Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Cinnamon Coffee and a PSA

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The Atlanta Marathon is this weekend.

I am supposed to relay it with a team of 4, running a 7.2 mile leg of it.  Wellll… I went for a run on Thursday thinking if I could do 6 then I could certainly do 7.  It was going really well – I felt good, no knee pain.  Was my running mojo back?!

Celebration penalty.  Around mile 5.5 I felt a little pop in my heel/ankle area.  I stopped to stretch it out… and kept going only to have to stop again due to the pain.  More stretching followed by a limp-run back home.  Lots of ice and rest.  Still pain.

 

Friday I had an appointment with my PT to continue therapy on my knee, so I asked him to take a look.  He thinks I may have a pull or small tear in my Achilles area.  Apparently there’s a muscle group back there (he said a bunch of big words I didn’t absorb) that feels jacked up.  He put some electro-thing and ice on it to try to calm the inflammation… but it still hurts like a b*tch.

I’m really concerned that I won’t be able to run at all tomorrow and I need to make that call this morning.  Backing out last minute sucks, but I would rather do that than hurt my relay team (and myself) worse by failing to finish.  So I’m going to try a short jog in a minute to see what I can do.  *sigh*

First I need coffee.

 Peet’s Coffee sent over some delicious roasts for me to sample as part of the FoodBuzz Tastemaker’s program (but you know I’ll give my honest, unbiased opinion).  I like to use cinnamon in my coffee, so I selected the Cafe Domingo to try first.  I love adding cinnamon to (almost) anything with Latin flavor!

I prepare the coffee pot to make 4 cups.  Before I hit start I add 1/4 tsp of cinnamon to the grounds.  It adds a little extra taste and smells amazing while brewing!

Peet’s Cafe Domingo was delicious – it was more smooth than many I’ve tried without compromising flavor.  This is important to me because I drink my coffee black.

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Speaking of drinking…

…in case you are planning to drink this Halloween weekend, I have a little PSA for you.

Eat a lot of strawberries before and after indulging.

A European study done on rats concluded that strawberries can protect the stomach mucous membrane, which is harmed by drinking.

You’re welcome.

***

May I suggest Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal this morning? 🙂

What is the most cleaver Halloween costume you’ve seen?

Would you back out of a relay team or try to tough it out and run?

A Spoonful of Sugarland + Truffles in Alba, Italy

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Being in Alba for the Truffle Festival is a real treat.

Understatement of the year.

Our last day in Alba happened the be the first day of the Truffle Festival (have I mentioned how lucky we were on this trip?!).

 

The city was filled with the smell of truffles, cheese, and chocolate.  See why I nearly pitched a fit whimpered when it was time to go?

I wonder how much $$$ in truffles was in the city that day?  Thousands?  Hundreds of thousands?

We saw the parade, which included flag throwers (like the guy  in Under the Tuscan Sun!).  They were great… but I really loved it when they almost dropped the flag and had to do diving catches:

It’s like something out of a movie… next time I come back I’ll time it better to be there for more of the festival!

I keep saying it, but it’s incredible how much Italy really does look like a postcard or a movie scene.

I wrote previously that I am really struggling to get back into the swing of things workout-wise.  My muscles feel incredibly tight and I’m out of the habit.  A massage is in order!

I am making an effort.  The intensity level isn’t where I’d like it and I’m struggling to run and am in some pain from my knee injury and a foot problem (scary given next week’s race then the Thanksgiving Half)… but half the battle is getting out the door.  That, I have done.

On the injury front, I did do to a therapist who assured me that everything in my knee is intact.  He began Soft Tissue Therapy last week and wants to get another session in before next weekend’s race.  Apparently I have a lot of scar tissue build up due to old injuries (my right knee always seems to be the one I abuse).

Thank god I have a high pain tolerance… he used something like the Graston Technique which HURTS.  He uses a hard little bar to rub hard against the grain of the scar tissue.  This re-introduces trauma, which causes inflammation, which increases the blood flow in the area.  This supposedly helps re-initiate the healing process of the affected soft tissues.

I needed a spoonful of sugar after that doctor visit… so I hit a concert!

Sugarland‘s show Saturday night was amazing, as usual.

Their stage presence and energy are unparalleled.  While I do miss seeing them in small venues with my elbows on the stage, pit seats at Phillips Area are nothing to turn your nose up at!

In other news, I ended the cleanse.  This coming weekend I am relaying 7 miles of the Georgia Marathon and I need more complex carbs.  And if I’m brutally honest… I wanted to go out this weekend.

Therefore, this Standard Process-esque 21-day cleanse became a 14-day cleanse.  I’m happy with that.  I feel more energetic and refreshed after the 2 week meat and wine binge in Italy, which is exactly what I wanted to accomplish.

***

I start my leadership development program this morning – so excited!

What are you looking forward to this week?

Have you ever heard of the Graston Technique?

5Ks, Forks, and Knives

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What’s the best way to get back into running?

Register for a 5K.

I was registered before I left for Italy and was nervous about racing one week after returning.  Rightfully so – this was a HARD 3.14 miles.  I haven’t been running because my knee is iffy and the top of my foot has started hurting.  I’m also just out of the habit.

Sunday at noon I laced up and headed to the park for the AIDS Walk and 5K.  It was a 1p start, but they were having some sort of issues and we didn’t start  until after 1:15p.  Did I mention that it hit 80 degrees yesterday?

We started uphill in the heat.  I was sunburned from the long wait (sunscreen is smart, even if it is October).  Official times aren’t posted yet but I didn’t PR.  I crossed the line at 24:39… so I’m thinking my official time is around 24:30.

That’s not a terrible time.  What is terrible is how hard it was for me to get that time… and the fact that I’m supposed to run 7 miles of a Marathon relay in 2 weeks, followed by a Half on Thanksgiving.  Time to end vacation mode and get  little more disciplined about running!

Post-run I participated in the AIDS Walk portion of the event.  It was really neat to see so many people come together for a great cause.

Adjusting to the cleanse this time has been much easier this time!  When I did it last year, I was tired and had a headache for the first few days.  This year I’m not missing meat at all and am enjoying the challenge of eating vegan on the cleanse.  The hardest part was not being about to enjoy a beer in the sunshine this weekend! 🙂

Saturday night, over-whelmed by disappointing football outcomes, I watched Forks Over Knives.  It definitely has me thinking.  The health benefits of a plant-based diet are undeniable.

While I’m not sure I could go the rest of my life without any animal products, I am going to make more of an effort to limit my intake.  On day 11 of the cleanse I’m supposed to add a serving of chicken or fish each day; however, I have decided to add tofu and tempeh instead.

Eating clean does make a difference.  I feel much better today than I did the last day in Italy after our shared 2 kilos of beef (not to mention the gelato, wine, etc.)!

Don’t get me wrong – I don’t regret it (that steak was incredible).  The trip was amazing and I love delicious food.  That isn’t something I can sustain.

Over the past 10 days my plant-based diet I have been able to keep my energy up while working an insane number of hours, traveling all week, and not getting as much sleep as I should have.  Cheers to plants.

Like I said, I am really struggling to get back into the swing of things workout-wise.  My muscles feel incredibly tight and I’m out of the habit.  A massage is in order!  I need to get back to writing out my weekly workout plan.  Having it in writing makes a big difference for me.

I am making an effort.  The intensity level isn’t where I’d like it and I’m struggling to run… but half the battle is getting out the door.  That, I have done.

Workout Recap (10/10-10/16)

  • Monday – 100 push-ups
  • Tuesday – P90X Ab Ripper X
  • Wednesday – Bike-Elliptical-Treadmill 30 min intervals, Legs, 100 push-ups
  • Thursday – Tris/Chest, 6 min plank sequence
  • Friday – 30 mins elliptical, 10 mins Bike, 100 push-ups
  • Saturday – P90X Kempo, Ab Ripper X, 100 push-ups
  • Sunday – 5K AIDS Run, 5K AIDS Walk, Yoga for Runners

***

Italy recap again tomorrow!  And a recipe – I made some tastiness this weekend. 🙂

Have you seen Forks over Knives?  What did you think?

What was the best part about your weekend?

A Few of My Favorite Things

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Morning everyone!  Today we are still in the Piedmont region.  Have you ever seen a pomegranate tree before?  This is right outside our Bed & Breakfast.  Oddly, they appear to use them more to decor than for eating.
Lee from In My Tummy is today’s guest-poster.  She’s another Atlanta blogger, and one of the first blogs I started reading.  The Atlanta crew is pretty good about meeting up, and Lee is always game for running a race!
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If you haven’t already, check out her blog.  She tells some hilarious stories and her journey into photography has been awesome to watch!
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Hey Sprint 2 the Table Readers.  My name is Lee and I blog at inmytummy.com.  Like Laura, I live Atlanta and have had the pleasure of meeting her about five or six times.  We’ve run two races together and are participating in a marathon relay in October.  So, with running in mind, I thought I’d give you a list of my favorite running gear.

 

I wasn’t always a runner.I started 6 years ago when I randomly decided to train for a half-marathon with my father.  Fast forward to 2011 where I’m currently training for my 9th half.  In the past six years, I’ve definitely found certain things that I cannot imagine running without and I thought I’d share them with you.
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First up, we have the RoadID shoe pouch. Not only does this have the phone numbers of my husband, mom and dad in case something should happen to me while I’m running, but it also has a handy-dandy pouch that is great for carrying keys, money or even a credit card.  A lot of people ask me if this gets in the way and the answer is no. I can tie my shoes just fine with it and I actually never take it off until I get new shoes.

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Next we have the Spibelt.  This is great if you want to carry something that won’t fit in the shoe pouch, like a phone.  I don’t always run with my phone, but when I’m running alone, especially if I’m not near my house, I do.  The Spibelt looks small but it can fit a phone (I have an iphone) just fine.  It’s great because it doesn’t bounce or ride up.  I’ve usually forget that I’m even wearing it.  (I tend to wear it under my shirt since fanny packs aren’t exactly in fashion right now.  I guess that could change though.)

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You have to drink water when you run long distances and I prefer to drink mine out of myNathan Hand-held water bottle.  It can be a bit awkward to run with a water bottle but this one is really comfortable and has an adjustable strap that you can tighten.  It also has a pocket.  Apparently, I really like to store things when I run.  I’ve heard that running with a water bottle in just one hand makes you run off-kilter, but it doesn’t seem to bother me.  At least not right now..

If I’m running more than 7 miles, I will fuel halfway during the run.  7 miles is just sort of an arbitrary number that I picked once, but it seems to work.  Gu is my fuel of choice. I really only eat the chocolate one.  It tastes like cake frosting.  Honest. I’ve tried some of the fruit flavors before and hated them.  Chocolate Outrage is where it’s at.  What I like best about Gu is that you don’t have to chew it.  I tend to choke when I’m trying to eat some sort of chew while I run.  It’s not pretty.

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And my final tool is how I figure out my runs.  I know that a lot of people use mapmyrun.com which is great, but I actually use gmap-pedometer.com.  It’s pretty bare-bones, letting you plot your routes using google maps, but I like the simplicity and it works for me.

 

So those are some of my favorite things.  Come visit me at inmytummy.com!

***
Lee is a much smarter runner than I am – I defintiely needed these tips!
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What are some of your running “must-haves?”
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What’s your favorite long run fuel?  I usually bring a date… as in the fruit…
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Cheese, Nuttiness, and Raw ABCs

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Confession:

 

I haven’t run at all this week because I pulled something in my calf area (still not sure how).

It is what it is… but now I’m about to walk out the door for a 5K.  I probably should still be taking it easy, I know.  However I’m all registered and I reallllly want to run after a week off.  Bring on the KT Tape and call me a glutton for punishment.

*Disclaimer: I don’t think it’s a serious injury.  I’m just going to prolong the healing process if anything.  I don’t advocate being as stubborn as I am being right now.*

 

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Less controversial is the topic of peanut flour.  Particularly how fantastic it is.  I should have bought the 5lb bag.

 

In peanut sauce-form atop cottage cheese:

In the mix:

  • 1/2 C cottage cheese
  • 1/4 C raspberries
  • 1 T peanut flour, mixed with…
  • 1 T unsweetened almond milk

 

All that salty and little sweetness… it was like PBJ cottage cheese!

 

There was also a pea-nutty afternoon snack:

 Spicy Peanut Dip

  • 1 T peanut flour
  • 1 T unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/4 tsp Sriracha garlic sauce
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • pinch of salt

 

Veggie sticks will never eaten the same way.

 

Now that you know I like peanut flour in with sweet, salty, and spicy twists…

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Here’s even more than you ever wanted to know about me (borrowed from Gina @ Choosing Raw).

 

The ABC’s of Me… the raw foodie’s version (yes, I’m fully aware that I am not a raw foodist… but am a foodie and I like raw food!)

 

A) Preferred way to eat avocados: homemade guacamole… or in a smoothie.

B) Daily banana intake:  typically 1/2 in a breakfast (oats or smoothies) and half in an evening smoothie

C) Cacao or carob? Carob!

D) Durian? I’m told it’s stinky, but I haven’t had the pleasure of making it’s acquaintance.

E) Essential to start the day: Water – I start everyday with a glass of ice water and a tsp of Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar.

It’s good for the the *ahem* digestion.

 

F) Favorite fruit: Watermelon or peaches

G) Guru you like: I march to my own drum.

H) Healthy meal: that’s tough… I like so many things… and this should probably be raw… I made a mango-avocado gazpacho that rocked my world.

I) Ice cream base: Banana soft-serve.

J) Juice or smoothies? Smoothies!  I drink them almost daily.  With spinach, always.

K) Favorite way to eat kale: Marinated so it gets a little soft.  YUM.  This was a tasty one:

L) # of Lemons in your house right now: 2, plus a lime

M) Muscle testing: hoax or real? I’m a skeptic – hoax.

N) Nut butter: favorite kind? CHUNKY TJ’s Roasted Flax Seed Valencia Peanut Butter or homemade Spiced Almond Butter

Like bar nuts... in dip form and with fewer germs.

 

O) Organic or conventional? I make an effort to only buy organic or local produce.

P) Pickled veggies: Love them!

Q) Questions you get asked about your diet: You really put spinach in smoothies?  Ewwww!

R) Recipe you love: Keeping with the raw theme – there are so many great things made within the blogging community that it’s hard to choose!  I’m going to have to go with one of Gena’s (who I got the survey from).  I made her Cashew Cheese with Meyer Lemon and Dried Cherries and ate it like it was my j-o-b this winter.

S) Skin brushing? I have not a clue what this is.

T) Type of water you drink: Atlanta’s finest (tap).  Extra lemon.

U) Unbelievable thing that’s related to eating raw: That “high” feeling you get after a good raw meal.  And how amazing the glow is of raw foodists’ skin!

V) Vegetable you love: Spinach!  My 10-year old self is judging me right now.

W) Why did you start eating raw? I don’t eat all raw, but I do make an effort to eat a good deal of raw foods.  I think the more pure/clean we eat, the better we feel.  My energy level is signinficantly increased when I’m eating clean.

X) X-rated vegetable or fruit: X-rated?!  I have just the picture…

 

Y) Yummy food you make: Raw… Peach Cobbler Chia Pudding, Brazilian Flax Cookies, Asian-Spiced Flax Crackers,  Mexican Raw Bulgur Bowl, and – most recently – Moroccan Raw Carrot Salad

Z) Favorite use of zucchinis: Sliced into sticks and dipped into peanut butter.  Simple and delicious.

***

Time to run and then do something totally unhealthy… a food and wine festival.  😉

Do you make an effort to eat raw foods?

What are your ABCs?  Pick a couple and leave a comment!

 

Coconut Chocolate Banana Squares

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Another weekend.  Over too soon.

It was a fun one!  My friend Kat was in town from South Korea.

She moved there a few years ago to teach, which I think is incredibly cool.  It’s good to see old friends so happy and fulfilled.  We used to be concert buddies, so naturally we caught up over a show.

Michelle Malone was playing the Sunday night 99X Unplugged in the Park show.  Unplugged in the Park is a summer-long free music series put on by a local radio station.  They pull in some great musicians at these!

The weekend was also punctuated with…

a baking WIN!!!

 

I’m not gonna lie – my ego needed this one after last week’s baking fail(s).

During my weekend trip to the Farmer’s Market I found coconut flour on the cheap.  $1.36

Normally I hoard the stuff because… well, do you know how much it costs at Whole Foods?  Hint: more than $1.36.

Click here for some of the benefits of coconut flour (and for an awesome coconut chocolate chip cookie recipe).

I was so excited to use it with reckless abandon in Coconut Chocolate Banana Bars!  Low in sugar and high in fiber, these tasty little chocolate bars can be eaten as breakfast OR dessert.

To bake them, I used my square pan, but you could also bake them in cookie-like form on a baking sheet.

The texture coconut flour gives baked goods is so silky it’s downright luxurious.  I also love the notes of sweetness from the banana with the rich cocoa.

Tip: use a good cocoa powder in dishes like this – the difference in taste/quality is worth the splurge!

Recipe at the end!  First a bit ‘o fitness.

Here’s the weekly recap.  I’m happy with last week because I worked out every day!  Usually there’s one day that I simply cannot motivate (unintended “rest” days).

Whatever happened, it worked well because I landed a new PR in Saturday’s hill-filled 5K. 🙂

Workout Recap (8/15-8/21)

  • Monday – Kickboxing
  • Tuesday – 4 mile run, P90X Ab Ripper X, 84 push-ups
  • Wednesday – Biceps/Back, 84 push-ups, 6 Minute Plank Sequence
  • Thursday – 4 mile run, P90X Ab Ripper X, 84 push-ups
  • Friday – Triceps/Chest, Plank Sequence, 84 push-ups
  • Saturday – 5K, + 1 mile run, 84 push-ups 
  • Sunday – 4 mile run x2, 100 push-ups

Coconut Chocolate Banana Squares

by Laura Hall

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 10-12 mins

Keywords: bake snack dessert vegetarian low-sodium nut-free low-sugar sugar-free banana coconut flour cocoa greek yogurt healthy cookie

Ingredients (9 squares)

  • 2 ripe bananas, mashed
  • 2 T Greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 C unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1/4 C NuNaturals’ More Fiber Stevia Baking Blend
  • 1 C whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/3 C coconut flour
  • 2 T cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Place muffin cups in muffin tins

Whisk together NuNaturals, applesauce, and egg until creamy and light yellow

Add mashed bananas, yogurt, and vanilla, and whisk to combine

Add flours, cocoa, baking soda, and salt, and stir until smooth.

Spoon the batter into tins

Bake for 10-12 minutes

Approximate Nutritionals: 108 calories, 1.9g fat, 21.3g carbohydrates, 6.1g fiber, 3.9g sugar, 3.8g protein.

Powered by Recipage

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I’m already excited to eat one of these for afternoon snack.

How was your weekend?  Anything exciting?

Do you have a favorite flour to use?

Free to Breathe 5K

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I am writing this from a Korean Spa.

 

JeJu.  It’s really the only way to recover from a 5K!  I also used it to recover from Tough Mudder.

No, there isn’t a happy ending.

 

The race was the Free to Breathe 5K.  It was a very, very hilly race through an Atlanta neighborhood called Virginia Highlands.

Despite the humidity and hills, I nailed a PR!

 

Stats:

  • Distance – 3.14 miles
  • Time: 23:06
  • Average Pace – 7:21

 

1st place in my age group and 5th overall!  The fastest female finished in just over 19 mins.  Crazy fast.

 

 

Which clearly deserved a hearty breakfast from Osteria with my friend Jessica.

The omelet was good, but the grits were icky soupy.  In my omelet: red pepper, onion, spinach, basil, and a side of pomodoro sauce.  YUM.

***

Back to the sauna I go!

What are you doing this weekend?

Can any of you run a 19 minute 5K?  How?!

Cherry Tomato-Mango Gazpacho

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Reviewing my search terms cracks me up.  

I can see how some end up at here… but some totally baffle.

Some of the best ones lately:

  • Meaning of family name sadilla
  • Can you eat raw edamame (yes)
  • Schizophrenia vegetarian (that’s me!)
  • Planking in bikini (you can even plank in your birthday suit if you like!)
  • I swallowed a jackfruit seed (they are edible – but I bet that was uncomfortable)
Hello to anyone searching gazpacho / soup today.  Cold soup.  It’s hot.

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Remember those citrus-y orange cherry tomatoes I scored at the People’s Health Day 5K?  The citrus quality they possess made me think they would be especially good in a fruity gazpacho.

And they were.

 

What I didn’t foresee what the color that would develop when combining orange mangoes and tomatoes with green cilantro and peppers.  For those of you used to drinking green smoothies, this won’t be an issue. 🙂

Despite it’s appearance, this soup was quite good.  The mango makes it a thicker gazpacho and adds a sweetness that I love with the spiciness.

You may be tempted, but don’t just toss everything into the blender.  Setting aside half of the mango, tomato, and peppers makes the texture of each bite so much better.

 

The feeling of the plump cherry tomato piece in each bite along with the smoothness of the mango and crunch of the bright pepper takes the soup from good to finger lickin’ good.

 

In lieu of tortilla chips, I made cumin-spiced socca to sop up the soup.  Spreading the batter out thinly across a pan to cook made it more crispy.

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Cherry Tomato Mango Gazpacho

  • 1 medium champagne mango
  • 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes (orange if you can find them!)
  • 1/2 medium green pepper
  • 1/2 small shallot
  • 1/2 jalapeno, seeded
  • 2 T fresh cilantro
  • 1 garlic clove
  • Juice from 1/2 small lime
  • pinch of chile powder
  • S+P, to taste

Chop first 3 ingredient into small cubes.  Set aside 1/2 of the cubes.

Combine the rest in a blender (or Magic Bullet!) with remaining ingredients.  Mix until just combined.  Transfer to a bowl and mix in the chopped veggie pieces.

Enjoy!

Makes: 2 sides or 1 larger serving

***

I can’t believe it’s over 100 degrees here.

Do you like cold soups?

 What are some of the best/funniest search terms you’ve come across?

 

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