Say What: Jicama

If you know what jicama is, raise your hand.

...

Hmm, I have a feeling there are quite a few hands not raised.  And that's okay!  The first time I ate jicama  was only a few months ago.  Until that time I would wander the produce section of Henry's, stop at jicama, ponder for a moment what in the world that weird vegetable was, and then walk right on by.

By I didn't know what I was missing! And pretty soon you will too.

I hope you found the video helpful!  And below you'll find another delicious way to enjoy your new favorite veggie!

Apple & Jicama Salad

What you'll need

This simple salad is easy to adjust to your personal taste.  Mix and match quantities until you reach desired sweetness and tartness.  Shredded carrots would make an excellent addition as well!

1 medium jicama

2-3 apples- any type: I used Washington, I bet Granny Smith would work too.

3/4 c. walnuts- can toast for added flavor

2/3 c. raisins- dried cranberries would work also

2 tbsp lime juice

4 tbsp agave nectar

What you'll do

-Julienne your jicama and apples.

- Mix in raisins and walnuts.

- Mix lime juice and agave together and mix with salad.  

- Eat right away or put in fridge to let the flavors mingle!

 

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!!

Turning Dreams into Goals

"It's a dream until you write it down, 

and then it's a goal." - Anonymous

source

I have some running dreams.  And I'm ready to turn those dreams into goals.  They've been written on my calendar, but I think they'll become even more real once I write them for the whole world to see.

 The first event on my calendar is the Philadelphia Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 Marathon.  I love the Rock 'n' Roll series, probably because I had such an amazing experience during my 1st marathon.  So I'm really looking forward to this one.

Another reason why I am so excited for this event?  My sister, new blogger (<---check her out)  and newbie runner, is signed up too!  This will be her first 1/2 marathon and I am so proud of her training so far!

Now here is where things get tricky.  I am most definitely running a full marathon this fall, but I have 2 choices a week apart from each other.  Basically it's dependent on if I get a big girl job for the fall!

Choice number one, is the Philadelphia Marathon on November 20th.

In 2009 this was my first ever 1/2 marathon.  I distinctly remember around mile 12 the full marathoners split off to continue running and in my mind I asked myself, "They are so crazy;  who would ever want to run 13 more miles after this?".  Guess I've gone a little crazy...

If I do get a job it would be a dream to run the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon on December 4th.  Who gets the chance to run the strip at night?  There are also plans for a blogger conference!

This sounds like it would be an AMAZING marathon to run. 

The only part I'm scared about is the 4:30:00 cut off time!  I ran my first marathon in 4:58, and I was focused solely on finishing.  This time around I have speed work and tempo runs incorporated into my training.  I'm thinking I can do it and this marathon would be the push I need to break the 4:30 barrier!

After my second full marathon the sky's the limit, right?  I'll have to see how it all goes.  But if I'm feeling good I may begin training for a 50k or 50 mile-er.  Being honest with myself, running is my passion.  At the beginning of the summer I thought I would train for a sprint triathlon for the end of August, but my heart wasn't in it.  For right now, I think I will stick with running and save swimming and cycling for cross training activities 2x week, as per my training plan :p

 *Awesome motivational pictures from I <3 to Run <--like them on Facebook!

What are some of your dreams?  Come on, write them down and turn them into goals!