As a life long ignorer of all sports, I can barely believe that I am about to write the following sentence, but here it is: I miss the Olympics.
It only finished yesterday but already I miss getting up in the morning and dotting through BBC Interactive to watch gymnastics or diving or basketball or sprinting. I don’t even understand any of these sports, for goodness’ sake. How can Girl A score higher than Girl B when Girl A fell off the thingymigig? How is it possible to judge a dive accurately when it’s over in two seconds? Why do basketball games last for so long? And what does that guy eat to be able to run that fast?
I don’t know the answer to any of these questions and many, many, many more but I don’t care. The passion and strength and dedication that I have watched on TV over the last few weeks has had me utterly hooked. These people are fantastic!
Inspired by the games, I have decided to take on my own sporting challenge and run the Baxters 10k next month. Having only ever run one 5k before and having pretty much collapsed after that, this is going to be a challenge and a half.
I have a training schedule and I have my own personal motivator (that would be D). I have also been reading up on what to eat and it appears that pasta is a good choice for a budding runner. Fabulous. I now have an excuse to eat more of my favourite carb.
Between work and Marco and training, I’m a little short on kitchen time at the moment and so I have made and frozen several portions of the following pasta sauce. Call it ragu or call it Bolognaise, it’s basically the Italian equivalent of mince and tatties and is certainly none the worse for that. 🙂
Ragu
(serves 6)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 large carrot, diced
1 celery stick, diced
400g minced beef
Glass of red wine
50ml milk
400g tinned tomatoes
1/2 tspn oregano
- Fry the onion and garlic in a little butter until translucent. Add the carrot and celery and cook for 5 more minutes.
- Add the beef and cook until just browned.
- Add the wine and increase the heat to burn off the alcohol.
- Reduce the heat and add the milk. Simmer for five minutes or until milk is absorbed.
- Add the tomatoes, oregano and seasoning. Stir well and simmer for 2 hours.
- Serve tossed through pasta and sprinkled with parmesan.
PS I’m off on an activities holiday with the first years for the rest of the week. See you when I get back. 🙂
A Wee Bit of Cooking 
Good luck with the 10k. I need to get into running again myself as I haven’t been for over two months now and really don’t want to have to start completely from scratch again. Maybe I need to set myself a challenge like yours for motivation.
I forgot to add that the pasta looks great.
Ive just back into running since having my daughter – nothing beats it! The ragu looks great – Ive always been told that you should add milk but never actually tried it myself. Will give this one a go as spag bol is a favourite in our house
Married life is back to normal for me though… nothing like a proper challenge to get you running. Good luck!
P’raps I’ll work toward a 10K run this year, too. Good idea…
My favourite quote from The Games – I miss it too, though Australian coverage is notoriously biased toward our participants… – came from Simon Barnes, chief sports writer for The Times.
‘Excuse me, but is this Britain we’re talking about, isn’t it? As in Plucky Brit gets fourth. As in Plucky Brit says it was my dream just to be here. As in Plucky Brit says making the final was my gold medal…find me an Australian, quick, I have an urgent need to talk about sport.’
How well did those Brits do!!!!???
I feel your pain!! On missing the olympics and I’m in training for a 5k run!! It is in less than two weeks and I started training on Saturday, ooops.
I know what you mean about the olympics. I have never had much interest before, but this time, I would find myself getting engrossed in it!
Well done for taking on that run! I think training is defintely the key. I didn’t do so much of that for my 20 mile walk and the result was me walking like an old arthritic lady, the next day. What is 10k in miles? I am an old fashioned type of girl!
Your bolognaise sounds good and pretty much the same ingredients as I use, but I substitute soya mince for the meat and put a little stock in too. It is always good and even better next day 🙂
I just started running again too! Marco will love it! A tired dog is a happy dog. Enjoy that great feeling that comes after a good run and a big plate of pasta.
yeah take marco on the run with you when training. our dog loves running with us in the park tho we do tend to go a bit slow for him!!! have also started playing table tennis and badminton. great fun!! (we dont let the dog play tho) 😉
a nice big plate of pasta is the only reason I could think of for running – I have never taken to it but admire your pluck! I am just so relieved the olympics are over and the news and radio are back to normal – although I did wonder if the pool was so quiet on weekends because everyone was at home watching the swimming!
Hi Wendy. I’ve just come back from a short break and feel like I have missed loads, now you are off too. Have a lovely and hopefully not at all stressful school trip! I love the mince and tatties – a perfect creation to freeze I think because you want nothing but comfort when exhausted.
Well done you! I’m afraid I’ll never be a runner, but have to admit that I too am missing the Olympics despite being the least sporty person ever to grace the planet.
I love a good bit of pasta with ragu – great idea to have some stashed away in the freezer for those busy days.
Hows tricks stranger? Must say, we are missing the Olympics too. I guess I’m right in saying that the footy season isn;t a replacement for you? :o)
Congratulations on deciding to participate in the run. I hope you do well. Or at least finish. 🙂 I miss the olympics already, too.
I’m missing the olympics in the morning news too – it was a break from the usual depressing news and current affairs I guess!
Sylvie – It’s so easy to get out of the habit, I know that.
Beth – Can’t quite describe what the milk adds but it definitely improves it!
Mallika – Thank you!
Lucy – I’m told, very well but having never paid the blindest bit of notice to the Olympics before I wouldn’t know! That quote is funny. 🙂
Sarah – I did the same for my 5k and survived. Just though. Good luck!!
Holler – It’s about 6.5 miles. A quarter marathon. Walking, I can do: running kills me!
Barb – Marco loves you for saying that! He’s just demanded another walk and quoted you as supporting evidence. 😉
Kelsie – Have tried but he’s too puppy-ish just now and keeps trying to play. Will try again soon.
Johanna – I would usually have been just like you but this year, I don’t know, I was just hooked!
Helen – Looking forward to catching up with your blog. Been swamped here!
Antonia – Least sporty after me, perhaps! 🙂
David – Hello!! And no, it’s not a replacement at all. I have tried to get interested but it’s just not happening.
Relax Max – I know I’ll finish but I just hope I’ll be able to run the whole thing. That’s my only aim. 🙂
Jane – I know what you mean. Even a little good news helps in the mornings!