Well, my Bikram ego came back in full force last night when the instructor called me out as an example for some poses - including standing head to knee (see Monday's post). I was PUMPED. The class was very full - probably 50 or so people in there - and when you stand out among the crowd it is such a confidence booster. If you do Bikram multiple times in a week it has a cumulative effect in that you just seem to get better and better every class.
Last night was probably one of my top five best classes for the following reasons:
1. A friend was with me. When friends are in class with me, I focus extra hard on what I'm doing.
2. My body temperature stayed regulated. I never felt too cold or too hot.
3. I was able to hold poses longer. We hold poses for 45-60 seconds, and where I might drop out early some days, yesterday I held 99% for the entire time!
4. Good instruction. When the instructor is knowledgeable, both about correct body position and knowing what you yourself are capable of, you know you're in a quality class. Anna, our instructor, is very precise when it comes to body position and she knows what my own practice looks like. Her tips and adjustments are well received and appreciated.
5. Like I mentioned earlier, it was my third class of the week. My body remained limber and ready to take the class head on!
Today is a rest day and I'm grateful for it. I'm also VERY grateful for the fact that two of my best friends are coming to town today and I get to spend an entire weekend with them. We're going to see the band My Morning Jacket in concert, go to parties, eat great food, and catch up!
Happy Friday!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
BD's Mongolian Grill
Today I didn't bring my lunch to work so I decided to try a restaurant nearby called BD's Mongolian Grill. On paper and on the website, it's a neat concept. You choose your meat, you choose your veggies, your sauce, then they grill everything for you and you put it over white or brown rice. I was actually excited about going, like Great Harvest excited.
When I walked in, there was no one at the hostess stand. I looked over at the bar and one waitress looked at me and walked away. Eventually someone came up and helped me and showed me the lay of the land, which I appreciated. I skipped the meat bar altogether because the little bins filled with raw meat kind of grossed me out. However, they did have TONS of vegetables (maybe 20+ options?) and I filled a small bowl with broccoli, bean sprouts, mushrooms, and edamame. Next I filled two small cups with some stir fry sauces (they had about 15 to choose from). We lined up around a big circular grill where some guys stir fried everything. They were nice enough to section my plate off and use separate tongs so the meat wouldn't touch my food.
Once my food was cooked, they put it on a plate and I took it to the bar so the bartender could box it up for me. She was chatting with some dude the whole time and barely said any words to me except "$8.47." $8.47? Really? I didn't even get meat! Begrudgingly, I paid and walked out of there leaving zero tip. When it comes to tipping for to go meals, I think the rule of thumb is personal preference, and I preferred not to tip her. I SHOULD have tipped the guy who helped me in the beginning! I worked in the restaurant business for three summers, so I know what the industry is like, and I personally think that everyone should work at a restaurant at some point in their lives so they understand how much work it takes. HOWEVER, just because you are a server or a bartender does not ENTITLE you to a tip. You have to work for it. If you're not doing a good job, you're not going to get tipped. Don't get me wrong here, I like to tip people. It makes me happy and it makes them happy, probably making them extra helpful to future customers as well. But people go to restaurants for the service too, not just the food. I remember good or bad service just as well as I remember what I ate. Ok, rant over.
The stir fry was good, but I guarantee that I could have made better. BD's Mongolian Grill does not offer a lot of bang for your buck, so I'm not sure if I'll be returning anytime soon.
Overall Score: B-/B
When all else fails, there's always Great Harvest.
When I walked in, there was no one at the hostess stand. I looked over at the bar and one waitress looked at me and walked away. Eventually someone came up and helped me and showed me the lay of the land, which I appreciated. I skipped the meat bar altogether because the little bins filled with raw meat kind of grossed me out. However, they did have TONS of vegetables (maybe 20+ options?) and I filled a small bowl with broccoli, bean sprouts, mushrooms, and edamame. Next I filled two small cups with some stir fry sauces (they had about 15 to choose from). We lined up around a big circular grill where some guys stir fried everything. They were nice enough to section my plate off and use separate tongs so the meat wouldn't touch my food.
Once my food was cooked, they put it on a plate and I took it to the bar so the bartender could box it up for me. She was chatting with some dude the whole time and barely said any words to me except "$8.47." $8.47? Really? I didn't even get meat! Begrudgingly, I paid and walked out of there leaving zero tip. When it comes to tipping for to go meals, I think the rule of thumb is personal preference, and I preferred not to tip her. I SHOULD have tipped the guy who helped me in the beginning! I worked in the restaurant business for three summers, so I know what the industry is like, and I personally think that everyone should work at a restaurant at some point in their lives so they understand how much work it takes. HOWEVER, just because you are a server or a bartender does not ENTITLE you to a tip. You have to work for it. If you're not doing a good job, you're not going to get tipped. Don't get me wrong here, I like to tip people. It makes me happy and it makes them happy, probably making them extra helpful to future customers as well. But people go to restaurants for the service too, not just the food. I remember good or bad service just as well as I remember what I ate. Ok, rant over.
The stir fry was good, but I guarantee that I could have made better. BD's Mongolian Grill does not offer a lot of bang for your buck, so I'm not sure if I'll be returning anytime soon.
Overall Score: B-/B
When all else fails, there's always Great Harvest.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Bikram Week
So after feeling really strong on my Saturday run, it's tempting to get back out there and run some more. However, I'm going to take a few days off - either 3 or 6 - I can't decide!
What I will definitely do this week is go to the yoga studio and do Bikram. I'm about 75% sure I'll go tonight, I'll go tomorrow, and I'll go Thursday. For a long time now I've been going just 1-2 times a week, and with no races anytime soon, I should be advantageous of this "free time." Regarding tonight's class, I'm a little anxious because Mondays tend to be really crowded. I'm one of those people who really likes her personal space, and it's distracting and annoying to not have it - especially in a yoga class. However, perhaps having more people in class is good sometimes because there is more group energy?
Anna, one of my favorite instructors, told us something about Standing Forehead to Knee last Thursday that I need to remember. If you kick out for relief, or if you kick out and feel relief, you're probably not doing the pose correctly.
Do you see how his standing leg is locked solid? He's not hyperextending (pushing the knee way back). I'm impressed!
Have a great day - and I hope you find the time to do things you want to do.
What I will definitely do this week is go to the yoga studio and do Bikram. I'm about 75% sure I'll go tonight, I'll go tomorrow, and I'll go Thursday. For a long time now I've been going just 1-2 times a week, and with no races anytime soon, I should be advantageous of this "free time." Regarding tonight's class, I'm a little anxious because Mondays tend to be really crowded. I'm one of those people who really likes her personal space, and it's distracting and annoying to not have it - especially in a yoga class. However, perhaps having more people in class is good sometimes because there is more group energy?
Anna, one of my favorite instructors, told us something about Standing Forehead to Knee last Thursday that I need to remember. If you kick out for relief, or if you kick out and feel relief, you're probably not doing the pose correctly.
Do you see how his standing leg is locked solid? He's not hyperextending (pushing the knee way back). I'm impressed!
Have a great day - and I hope you find the time to do things you want to do.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Home Run 10k
This morning I participated in the Hangover...err...Home Run 10k at Bernheim Forest which benefitted a local charity called Home of the Innocents.
The night before a race, most people would probably eat dinner, drink lots of fluids, and get to bed at a decent hour. They would wake up via alarm clock and have a nutritious breakfast and plenty of fluids. That would be the smart thing to do, right?
My night didn't really go like that. This morning I fortunately woke up on my own albeit being over 30 minutes later than I wanted to wake up. I fumbled for my clothes, drank water (?), grabbed a piece of bread, and walked out the door to meet my friend who drove us to the race. Bernheim is a thirty minute trip away so I had some time to wake up and hydrate a bit.
So what I'm trying to say is that it wasn't my best race, but I'm actually really pleased with my performance. I felt pretty good during the run and especially for the last 2-3 miles. The race was on paved roads as opposed to a trail, which was fine, although it was still a bit close-knit, especially in the beginning. I was so focused on my running and not running into other people so I didn't get to focus on the scenery as much as I wanted to. The course took us around two big loops, through the starting area, down a road (the road I thought would take me to Guerilla Hollow on my run there last week), and then a turnaround and back down that same road to the finish. With Bernheim being such a large area, I'm surprised that they didn't spread the run out more instead of making us run loops.
My friend ended up finishing before me by 30-45 seconds or so (she was smart and had a good night's sleep), but we ran most of the race together.
Stats:
Total time: 1:01:10
Average Pace: 9:59
Mile 1: 10:29
Mile 2: 10:21
Mile 3: 10:02
Mile 4: 10:14
Mile 5: 9:53
Mile 6: 9:00 (gotta finish strong!!)
It's so weird to think that I ran for over an hour. The race didn't seem that long!
My appetite hasn't been through the roof like it normally is after races. I had a big bowl of a chicken/bean/couscous dish made by my mother post race, and I just had a granola bar and an apple. I'm sure I'll be heading to the kitchen in a couple of hours though.
Tonight, I'm gonna get a good night's sleep.
The night before a race, most people would probably eat dinner, drink lots of fluids, and get to bed at a decent hour. They would wake up via alarm clock and have a nutritious breakfast and plenty of fluids. That would be the smart thing to do, right?
My night didn't really go like that. This morning I fortunately woke up on my own albeit being over 30 minutes later than I wanted to wake up. I fumbled for my clothes, drank water (?), grabbed a piece of bread, and walked out the door to meet my friend who drove us to the race. Bernheim is a thirty minute trip away so I had some time to wake up and hydrate a bit.
So what I'm trying to say is that it wasn't my best race, but I'm actually really pleased with my performance. I felt pretty good during the run and especially for the last 2-3 miles. The race was on paved roads as opposed to a trail, which was fine, although it was still a bit close-knit, especially in the beginning. I was so focused on my running and not running into other people so I didn't get to focus on the scenery as much as I wanted to. The course took us around two big loops, through the starting area, down a road (the road I thought would take me to Guerilla Hollow on my run there last week), and then a turnaround and back down that same road to the finish. With Bernheim being such a large area, I'm surprised that they didn't spread the run out more instead of making us run loops.
My friend ended up finishing before me by 30-45 seconds or so (she was smart and had a good night's sleep), but we ran most of the race together.
Stats:
Total time: 1:01:10
Average Pace: 9:59
Mile 1: 10:29
Mile 2: 10:21
Mile 3: 10:02
Mile 4: 10:14
Mile 5: 9:53
Mile 6: 9:00 (gotta finish strong!!)
It's so weird to think that I ran for over an hour. The race didn't seem that long!
My appetite hasn't been through the roof like it normally is after races. I had a big bowl of a chicken/bean/couscous dish made by my mother post race, and I just had a granola bar and an apple. I'm sure I'll be heading to the kitchen in a couple of hours though.
Tonight, I'm gonna get a good night's sleep.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Race Week
The 10k race at Bernheim is this Saturday and I've had two really good runs this week which have boosted my confidence.
On Monday, I ran 3.35 miles. My goal was to maintain a steady pace, but not go overboard.
Mile 1: 10:06
Mile 2: 9:37
Mile 3: 10:02
On Tuesday, I swam and did strength training. I'll come back to that in a second.
Yesterday (Wednesday) I did a tempo run that was challenging yet rewarding. I ran 3.81 miles.
Mile 1: 10:03
Mile 2: 9:01
Mile 3: 8:42
You can see that I am only giving my stats for full miles run. Tempo runs train your body to run faster, but you aren't doing full out sprints. Running a mile before you start warms up the body, and then you can turn up the heat and see what your body and mind are capable of! I stayed on a reasonably flat course for my tempo run because I wanted to focus on speed and not hills. After a while, your body just gets into the groove and you're cruising! After Mile 3, I took it way down and walked for a couple of minutes then jogged the rest of the way home.
Back to strength training. Since I've gotten back into weights in the past couple of weeks I've been reaping the rewards. I cannot stress enough the importance of strength training. If your muscles are strong, the better they can support your bones, your ligaments, your joints, etc. You don't have to be in the gym bench pressing a crazy amount of weight to get the benefits. I go for low weight and high reps and it hasn't let me down so far. Don't forget about strength training!!
Food:
I tried Kroger's brand of Greek yogurt yesterday. Honestly, it was awful. It was just as runny as their standard yogurt, the flavor wasn't good, and the consistency was a bit grainy. Fage or Oikos are the best Greek yogurt brands I've had to date. They are more expensive, but if you buy the tubs as opposed to the small cups, then you save there.
Last night I made some Butternut Squash. I cut off how much I wanted to cook, peeled it with a potato peeler, and scooped out the pulp and seeds. Then, I cut the section into small chunks, and put it into one of those Ziplok steamer bags that cooks vegetables in the microwave. 3 minutes later, I dumped the squash into a bowl and added butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Butter and sugar makes anything taste great! Normally I would try and roast the squash or do something a little more creative, but the Ziplok steamer bags come in handy when you are hungry and wanting to eat soon!
Bikram tonight with friends!
On Monday, I ran 3.35 miles. My goal was to maintain a steady pace, but not go overboard.
Mile 1: 10:06
Mile 2: 9:37
Mile 3: 10:02
On Tuesday, I swam and did strength training. I'll come back to that in a second.
Yesterday (Wednesday) I did a tempo run that was challenging yet rewarding. I ran 3.81 miles.
Mile 1: 10:03
Mile 2: 9:01
Mile 3: 8:42
You can see that I am only giving my stats for full miles run. Tempo runs train your body to run faster, but you aren't doing full out sprints. Running a mile before you start warms up the body, and then you can turn up the heat and see what your body and mind are capable of! I stayed on a reasonably flat course for my tempo run because I wanted to focus on speed and not hills. After a while, your body just gets into the groove and you're cruising! After Mile 3, I took it way down and walked for a couple of minutes then jogged the rest of the way home.
Back to strength training. Since I've gotten back into weights in the past couple of weeks I've been reaping the rewards. I cannot stress enough the importance of strength training. If your muscles are strong, the better they can support your bones, your ligaments, your joints, etc. You don't have to be in the gym bench pressing a crazy amount of weight to get the benefits. I go for low weight and high reps and it hasn't let me down so far. Don't forget about strength training!!
Food:
I tried Kroger's brand of Greek yogurt yesterday. Honestly, it was awful. It was just as runny as their standard yogurt, the flavor wasn't good, and the consistency was a bit grainy. Fage or Oikos are the best Greek yogurt brands I've had to date. They are more expensive, but if you buy the tubs as opposed to the small cups, then you save there.
Last night I made some Butternut Squash. I cut off how much I wanted to cook, peeled it with a potato peeler, and scooped out the pulp and seeds. Then, I cut the section into small chunks, and put it into one of those Ziplok steamer bags that cooks vegetables in the microwave. 3 minutes later, I dumped the squash into a bowl and added butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Butter and sugar makes anything taste great! Normally I would try and roast the squash or do something a little more creative, but the Ziplok steamer bags come in handy when you are hungry and wanting to eat soon!
Bikram tonight with friends!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Bernheim Forest
In preparation for my 10k next weekend, I went to the race site to get a feel for the area and perhaps run part of the race course, but I didn't want to run much more than 5 miles. I woke up (on my own) around 8 am, ate some SunButter + Great Harvest toast, drank a lot of water, and headed to a little gem 25 miles south of Louisville called Bernheim Forest. Bernheim is the place where you go on field trips in lower and middle school, perhaps for an overnight. I really cannot tell you the last time I went there, but I am so glad I went.
Note: I was running around looking for a road called Guerilla Hollow.
This is near the visitors' center - kind of looks like an AT&T commercial, right?
Where is Guerilla Hollow?
Are you that way?
Oh, shoot...
I was not even close to Guerilla Hollow.
So I turned around...
Ran some more...
And then...
Well well well Guerilla Hollow, thanks for showing up 4.92 miles into my run! At least I know where it is now.
All in all, I ran between 5.25 and 5.5 miles.
My miles were slow at first because I kept stopping to take pictures:
Mile 1: 10:41
Mile 2: 10:29
Mile 3: 9:58
Mile 4: 9:42
Mile 5: 10:01
I'd like to average a 10 minute mile next week for the race. It won't get me anywhere close to breaking my record, but there is a big difference between training for a race for six weeks versus three months.
I just had a big bowl of leftover veggie chili (that I made) and Great Harvest Cheddar Cornbread. I'm off to Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington to watch the Kentucky/South Carolina game. Go.....everybody?
Note: I was running around looking for a road called Guerilla Hollow.
This is near the visitors' center - kind of looks like an AT&T commercial, right?
Where is Guerilla Hollow?
Are you that way?
Oh, shoot...
I was not even close to Guerilla Hollow.
So I turned around...
Ran some more...
And then...
Well well well Guerilla Hollow, thanks for showing up 4.92 miles into my run! At least I know where it is now.
All in all, I ran between 5.25 and 5.5 miles.
My miles were slow at first because I kept stopping to take pictures:
Mile 1: 10:41
Mile 2: 10:29
Mile 3: 9:58
Mile 4: 9:42
Mile 5: 10:01
I'd like to average a 10 minute mile next week for the race. It won't get me anywhere close to breaking my record, but there is a big difference between training for a race for six weeks versus three months.
I just had a big bowl of leftover veggie chili (that I made) and Great Harvest Cheddar Cornbread. I'm off to Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington to watch the Kentucky/South Carolina game. Go.....everybody?
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Making the Most of Your Day
Today I decided to grocery shop during my (short) lunch break, and I think it's something I'd like to do more often!
Great Harvest and Kroger are within a few miles of the office. I hit up Great Harvest first which always brightens my day! I was out of bread for sandwiches, breakfast, etc. so I got some of their Honey Whole Wheat and I also got some Cheddar Cornbread. Tomorrow night I'm cooking chili for some friends and I wanted to serve this with it. Although it's not exactly the right temperature outside for chili, it tastes good year round!
Cheddar Cornbread ingredients:
sour cream
unbleached white flour
sugar
cheddar cheese
eggs
cornmeal
baking powder
salt
baking soda
Looks pretty simple! The loaf is heavy - almost two pounds! It smells great and I can't wait to eat it tomorrow.
After GH, I went to Kroger to get some last minute ingredients for the chili: onion, mushrooms, beans, and corn. They also had a sale (which is pretty regular) of 10 Clif Bars for $10. I hadn't been to Kroger in a while and it was nice to see a lower number on my receipt. If I can shop at Whole Foods for my produce and Kroger for everything else I know I'll save a nice chunk of change. Kroger DOES have an organic/health food section, albeit small, but it has many products that I use frequently, e.g. almond milk. Eventually I'll do a cost comparison between those products at Kroger vs. Whole Foods.
After work I'm heading to Bikram. I haven't been in almost a week so I'm looking forward to it.
Have a great day!
Great Harvest and Kroger are within a few miles of the office. I hit up Great Harvest first which always brightens my day! I was out of bread for sandwiches, breakfast, etc. so I got some of their Honey Whole Wheat and I also got some Cheddar Cornbread. Tomorrow night I'm cooking chili for some friends and I wanted to serve this with it. Although it's not exactly the right temperature outside for chili, it tastes good year round!
Cheddar Cornbread ingredients:
sour cream
unbleached white flour
sugar
cheddar cheese
eggs
cornmeal
baking powder
salt
baking soda
Looks pretty simple! The loaf is heavy - almost two pounds! It smells great and I can't wait to eat it tomorrow.
After GH, I went to Kroger to get some last minute ingredients for the chili: onion, mushrooms, beans, and corn. They also had a sale (which is pretty regular) of 10 Clif Bars for $10. I hadn't been to Kroger in a while and it was nice to see a lower number on my receipt. If I can shop at Whole Foods for my produce and Kroger for everything else I know I'll save a nice chunk of change. Kroger DOES have an organic/health food section, albeit small, but it has many products that I use frequently, e.g. almond milk. Eventually I'll do a cost comparison between those products at Kroger vs. Whole Foods.
After work I'm heading to Bikram. I haven't been in almost a week so I'm looking forward to it.
Have a great day!
Monday, October 11, 2010
You're Invincible
Because the sunrise is getting later and later, it's very hard to get out of bed for a morning workout. However, I managed to wake up at 6 am this morning for an outdoor run.
The best tip I can offer for a morning run is to get your stuff ready the night before. Lay out your clothes, your socks, your shoes, your watch, etc. right next to the bed. Better yet, sleep in your running clothes. I personally haven't done that yet though. Another thing I do is fill up a glass of water and put it on my bedside table so I can sit up and drink a bunch immediately. If you have any tips for your morning workouts, feel free to share them!
Running in the morning is kind of a tease: you think you're going as fast as you normally do, but you're not. My miles were 15-30 seconds slower than they would be during an afternoon run. Granted - I had only been awake a short period of time, and I had nothing in me except water. I'm not expecting to have a run of a lifetime that early!
Close to two miles into my run, a cyclist passed me and yelled, "You're invincible!" For a while I thought about whether he said invisible or invincible, and I wasn't invisible, so I've decided that he definitely said invincible. It was a nice compliment!
One thing I like about running in the dark is that your mind seems to turn to the internal than the external. You can't see your surroundings well, so you don't get too distracted by the scenery or other people. What I seem to focus on is how my feet are hitting the pavement, or my breathing, or how I'm holding my arms. It's kind of like doing your own tune up: is the left side of my body doing the same thing as my right side?
This week's planned workouts:
Tuesday: yoga
Wednesday: run + strength and/or swim (AM workout at the gym)
Thursday: yoga
Friday: off
Saturday: run 5-6 at Bernheim Forest (location of 10k)
Sunday: tennis
Have a great day!
The best tip I can offer for a morning run is to get your stuff ready the night before. Lay out your clothes, your socks, your shoes, your watch, etc. right next to the bed. Better yet, sleep in your running clothes. I personally haven't done that yet though. Another thing I do is fill up a glass of water and put it on my bedside table so I can sit up and drink a bunch immediately. If you have any tips for your morning workouts, feel free to share them!
Running in the morning is kind of a tease: you think you're going as fast as you normally do, but you're not. My miles were 15-30 seconds slower than they would be during an afternoon run. Granted - I had only been awake a short period of time, and I had nothing in me except water. I'm not expecting to have a run of a lifetime that early!
Close to two miles into my run, a cyclist passed me and yelled, "You're invincible!" For a while I thought about whether he said invisible or invincible, and I wasn't invisible, so I've decided that he definitely said invincible. It was a nice compliment!
One thing I like about running in the dark is that your mind seems to turn to the internal than the external. You can't see your surroundings well, so you don't get too distracted by the scenery or other people. What I seem to focus on is how my feet are hitting the pavement, or my breathing, or how I'm holding my arms. It's kind of like doing your own tune up: is the left side of my body doing the same thing as my right side?
This week's planned workouts:
Tuesday: yoga
Wednesday: run + strength and/or swim (AM workout at the gym)
Thursday: yoga
Friday: off
Saturday: run 5-6 at Bernheim Forest (location of 10k)
Sunday: tennis
Have a great day!
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Long Run Day
So...
I've decided - for the sake of my body - that I will only run every other day. The days in between I can do yoga, swim, play tennis, spin, whathaveyou, but I will not run. This change may not hold forever, but I want to see what happens. I reflect on my running history and what I've done and what's happened, etc, and it seems as if I've sustained a lot of overuse injuries. But why? I'm 25 years old, not 65! What about the people who log 20,30,40 + miles per week? Why can't I do that? The answer is I have no idea. Maybe I'll never know the answer. But I'm not them. They're not me! Maybe those people can't do Bikram or any other kind of yoga, or maybe they can't swim, and they wonder why. I love running, but running doesn't always love me back. In order to save my body so I can (hopefully) run the rest of my life, I've got to be careful.
Today was a running day. I had a piece of Great Harvest bread with some SunButter, and set out to run at least 5, but I would just see how I felt. I ran through Cherokee Park, up to Seneca, through Cherokee Gardens, and made a detour to my parents' house between mile 5 and 6. I stayed there for 20-30 minutes to stretch, chat, and get some water, and then I headed for home. At 6.5 miles I stopped my Garmin even though I was still 10 minutes from home and just walked. I averaged about 10:30/mile pace, which is exactly where I wanted to be, especially on a long run day.
The 10k is in two weeks!
Post run, I had a Green Monster:
2/3 cup milk
banana
2 cups spinach
protein powder
a heaping spoon of Nesquik powder
ice
Since then I've had a sandwich and a few snacks, but I am currently so hungry and thirsty that I could eat an entire pizza and drink a gallon of water.
My lovely, wonderful friend Steph loaned me a book titled The Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without by Mollie Katzen. I bought some broccoli, butternut squash, and asparagus so I could try some of her recipes so stay tuned!
I've decided - for the sake of my body - that I will only run every other day. The days in between I can do yoga, swim, play tennis, spin, whathaveyou, but I will not run. This change may not hold forever, but I want to see what happens. I reflect on my running history and what I've done and what's happened, etc, and it seems as if I've sustained a lot of overuse injuries. But why? I'm 25 years old, not 65! What about the people who log 20,30,40 + miles per week? Why can't I do that? The answer is I have no idea. Maybe I'll never know the answer. But I'm not them. They're not me! Maybe those people can't do Bikram or any other kind of yoga, or maybe they can't swim, and they wonder why. I love running, but running doesn't always love me back. In order to save my body so I can (hopefully) run the rest of my life, I've got to be careful.
Today was a running day. I had a piece of Great Harvest bread with some SunButter, and set out to run at least 5, but I would just see how I felt. I ran through Cherokee Park, up to Seneca, through Cherokee Gardens, and made a detour to my parents' house between mile 5 and 6. I stayed there for 20-30 minutes to stretch, chat, and get some water, and then I headed for home. At 6.5 miles I stopped my Garmin even though I was still 10 minutes from home and just walked. I averaged about 10:30/mile pace, which is exactly where I wanted to be, especially on a long run day.
The 10k is in two weeks!
Post run, I had a Green Monster:
2/3 cup milk
banana
2 cups spinach
protein powder
a heaping spoon of Nesquik powder
ice
Since then I've had a sandwich and a few snacks, but I am currently so hungry and thirsty that I could eat an entire pizza and drink a gallon of water.
My lovely, wonderful friend Steph loaned me a book titled The Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without by Mollie Katzen. I bought some broccoli, butternut squash, and asparagus so I could try some of her recipes so stay tuned!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
SunButter
Well, Christmas came early this year.
Sorry this a grainy iPhone picture, but there's no mistaking the product, it's SunButter!!!!!!!!
The VERY nice folks at SunButter sent me this lovely package which I received on the day that I ran out! It's funny how things work out like that.
The different types are Crunchy, Natural, Organic, Natural Omega-3, and Creamy. The On The Go packets are Natural and Creamy. My favorite is the Crunchy!
One thing I like about SunButter is that they have a small list of ingredients:
Sunflower Seed
Dehydrated Cane Juice
Salt
Natural Mixed Tocopherols (to preserve freshness)
Here are some other facts:
Their Sunflower seeds come from the USA
SunButter has less Saturated fat than peanut butter
It's gluten free
This morning, I had the Natural on a piece of toast. Delicious. Duh.
SunButter is pretty savory, so if you tend to fill up easily, just don't use as much! Also, I keep mine in the refrigerator (which is suggested) because it keeps the product fresher and you don't have to do as much stirring (the oils can separate from the rest of the product not unlike natural peanut butter).
The SunButter website has a lot of recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks that I need to check out. I primarily use the product for breakfast foods, but I think it's time to explore other options too.
THIS recipe for Thai Chicken Pasta in SunButter Sauce looks especially tempting!
Here's another for Custom Energy Bars. I really would like to make my own energy/granola bars because buying those puppies all the time adds up!
This day has started off really well, hope yours has too!
Sorry this a grainy iPhone picture, but there's no mistaking the product, it's SunButter!!!!!!!!
The VERY nice folks at SunButter sent me this lovely package which I received on the day that I ran out! It's funny how things work out like that.
The different types are Crunchy, Natural, Organic, Natural Omega-3, and Creamy. The On The Go packets are Natural and Creamy. My favorite is the Crunchy!
One thing I like about SunButter is that they have a small list of ingredients:
Sunflower Seed
Dehydrated Cane Juice
Salt
Natural Mixed Tocopherols (to preserve freshness)
Here are some other facts:
Their Sunflower seeds come from the USA
SunButter has less Saturated fat than peanut butter
It's gluten free
This morning, I had the Natural on a piece of toast. Delicious. Duh.
SunButter is pretty savory, so if you tend to fill up easily, just don't use as much! Also, I keep mine in the refrigerator (which is suggested) because it keeps the product fresher and you don't have to do as much stirring (the oils can separate from the rest of the product not unlike natural peanut butter).
The SunButter website has a lot of recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks that I need to check out. I primarily use the product for breakfast foods, but I think it's time to explore other options too.
THIS recipe for Thai Chicken Pasta in SunButter Sauce looks especially tempting!
Here's another for Custom Energy Bars. I really would like to make my own energy/granola bars because buying those puppies all the time adds up!
This day has started off really well, hope yours has too!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Rest
Feelings are good.
The feeling when you finish a race.
The feeling when you leave a Bikram class.
and
The feeling when you get enough sleep.
This past weekend, I rested BIG TIME. August and September were really busy months and my weekends were spent juggling social obligations, workouts, errands, etc. I couldn't catch a break. Last Friday through Sunday, I rested! My days were still somewhat busy, but I got lots of sleep and didn't drink any alcohol. My body is still thanking me for the break, and I've been waking up easily in the morning and without exhaustion.
This morning I got to eat something that the blogging community calls "Oats in a Jar." Once a jar of nut butter is practically empty, you make oatmeal, put it in the jar, and then eat it from the jar. The remaining nut butter mixes with the oatmeal and whatever else you add to it, and it's delicious. This morning I put oats in my SunButter jar, and also added coconut, chia seeds, and a little bit of Cinnamon Apple Jelly from Stonewall Kitchen. It was a little sweet, maybe too sweet for breakfast, but it's filling! Try Oats in a Jar!
I'm headed to Bikram tonight with Steph. I haven't been in almost two weeks so the class might kick my butt, and that's ok!
The feeling when you finish a race.
The feeling when you leave a Bikram class.
and
The feeling when you get enough sleep.
This past weekend, I rested BIG TIME. August and September were really busy months and my weekends were spent juggling social obligations, workouts, errands, etc. I couldn't catch a break. Last Friday through Sunday, I rested! My days were still somewhat busy, but I got lots of sleep and didn't drink any alcohol. My body is still thanking me for the break, and I've been waking up easily in the morning and without exhaustion.
This morning I got to eat something that the blogging community calls "Oats in a Jar." Once a jar of nut butter is practically empty, you make oatmeal, put it in the jar, and then eat it from the jar. The remaining nut butter mixes with the oatmeal and whatever else you add to it, and it's delicious. This morning I put oats in my SunButter jar, and also added coconut, chia seeds, and a little bit of Cinnamon Apple Jelly from Stonewall Kitchen. It was a little sweet, maybe too sweet for breakfast, but it's filling! Try Oats in a Jar!
I'm headed to Bikram tonight with Steph. I haven't been in almost two weeks so the class might kick my butt, and that's ok!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
FEAT 5k
This morning I participated in a 5k to benefit the organization FEAT = Families for Effective Autism Treatment. It was a sort of last minute commitment - I was asked to join a team by a friend - so I said why not?
I wore my compression shorts, a red t-shirt (everyone on the team wore red), and a hat. It was COLD this morning...probably no higher than 50 at the start time. The course was unknown to me, I couldn't find a map online, but I was told that it was mostly flat. There were a few slight hills, but nothing like the hills in Cherokee Park.
My stats:
3.12 miles (course was slightly long or else I started my Garmin too early or stopped it too late)
26:21
Average pace: 8:28
Lap 1: 8:49
Lap 2: 8:43
Lap 3: 8:03
So yes, I AM capable of running 8 minute miles! I could see the finish for the last 1/3 of the mile so that probably accounts for why that last mile was so much faster.
Post race I walked around and hit up the concessions. I got a bottle of water, a banana, an apple, and they had Food Should Taste Good chips!! They only had Olive, which I had never tried, but I figured I would like them.
A friend drove me back and said he was going to a yoga class at 10:30, so that inspired me to jump in the car and head to my gym to do a yoga class. On the way I ate my chips and my banana so I wouldn't be dying of hunger.
The class was a 90 minute Vinyasa in a temperate room. The instructor, Matt, has a very dry sense of humor and he's very smart. I hadn't been to one of his classes in many months and he was happy to see me! Vinyasa yoga has a lot more upper body components to it, and my upper body strength is pretty terrible especially since the elbow stopped me from doing weights for 1 month plus, so you can imagine that I was really feeling it! The class was a huge wake up call for my shoulders. My shoulders are pretty tight, and they tend to roll in a bit, but not because of bad posture! Note to self: do more chest opening and shoulder opening exercises!
Now I'm home and I'm eating some whole wheat penne with spinach and a marinara sauce that has all sorts of stuff in it. I see a nap in my future!
I wore my compression shorts, a red t-shirt (everyone on the team wore red), and a hat. It was COLD this morning...probably no higher than 50 at the start time. The course was unknown to me, I couldn't find a map online, but I was told that it was mostly flat. There were a few slight hills, but nothing like the hills in Cherokee Park.
My stats:
3.12 miles (course was slightly long or else I started my Garmin too early or stopped it too late)
26:21
Average pace: 8:28
Lap 1: 8:49
Lap 2: 8:43
Lap 3: 8:03
So yes, I AM capable of running 8 minute miles! I could see the finish for the last 1/3 of the mile so that probably accounts for why that last mile was so much faster.
Post race I walked around and hit up the concessions. I got a bottle of water, a banana, an apple, and they had Food Should Taste Good chips!! They only had Olive, which I had never tried, but I figured I would like them.
A friend drove me back and said he was going to a yoga class at 10:30, so that inspired me to jump in the car and head to my gym to do a yoga class. On the way I ate my chips and my banana so I wouldn't be dying of hunger.
The class was a 90 minute Vinyasa in a temperate room. The instructor, Matt, has a very dry sense of humor and he's very smart. I hadn't been to one of his classes in many months and he was happy to see me! Vinyasa yoga has a lot more upper body components to it, and my upper body strength is pretty terrible especially since the elbow stopped me from doing weights for 1 month plus, so you can imagine that I was really feeling it! The class was a huge wake up call for my shoulders. My shoulders are pretty tight, and they tend to roll in a bit, but not because of bad posture! Note to self: do more chest opening and shoulder opening exercises!
Now I'm home and I'm eating some whole wheat penne with spinach and a marinara sauce that has all sorts of stuff in it. I see a nap in my future!
Friday, October 1, 2010
Quinoa + Zucchini Lasagna Revisted
Last night I had company over for dinner and decided to cook the Quinoa and Zucchini Lasagna which I cooked at the beginning of September. View that entry here.
I made a few modifications:
1. I used more zucchini. Anytime that I can beef up (weird word choice, I know) the amount of vegetables in a dish, I'll do it. The recipe calls for 4 zucchini slices per layer, but I put in 5 or 6.
2. I used less marinara sauce (almost a whole jar save a couple of tablespoons) than last time (1.25 jars).
The lasagna THIS time was delicious (again) yet better than the first. My friends really liked it too! I served it with steamed broccoli and would probably add some bread on the side next time since the lasagna itself isn't as "carby" as standard lasagna.
And for the NEXT time I make it - I'll make more quinoa - perhaps 1.5 cups instead of 1. The quinoa layers were a little thin and I'd rather have too much than too little. It's so delicious that I wouldn't mind eating it on its own.
Tomorrow I am running in a 5k benefitting FEAT of Louisville. FEAT stands for Families for Effective Autism Treatment. A friend wanted me to sign up last weekend so I did. This 5k race will take the place of my previously scheduled 6 mile run. It starts at 8:30, and the temperature will probably be somewhere in the mid-fifties so it should be a very pleasant race! Let's see if I can beat my 26:11 time for the 5k I ran in August!
I made a few modifications:
1. I used more zucchini. Anytime that I can beef up (weird word choice, I know) the amount of vegetables in a dish, I'll do it. The recipe calls for 4 zucchini slices per layer, but I put in 5 or 6.
2. I used less marinara sauce (almost a whole jar save a couple of tablespoons) than last time (1.25 jars).
The lasagna THIS time was delicious (again) yet better than the first. My friends really liked it too! I served it with steamed broccoli and would probably add some bread on the side next time since the lasagna itself isn't as "carby" as standard lasagna.
And for the NEXT time I make it - I'll make more quinoa - perhaps 1.5 cups instead of 1. The quinoa layers were a little thin and I'd rather have too much than too little. It's so delicious that I wouldn't mind eating it on its own.
Tomorrow I am running in a 5k benefitting FEAT of Louisville. FEAT stands for Families for Effective Autism Treatment. A friend wanted me to sign up last weekend so I did. This 5k race will take the place of my previously scheduled 6 mile run. It starts at 8:30, and the temperature will probably be somewhere in the mid-fifties so it should be a very pleasant race! Let's see if I can beat my 26:11 time for the 5k I ran in August!
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