Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Hear This: My First Giveaway

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Thanks everyone for all you comments about my earbuds yesterday.

 

 

Auria has offered to giveaway a pair of their awesome earbuds to one of YOU!

They are donating a pair of EXCEED ear buds (the fancier version of my PROVOKES).

 

Like I said yesterday, I love running with these because they fit my (small) ears.   They don’t go IN your ear canal; rather, they sit at the opening of your ear canals.  This contributes to safety, as external sounds can still be clearly heard without compromising sound quality.

 

This set of earphones also features: 

  • Finger-touch volume control
  • Integrated microphone to make calls (works with iPhone 4/3GS/3G, Blackberry and Androids)
  • Function button to control audio/video and answer/end calls
  • High-quality audio
  • Black mesh carrying case sized to hold most smart phones. 

 

To enter the giveaway, do each of the following and leave a separate comment letting me know:

  • Leave a comment telling me what song pumps you up to go one more mile or what color ear buds you would like (black, white, black with hot pink)
  • Follow me on Twitter
  • Tweet about the giveaway (you could say something like: “#GIVEAWAY @Sprint2theTable is giving away a set of Aria EXCEED earbuds http://wp.me/p16jDn-B3“)

The giveaway will end ON MY BIRTHDAY: Friday, July 15, 2011 at 11:59 EST.

One winner will be announced via my blog on July 16th, 2011.  You must provide me with your contact information to win.


This Bud’s For You

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Apparently I have tiny ear canals.

 

Finding ear buds that stay in my ears while running has been next to impossible.

I’ve purchased pricey ear buds that come with various sized rings to place around the buds to no avail.  They still bounce right out of my ears while I’m running.  Or the sweat builds up and they slide out.  That’s hot.

 

At the expo for the Peachtree Road Race this year I came across a booth selling the alleged fix to my problem.

Auria uses an XFit technology that claims to keep earphones in place, resist sweat, provide quality audio, and still allow for surrounding sounds to be heard (safety first, y’all).

 

The buds “rest on the cushy parts of ears called the tragus and the anti-tragus… ECO rings work to optimize the fit of our earphones to individual ear shapes.”

True story – my abnormally small ear canals are proof.

 

They don’t actually go IN your ear; the speakers reside at the opening of you ear canals.  This allows external sounds to be heard (important if you run in a busy, traffic-filled city like I do!).  Surprisingly, this doesn’t compromise one’s ability to hear the music – presumably since the speakers are still right at your ear canals.

I did run with these in the Peachtree.  They worked like a charm – MUCH better than the others I was using.  Lesson learned.  Other lesson learned: chewing gum while I run makes me look challenged.

 

They also offer fancy models that have volume controls, microphones, and iPhone controls.  I opted for the basic Provoke model, as I am ghetto and just run with my iPod Shuffle.  I’m also cheap – these were only $23.99.

 

***Disclaimer: They didn’t give me anything to write this.  Not even a damn discount.  I just think it’s a great product.  However, if they do want to send me free stuff, I’ll gladly accept. 🙂 ***

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Today I didn’t really cook anything – I blended protein shakes, washed veggies for salads, and paid restaurants (first slice of cake on birthday week – woo hoo!).

Other than this beautiful, delicious salad:

Spinach, tomatoes, carrots, celery, onion, chickpeas, mustard + red wine vingar

 

I don’t have anything earth-shattering to share food-wise.

Instead I’m sticking with the running theme and sharing the least embarrassing parts of my current workout playlist with you.

Yes, I have been known to listen to music with explicit lyrics.  Followed by Sarah Bareilles.

Lately I get most inspired to crank out another mile by Sugarland.  I love Wide Open, the song they wrote for the last Olympics.

“Every life has a moment where sweat meets fate / On your mark, get ready, get ready now…”

***

Speaking of, I’m off for a morning run.  Olympic sprinter-style in my head.

What gets you pumped to go another mile?

Have you found any running accessories you couldn’t live without?

Coconut Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

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How in the world was I exhausted at 10 pm last night?

I’m a night person!  Then I remembered I left the house at 730am to play in a softball tournament and only came home long enough to shower and shovel one of these in my mouth.

My team didn’t win the tournament, but the game we lost was one of the most memorable I’ve had.  We went into overtime and lost… but the adrenaline and the plays made by my team were over the top.

We were down by 5 with 2 outs.  One girl got hit in the nose with the ball, bled a lot, and then came back into the game to bat so we didn’t have to take an out for her spot in the lineup… and she got a great hit!  Sadly, we still lost by 1. 🙁

In keeping with my new weekly recap tradition, here’s was last week looked like:

Workout Recap (7/4-7/9)

  • Monday – Peachtree Road Race – 10K – 51:08 mins
  • Tuesday – Yoga for Runners, stationary bike 30 mins, 84 push-ups
  • Wednesday – Biceps/Back, 5K run, 84 push-ups
  • Thursday – Intervals (2 mile treadmill, 1 mile elliptical), 84 push-ups
  • Friday – Tris/Chest, P90X Ab Ripper X, 84 push-ups
  • Saturday – 5 mile run (in 40 mins!!!)
  • Sunday – Softball tournament, 84 push-ups

NuNaturals was nice enough to send me some goodies to test out.

The package came with recipes, but I’ve had my eye on these Coconut Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies from Gracie @ Girl Meets Life.

It’s not often something so good for you tastes so decadent.

These are gluten-free and vegan.  The added bonus is that they are low-sugar.  If you omitted the chocolate chips, they would be sugar-free – you could do that and thrown in come walnuts for banana bread cookies.

NuNaturals Pure Liquid Vanilla Stevia drops worked like a charm.  My cookies were appropriately sweet and I didn’t notice an aftertaste.

Coconut flour has been a recent addition to my pantry.  I’m loving it.  You have to be careful as it has a different feel than “regular” flour, but it adds a smooth, almost silky texture to baked goods.

Some benefits of coconut flour:

  • Good source of fiber – At 58% insoluble fiber, it has the highest percentage found in any flour
  • Guilt-free baking (nearly… the other ingredients are your business 😉 ) – Insoluble fiber means your body doesn’t digest it (translation: your body can’t derive calories from it); these fibers basically magic eraser their way through you intestines doing what fiber should do to keep your digestive system healthy
  • Gluten-free and hypoallergenic – Many people without a serious gluten allergy and moving towards a low-gluten diet.  Subbing coconut for some of your regular flour is another way to cut down on gluten intake.  For those that do have an allergy, you can use this with rice flour to improve textures.

Be warned that coconut flour is very dry and doesn’t bond well.  Remedy this by adding binders like bananas or eggs to your batter.  This can also be accounted for by using subbing in place of just 1/4 to 1/2 with a “regular flour.”
Keeping that in mind… welcome to cookies so silky and light you won’t be able to stop eating them.  Which is fine, as they are pure doughy deliciousness at only 86 calories a pop.

 

Coconut Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • 3/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 medium banana, well-mashed
  • 14 drops NuNaturals Pure Liquid vanilla stevia
  • 1/2 T coconut oil
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp butter extract
  • 1 C unsweetened coconut milk (So Delicious-style)
  • 1/3 C dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients.  Set aside.  
 
In a medium bowl, whisk together wet ingredients.  Slowly add the wet mixture to the dry, stirring as you go.  Fold in chocolate chips.
 
Scoop out 2 T of dough on lined baking sheet, pressing down lightly.
 
Bake for 25 mins, until cookies begin to brown.  Allow them to cool completely (they are crumbly!).
 
Makes 11 cookies.

Approximate nutritional info: 86 calories, 4.2g fat, 11.1g carbohydrates, 3.8g fiber, 4.9g sugar, 2.1g protein.

***

Important Announcement: it’s my BIRTHDAY WEEK!!!!  Woot!

What is new to your kitchen as of late?

Peach Cucumber Gazpacho

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Working out can actually help alleviate soreness.

DOMS soreness

That’s what “they” say anyway.  So I got up and ran a looooong 5K distance yesterday in hopes of working out some of that delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) from Monday’s Peachtree Road Race.

Stats:

  • Distance – 3.14
  • Time – 25:31 mins
  • Pace – 8:06 mins

DOMS is the pain/stiffness you feel 1-2 days after a tough workout.  It refers to the little tears in the muscle rebuilding after you’ve broken them down – and it is an important part of the muscle-building process.  Light exercise, easy stretching, and massages are all good ways to alleviate DOMS.

Note: DOMS is not to be confused with injury or pain from doing too much too fast.  If you’re experiencing that soreness, you need to REST.

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The food you eat post-workout is also important.  Lots of nutrients are a must – I like to load up on protein, fruits, and veggies.

Peaches are all over my Peach State right now.  The season is ON and sweet, juicy peaches are everywhere.

Fun fact: after the July 4th Peachtree Road Race they hand out peaches in addition to the usual bananas and bagels.

For lunch I decided to use some of the peaches my grandfather gave me from his trees in a soup.  With a side of (not pictured) chicken.

This chilled gazpacho is a great light, summery started or side dish.  The serrano adds an unexpected bit of heat on the end of each crisp, sweet bite.

I didn’t add sugar/honey/agave, but you certainly could if you like a sweeter soup or your peaches aren’t as flavorful.  If you aren’t a fan of heat, reduce the amount of or leave out the serrano pepper.

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Peach Cucumber Gazpacho

  • 1 large peach
  • 1/3 C cucumber, peeled and diced
  • 1/4 C yellow pepper, diced
  • 1/2 oz goat cheese
  • 1 T apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, sliced in half
  • 1/2 serrano pepper
  • 1/8 C cilantro
  • 1/4 C coconut milk (not canned – the So Delicious variety)
  • S+P, to taste

Combine sliced peaches, cucumber, yellow pepper in a medium bowl.  Add the goat cheese, vinegar, olive oil, a couple shakes of salt, and garlic clove.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, remove the garlic from the mix and throw away.  Pour the remaining contents of the bowl into a blender and add serrano pepper, cilantro, and milk.  

Puree until smooth and creamy.  Season with salt and pepper;  you may also add agave or honey for a sweeter soup.  

Refrigerate until well-chilled, allowing flavors to combined (at least 2 hours).

Pour into 1-2 bowls and enjoy!

Makes ~1 cup.

***

A HUGE thank you to everyone for the comments you made in response to yesterday’s post.  You guys made my day so much better. 🙂

What do you do to recover after a hard workout?

Breakfast Apple Cupcakes (Recipe)

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Bicycling seems to be the next big thing.

Safety first!

Bloggers are into it, cyclists are rampant on Atlanta streets, and my friends all seem to have taken up the sport.

Naturally, I had to try it.

My friend Summer agreed to lend me a bike (along with a helmet and padded shorts) and take me out for a trial run ride.  I was really nervous because my Achilles was killing me and I’m running a 5K this morning… followed by a softball tournament and then my high school reunion.

Definitely don’t want to be too injured/sore to run/play/party!  But I broke out the KT tape and away we went!

It was the only color left in the store.

Pedaling Cycling is much harder than I expected.  Summer did say this was a hilly course, but whoa.  Thank god I’m not new to exercising – I refused to walk the bike up a hill!

You can’t tell me this isn’t hilarious.

What I should have been more nervous about was the storm!  We made it 11 miles and realized we were about to get hit.

That last 4 miles we were going as fast as we could into the wind.  I literally almost got blown over!  Lightening, tree debris hitting us in the head and littering the path, crazy temperature changes… I was running on nothing but adrenaline at the end.

Recap:

  • 15 hilly miles
  • 1.5 hours
  • Near death experience
  • Celebration beer and a sandwich

I’d totally do it again.

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After a long week I like to “treat” myself with a fun breakfast.  Nothing says fun like cupcakes!

These are so easy to make – simply core an apple and top with your choice of deliciousness.  Choosing your icing topping is the best part.

I iced mine 2 ways:

  1. Mixture of Greek yogurt, almond butter, and chia seeds, topped with chocolate cookie crumbles
  2. Vanilla whipped cottage cheese (see recipe below), with chia seed sprinkles

Yes, I picked the cookie off and ate it first like an impatient 5 year old.

Fun fact: My mom used to call me Tinkerbell… hence the mug. 🙂

Both were fantastic, but I think the whipped cottage cheese was my favorite.  It was almost cheesecake-like!

The vanilla and apple sweetness was perfect with the tangy cheese and lemon combo.

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Apple Cupcake

Vanilla Whipped Cottage Cheese

  • 1/2 C cottage cheese
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp lemon zest
  • 1/4 packet of Stevia
  • 1/2 T chia seeds

In a blender (I used the Magic Bullet short container) combine all ingredients.  

Blend until the cottage cheese becomes smooth (you may need to stop and scrape down the sides).

Enjoy as a snack or as icing on your favorite treat!

***

This may be TMI… but my butt is SORE.  And now I must go run.  Wish me luck!

What is your favorite “treat” breakfast?

Do you bike?  Any tips for a novice?!

Balsamic Asparagus Pizza

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Have you guys been watching Extreme Makover Weight Loss Edition on ABC?

 

I’m shamelessly addicted.  Watching these people lose massive amounts of weight in a year… I can’t imagine how hard it must be – at 400 lbs – to get started and get it done.

Last night’s contestant, Dana, lost 203 lbs in a year with a torn ACL.  Interestingly, he was already trying to lose by taking water aerobics.  Chris Powell (the trainer) told him that weight-less exercise wasn’t going to cut it and started him on a program that used his body weight to work out.

 

Timely encouragement/reminder that there others dealing with things much bigger than I am.  Why?  Because I think have jacked up (technical term) my Achilles tendon.

It hurts.  Sharp pain walking down stairs. *wine* *whine*

I’m not sure what happened.  I felt fine running Saturday’s ACS 5K race, and then as I was walking down the stairs to my car a few hours later I noticed it was sore… and it has gotten progressively worse since.  Playing ball Sunday probably didn’t help.

 

In hopes of catching it at the beginning I visited the chiropractor on my way home from work tonight.  It didn’t help. I was instructed to take it easy, ice it, and massage the area.  My calf even aches.  Bollocks.

 

Maybe if I take the week off of running (and walking down stair cases) it will be better by the weekend?!

Tonight’s workout was an easy 45 mins of shoulders and P90X Ab Ripper X.  I hate being limited.

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Good thing dinner was not limited.  It was quite tasty!

 

Yesterday I was craving pizza something fierce.  The opportunity to sate that craving didn’t present itself, so tonight was declared Monday Socca-Pizza Night!

It was late when I got home to eat… pics are going to leave something (i.e. light) to be desired.

My Pizza:

  • Socca base (I used herbs de provence this time)
  • Morels
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Onions
  • Nutritional Yeast
  • Balsamic asparagus


 

The real stand-out here was that balsamic asparagus.  It is the easiest thing you’ll ever make; however, the balsamic reduction coating it will give it a decadent taste.  I ate the extra pieces standing up over the stove.

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Balsamic Asparagus

  • 1/2 bunch asparagus, hard bottom snapped off
  • 1 tsp good-quality balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 C yellow onion, diced
  • Juice from 1 lemon wedge
  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Heat medium skillet over medium heat.  Add in asparagus, onion, and balsamic vinegar, tossing to combine.  Allow to sauté for 4-5 mins, stirring occasionally.  

When the asparagus just beings to soften, remove from heat and top with lemon juice and pepper.

Serves 2.

***

Have you ever injured your Achilles?

Have you been forced to slow down for an injury?

Any advice is much appreciated!!

 

Chef Summer Series – Hugh Acheson

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Before I write about yet another gluttonous feast delicious dinner…

 

Let’s talk about running in 90 degree temps.

 

I took off today a little later than planned (see the last pic in the post for an explanation).  It was already closing in on 90 when I got outside to run.  Nothing like a little sweat.  My original plan was 7 miles.

My Reality:

  • Distance – 5 miles
  • Time – 41:58
  • Pace – 8:32

 

A good pace, but I think it’s just because I hauled it home at the end just to get it over with.  Seriously.

I have NEVER felt like I might puke during a run before.. Until today (no, it wasn’t the champagne, thankyouverymuch).  It was so hot and I was sweating so hard… not pretty.  I need hot weather running tips.  Or I need to wake up earlier.

 

There was a treat waiting for me when I got back.  The vegan SunWarrior Protein Powder I ordered arrived!  Vanilla flavor.

Still sweating, I got to work making a huge green vanilla-almond shake with my new powder.

 

I wanted SO badly to like it. The ingredients/nutrients are awesome.

It’s chalky and not-so-tasty.  Any one want a full (minus one scoop) bag of this?  I’ll ship it to ya!

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Let’s talk about something much more delicious!  Wednesday night was a dinner of epic proportions.

 

One of the new friends I met while going solo to the Food and Wine Festival and I went to the first in a Chef’s Summer Series put on by ONE. Midtown Kitchen.

The series of dinners consists of 5 course meals with pairings prepared by some of Atlanta’s best chefs in conjunction with ONE’s chef, Drew Van Leuvan.  Last night’s meal with Hugh Acheson from Empire State South was outstanding!

James River Oyster with limoncello and lemon verbena

L to R: Summer Squash, Warm Bucheron, Veal Sweetbread, and Weisswurst all over Salsa Verde

Beets, Radishes, Arugula, Nasturtiums, and Pickled Ramps with a Charred Vidalia Cream

Beef Tartare with Cured Local Yolk, Crisp Tendon, Baby Fennel, and Tomato

Riverview Pork Loin with Braised Belly, Mixed Bean Escabeche, Sorghum & Green Tomato Chow Chow

Tres Leches with Blackberries, Lime Sugar, and Vanilla Lime Sorbet

The food was amazing. Except the oysters.  I do NOT like them, Sam I Am. Other than the ocean food, I can’t even choose a favorite course.

The flavors on each plate were spot on – they played off of each other such that each bite was better than the last.  Well done, Hugh and Drew!

Did I mention each course had champagne pairings?!

 

The champagne pairings were interesting.  I thought by the end they were a bit of a stretch (5 champagne pairings = HARD).  And I probably more champagne last night than I drank in all of 2010 combined.  Ouch.

My favorite by far was a Chateau St Michelle Luxe.  It paired really well with the tartare, something I didn’t think a sparkler could effectively do. At $20/bottle, it’s a get deal too!


We are planning to attend a few more.  June 29th with Bruce Logue from La Pietra Cucina is next on my list.  La Pietra is one of my top 5 restaurants in Atlanta!

***

Talk about a champagne high!  I’m going to take a teensy break from drinking.  At least until Supper Club Saturday.  Supper Clubs and Dinner Series are really popular here.

Do you have a lot of dinner events/clubs in your area?

Do you like the sweeter champagnes or dry?  Or do you care (mimosas anyone)?

 

Peach Caprese Salad

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Good Morning, fellow long weekend-ers!!!

It’s another short post, as I am continuing to enjoy the long weekend.  And I have the sunburn to prove it.  Terrible, I know.

Thank you everyone for the positive feedback to my new Fitness page!  I’m excited about continuing to grow/improve it.

As for my mystery lunch… it was a (Georgia) Peach Caprese!

Peaches are in season now and I’ve had great luck finding perfect ones at local farmer’s markets.  Try subbing them for tomatoes in other dishes too – they are delicious in sandwiches (with parm and prosciutto), salads (with blue cheese  and arugula), or even in salsa (with cilantro, onion, and mango)!

Check out my guest post @ The Athlete’s Plate for a riveting write up.  Thanks again to Matt for asking me to be his guest!

Peach Caprese Salad

  • 1 medium ball of Mozzarella di Bufala
  • 1 large peach 1/4 cup fresh basil
  • 1 tsp high-quality olive oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Slice mozzarella into 1/4 inch rounds. Peel peaches and slice those into similar sized rounds. Chiffonade (chiffonade = stack basil in a small pile and roll into a cigar-like shape then slice into ribbons) the basil using a sharp knife (a clean cut helps prevent the leaves from darkening).

Layer the mozzarella and peach slices on a plate and sprinkle the basil over the top. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste.

Note: You can also drizzle them with a balsamic reduction, which is what I did here.

***

I’m off to run up a mountain before hitting up some festivals.  Good times.

Do you keep up with workouts over holidays or call it a total vaca?

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