WIAW: MTE

What is MTE, you ask?  It's Marathon Training Edition!  I ran 17 miles on Monday and thought it might be fun to show a day of Long Run Eats.  

Monday morning I woke up around 6:45 to be out the door by 7:30.  I fueled up with a banana and peanut butter.  That's right, no bread.  Sometimes it makes me feel too full before a long run.  I got outside and was greeted by crisp, fall weather.  I layered up with running tights, tank, and long sleeve shirt; about 45 minutes in I tied the long shirt around my waist.   I felt prepared with 3 GUs and 20 oz water bottle. 

I struggled again with my water bottle conundrum.  Although 20 oz of water ended up to be perfect for the distance/weather, the bottle felt heavy in my hand.  I was also juggling the water bottle in one hand and my cell phone in the other because my SPI belt was too full with the 3 GUs to fit anything else.

I took Blueberry Pomegranate Roctane 45 minutes in and around 1:45 I took my 2nd GU, Strawberry Banana.  I tend to stick with fruity GUs, the thought of espresso or chocolate on a run just turns my stomach!

 

When I got home I did as much streching as my muscles would allow and then made myself a smoothie.  I call this a *Super Smoothie* because it gave my body the nutrients it was craving!

1 cup baby spinach

2 tbsp ground flax seeds

1 packet Amazing Meal Vanilla Chai

2 medium bananas

1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk

1 cup frozen blueberries

This super smoothie is full of nutrient packed calories and plenty of protein!  

Lunch time I ate some delicious soup and 2 slices of Trader Joe's sprouted multi-grain bread.  Seriously, how did I ever live before a crock pot!? The other day I threw in lentils, pearled barley, veggies, spices, water, and had a hearty soup 8 hours later!  

If I've ever said anything negative about TJ's seaweed snacks, I take it back!  I love wasabi and couldn't resist buying these.  They did not disappoint.

Dinner was soup...AGAIN!  With one slice of Trader Joe's sprouted multi-grain bread with a side of roasted turnips, brussel sprouts, and a big ole squirt of ketchup!  Even WIAW: MTE couldn't stop me from repeating meals! 

Soy Creamy is dreamy.  For reals. This stuff is so delicious, and has none of that funky soy taste/funky texture.  

Are you a meal repeat offender? When I cook, I like to make big batches because I honestly don't mind repeating meals.  And it makes my life so much easier.  Plus, I tend to like the things I make, so it's enjoyable to eat the same thing for a week straight!  The lovely Jenn at Peas & Crayons calls this being in a "food jag"!

How do you fuel your long runs/exercise?  This run the GUs worked well.  I experimented last week with natural fuel, but it was too messy!  At least with GUs it's quick, simple, and I can focus my energy on running.  I used to do a PB Banana sandwich, but now find the banana and PB to be much better.

How do your taste buds feel about Trader Joe's seaweed snacks?  My taste buds didn't know what to expect, and so I was a bit grossed out at first.  Then I tried the wasabi and fell in love!  I think they have such a strong ocean-y flavor, but once you get used to it, it's really tasty.

 

It's WIAW Time!

Let's get right to it, shall we?

I finally went to a track to do my speed work.  And can I be honest here...I'm not a big track fan.  All the other days when I couldn't get to the track I was kind of bummed and didn't feel like a "real" runner doing my speed work by measuring out a quarter mile on DailyMile.com or using a treadmill at the gym.  But now, I think I liked those better.  First, I don't even know if the track I used was 400m, my times were way too fast.  And even though the track may have been shorter than 400m it felt like longer!!!

Unpictured post-run smoothie, as per usch.

*banana, soy milk, chocolate Amazing Grass, ice*

I love summer because I CRAVE veggies.

And when you don't have much else left to eat, you make it work.

*sliced radish, zucchini, carrot, Whole Foods spicy thai dressing, nooch*

Dinner included my fave root vegetable....

sweet potato!

If you haven't had the chance to order sweet potato sushi rolls, you don't know what your missing.  My fabulous sister, Alli, introduced these to me when we went out for sushi last month.  For the longest time I ate fish just because I couldn't give up sushi.  But veggie rolls, including this one, satisfy my craving and go above and beyond my expectations for sushi!

After dinner I got to meet up with my friend Kerry and her 5 month old baby, err, I mean puppy, Tucker.  We took Tuck on a nice long walk around a gorgeous lake by her house.  It brought back memories of Team in Training because that's where we would meet for long runs!!  

And I almost forgot the un-pictured late night snack I ate...frozen mangoes!  Seriously.  I got home and Shane was eating ice cream and all I wanted was something cold.  So I took out some frozen Trader Joe's mango chunks, and as they thawed a little they were the perfect cool treat!

Hope everyone enjoyed their Wednesday...

now go make Thursday a great one!

Have you ever tried a sweet potato sushi roll?  

Do you like to use a track for speed work?  If so, what are some tips for making it more enjoyable?!

Happy Hump Day

Hello, and welcome to another edition of WIAW!

Today was a pretty awesome day if I do say so myself.  I woke up early to get in Day 3 of Marathon Training.  I ate at around 6:20 to give my body about an hour to absorb the CARBS!

 The plan called for quarter mile repeats, and I was a little scared.  For those of you who have no clue what I'm talking about, it's basically a .25 miles or 400 m, or 1 lap around a track, ran at a quick pace with rest in between.  

The plan called for 6 x 400 m at 2:15 to 2:25 pace.  I just mapped out .25 miles on DailyMile instead of going to a track.  After each .25 mile I walked for 2 minutes and did that 6 times.  It wasn't as bad as I thought.  We'll see how I feel during Week 8 when I'm doing 16 of them!

 Post run smoothie was a delicious blend of:

handful spinach

1 frozen banana

handful fresh strawberries

1 cup unsweetened soy milk

1/2 packet chocolate Amazing Meal

Around 11 I headed to the lake to get in some sun time.  Unfortunately I wasn't there long when the sun decided to hide behind some clouds. I still enjoyed reading Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella (LOVE all her books!) in the sand.  I came home and had this monster salad.

 Followed by left over corn, peach pie (recipe to come), and some chopped veggies.  All over the span of the entire afternoon.

Dinner was yummy, but sounds so cliche.  Brown rice and steamed broccoli sounds lame-o.  But in actuality it was a brown rice pilaf with lots of yummy veggies and spices.

And that's all she wrote!  I'll be back with the peach pie recipe I used.  It's a winner!!

It's WIAW Time

 Whoa, I haven't been to a WIAW party in a couple weeks!

I've been feeling really fatigued lately and have been plagued with headaches.  Seriously annoying and definitely showing in my weekly mileage!  Next week I start my MARATHON TRAINING plan :)  Since I'm not officially signed up yet (need a real job yo!) I haven't mentioned it, but I will tell you all about it in an upcoming post!!!!!!!!!!!!! <~~~ can you tell I'm SO excited? 

I started my morning off with some K-Cup Coffee Shop coffee, NuNatural Stevia (new fave) and some vanilla almond milk.

 

As I dilly dallied around instead of just going for a run, I realized I would need some type of fuel and that it was getting hotter and hotter out, wah!

 

Enter pre-run nanner.  Like my neon orange shirt from Target?!  I'm in love, and not only because it's super cute.  It doesn't have that annoying built in bra, which usually I don't mind but for me it serves no purpose.  Instead, on long runs it chafes and I have a faint scar from a 12-miler to prove it!  And can we get real for a minute?   It's not like I actually need the extra support, the girls are pretty self sufficient.   

Anywho, the first mile was r o u g h !  I couldn't find my ipod charger so I couldn't download new podcasts and was forced to listen to music.  Does anyone else just get in the mood to listen to something specific on their run and if you can't, it kinda just throws you off? Then one of my ear buds blew out so I had music in one ear.  There was a house fire (terrible and I hope everyone is okay!) but my route was thrown for a loop, literally.  My back and shoulders were achy!  And of course I had a faint headache.

Enough complaining for one post!  After a while I found my groove, a slow groove, but I found it none the less!  And I did 6.85 miles.  At about 2 miles I thought I should turn around because I wasn't feeling my best.  But guess what?!  We won't always feel our best on race day.  So I pushed through and I think this run helped me realize that I can be strong mentally!  Very important for running, which is a big part mental strength!
When I got back it was a little past 11 so I ate a simple b-fast. 

other 1/2 of morning coffee
1/2 c. oatmeal

1 heaping TBSP Chunky PB1 TBSP raw cacao brazil nut bliss from my English goodies

Shane and I headed to the lake to get some sun and swim.  There's a diving board in the middle of the lake and I feel like a little kid every time I jump off!  So much fun!  When we got back I was starved and made myself a simple, quick, and satisfying lunch.

 

2 slices whole wheat toast
creamy roasted red pepper spread

sliced Jersey tomato1/2 can chick peas + noochcarrot sticks strawberries + grapes 

 

Time out.  Let me tell you about the Whole Foods Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Dressing, which I've been using as a spread on my sandwiches.

tofu, red peppers, soy milk, onion, cilantro, green onion, parsley, dill, garlic, dijon mustard, black pepper.  I love how although I don't really eat dairy anymore, I can still enjoy creamy dressings!  This has led to a bit of a ...

Before our softball game I wanted a light snack to keep my energy levels up.  At first I reached for these....but they have a sneaky ingredient hidden in them.

  

Why in the world is there gelatin in these peanuts?  Do ground up hooves really add to their flavor?  Now that I'm more conscious about reading labels, I find it disturbing how many animal products are used in most main stream brands.  You'd think dry roasted peanuts would have simple ingredients...not so much.

Instead I ate an apple, which was delicious and has one ingredient!

  Right after softball Shane and I headed into Philly for a much needed hair cut, so I packed dinner.  Please don't make fun of me.  I was in a rush and didn't have anything fresh or pre-made.  So I made a...let's call it a bean salad ::wink, wink::

1/2 can canellini beans
frozen peas

nooch + black peppersurprisingly yummy and satisfying  And of course I made some mini cookies and cream cupcakes which I took to the game and to Philly, so Shane and I each had one in the car.  Yum!   

I finished my night with a hair cut.  I think this is the shortest my hair has ever been!

Have a great Thursday :)

Fashionably Late

I'm only a whole day late to the WIAW party.  I like to make an entrance, what can I say?

Wednesday started out with a great 9 mile run.  I wasn't really planning on it since I had just done 9 on Monday, however I switched it up from my usual music to podcasts.  And this podcast got me going; I had frustration and anger pulsing through my body.  I felt that I had to keep running or I wouldn't know what to do with all the emotions. Tears mingled with sweat streaked my face.  Mazzy's story, along with countless other hens, filled my heart with sorrow.

I've listened to many podcasts on these topics, however this is a beautifully written narrative of one woman's experience visiting two "free-range" egg facilities that I feel I should share.  You can check it out here if you'd like.  For more podcasts you can visit Vegetarian Food For Thought.  **I'm not trying to convert people to be vegetarian or vegan, however I feel it is important for all of us to hear the information that is out there and to make educated decisions about our own food choices**

After my run I was drained, and the only thing I wanted was a cold, filling, breakfast smoothie.

 After bfast it was time to say goodbye to Natalie's butterflies!

I'm ashamed to admit it, but I spent a good portion of my morning hooked on TLC.  How can I resist A Baby Story and Four Weddings?  It's almost impossible I tell ya!

Lunch was quite delicious.

  1/2 cup bulgar with cilantro/black bean pesto

1/2 cucumber

chick peas

black beans

nooch sprinkled on top

After a very productive morning (I wish) I headed to work, and brought along this delicious bar since I knew I'd be ravenous on my way home.

Is that bar from England?  Why yes it is!  I'll do a full post on all the goodies I received in the Foodie Blog Swap with Freya tomorrow!

I can't stand to waste food, and the other night Shane and his parents got Chinese take-out, and there was a lot of white rice in the fridge.  So I used it! 

Ate a handful of these while prepping din.  Then it was finally ready!!

white rice

baked tofu and zucchini, marinated in this:

nom, nom, nom

Hope everyone had a fabulous Wednesday, and uh, Thursday!  

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the...

WEEK!

Hello there!  Hope everyone had a fabulous Wednesday!  I know my morning was a little brighter when I realized it was WIAW time.  Well minus the fact that I thought I got rid of my weird mid-June cold yesterday, but it was back this morning!  Luckily not as sneezy, runny, or sore; just bad enough that a run was out of the question today.  Darn!!

This morning started off with hot oatmeal.  I know, c-razzy!  

1/2 cup oats

lots o' raspberries

big bunch o' blubes

Whole Foods bulk bin granola

dash of So Delicious vanilla coconut milk <~~ new obsession

Dontcha just love the piggy mug?  And that's an engraving on a wood counter of Scarlett, one of Shane's parents bloodhounds.

Seriously this milk is so delicious!

On Monday, when I thought I could "sweat out" my cold, I ended up with achy lungs and the faucet aka my nose, got turned up to full blast. Ick!  So as much as I wanted to get a run in this morning, I listened to my lungs and passed.  But I didn't take a total rest day like I did yesterday.

Today's workout was quick and easy thanks to ExerciseTV.com!  Free yoga video, don't mind if I do!  After 30 minutes I felt much better than if I had done nothing, and my brain was ready for applications.  A whole bunch of apps later I was starved.

THIS happened again.  I can't get enough of this stuff!

swiss chard 

TJ's broccoli slaw <~~ incredible

dry roasted peanuts

raisins

quinoa

Since my salad was legit in a big plastic tupperware bowl, I decided to put some on a TJ's wrap.  To the wrap I added some hot & sweet mustard.  Very satisfying lunch!

Got my drinks ready to go for errands!  Icy cold water (never leave home without it!) and the rest of my coffee from this morning, iced.

After running to the post office, and basically getting made fun of for being a forgetful, frazzled, albeit cutely dressed mess...but that's another story, I returned home to get some organizing done.  And of course had a little afternoon snacky snack.

Took this lovely picture on the ironing board, and didn't get any ironing done!  Instead I last minute went to the gym with my friend Dani as her guest!  Since I only did 30 minutes of yoga this morning, I figured some weights couldn't hurt.  Plus I needed some girl time!

Speaking of girl time, when I got home me and Natalie, Shane's niece, played with Lincoln Logs!  Do you like our building?  It's not very architecturally sound and could collapse at any moment...

Luckily we made it to dinner unscathed, but it was close!

Dinner included:

3 slices of tofu marinated in TJ's Island Soyaki Sauce

bulgur, steamed kale and chick peas

I used this recipe from Whole Foods as a guide, but mine ended up a bit bland, most likely because I don't have any/didn't feel like balsamic vinegar.  For tomorrow I need to concoct some sort of sauce to add! 

I tried this marinade for the first time tonight.  Go marinate something in this sauce NOW!  I'm not even kidding, it's delicious!

It's 8:30 and I'll prob have another little snack before bed, 

but it probs won't be picture worthy, so...

goodnight!