again for! As a compromise we got to Nice just before dusk and walked along the beach. Coming back the past few weeks had got the better of us as we were having singing conversations musical Broadway style (does anyone else do that? Make up cr*p and sing it musical broadway style? Please say we’re not the only ones!) A mini road trip or a new place to explore is definitely needed in the next few weeks to break everything up! We got back just in time for Earth Hour. The idea of Earth Hour is to have all energy sources off (lights, phone, Internet) making a stand against climate change and we play cards, well kinda. Paul was hungry and wanted to start dinner (advantages of having a chef around). Compromise, he cooked by candle light and the gas hob. I sat with the cats! It was a cosy feeling having just the candles. I was a little sad when we switched the lights back on.
Daylight saving started Sunday. Finally summer’s on it’s way!
We didn’t run in the park until late in the afternoon. I’m glad we went later judging by the amount of litter by the bins (MacDonalds, modern day picnic hamper) it had been a busy day. Paul went one way, I went the other. 2km in I hear a scream and see a girl who’s fallen down a trail. Her boyfriend’s checking it out but you just can’t run past and not stop. I stop asking if she’s okay (in Spanish. Why? I’m in France and she’s crying in French). Luckily they understood and she said she’s okay. At the same time, I’m trying to pause my run on the Nike app which is having a hissy not being connected to the internet (no sh*t). When I set off again, the app pauses! Grr! Then I got the feeling, there’s more people tripping up to come. At the next trail head a girl falls off her bike (parents were around doing the ‘up you get’. No need to stop). I, heading back down that trail, I loose concentration and trip (thanks to training, recovered my balance quickly). This was witnessed by two runners I’d hope to leave standing. I trip again and then meet the cutest pit bull that just wanted to play with me. His mum called him, I threw sticks in her direction, he just wanted to play! She nearly had him, I run off, he runs after me! I ended up running back with him to his mum. Then there was that guy who was termimmed to overtake me. I could tell by his pace on the gravel. Not today. 10km with Paul in shock afterwards that I’m happily eating dates as post run snack/refuel. Okay, they are good, maybe nearly as good as chocolate (maybe more) and are power packed with fibre, potassium, vitamin B-6 and so much more.
Have you ever stopped to help someone while running? Last year I stopped to chase after a Jack Russell running in the middle of the road. No owners around. She had a tag and I managed to get a passer by dog walker call the owner (my french wasn’t so good). I didn’t let the dog go until her owner arrived! They’d been looking for her, but didn’t seem that bothered. This happened at the first high interval round of my run. The worst place to stop and get going again!
Have you tired medjool dates? They’re something else!