Thankful challenge day 4

Today is a day where I am feeling physically and mentally tired.  Started out with some DOMS from my personal training session on Wednesday that caused me to cut my 6 mile run into a 3 mile run.  And even with that I had trouble getting out of my chair at work today.  Luckily tomorrow is a massage, so that should help.  Emotionally I had some non-surprising but important news come that will cause some changes at work, so that's always exhausting.

With that, I still decided to stick with what I planned my be thankful for today message would be.  For today, I am thankful for my health.

I haven't talked about it much, but I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis when I was 24.  It had hit me hard - I couldn't walk down the halls at work, I shuffled.  I didn't have the power to shift the gear shaft in my car.  I was so happy when they finally told me what it was.

It's been 13 years since that diagnosis, and I've had my ups and downs.  I've had days where I just couldn't walk well from the pain and stiffness.  And you don't know how strange it feels to have attacks in your toes! I've had a few nights where I woke up in pain.

With all that said my symptoms are very well controlled by medication.  I'm currently on methotrexate but in the past have been on such fun medications as Vioxx (you know, the one that was taken off the market because it caused heart problems?) and Plaquenil, which caused permanent scarring in my retinas.  Fun!

I think my running has made me that much stronger and able to deal with my arthritis.  I haven't had the attacks recently.

I also am very blessed because it could be so much worse.  I am currently reading an incredible book about the history of cancer.

Get it out from the library and read it.  I'm only partially the way through and am already enthralled.  It balances the heartbreak of cancer stories with teaching about how people in history have taken bold risks to fight it. 

In reading it I am reminded that I am truly thankful for my health.

Thankful challenge day 3

I've got a lot of thankful long posts brewing in the back of my head that I don't feel I can give justice to tonight.  It's 8:30, I'm eating ramen (salt lick!) with peas, cuddling in flannels with a cat determined to be on my lap no matter how many times I shack her off.

For today, I guess I'll go with...I'm thankful for being able to cuddle up in warmth and salt. I know how blessed I am to have a roof over my head and the knowledge that if things go wrong I have a strong support group to stand behind me as I get back on my feet.  And I am extra thankful that I have low blood pressure so I can enjoy my salt lick every once in a while without guilt.

Challenges accepted!

So Tina @ Carrots N Cake put this out for November - Be Thankful Challenge .  Every day in November write down something you are thankful for. It's a nice way of reminding yourself of the good things in your life.

My thankful for November 1 was that I live close to family.  Love Boston as a city but the real hold is my awesome cousins.  Last night we got to go see Legally Blonde on stage together - and cracked up.  Hilarious.  Also had some songs I plan on downloading for running to.

For November 2, I'll say...I'm thankful for my job.  Not only that I have one but also that it is one that challenges me sometimes.  Not always - but what job does?  And really - who wants to always be under pressure?  I also am thankful for my job because it pays me such that I can live the spoiled rich princess life that I do.  Peel me a grape, butler!  Nah, not at that level, but at the level that I was able to buy my pretty pretty car when I crashed my old one last year.

It's not really orange, I'm just a really bad photographer.

In addition to the Thankful challenge I also signed up for Pile on the Miles .  I'm always happy to run but having the extra incentive of possible prizes doesn't hurt.  Of course that also adds a fourth place for me to update my mileage; I track on Sparkpeople (calorie tracking), DailyMile (challenges, plus good way to look back over prior months), and in a shared spreadsheet with  a friend for motivation.

November should be a fun month - and challenging!   I also have some other goals, but those go for another day.

Well that was a surprise (Devils Chase RR)

So, I ran the Devils Chase yesterday (10/29/2011).  It's a 6.66 mile race in Salem, MA.  I had looked forward to running it ever since I saw it advertised in the goodie bag for my first ever 5K (which was a Halloween race last year).  It just seemed like a fun concept.

I was supposed to run it with my cousin, but unfortunately her job took precedence.  She's a field hockey coach (and an excellent one at that!), and her team had the last regular season game on that day.  It was a game that had been postponed from another day due to all the rain we had this fall.  Boo weather!   Her team won 7-0, and they are in tournament, which means I am hoping to go see one of their games this coming week!

Oh, right - this post is about the race.  Back to that.  First off - love the shirt they had.  It's a really cool red long-sleeve technical shirt, with the Devils Chase logo down around the right hip.  I got a unisex small, which is kind of long (as usual).  Red is not usually my color, but I love this one.

For the actual race, conditions were chilly.  I drove over to the race and was able to park extremely close to the start line.  That was a good thing, because after a quick port-a-potty trip I decided to spend 1/2 of the remaining 20 minutes before race start sitting in my car.  Cold!  ~36 when the race started.

I was a bit underdressed for the weather, although it wasn't exceedingly bad.  I had full-on leggings, shorts, technical shirt, hat, and gloves.  My upper body was chilly for most of the race, but hey - better that than hot!  Gloves came off about halfway through - my hands get sweaty fast.

 The race was crowded for the first couple miles, and I could not believe they started us straight up a hill.  Really - the start line is right at the bottom of a hill.  The course was good (but hilly).  The funniest part for me was that we ran around this little park about 1.5 miles in, and while we were running there was a guy there servicing the port-a-potties.  I had to jump over the hose that he had to clean them out!  Luckily it wasn't connected because knowing me I would have tripped/slid in mud, and gone careening into it.  Eww.

Not a lot of spectators, but the folks who were working the course were fun and dressed up.  I missed the Thriller dance re-enactment.  As I went by, they said that they had done the dance 7 times that day, and were taking a break.  Understandable.

The important part of this post is - I had a goal...and I ripped it apart.  I'm a turtle/penguin/whatever you want to call a slower runner, so my goal was modest - 10:30 minute average pace, 1:10:xx finish.  I ended with 1:07:xx, 10:07 average.  Holy cow!  And to be honest - I think I could have done a little better.  This was the first run where I pushed myself.  I knew I had more in the tank than I thought I did - c'mon, I've been doing 13 mile runs, I can do an awesome 6.66! - so I just told myself to keep going.   It was the first 10K (or close to 10K) that I've done without walking.  Mental barrier broken!

I feel like this was one of my best races.  Mostly because it was a mental breakthrough.  I don't think I'll do it again next year (too many other options out there!), but I definitely can see doing another race by the same organizers.  I also can't wait to do my next race - and push myself again!

It's Never Going to Be Perfect

Image from http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/photos/photos.htm

I am an overthinker.  No question about it.  So of course I've been taking a look at the conditions for my race on Saturday (Devil's Chase, 6.66 miles).  They look like the exact opposite of my last race - going from sunny mid-80s to rain/snow and temps probably in the high 30s-low 40s.  Now I've been enjoying the last couple weeks of cooler weather, but this turn seems really fast.  I haven't run in these temps since last winter.

This is where I take the promises that I made to myself after my last race.  I won't psyche myself out too much.  Checking the weather every 5 minutes is not suddenly going to turn it into sunny and in the 50s.  I have to be prepared for the race, but it does me no good to overplan.  Stress does not lead to success.  Much as it is a fun rhyme.

I'm probably still going to be checking the weather.  I'll only really take it seriously the day before, when I have to put together my race day outfit.  Rain, snow, or sunny - if the race is on, I am on. 

Feelin' groovy!

I've been feeling good recently.  Well, not truly recently; I think I really felt awesome starting with my last long runs coming up to my half in September.  Getting to 10 miles was a truly awesome feeling.

Since the half I've been concentrating on adding mileage.  Recent weeks have been 20-25 MPW, with my goal being 1500+ miles in 2012.  It's no 100 mile week but I'll take it.  

The side effect I'm seeing is more confidence and ease in my runs.  My LSD (long slow distance, and don't I love this acronym) today was 13 miles, total time just over 2:28.  Now that I've pointed you to the fabulous Rose Runner's blog, that doesn't seem as impressive, but trust me - it's way huge for me.  And yeeks - 13 miles on a LSD?  A year ago, when I was in the midst of training for my first half, I didn't think I could finish that distance once.  Now I'm trying to turn it in to a casual thing!

I do have a next goal in mind - full marathon.  I'm pretty sure it won't be 2012.  I really want to take some time to focus on strength and speed.  And confidence/comfort with what I can push myself to do.  

I know I've got a lot in me.  I'm so proud of where I've gotten in a year.  But this is just the beginning and I can't love it any more.

BTW - the post title?  It's the Simon and Garfunkle song my dad used to sing to me and my siblings.  So cute.  He also used to sing us You May Be Right by Billy Joel.  Not as cute.

Recovering mentally

It's been a while since a new post, and I've definitely been working hard at my running.  I did a runner's bootcamp for four weeks after my half.  It involved a lot of treadmill work, both speed and hills, plus rounds of weight training and core work.   It was beneficial in that it gave me time to get more comfortable on the treadmill again, and it also made me realize that as my back has been getting stronger that my abs are getting weaker.  Bad, bad, bad.

In addition to the bootcamp I have a goal of getting in an average of 30 miles per week.  My goal is to have 2012 be another year of assorted races (probably not as many as this year - still on track for 11 in '11!) including at least one half, with my eye half on doing a full.  The full I would love to do is the Nike Women's, but being it is in San Francisco, I think I need to do much more hill work.

Anyway, I had been consistent in my weekly runs, including getting up to 12 miles for my long run.  I was feeling much stronger and happier and was confident that I could tackle the 10K I had coming up.  A little background - the 10K is my mental weakness. I've never completed a 10K without walking.  And I don't mean just walking through the water stations - I mean actual walking.  I've done three prior 10K's - my first was when I was still new to running and couldn't run that distance even in training; my second started with my shorts sliding down and ended with me run/walking for 4 miles, desperately needing to poop; my third was in June and I went out too fast and ended up getting moderately dizzy at mile 5.

Given the above improvements I felt I've made recently, I felt like I could finally set a new PR (my current is from race #2. ).  I set a goal - 10:30 average.  Hey - I said I'm slow, and I mean it.

So this 10K - Tuft's Women Healthcare.  Boston in October - perfect running weather, right?  And it was the week before and the week after the race.  The day of - happened to be a day that was in the mid-80s.  Record highs for that day.  And the race started at noon.

Sooo....I let the heat get to me.  Mentally.  The first two miles were good, in that they were fast - maybe too fast.  The last two miles and a bit I definitely was in my game - I was rocking it.  The middle two?  Utter collapse.  I have this thing that kicks in somewhere between 1.5 and 2 miles - my body realizes that I'm actually running, and tries to convince me to walk.  Most of the time I can fight through.  I think my 10K non-successes and the heat overrid my normal mental strength.

Long story short (too late!), I ended with a time that was 8 minutes slower than my PR.

I will say this about the race - I honestly think it was the first where I wasn't at some level surprised that I finished.

So, first race where I really felt that I underperformed.  A lot of my other races felt slower than I wanted to be, but this was the first where I felt let down by my mind more than my body.

Writing this out is a step towards moving past it.  I'm going to take it as a strange milestone.  I've now been racing long enough that I have high expectations of myself.

Now to move on.  I will take the lesson from this - I know my weak time in a race, and will find a motto to repeat to myself to make myself realize what is happening, and how to handle it.  I've been practicing more of my tempo runs to make sure that my goals are realistic - which they seem to be.  I will be practicing staying in my own head at the start line so I can remember to go out slower.

My next race is two days before Halloween.  It's a devil themed race and I will be dressing up.  I do have goals, including not walking this time.  I think I can trick myself though - this race is 6.66 so it's not a 10K!

I will end this post by saying that there is one benefit to this race.  It finally gave me a race picture good enough that I am seriously considering purchasing it.

Race completed; post-race, not the best

I ran my second half marathon on September 4.  And I'm way proud of my result.  


As background I ran my first half marathon in January.  It was not a great run but I completed it - in 3:14:05.

7 months later I went into this race feeling stronger and more confident.  For the first time I had goals that I believed I could meet - you can read them in my prior post.

I won't keep you in (non-) suspense.  I met two out of three goals.  I beat my last race - and I broke 02:30:00.  By 15 seconds.  Yes, I ran the race in 02:29:45.

Good things from the race:

* I really broke through mentally.  I think setting goals that were stretch really made me focus and push myself.  At around mile 10 I wanted to start run/walking.  At that point my frantic math calculations against my garmin were not really accurate enough to let me know if I was going to hit goal #2 or not.  I had a sub goal for this race - no walking (* exception for water stations).  That goal got me through the last three miles and got me to realize that I can push myself harder than I think I can do.

*  My mom was there to cheer me on!  She's never seen me run and we were a little worried about us splitting before the race/her finding where to go.  She loved it -  she found three different places to cheer me - including start and finish lines!  I even heard her yell my name, even though I was wearing headphones.  She plans to come visit when I run my next race (10k in October) and might even aim for a 5k herself.

* I kept a good pace through the race and felt strong in my form.   My legs were ready to give out before my breathing, and even they didn't give me more than some minor stiffness the next day.  Compare that to limping for days after my first!

Not so good:

* I'll be a bitch here.  The pace from my first race put me in the second to last corral of the race.   That put me in with a lot of people who were run/walking.  And they were walking across the middle of the course.  Sometimes they even blocked THE ENTIRE COURSE!  Did they not read the race etiquette part of the directions?  What is hilarious is that one of the race photographers caught me in mid-vicious face as I got mad at getting blocked.  Hah!  Once I took the opportunity to duck through every available gap I managed to catch up to folks that were pacing at about where I was.  Luckily this race result should get me in a higher corral at my next Disney race (whenever that is) and I won't have the same problem.

* I caught a nasty cold the day after the race and haven't run since.  I'm not on a specific training plan right now and know that I am doing a post-race taper, so it's not that bad, but I am still itching to get back to running.  Unfortunately the cold is hanging on and I didn't get to take a sick day last week.  Plan is to rest/sick day tomorrow and get back to running the next day.


All in all an awesome experience.  I do have three more races coming this year but I feel less pressured about them.  I will work hard, no doubt, but this race was a huge mental breakthrough.  I know I can rock the races and have a good time.  Next up - a year of speed improvement!

Race Goals

My half marathon in California (Disneyland!) is in 5 days. I'm very excited. It's not my first race, or my first race at this distance, but it's the first where I truly am setting goals. I'm going with the safe/probable/stretch goal trio.

* Safe - beating my first half marathon time. Since that was based on much less running experience plus injury plus a nasty cold, it would probably take asteroids to keep me from beating this. Or really long lines at character picture stops.

* Probable - Time goal of < 2.5 hours. It's a nice goal number and reachable, based on training calculators. It's what I will be aiming for. And it's the first time I will be watching my time before the last mile to figure out what I need to do to make it. Hope my brain is warmed up along with my feet, because there's some math a comin'!

* Stretch - Average of 10:30 per mile. This is a stretch goal but maybe not as stretchy based on recent training runs. I have to be careful with this one - don't want it as primary because I could see myself starting out too fast (common problem) and running out of steam aiming for this. It's more of a "we'll see how it goes, and grow from here" goal.

I'm way excited for this race. Disney does a great race from my first experience, plus I'm running in an area I've never been to before. Double fun! Just based on that, I expect to be happy. If I hit one goal I'll be extra happy. If I hit two, I'll be ecstatic. Three - you'll have to talk me down from the moon.

So much to say...

I've been doing a lot more thinking of blogging than actual blogging recently. And by recently I mean the last two years. But then again, why blow a streak?

So...
* I just came back from vacation a week and a half ago. It was hella awesome as always; it was a vacation to my favorite place in the world. I won't go into details because it would be a lot of text with no pictures, but suffice to say that when I was running a week in a half into the two week trip I caught myself thinking that my thighs didn't rub as much when I was running at the start of the trip. Success by any measure!

* I'm about to go back on another vacation. Yes - I do actually work, it's just for some reason I tend to cluster a lot of trips together. Which can be unfortunate because of my bad habit of always thinking ahead, and never living in the now. My brain is already on vacation, which means that basically what I said before about working? Eh - not so much.

* The vacation mentioned in the immediately prior point is to DISNEYLAND. ALL CAPITALS, WELL DESERVED. And as part of it, I'll be running a half marathon. Or to put it more correctly, the Disneyland trip is because I am running the half.

* I've never been to Disneyland. I expect to enjoy it. I will be going with my mother. The last two sentences do not contradict each other. Mom and I have gone to WDW multiple times and loved it; I expect the same with this trip.

And that's it for now. I know I had a lot more to say, but here's to breaking the blogging brain backlog!

Road Rash

I can be a bit clumsy. I've fallen on my knees on more than one occasion. Today I added another injury to the list.

I was out with my running group, chatting away with my running partner. We'd passed a nasty stretch of uneven/missing bricks, crossed over a high hill, I was feeling great.

Then out of the blue - at mile 2.5 of a planned 3.5 mile run- I'm falling. Not sure what I tripped on, but I fell hard. Knees hit, hands hit - side of face hit. Short skid - just enough to rip some good amount of skin off.

My running partner was a bit freaked (luckily she had some water, I poured it over my knees for some relief). I got up, we started walking....and then I decided I felt good enough, so we started running.

We had started from my gym, so when we ended there the trainer that ran the group and the trainer that I was scheduled for a session with helped clean me up a bit. From there - off to the doctor's. No concussion but geeze - really bad scrapes.

I spent the morning icing my knees. I have a scrape on the side of my cheek next to my eye that is aching. I just came out of the bath and slathered on Neopsorin. And you know what? I'm still planning on running the 5K I have scheduled for Friday night.

(Where's that gif for crazy?)

Simply Happy

Thank God for heat waves breaking. I love the heat - when I'm not running. I will go outside and take my shoes off to get as much heat as I can from the sidewalks. I'm like a lizard. When I'm not moving, give me as much sun as you've got! For a short time, that is. Why is it that sweating in the sun feels great when you're still, but sucks when you aren't?

With the heat wave I had decided to move my weekly long run to Monday. I am such the weather junkie now that I'm running; I want to know days in advance what I'm going to face.

Monday was a lovely day; not too hot, not too cold. I got my lazy butt out of bed half an hour earlier than usual (6 instead of 6:30), fueled with a bagel w/PB, and went to my gym.

I was due for 10 miles and instead of mapping out my route beforehand I decided to go a little random. I had ideas of where I wanted to go but didn't map it all out. It was basically a series of out and backs, centering around my gym. With my first out and back I missed a turn which made me realize how close my gym actually is to where I pick up the T. New route possibilities abound!

I ran 6 miles without stopping. I know most people say to take water in that time but for me I can't; I think it distracts me, really doesn't help. I stopped ~6 miles to take two shot bloks - Margarita - and drink water from a public fountain. My stomach usually can take GU and I actually like them but for some reason in the heat I just can't. I think I have to go out and buy more shot bloks for the next few weeks of training.

Kept running after the fuel stop. Lost a little momentum when I went through a park, but picked it right back up. Around mile 8.5 I got a minor stitch in my side and took a quick stretch break so that I wouldn't be in pain for the rest of the run.

Mile 9.5 - my gym was in sight and I really needed to pee. Ducked in quickly, came back out to loop around for half a mile.

Came back, stretched - felt awesome! It's been a while since I've been able to go those distances without walk breaks - basically, since summer started. I think I've got the exertion for longer distances worked out; I can definitely feel the difference between "can go forever at this pace" and "mid-range distances, but will exhaust over time".

I feel so much more prepared for my half in September. And I definitely feel happy with my running. I'm not the fastest, but I am doing it!

Feeling Better

I almost met my goal from yesterday's post. Almost in the sense that although I didn't hit the full distance I wanted to, I felt like I made good progress towards being comfortable with the treadmill.

I got myself up @7 this morning. On a Saturday. Can't believe it myself. I'm either dedicated or getting old. Probably both.

Anyway, I decided that I wasn't in the mood for my regular fuel of an english muffin w/nut butter. Went with a bowl of Kashi Go Lean, walnuts, and dried cranberries. I should correct that - tried to go with that. I just wasn't in the mood for some reason. I ate maybe 1/4 to 1/3 of the bowl and then covered it for later. Same with my regular morning Diet Mt. Dew - just wasn't feeling it.

Got dressed, went to gym. My gym is doing a contest where every 5 days you work out you get a raffle ticket. The prizes are awesome - tickets to the Red Sox game, or even the rest of the year's gym membership for free! That's what I want! The reason I mention this is that this morning they were giving little gold smiley stickers at check-in; I think those who put them on the sign-up sheet get extra entries. Yay for non laziness!

Stretched out. Knee is feeling moderately good. Definitely not twinging as much. Wow - actually listening to advice to ice and take pain killers works. Who knew? (Insert roll-eyes here).

Jumped on the treadmill. Started slow, then once I was moderately warmed up, covered the display with a towel. I had set it to finish at three miles.

I had a good music mix, and varied my speed. Since I covered the display I don't know my peak, but I do know that I was pushing myself. Not to sprint, but definitely a few clicks down from there. As I went along I made myself focus on posture - was I leaning forward, was I too close to the front of the mill, where were my hips. I also worked on my breathing, trying to go deeper in to my lower abdomen.

As I said above, I didn't go the full distance. I made it 2.37 miles before I ripped the towel off. Once I did that I knew that I would be distance watching, so I just stopped.

My speed was moderately slow, but I think that I had more of a spread between my slowest speed and my fastest, so I don't feel as bad as I could. I definitely felt more comfortable than yesterday on the 'mill.

I am going to continue to get more practice on the 'mill. If it gets hot again here, definitely, but mostly as I get into the fall. I don't want to waste good running weather inside!

Overall - I say a B- on this one. But with a smile.

Worst of Both Worlds

I'm a pessimistic perfectionist. And it sucks. I never want to start anything because I'm sure that I won't be able to do it just right. I over think; I have to consider everything that might go wrong. And sometimes that over thinking makes me sabotage myself before I even start.

Take today's workout. I was scheduled to do 5 miles w/3 mile tempo in the middle. I had done two miles of tempo last week to great success. And sore legs for two days after, but we'll take that as battle scars. If I had been able to do today's tempo outside I would have been happy. I don't know if you've heard, though - the East coast is having a heat wave. I had been having problems outside when it was cooler; I know if I tried to take one step above a walk outside today, I will burst into flames. So - treadmill.

Let me back up a bit and say I have a certain fear of the treadmill. It goes back to this past winter when I was injured while training for my first half. I'm stubborn, so even though I was injured, I was going to keep training. And with the way the sidewalks were, I wasn't going to be doing it outside. I jumped (well, limped) on to the treadmill. It was a scary session. I hit a speed that I wasn't able to keep up with and my leg started twisting and sliding. Have you ever seen those videos of people falling off of treadmills? Those make me wince, not laugh. I just know that if I was to fall I'd do more than bruising. Negative thinking? Maybe. Anyway, the point is, I was terrified.

Since then I've done workouts on the treadmill. I've done some tough workouts - hills, speedwork. But there's always that fear in the back of my mind. It's even worse when my knee acts up, like it has been this week.

I did my 5 miles this morning, but it definitely was not a tempo run. It was around slow run time, mostly because I just didn't trust my knee to keep up. Let me say - after the workout my knee was fine - better than it has been all week! Probably because I finally listened to advice and iced it last night. I know I could have pushed myself harder.

So I'm disappointed today. I know that I psyched myself into a bad run.

My plan - a do over tomorrow. Not 5 miles - just 3. I am going to treat it like I was outside running. I will cover the speed display and go by effort. I will set it to go by distance instead of time. I will warm up slowly, and do my best to go faster each mile after that. And I will trust in my legs and knees.

I can do this. I know I can. I am strong.

Trot trot to Boston...and look at that - I actually cooked!

Well, I say look at it, but don't provide any pictures. Mad photo skillz - I haz them.

To start with the second part of the title, I did make a wonderful dinner tonight. Thank goodness for Oh She Glows. I spotted the recipe for Perfect Veggie Burgers this week and just knew it was perfect for using some of the beans I cooked this week. I do have to say - these burgers are definitely not mistitled. They are amazing. The texture is just right, the beans/almonds/sunflower seeds combination is fabulous, and the spices are beautiful. I served it in a pita half with some sliced cucumbers and garlic hummus. Could definitely stuff more into the pita - might do that with carrots for the leftovers tomorrow. And maybe I'm used to tiny servings, but I made 14 when her recipe served 8.

It was also a fabulous day for a run. Hot of course - this summer is nice to be out in, unless you're running. Today I felt it but didn't over feel it, if that makes sense? I deliberately ran slow - the same pace as my long run last week. It was different than the last run however, as I ran the entire way. Go me!

I am in such a good mood. Seven weeks to big race!

What a difference a few days make

This week was AWESOME. My last post was a little bit down, but since then I've:

* Rocked out to a Monday night dance class. This is really fun for cross training, although to be honest I was a bit grossed out when the woman next to me took off her shirt (she had a sports bra, of course) and she was unshaven! Like fully grown inches long hair in her pits. I try to be relaxed/it's her choice about these things but I was just fascinated/grossed out.

* Ran with the Wednesday running group and had a really fun time. I was relaxed, it was a good pace, plus I get to practice having conversations while running. Plus the woman I talk to is really nice. Unfortunately I'm such a blonde at heart that I've already forgotten her name. Will ask her this coming Wednesday.

* Ran a tempo run Thursday. I hadn't done one of those in a long time; I rocked it! Aiming for a 10:30 for two miles. Mile 1 - 10:40; mile 2 - 9:53! Wow!

* Even with sore thighs from Thursday I did a tough core class Friday morning. Kept myself going through hills, speedwork, core intervals, and strength/cardio drills. I've even become so used to burpees that they are automatic with me.

I am working it!

Disappointed but resolved

I did my long run this morning. I was not happy with the result. It was 8.2 miles, average 12:17 minute mile. When I look at the splits on my Garmin I was strong in the front miles and sloooow in the back.

I am definitely making some changes on my next long run.

* Instead of running with a water bottle on my back I will run with cash for water along the way. I think that having the water along the way made it too easy to "take water breaks" too often along the way.

* Recognize my weakness. If I walk once, I walk too much the rest of the way. I will aim to slow down next time when taking my gu/chomps/whatever, but not stop.

* There will be exhaustion. I will get hot. This is normal and good.

* Stretch longer before the run and during the week to make sure my hips don't seize.

* Take it slower up front. Practice this during shorter runs.

* Focus on posture. When I feel tired, take a breath and adjust.

* Plan for success; ignore what I did last week. I've done these distances before and done them well. Remember that.

I will be doing my best at the half in September. I need to learn these skills now for my future running. I won't always be running in 50 degree weather; I need to know how to deal.

Relaxing into Strength

I did a short yoga session today. 20 minutes, free podcast. I listened to it and followed along with the pose guide twice before I actually tried the practice. I have a fun, pretty yoga mat (very important, of course) that I got for Christmas and has been unused pretty much since.

I followed the practice very well and was able to do all the poses but at the end, I felt...disappointed. I really did my best and it was slightly straining. I can be a very tense person; my personal trainer is always gently yelling at me to take my shoulders down from my ears. So with this practice I felt like I wasn't breathing into the moves properly and reaching with my body.

It was a starting session so I've got room to grow. I'm happy I did it, and happy to recognize where I can improve. I hope to get to the point where when I finish a yoga session my body is so relaxed that I'm ready to fall asleep.

Ook ook

Yes - still monkeying with giving up Diet Mt. Dew.

And in other news, it's hot and sticky. Not the best for training. BUT - I had a fun run on Wednesday. I ran with the running group again, and as opposed to last week I didn't run faster, but I had more fun. I ran and chatted with one of the girls the whole way. In fact we were so distracted that we passed our turnoff! Shorter than planned distance, but fun nonetheless.

WFH/sick day today. Woke up achy, feverish, yucky feeling in the morning. Improved later, but still need to get on the ball about my arthritis medication. Part of the feeling this morning was achyness in both hands, which is a sign of a flare.

Other more positive achyness was in my thighs for the past couple days. I guess I overdid it in my training session Wednesday. Haven't had achyness in a long time because of that. Does me some good!

Long run on Sunday; maybe long walk on Saturday? Either way, mixed bag week, but ready for a good weekend!

Get that yellow-green monkey off my back

I've got a monkey on my back. It's yellow-green, fizzy, and has no calories.

Yes - I am a hardcore Diet Mt. Dew junkie. Secondary addiction to Coke Zero.

I've heard too many times the reasons diet sodas are bad for you. Bad for your teeth, bad for your bones, bad for your waist (according to recent data). I even believe that it contributes to stomach issues that I feel. Even with all of that - I couldn't give it up.

Note carefully the previous sentence. Couldn't. Not can't. That's because I promise myself from the end of this weekend forward; no more soda. I've given it up before and gone back, and even gave it up for Lent this year. I know I can do it.

I want to run the best I can and I fully believe that my hydration suffers because of my soda addiction. Time to go.

Up and at 'em!

You know you're serious about your training program when you get up and run @6:30 - right before you have to drive 4 1/2 hours.

I'm visiting my mom this weekend. Also visiting my mom are my sister, her husband, and their 5 kids (ages 11 down to 18 months). A little bit more chaotic than the life of me and two cats that I'm used to.

From experience I knew that there really are no good places to run around my mom's house. Well, she has a loop around her neighborhood, but last time I ran there I had some...slight pee-ness that sticks in my mind. I'll save running around there for my shorter run on Monday. Plus - boring. But - geese!

So - up at 6:30. Pre-run - full bagel + PB! Hold back the excitement! I seriously need to re-think my fueling. The bagel is good, but I usually do an english muffin w/PB which may not be enough.

Anyway - started run. Around mile 1.25, felt a need to do #2. Luckily there was a Burger King nearby, so quick pit stop and off I went! I planned some high hills early in the run rather than later, so I could use some energy at the start.

It was hilly, I was sweaty, but felt good mentally. Chocolate Gu @ mile 4; not sure if it was the weather heating it up, but it didn't feel right going down. Plus - spilled some on shirt and shorts. Maybe switch to bloks? Broke down a bit in the last mile. Planned on 8, only finished 7.58.

Post-run there were salt deposits on my face, as usual. I'm not a huge fan of salted food, so I'm a little concerned about the amount that comes out in my sweat. I do have margarita shot bloks, which have extra salt; will probably use them on my next long run. On the upside, I've found that running with a nathan bottle carrier centered in my back is very comfortable.

After that, long drive, greeted by loved ones!

Now that's motivation!

Late to the party, I know, but I just started reading Run!: 26.2 Stories of Blisters and Bliss

I'm only halfway through, and I want to go out and run hard. I've been slacking, I feel, and my trainer gently suggested such without even saying it (that's a skill!) by suggesting I incorporate tempo runs in my training. (Don't worry about my slacking on run-on sentences - I've got that covered! Also in overuse of exclamation points and commas!)

Anyway, short story shorter, a lot of the book focuses on working through the tough times when running. I've got to realize - it's not going to kill me. I can do more than I have been.

So - going forward:

• I have one more session of core training. This is intervals of treadmill work (speed and inclines) alternating with floor core work (pushups, planks (side and regular), bicycles, wall sits, etc.). Since it's our final week we're going to be doing assessments. Goals - Work through the entire time of all exercises. Several times during the time we've had these sessions I've dropped to my knees on the floor or walked if on the treadmill. None of that. It's all mental. I know I can rock through this.
• After the core training is done, Fridays will be tempo runs. I will have about 8 weeks until my half, so this is the time to kick into gear. Goal: Hit 9:30 miles by last session.
• I ran with a running group this week. I will continue doing so. Goal: Drop speed on each run, goal of 9 minute miles. I expect this to be a longer term goal.

Overall goal - work it until it hurts. And know I can go further.

Straytch

Image from Social Petworking

I think I mentioned earlier that I've been going to a physical therapist. See, even before I started running I had pain in my right knee. Just my right knee, a little below the kneecap. I do have arthritis, but since the pain is not symmetrical I was told that it wasn't caused by that. And I agreed because the pain definitely feels different from my arthritis pain and stiffness.
Anyway, after waiting forever to go see a physical therapist (avoiding reality, me?), I finally went in this summer. And? Tendonitis. Nothing elaborate. Basically I was doing absolutely the wrong thing. I leaned to the left to avoid putting pressure on my right leg. This caused my left knee to take more of my weight than my right and may have had something to do with a very bad groin injury I developed last November. And by not putting my weight on my right leg the muscles there were undeveloped. And the way to avoid pain was to have strong thigh muscles.
The end result to the above is that for the last month I have been walking evenly and have found that the pain is mostly gone. When it does come it's very short in duration and I can adjust my leg to the correct position to make it go away.
In addition to walking evenly I'm focusing on stretching. I've never been one to do static stretching; I do dynamic stretching before I run because I can really feel my legs wake up. But slow stretching after? I don't have time for that! Or I didn't used to - now I make the time. And honestly? A good stretch is good for the body and mind. I did a stretching session after a short run this week and I felt so loose, relaxed, and happy.
I might finally get into yoga after thinking about it for a long time. But in the short term, a good stretch is doing me a world of good.

Pushing boundaries...safely

I'm a moderately cautious person. An example of what I see as moderate is the way I go down stairs. First off - I don't like stairs. They scare me. On more than one occasion I've almost tripped over my jeans (hate you boot cut!) and fallen. So, when I go down the stairs I often hold the rail BUT I also try to not go too slowly. The people who leap down stairs amaze me - I just can't trust my balance and/or aim to do that.

I work with a personal trainer weekly. She is totally awesome. She's taken me so far in a year. Part of that progress is in trusting that I can do more than I think I can. She throws compound exercises with heavy weights at me with this utter faith that I can do them. Because she has that faith I have that faith, and I am amazed at how powerful I am becoming. For that hour, I am superwoman!

I of course workout beyond that hour. I like to think I push myself but to be honest I think I don't. I have modest goals and although I pay lip service to reaching them, I am not working like I should to reach them.

So changes are coming for me. I ran this morning with a weekly running group and pushed myself to a strong pace because I wanted to keep up. I'm going to stick with that. I'm also going to adjust my training to the point that I am extending myself beyond where I think I can go.

BTW - the stairs? Part of one of my running bootcamps was stair repeats. I think I might just have to add them to my routine. Maybe someday I'll be leaping down them as well.

I'm a participant!

AKA Not my best race...but I will still be thankful.

Before you get to my bitching/moaning, read Healthy Tipping Point. Amazing post today. It's getting me out of my shallow dark mood.

So, I ran the BAA 10K this morning. I went to bed last night at 10:30 to get up at 5:30 (I know - not 8 hours. I just couldn't do it!). Unfortunately my mom didn't realize I had a race and called me at 11! I'm usually a night owl so it would be alright, but this time, not so much. I took 2 minutes to brush her off (sorry Mom!), and tried to go back to bed. Wasn't happening.

Got up, got dressed.



Notice a theme in the outfit/bathroom wall? Yes - I like purple. And if you look carefully, you can see the ring on my right hand. It's the ring I bought myself when I hit my goal weight. And I don't think you can see in this picture, but I am wearing purple butterfly earrings that my brother/sister-in-law gave me for Christmas this past year.

It was an interesting morning - hazy all the way to Boston Common. I got there way early - race was at 8, I got there at 6:45! That's what I get for overthinking things. Since I had so much time I went to the lovely port a potties. Never look down in those; you just don't want to know. Anyway, I hung out and people watched. It truly is amazing the sizes and shapes of all the people doing the race. I saw this one older couple that had matching bright yellow shirts and blue shorts. B.A.A colors, I believe, but for the 5K. They were so cute; I actually saw them in the race at the very end, with the pickup bus right behind them. I really hope they were able to finish!

Anyway, after all that people watching I realized I had to go to the bathroom (again). I had to wait a few minutes to get to one, as opposed to earlier when I just walked in. I had to wait so long that I got to the corrals just as the first wave was starting! I ducked through the gates to the corral (not the only one doing it), took my gu, drank some water, and was ready to kick it.

I started off fast; too fast, as it turned out. My knee ached for the first two miles, but I fought through. Mile 1 - 10:19. Mile 2 - 10:38. Given my average pace for my last 10K was 10:50, I should have known that I couldn't keep this up.

Walked through the water stop at 2 miles. Got running again. Got hot. Mile 3 - 11:18. Slowing down. Walked at mile 3.5? Something like that. Ran to water stop at mile 4. Grabbed some water. Probably shouldn't have. It made me nauseous.

Mile 4 - 10:26. Walked at mile 5. When I did, felt dizzy for a few seconds. Walked/ran mile 5 and 6. Mile 5 - 10:56. Mile 6 - 11:35. Mile 6.2 - 10:14.

End result - 1:07:50. 24 seconds off my PR in May. Now I'm going to be cranky/spoiled here, which is hard to do after reading the HTP link above. I'm just unhappy with my results. I know I can do better. I'm at the point in my running career where I am over that "Ohmigod - I can't believe I'm finished!" feeling and am hardcore "Dammit - I am so slow!". It's just that I know I can run this distance without walking. I did it for 10 miles in April! I don't know if it's the changing temps or what, but this is very frustrating.

So - not a PR. Trying my best not to care. On the upside - I do have my medal. And a nice new T-shirt. And I am stronger than I ever thought I could be.

Antici...

...pation.

So, tomorrow is the BAA 10K. Not my first time to the rodeo as it were; this will be my third 10K. The first two I did had stories around them (which I might share later), and I have hopes that this one will as well. But most importantly I have hopes for a new PR. This is a flat course vs. my prior 10K, I've been working on speed, etc. But the most important factor is that about 3 weeks ago I went in for physical therapy for my right knee. One of the first things the PT told me that I wasn't balancing my weight on my legs, to the point that when I stood straight, my right knee was bent without me even realizing it! Since then I've worked on strengthening my quads and being even in my walking - and my running! I feel like I am very balanced, my posture is good, and I can rock this!

So, I'm excited for the race. Not very nervous, which is good? I guess?

One other thing I am excited about...

That this bowl of what appears to be disgustingness will hopefully turn out to be greatness tomorrow.

Mmmm...resist

I love peanut butter.

I wish I could love the natural only peanuts stuff. I used it for a long time but was lured back by the siren call of Jif.

I've eaten dark chocolate PB. I want to try white chocolate, even though I don't like white chocolate on its own.

I search out new sources of PB on the web. I put the jars in my basket but never make the final click.

I am ever so tempted...

If only my budget loved fancy peanut butter varieties as much as I did...

Less fud, more food

I love the Far Side. I mean - who doesn't? Soooo funny. The cartoon above is one that stuck with me, and I will frequently use the term "fud" for, well, food. But when I think about it, there are certain types of food that are more fud than others. A sliding scale as it were.

Obviously McDonalds is on the fud side of the scale. Whole carrots? Well they pretty much define the food end. Gogurt? Fud. Yogurt? If it's pre-flavored, more fud. Plain and unsweetened? Food.

Recently I've found myself sliding further along to the fud side of the scale. I've been eating more protein bars as snacks, and my sweet tooth is a little more readily fed these days. Part of this has to do with pure laziness. Part of it is also the fact that I have long days and moderately high calorie needs with the amount of exercise I'm now getting.

I do pack and bring my lunches to work every day. I usually pack for an afternoon snack; today was blueberries, cocoa almonds, and string cheese. I think, however, that I will have to start packing a late afternoon snack because right before I left work I got hungry. And I knew that if I didn't eat before the 45-60 minute ride home (depending on if the T was acting up - which it was) I would tend to not listen as much to my hunger signals when I actually did get to eat. So - Clif bar.

This long post is basically a way of pushing myself back to the food side of the scale. More protein especially needed.

Instead of protein bars, I'm thinking:

*cottage cheese + blueberries (since they are now in season and cheap!)

* oatmeal soaked in milk w/cinnamon, fruit, and a bit of yogurt

* hard boiled egg (deviled?)

* salt and vinegar chickpeas - recipe @ OhSheGlows

or even making my own protein bars? Either way - I'm not wasting my money and precious calories on fud any more!

I run so I can eat

Like I said in my last post, I've changed a bit. Just over a year ago I started training with a new personal trainer. She was interesting to me because her bio mentioned losing a lot of weight. It paralleled my experiences so I felt like she would understand my crazy brain. We started working together and I found out she was a runner. She had done Boston once by then, and would do it again after I started working with her.

I've always wanted to run. I just could never get past the "run as hard as I can" mental part. Bright red face, extremely short distances, very slow. I started working with Natalie (my trainer then, and still) and decided on a big goal. I signed up for the Disney half marathon this past January.

A year later, at least one of those three parameters has changed. I still get bright red, and after some of my longer runs I have white patches on my face from salt. I still go slow - my fastest mile has been 9:30 during a training run, and my legs hurt for two days afterwards. But - I ran/walked the half marathon (and that is a story in itself), and since then have run several other races, including an awesome 10 miler through the cherry blossoms in DC.

I am doing another half marathon in September in Disneyland. My goal is to run 11 races this year. I've signed up for 10 so far. I'm planning for a marathon next year, and for 2014 (when I turn 40), I'm going to go Goofy. That's doing the Disney World half marathon/marathon on consecutive days.

I run 3 to 4 times a week. I want to do more, but feel it can be counterproductive. I mostly do 3-4 mile runs on the weekdays, and my longer runs are 6-10 miles. I am very ridiculous in my running, because I tend to have no sense of direction. I got lost 1/2 a mile from my office - 2x!

All of that to say - I am hooked on running. And on running blogs. And reading about running. And being annoyingly boring about running. It's just how I am about cooking/health!

Hmmm...post every two years?

Great velocity on posts - one every two years! *sigh*

Some updates:

* I'm not dead, and am in fact exceedingly healthy.

* I'm still working at the job mentioned in my last couple posts. In fact, I've made some great friends there.

* On the down side, having a HQ in California when I am Boston based means that my days skew later. Starting late is great; ending late, not so much.

* With the above, my cooking is suffering. Luckily the rest is not - my weight is pretty stable, and I'm still eating great food.

That last point is going to change. Not the great food part - but the suffering. I want to get back to more cooking. Probably not 5x a week, but more than the 1x I've been doing.

I've also been reading a lot of great blogs and want to take cues from them. Not so much cooking blogs, but my other new hobby. What's that? Well...

Ah - so close.

There are certain ingredients that I love. Most of these ingredients are in season in the fall. One of my favorites is acorn squash. The only recipe I've made with it, however, is roasted. As wonderful as I find that simple prep, when I found a recipe for acorn squash soup in Simply the Best Italian , I knew I had to try it.

Acorn squash is not as smooth as butternut squash. Unfortunately for this soup, even though there was great flavor and seasoning in the recipe, the graininess of the squash was too overwhelming to overlook. Not a repeat. I will say that the roasting of the squash/onion in the oven smelled like heaven!

And for the record, other fall/winter favorites include cranberries, parsnips, and sweet potatoes. And clementines - but I don't cook with those much...yet.

Baking with Joy - Sourdough English Muffins

I've been doing a lot more traveling in the last year - since I started a new job. I love my job, and since the headquarters for the company are in San Francisco, I was thrilled on a trip out there when a friend gave me some of the sourdough starter that she had been growing. I very carefully wrapped the bottle she gave - checked it in my bag - and believe me, was crossing my fingers all the way home that it wouldn't explode over my clothes.

That starter was given to me a few months ago, and I've been feeding it ever since. I keep it in my fridge and pull it out every few weeks. It's always interesting to pull out - the liquid has separated and it smells strong - but in a good way. When I know I am going to use it, I take it out of the fridge, stir the liquid back in, take out some of the starter, feed again - and the use the next day.

I've made a few different recipes with the starter so far, but the one I've come back to is Sourdough English Muffins , as found on Sourdough Home . Making english muffins is fun - for some reason although it is very easy to do, it feels like an accomplishment.

I baked up a batch today; it was a lazy Saturday, full of rain, and it was fun to do some kneading and rolling. The batch I made was unusual, because after I had mixed together the starter, honey, and reconstituted dry milk, I realized I didn't have enough AP flour. Wasn't going to stop me! I ended up using ~1 1/2 cup AP, 1 cup bread flour, and 1 1/2 cup white wheat for the first mix - and bought some AP today for the kneading. The result is interesting - kind of wheat-y.

Tonight's dinner was a sourdough english muffin with egg salad - and it was good.

I'm back (and nobody missed me)

I'm back! *crickets chirp* Yeah, I know. Ego talking, but I thought I'd wave my hands and scream to the web "I'm not dead yet!".

Anyway, I haven't posted in close to 2 years, but believe me - I've been cooking. My most recent successes have been in using a wonderful sourdough starter given to me by a friend from San Francisco. I've been doing some great sourdough english muffins and easy breads.

As usual, I do a lot more thinking about recipes than actual cooking. This has been particularly true recently (well, semi-recently), as I changed jobs back in October. It's coming up on 1 year at this job, and I am fat and happy. Well, happy, but not happy that I am fat(ter). Honestly - you try working at a job with a fully-stocked kitchen (I'll post pictures later) and free lunches every Thursday, and see where you are in a year. I'm just lucky I've fallen in love with exercise classes (more on those later).

I still want to do 5 recipes a week. I plan on doing Monday cookies - a tradition started by my wonderful friend Tina when we worked together at our last job. I want to do more with my starter (it's so cool!). I want to do more Chinese/Indian recipes for some reason (why do I crave them)? I also have a ton of beans to work with (darn you Rancho Gordo!), have fallen in love with eggs, want to experiment with salads...gads, the inspiration never stops.

All this to say - I still love to cook - and will always make time for it. And I will post more about what I do cook. I find so many recipes through other people - I want to keep the chain going.

I just have to share - so pretty

Something new to me....Light Salade aux Lardons

I have the hardest time with salads as a main meal. Goodness knows, I know that there are things named as a "salad" that have more calories than a lot of things I eat as a main meal. It's just that I never believe that a salad can satisfy. Of course, I can't really say that the salad I tried tonight is just a salad. I consider it ham and eggs on greens.

Of course, the recipe I made is a little classier than that. Light Salade aux Lardons comes from Eating Well Healthy in a Hurry. Eating Well is the second source I would go for a new recipe. (Cooking Light is first, of course). I have this cookbook, as well as their Serves Two cookbook, out from the library, trying to figure out if I want to add to my too large recipe collection. I think I will pick up both, because I think both are gorgeous.

This recipe was fairly simple. The timing could be done well enough that I could see getting this done in 15 minutes. It's all a matter of prep, which I almost got right. Anyway, the recipe is basically crisping up some Canadian bacon, tossing with some greens in a simple dressing, and topping with a poached egg.

Now, I will admit I've never poached an egg. I'm just not that much of an egg person. This first try was not totally successful. I think I overcooked a bit, and the egg white did not hold together when it went in to the pan, which meant I lost half of it. When I make an egg tomorrow night for the leftovers, I will try doing some vinegar in the water, as I heard that keeps the white together.

I also like the fact that I got to try Canadian bacon for the first time. I've been reading up on the Core plan at Weight Watchers a lot (I'm on Flex, and might be looking for a change), and they talk a lot about this meat. I like the flavor and nice browning it got in the pan, and I definitely like the flavor.

I like this salad. I could see eating it as a breakfast on the weekend even, or a light dinner. I think the dressing could definitely be switched up, and this isn't a recipe that I would get excited over, but it does give me an option to use up eggs. Ya never know - I might turn into an egg person!

And as a note - I halved the recipe, and used red lettuce instead of frisee. The original recipe can also be found at EatingWell.com


* Exported from MasterCook *

Light Salade aux Lardons

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 2 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil -- divided
4 ounces canadian bacon -- cut in 1/2" cubes
1 head frisee lettuce -- torn
1/2 large shallot -- minced
1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 eggs

Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon; cook, stirring, until brown and crisp, about 8 minutes.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a large bowl. Add lettuce to bowl. Add shallot to skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring until softened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in remaining tablespoon oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour mixture onto lettuce; toss to coat.

Meanwhile, bring about 1 inch of water to a boil in a medium skillet. Crack each egg into a small bowl and slip them one at a time into the boiling water, taking care not to break the yolks. Reduce heat to low. Cover the pan and poach eggs until the yolks are just set, 4 to 5 minutes.

Divide salad among 2 plates. Top each serving with a poached egg. Grind pepper over top and serve immediately.

Source:
"EW Healthy in a Hurry"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 262 Calories; 19g Fat (66.2% calories from fat); 18g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 240mg Cholesterol; 1021mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 2 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Light Salade aux Lardons

Trying to steal the crown...King Arthur's Best Chip Cookies

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have a friend that sits in the cube next to me that brings in baked goods every Monday. When she was out last week, I upped the ante as her replacement, and brought in baked goods twice (applesauce cake on Monday, "Deep Dish Brownie Pizza" on Friday). I was almost crowned the new baking queen - but I didn't bake this past Monday. I want that crown, though - so I solicited requests, and was asked for oatmeal chocolate chip.

To find the recipe, I went to King Arthur, which I consider one of the top recipe sources. Their books are incredible; I love their baking book, and am trying to love their whole grain baking book, although for some reason I am slow to warm to it. It does make me want to buy spelt flour, however. Like I need another kind of flour - I already have 4.

Anyway, instead of working from their books, I decided to be high-tech, and take a recipe from their website. The recipe I decided to try was King Arthur Flour's Favorite Chip Cookies. With a name like that, it has to be great, right?

Well, I'm not sure these will be MY favorite chip cookies. They are less of an oatmeal cookie, and more of a chocolate chip with oatmeal in it. That should be expected, though, from the fact that the oats are ground up in it. They aren't overly sweet, which can be good, but they are somewhat bland. That might be due to no salt in the recipe.

The good thing about these is that they came out to be the perfect cookie shape - almost round. I had halved the batch, and worked with a tablespoon instead of the teaspoon they wanted (teaspoon cookies are too small!). I ended up with 27 cookies, which fitted perfectly on two sheet pans.

I was such a nut last night. I got everything mixed up, and then realized I hadn't preheated the oven! DUH! But that gave me a good opportunity to clean up and load the dishwasher while it heated, which was nice. Wouldn't want that to happen again - especially if I was making muffins!

It's funny - now that I've made these, I'm craving a soft oatmeal raisin cookie. What I might do for my next baking is experiment with finding a good soft oatmeal cookie, and using the new dark chocolate raisinettes in them. That would be fun.

Never been so glad for leftovers...Gingered Carrot Soup

I am exhausted tonight for some reason. More than usual. I am so glad I hadn't planned on cooking tonight. I have a nice recipe waiting in the fridge, all ready to be reheated.

I made the Gingered Carrot Soup last night. It came from my favorite, the CLBB, and it was posted on this thread -Recipe. It came up in a search of my MasterCook, when I was looking for recipes to use up leftover half and half. Funny thing is, when it came time to add the half and half I was afraid of it curdling, so the recipe I made to use up an ingredient didn't end up including that ingredient! It's alright, though, because I've found two recipes that I will try this week to use up the half and half, and I am excited about both.

This recipe blended up to be a very pretty orange soup. Duh - it's a carrot soup. The orange juice gave it a nice flavor, but I ended up using a bit less than the recipe called for, so with the full amount and no half and half, the soup might have turned out too sweet. I also tossed in a little pepper. I tried using my food processor to blend this, instead of my usual blender. I don't think it worked as well - I still hit ginger chunks. Next soup I might try using my new stick blender.

I'm sure that the soup developed a deeper flavor with sitting overnight, as most soups do. I'm so happy that I get to heat up and relax. Unfortunately, my cleaners come tomorrow, so I do have to do some cleaning. Ah well - I'll be energized with a nice dinner.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Gingered Carrot Soup

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
4 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 cup minced onion
1/4 cup minced ginger
3 cups low-sodium defatted chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds carrots -- peeled and sliced
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup half and half
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Heat oil in a heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and 1/4 cup minced ginger and sauté until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add 3 cups chicken stock and 4 cups sliced carrots. Cover and simmer until carrots are tender, about 30 minutes.

Working in batches, puree mixture in blender or processor. Return soup to saucepan. Mix in orange juice, then half-and-half. Cook over low heat 5 minutes. Mix in ground cinnamon. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared one day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing, thinning with more stock if necessary.) Ladle soup into warm bowls and top with carrot and ginger strips if desired, and serve.

Source:
"CLBB Canice - http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?t=80326&page=2&pp=30"

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 196 Calories; 8g Fat (37.4% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 27g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 11mg Cholesterol; 532mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 3 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 1/2 Fat.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Eat the rainbow II - Broiled Polenta with Ratatouille

Today's recipe definitely fits in with ARF at Sweetnicks. In a single recipe, I ate the entire rainbow. Well almost.

Red - red bell pepper, red kidney beans, tomatoes - canned & dried
no orange
Yellow - yellow bell pepper, polenta
Green - zucchini
no blue - but what's a blue veggie?
Violet/Purple - eggplant

If that doesn't give enough veggies, what does? And to add to the pleasure, not only was it healthy, but delicious. And large portions!

This recipe also gave me the opportunity to try out polenta logs. It's interesting - I tasted what I thought was chicken broth in the polenta, but according to the ingredient list, there was none in it. I'm not sure how I feel about the product. When I opened the log, some liquid came out, so it was a bit messy. I liked the chicken-y flavor, but I wasn't sure about the texture. It also took longer to broil the cheese in the recipe than it listed - about 2x longer.

I can definitely see repeating this recipe. Maybe with a pile of creamy polenta instead of the discs.

To see all of the wonderful recipes in this week's roundup, check out Sweetnicks.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Broiled Polenta with Ratatouille

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
8 sun-dried tomato halves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion -- coarsely chopped
5 garlic cloves -- finely chopped
1 (3/4-pound) eggplant -- unpeeled and cubed
1 (1/2-pound) zucchini -- cubed
1 red bell pepper -- seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 sweet yellow pepper -- seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried basil
30 ounces canned kidney beans
16 ounces polenta in logs -- refrigerated tube
1/4 ounce grated parmesan cheese

Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in warm water to cover until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain, discarding the liquid, then chop the tomatoes.

Meanwhile heat a nonstick Dutch oven. Swirl in the oil, then add the onion and garlic. Saute until golden, about 7 minutes. Add the eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, tomatoes, sugar, salt, ground pepper, and the chopped sun-dried tomatoes; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are softened and the flavors are developed, about 30 minutes. Stir in the basil during the last 2 to 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler and spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Cut the polenta into 12 crosswise slices; arrange on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with the cheese and broil 5 inches from the heat until hot and the cheese is golden, about 4 minutes.

Serve the ratatouille with the broiled polenta rounds.

Source:
"Simply Delicious"

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 295 Calories; 4g Fat (11.1% calories from fat); 14g Protein; 55g Carbohydrate; 16g Dietary Fiber; 1mg Cholesterol; 1150mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 3 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Acting as substitute baker...Ginger-Cardamom Applesauce Cake

A good friend sits in the cube next to mine at work. She has been baking and bringing in the results every Monday for a long time now. This week, she is in Florida, and I have been designated her substitute. Not a bad thing, of course - I don't get to bake as much as I'd like to.

The recipe I chose was from a new favorite source of mine, the Cook's Illustrated web site. I love the show, love the books of theirs I have (The New Best Recipe and The Best Light Recipe), so I decided to give in and sign up for an annual membership. The membership is $25, but I think it's worth it.

The recipe I decided to make called for apple cider (which I had), dried apples (which I had), and applesauce (which I didn't have). Call me a bit stubborn, but even though I try to cook light, I'm resistant to baking with applesauce as an oil substitute, because I've heard it makes baked goods gummy. Life's too short for gummy food! But since this is an applesauce cake, I think it's okay. =)

I'm not sure how I initially found the recipe (don't ask me how many different ways I search for recipes), but it drew me in because it called for cardamom. I love cardamom. I'm not sure how much of it is because I love the smell versus the taste. I just know that I like using it.

This recipe was interesting. A medium amount of exertion (cooking down the dried apples), but beyond that, not too bad. The cake came out very moist, in fact a little too moist I believe. The spices were strong, but just before the line of overwhelming. I portioned the cake into 12 pieces and ended up having my slice as breakfast. It was a cake where you can feel decadent, but not too rich, and fake yourself out as to the health aspects. It's applesauce cake - how bad can it be? Well, not too bad, but it's definitely a treat.

Would I repeat? Probably not. There are too many untried recipes out there, to be boldly explored!


* Exported from MasterCook *

Ginger-Cardamom Applesauce Snack Cake

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 ounces dried apple -- cut in 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup apple cider
7 1/2 ounces unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 3/4 ounces sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 tablespoon crystallized ginger -- minced
1 cup unsweetened applesauce -- at room temperature
1 large egg -- at room temperature, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter -- melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 325 degrees. Cut 16-inch length parchment paper or aluminum foil and fold lengthwise to 7-inch width. Spray 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and fit parchment into dish, pushing it into corners and up sides; allow excess to overhang edges of dish.

Bring dried apples and cider to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat; cook until liquid evaporates and mixture appears dry, about 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Whisk flour and baking soda in medium bowl to combine; set aside. In second medium bowl, whisk sugar, ginger, and cardamom. Measure 2 tablespoons sugar-spice mixture into small bowl, add crystallized ginger, and set aside for topping.

In food processor, process cooled dried-apple mixture and applesauce until smooth, 20 to 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl as needed; set aside. Whisk egg and salt in large bowl to combine. Add sugar-spice mixture and whisk continuously until well combined and light colored, about 20 seconds. Add butter in three additions, whisking after each. Add applesauce mixture and vanilla and whisk to combine. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients; using rubber spatula, fold gently until just combined and evenly moistened.

Turn batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with rubber spatula. Sprinkle reserved 2 tablespoons topping evenly over batter. Bake until wooden skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours. Run knife along cake edges without parchment to release. Remove cake from pan by lifting parchment overhang and transfer to cutting board. Cut cake and serve.

Source:
"Cooks Illustrated"

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 211 Calories; 8g Fat (34.0% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 33g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 39mg Cholesterol; 206mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat; 1 Other Carbohydrates.


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

A new veggie...Garlicky Greens & Beans

I am obsessive about using ingredients as soon as I get them. I bought a can of cannellini beans last week, so I was searching my MasterCook for a recipe to use them. I was thrilled to find Garlicky Greens & Beans. It looked like the perfect side/light meal. I am definitely a garlic person. Plus, it gave me a chance to experiment with hearty greens (in this case, kale), which is a veggie I've never worked with.

The recipe came together quickly. I took advantage of the convenience products of today - the kale came already sliced in a bag! It also said it was washed, but I take no chances. Plus, I got to play with my salad spinner! (I can't help it - it's fun!)

I usually rinse & drain my canned beans, but this recipe calls for them undrained. I wasn't sure about that, but it definitely works. As the beans heat, the liquid picks up the garlic flavor beautifully.

The result is wonderful. The greens are tender, the sauce is garlicky (although I could see using a little less), and the mix of beans & greens definitely works. It even got me to like dried tomatoes, which I have never had luck with before.

Even though my pictures are still not great, I think you should be able to see that the color combination works. The bright green of the kale, the creamy white beans, the little bits of dried tomato...pretty.

I've double-wrapped the leftovers, in hopes that the garlic will not overwhelm the refrigerator. I can't wait to try the leftovers tomorrow!


* Exported from MasterCook *

Garlicky Greens and Beans

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:25
Categories : Side Dish

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 1/2 pounds kale, chard or mustard greens -- trimmed and cut into pieces (1 inch)
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic -- crushed
1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney beans) -- undrained
6 dried tomato halves -- rehydrated if dried, chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried rosemary -- crushed
Dash red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper -- to taste

In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts water to a boil; add 1 tablespoon salt to boiling water. Toss the greens into the boiling water and cook until they are almost tender but still bright green, 5-8 minutes (time will depend upon the type of green being used). Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside. (Greens can be cooked one day ahead; refrigerate until continuing with recipe). Heat olive oil in large skillet and sauté garlic until tender but not browned; stir in beans and cook and stir for 8 minutes, heating beans through (some beans may break up; this is okay as it helps thicken the dish); gently stir in reserved greens and remaining ingredients. Cook and stir gently until heated through. If desired, top each serving with a dusting of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Source:
"National Pork Producers Council"
S(Internet address):
"http://www.nppc.org"
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 148 Calories; 3g Fat (18.8% calories from fat); 8g Protein; 24g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 624mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fat.


Nutr. Assoc. : 2532 0 0 512 258 0 0 0 2130706543