Sunday, November 14, 2010

Tag, You're It!

I ran a marathon a week ago today.  I've been training for marathons for all of 2010.  You'd think I'd want a break. But I don't.  Yesterday I jammed my sensitive toes into my running shoes (with my D-Tag still attached), picked up my friend Nancy and headed to meet my running group from a few towns away.  My running group runs for about an hour at a 9:30-10 minute pace Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings.  Yesterday we ran an awesome route through trails in 35 degrees.  I guess it ended up being 60+ yesterday but not when I was running.  We ran for an hour and 15 minutes and guess what?  I ran without my Garmin and it felt awesome.  I am currently not training for anything so why stress out about my pace and mileage?  I think we ran probably 7.5 miles at close to 9:50 pace.  I felt really good except when we hit a giant downhill.  My quad tightened up a bit so I will be heading back to Physical Therapy to make sure its nothing serious (I'm sure it's not.)  It was a wonderful run and I'm excited to be back.  I think my goal for the rest of the year is to do 1-2 runs a week and get back to Spinning, weight lifting and cross training.  Come January, I'll decide on a plan for 2011.  I do want to run Boston, but I'm not sure I want to fundraise again.  I may just stick to halves...
speaking of running, here are some of my race pictures....
Before I talk about food, Kelly over at Meals for Miles tagged me in a little questionairre.  I have no idea how I found Kelly's blog, but I'm glad I did!  She just finished the NY marathon (her first) in under 4 hours! Anyway, I love reading her blog- she writes about the joys of running and healthy eating in the city. Here are the questions she asked.
  1. Favorite restaurant and why? Hmmm... such a good question.  I think my favorite restaurant is Capital Grille.  I've never had a bad meal there and I love going out to really fancy steak houses for special occasions.  Check out my review here!
  2. What’s at the top of your Christmas/Hanukkah list? Throughout the year I always think of things I want to Chrismakkah (we celebrate both) but then I forget when I get close to December!!!  I want a Kitchen-Aid mixer and more storage for my kitchen (I have a lot of gadgets and pots and pans).  Maybe a pair of good sunglasses since I keep breaking my cheapo ones.  This is a tough one for me! Oh, plus I want a Cannon Rebel... but I just got my Cannon G11 in April so thats not going to happen...
  3. If you were given a free trip to anywhere in the world, where would you go? Hands down, I would go to Fiji.  I've always wanted to go.  My friends Kerry and Jonathan went for their honeymoon and I will forever be jealous of that trip!  I've always wanted to go somewhere that feels like you are in a dream or in heaven and their pictures looked that way!
  4. Who is your favorite person in the whole world? If you go to my About Me page, you get to see my three favorite people in the whole world.  Obviously my first is my husband Dave. Sometimes I'm absolutely amazed at how well he knows me.  He knows me better than I know myself.  Next is obviously BFF Court.  I feel lucky to have a friend whose known me for over 20 years.  She knows my flaws and loves me anyway.  And then lastly, is my brother.  I cannot in words express how fortunate I am to have an older brother who is my absolute best friend in the whole world.  We talk several times a day and support each other in every aspect of our lives but yet still fight like siblings do.  He makes fun of me like no one else can and always makes me laugh.  (Just so you know his nickname for me is Stumps- because I'm short and well stumpy and have a somewhat stumpy stride when I run... throughout the marathon he kept saying "C'mon Stumps," endearing, no? Good thing I have a sense of humor!)
  5. What do you like most about blogging? I love soooo much about blogging.  And I read probably over 200 blogs.  I read the healthy living blogs, strict food blogs, gourmet food blogs, strictly running blogs, nutrition blogs, funny blogs,  and video blogs.  You name it.  Blogging has become my passion.  I spend hours and hours a week reading and writing blogs and I wouldn't want it any other way.  I don't use google reader so when I open firefox on my home and work computer, it takes at least 5 minutes to load... what can I say I love my blog tabs!! I also think it's amazing to see how MANY people have blogs! And I always love finding blogs of people you actually know.  For instance, Cara from Cara's Cravings had my mom as her Chemistry teacher.  Theo from Losing Weight in the City went to college with me. Kelly from Pink-Apron used to work with me. And I just stumbled upon each of their blogs.  I learn so much from blogs, I love reading them and it makes me so happy!
Time to do my own tagging. Lizzy, Megan, Salad, Dawn, Leslie, Jen, Becky and Lauren.  Answer these questions if you have time! (I won't be offended if you don't...)
1. What's your favorite thing about blogging?
2. What is your perfect Saturday?
3. What is your favorite meal to cook/eat?
4. What would be your ideal workout?
5. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you move?


And on another note, let's talk FOOD, shall we.  I've decided that this week will be Vegetarian Week.  Dave and I ate meat every night for dinner last week so it's time to get back to fresh veggies.  I started by cooking vegetarian meals for lunch and dinner yesterday.  

For lunch, I made Creamy Avocado and White Bean Wrap from Eating Well.
Ingredients: 
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups brocolli slaw mix
1 medium carrot, shredded
 1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed
1 ripe avocado
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons minced red onion
4 8- to 10-inch whole-wheat wraps, (I used Josephs Lavish Wraps)
Instructions:
Whisk vinegar, oil and salt in a medium bowl. Add slaw and carrot toss to combine. Mix beans and avocado in a food processor. Stir in cheese and onion. To assemble the wraps, spread about 1/2 cup of the bean-avocado mixture onto a wrap (or tortilla) and top with about 2/3 cup of the carrot slaw. Roll up. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cut the wraps in half to serve, if desired.


 I liked this wrap, but I didn't love it.  I think the original recipe called for some heat in it in chipotles in adobo but I didn't have that so I omitted it.  I do think it would have been beneficial to add that.  But for a light lunch, this wasn't half bad.

With the leftover slaw, carrot and onion mix, I made eggrolls.  I had these eggrolls leftover from last week so I figured why not.  The veggies got super sweet and delicious while baking and I served these with a sauce made with honey and apple-cider vinegar.
For dinner I made Mama Peas White Bean and Potato Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries. I'm not vegan so I changed this up quite a bit. But the base was potatoes and white beans plus seasoning.  I mixed them in the food processor and I may have over processed them and they kind of tasted like potato burgers but I still liked them, especially with cheese! 
White Bean Potato Burgers
Ingredients:
1 can white beans (cannelini, white pinto, etc.), drained and rinsed
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, steamed
2 cloves garlic, minced
juice of two lemons
2 T. whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 t. salt
ground black pepper
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
Instructions:
Drain beans and steam potatoes and set aside. MAMA PEAS Instructions:" Add all ingredients except basil and smash with a fork, until beans and potatoes hold together, but not so mashed that you end up with mashed potatoes."  So yea... I added all the ingredients into the food processor and it did kinda turn into mashed potatoes.  Oops.

 Next you add the flour and mix.  Then form into four equal patties.  Bake for 10 minutes on each side at 350 degrees.  Top with Provolone Cheese and add to your favorite bun.  Serve with spicy homemade sweet potato fries.
 
 And for the week, I am planning on these meals-
Monday- Cara's Spaghetti Squash and Kale Gratin
Tuesday- Vegetable Taco Casserole
Wednesday- Butternut Squash-Feta Muffins 
Thursday- Sushi Night
Friday- Dinner out or Greek Orzo Salad with Falafel and Tziki Sauce
Goodnight Friends!

13 comments:

  1. I talked to Lindsay today and we talked about how we love reading all your recipes!

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  2. Fun questions! I'll definitely answer :)

    I love that you're having a vegetarian week. My family of meat-eaters is slowly embracing some vegetarian meals. I try to do at least 1-2 veggie dinners each night. It's easier on the budget, too!

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  3. Mmm, that wrap looks amazing!

    Good for you on the 7.5 miles yesterday - I did 2 on Friday and felt awful - hoping to get back out there tomorrow morning. I'm going to look into some half's in the spring to run... maybe I'll look out toward Boston!

    I will definitely do this little quiz sometime this week, thanks for thinking of me. :)

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  4. Hey girlie!!
    I loveee the bright race shirt you wore! congrats on your race and a great run yesterday!!
    I hope you have a great week ahead of you!
    xoxo!

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  5. Aww thanks for the kind words :) I love your answers - especially why you like blogging! Good for you getting some good runs in - my IT band is still cranky.

    And sweet potato fries? nomnomnomnomnom

    P.S.I can't believe the race was more than a week ago now, waaaaahhh

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  6. The wrap looks delicious.

    Good luck at the PT, hope it's nothing serious.

    Cute questionnare. I like your blog because it's a mix of fitness, food and you seem very down to earth and real :)

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  7. Oh my goodness, these recipes look so good! Love the fact that they're healthy too! Have been on a health kick lately ;-)

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  8. that creamy avocado wrap looks right up my alley! loved reading the Q&A.

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  9. Such a fun post! It was good to learn more about you. :) And thanks for the tag. I'll try to answer them.

    Congrats on your great run! Glad you're back at it, and I hope the quad is feeling better today.

    Also, both of those dishes look amazing (and I love the cute collages too)! I really want to try those burgers.

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  10. I love learning more about bloggers too! I'll try to get to the questions :)

    And I am so glad to hear your first run back went well. But I'm sorry you're being sent back to PT!

    I have a suggestion for what race you should run in 2011. Ahem... National!

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  11. I just found your blog and I am loving it! You are hardcore to already be running after NYC!! I would love to have a running group. That sounds like so much fun! Your wrap looks so so good!!

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  12. Thanks for tagging me! I don't usually answer these... and I'm so behind trying to catch up from vacation. But let's see... I'll at least tell you that my favorite thing about blogging is meeting all the people whose amazing blogs I read. So that means WE need to meet soon!!

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  13. hey Lizzy, i just found your blog and having a great time scrolling through your posts! congrats on your marathon, that's awesome!! oh - and speaking of Fiji, the husband and i got married there 3 years ago. i highly recommend :)

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