Quick spicy tangy dinner

This was the star of my dinner tonight, and since I had pre-cooked rice in the fridge, it literally took 30 seconds to make:

I heated up 1/3 c white rice with ~1 inch wedge of Camembert in the microwave for 30 seconds, and then added a spoonful of chickpeas, 1/4 cup pecans, and a handful of dried cranberries.
I dusted the whole thing with some cinnamon and crushed red pepper flakes.
Oh, and sea salt to taste.

Mmmm (:

Speedwork and hate for the ‘mill

Two there are who are never satisfied — the lover of the world and the lover of knowledge.
–Rumi

HELLLLLLLLO!

Work consumed me today! I MUCCCCH prefer working out early in the morning, but just couldn’t today.

This meant not only being energetically drained by the time I hit the gym, but also having to work out on a semi-full stomach.

And honestly, speed workouts are my least favorite workouts. Three minutes into my warm-up, I had a cramp on my side. I was seriously debating skipping the speedwork and just doing a plain old run.

But I figured I would try some intervals to test things out. The side stitch went away, and it ended up being a pretty KICKASS workout! I totally had the energy for two more intervals (;

Today’s numbers:

• Distance: 5.67 miles (5.1 running miles, at incline of 1)
• Time: 52:26 minutes
• Intervals:
  5 min warm up at 9:13 min/mile
  30 min intervals of: 2 min at 8:10 pace, 1 min at 9:15 pace
  10 min cool down at 9:13
  ~10 min walking

PS: Speed workouts REALLY drain me. Much more so than long runs.

On another topic: TREADMILL HATE

Not just because it’s monotonous and boring, but because it alters my running form. Remember that top of foot pain?

EVERY time I do a treadmill run it comes back. I’m pretty sure it has something to do with my shoes too, but the treadmill REALLY brings it out. I hate it.

I’ve been icing the foot, and it does feel better.

(sexy socks)

Does anyone else experience weird aches when they run on the treadmill? Feel free to share your hate (or love?) for that dreaded machine too.

Goodnight!

A change to the blog

A quick anouncement:

Until now, the format of this blog has been: pre-run eat, workout stats, post-run eats.

I started documenting my pre + post-run eats because I was trying to get into a habit of fueling appropriately for my runs. As I’m pretty sure this habit has now been established, and as a lot of these snacks are not particularly interesting, I am going to stop documenting the eats.

I will continue with the daily workout stats/training updates, and also aim at posting a pertinent recipe/snack combo in place of the eats. I think that will make for more interesting reading (;

 

Will be back once I get today’s speed workout under my belt. Work has been relentless today!

Ricey Sunday

Personally, I have always preferred inspiration to information.
–Man Ray

Hello lovelie! (:

I never got around to posting my workout yesterday, so first, yesterday’s numbers:

• 60 minutes on the Cybex machine

This morning’s pre-run fuel:

Two rice crackers + LOTS of cashew butter + strawberries, and an apple on the side.

I didn’t get going until 4 hours later, at which point I was HUNGRY.

Half a Clif nectar bar. LOVED this flavor! The nectar bars are more chewy than Larabars, which I find a big plus.

Then off I was in the loveliest of weathers.

Today’s numbers:

Distance: 5.57 miles
Time: 51:57 minutes
Average pace: 9:09 min/mile

I enjoyed the run very very much.

Post-run fuel:

A rice cake “pizza”: tomato/eggplant paste + garlic roasted chicken sausage + mozzarella + Camembert + oregano.

And a pear sprinkled with ground cardamom.

And a chocolate filled with Brandy. x 2.

Gotta jet. See you tomorrow!

Homemade white chocolate cashew butter recipe

Hello!

I am waiting for The Beast to wake up so we can hit the gym. Creative juices hit me as I was in the pantry and I noticed two bags of raw cashews and white chocolate chips staring at me (actually, my initial reaction was to eat them by the handful, which then took place, which in turn led to the thought “I wish Wegman’s had white chocolate cashew butter”).

White Chocolate Cashew Butter

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups whole cashews
• 1/3 cup white chocolate chips (vegan friends– are white chocolate chips vegan?)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

DIRECTIONS

1) Roast the cashews in the oven for 5-8 minutes at 450 degrees.

2) Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave.

3) Add the oil to the melted chips.

4) Place the cashews and salt in a food processor, and pulse until the cashews are ground (10-15 seconds).

5) While the food processor is running, add the chocolate-oil mixture. At first it will make the ground cashews clump.

As you continue blending (1-2 minutes), the mixture will soften.

6) Taste, test*, and package for future use.

*Taste testing is defined as eating the cashew butter by the spoonful out of the jar like it’s soup

Marathon training to be resumed in bit (;

Black Friday

…life is nothing but trading smells.
–Italo Calvino

Hello hello!

Did anyone do the whole Black Friday shebang?

I did not (:
Sleep = waaaay sweeter than a 40″ TV

Bipolar skies this morning, with 35 mph winds:

Breakfast:

I didn’t feel like running to begin with today, and toughing it out in the wind was  DEFINITELY not happening. So the gym it was.

Today’s numbers:

• Distance: 4.6 running miles
• Time: ~45 running minutes
• Average running pace: 9:17 min/mile

Post-run fuel:

A mish-mash platter (:

A baked sweet potato half + lentil daal + hummus + Tapatio

MY FAVORITE! Tofu baked in cooking wine and oregano + roasted eggplant slices + hummus + avacado… + Tapatio

Butternut squash + cottage cheese + roasted crnuchy chickpeas… + Tapatio

And 4 or 5 Dove dark chocolates. Mmm, love me some cho-co-laat (:

We are having people over for dinner in a bit, so I gotta go. See ya!

Mushroom Moussaka

I made this as a side dish for Thanksgiving. The flavor is bold, and I have none leftover from last night (;

The recipe is inspired by one I found at Trader Joe’s. I split the content to two separate casserole dishes, but you can bake it in a single dish if you prefer. If so, set the oven temperature in step 10 to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, and bake for 40-45 minutes.

INGREDIENTS
3 large eggplants
2 leeks
2 cloves garlic, sliced
10 oz of Crimini mushrooms, sliced
24 oz  tomato paste, or marinara sauce
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup chopped parsley, packed
1/2 cup  shredded Parmesan
(optional) ~1/3 pound Camembert

For sauce:
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan

1) Slice your eggplants into 1/4 inch thick rings.

2) Salt both sides of eggplants slices, and let them sit in a sieve or colander for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes you should be left with eggplant “juice”. Sieving removes some of the bitterness of the eggplant.

3) Trim your leeks and slice them.

4) In the olive oil, sautee the leeks and garlic for ~4 minutes.

5) Add the mushrooms, and sautee for 6 more minutes.

6) Add your marinara sauce/tomato paste. I use this brand:

Add your cinnamon, and let the mixture come to a simmer.

7) Remove from heat, and add the parsley, salt and Parmesan. Mix.

Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Pat dry the eggplant slices, and arrange them in two greased cookie pans.

9) Roast in the oven for 15 minutes. While it is roasting, prepare your sauce: mix the yogurt, salt, oregano, and Parmesan.

10) After 15 minutes, remove eggplants, and reduce the heat to 350 degrees.

11) Take two (or one) casserole dishes, and place two layers of eggplant slices in the bottom, then add the mushroom sauce on top, and cover with the remaining eggplant slices.  Pour the sauce over the top of the casserole and spread evenly over the top.

12) Bake uncovered for 35 minutes.  If you are using the Camembert, distribute it evenly on the top 5 minutes before removing the dish from the oven.

13) Let it cool (15 minutes) before serving.

I forgot to take a picture of the dish as I was eating it during dinner, but it looks something like this:

A Thanksgiving in clouds

The ideal place for me is the one in which it is most natural to live as a foreigner.
–Italo Calvino

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

The Beast and I are splitting our Thanksgiving feasts between our families: first eating at his parents’ house, then continuing the evening with my family.

This morning I had 4 dates, then went on my run.

The clouds have descened, because we are having the thickest fog!

Today’s numbers:

• Distance: 6.57 miles
• Time: 1 hours 1 minute
• Average pace: 9:24 minutes/pace

Post-run fuel:

Fresh carrot juice.

Cottage cheese + pomegranate seeds + honey + cinnamon + a spice that is called “golpar” in Farsi. The English term is heracleum persicum… I’m just gonna call it golpar.

Golpar pairs REALLY well with pomegranate– it makes it extra tangy/your taste-buds will salivate (;

Hmm. I believe it is time to expand the stomach (:
Have a lovely day!!!

Vinyasa flow

i’m focused – thinkin like i got 2 brains .
–Lil Wayne

 

So… Thanksgiving festivities have forced me to tweak my regular exercise routine– I took the day off from running, because of work.

I did, however, do this 60-minute power vinyasa flow as the sun was rising. Body was creaky the first bit, but all was good once I woke warmed up.

 

I’ll be back tomorrow with some recipes. A mushroom moussaka and  some nutty baked goods are most definitely on the (gluten-free) menu 

 

Happy & safe travels!

All these flavors

The romantics were prompted to seek exotic subjects and to travel to far off places. They failed to realize that, though the transcendental must involve the strange and unfamiliar, not everything strange or unfamiliar is transcendental.
–Mark Rothko

 

Hellooo.

Today was one of those days where I would have preferred to… how do you put it…

not run.

Thought bubbles upon waking up:
(plip plop)
- it’s raining
- …i have to run
- i don’t want to run.

Breakfast

Equal amounts (1/2c) of applesauce + greek yogurt + 1c GF cereal + homemade quince jam and (guess it) cardamom. Oooh.

The following needs to be engraved in eternity: apple-flavored anything + cardamom = a slice of heaven.
Especially in breakfasts and tea. Makes every bite taste so exoticly delicious.

Back to running: can anyone empathize with me on this–> how is it that the thought of running 3 mi (as scheduled) made me cringe, but 5 was welcomed?

I settled on the distance that was motivating me, and threw in 6 hills for good measure.

Today’s numbers:

• Distance: 5.06 miles
• Time: 47:55 minutes
• Splits:
  9:44 (two hills)
  9:09 (flat)
  9:13 (two hills)
  9:34 (half a hill+intersection)
  9:37 (two hills)

For being unmotivated and iPod-less (whyyy is it not working? ), it was a good run. Actually, a really good run. The hills gave me NO trouble, other than a really sore left IT band.

Now…THE best lunch ever:

Tofu, spaghetti squash, and broccoli cooked in  ginger-carrot soup (and tons of garlic powder), drizzled with peanut butter.

Black beans with hummus.

Butternut squash dipped in cranberry-apple butter.

And a Godiva.
Matt from No Meat Athlete has this wonderful post about using a foam roller, which I’m about to hit up, because the said IT band is giving me eee-shoes.

See ya tomorrow!