Training when Traveling

When you are training for a race for four to six months, you are pretty much bound to be out of town for at least part of the time and/or will have to adjust to training under abnormal circumstances.  For the month of August, especially, DC becomes a ghost town- Congress goes out of session, and everyone is out on vacation at some point, fleeing the heat and the influx of tourists.  A couple of weeks ago, I went to meet my family in San Diego for a short vacation with a stop in Colorado on the way back.  It was nice to escape the oppressive humidity for a while, but training for the marathon when you are traveling has its own set of challenges.  It makes me realize how used I am to running certain routes here in DC- I have done all of them so many times that I can basically run on autopilot, without having to think about where I am going, and I know exactly what to expect at every turn (down to which water fountains work, and which don't).  When you are in a new place, you don't have that luxury.

There were a few surprising blessings to running in San Diego.  For one thing, it was really very cool weather (about 65 degrees in the morning, and never higher than 75).  What's more, it was always cloudy in the mornings (sometimes burning off by midday or the afternoon)- all in all, it was perfect weather for running, if not for tanning on the beach.

Trying to find good running routes when you are in an unfamiliar place, however, can be difficult.  When we first got to La Jolla (a small town north of downtown San Diego where we spent the first couple of days), I asked the front desk of the hotel if there was a running trail nearby, and they pointed me to the "boardwalk" on the beachfront.  My brother, sister and I set out the first (cloudy) morning, walking down to the sidewalk near the shore to do a four mile run.  The "boardwalk" was really an extremely narrow sidewalk, with a lot of people strolling around, and it was only about a mile long.  My brother and sister and I ended up weaving our way around through neighborhoods, getting lost, running up and down steep hills, and having to stop and start a lot (which can get very frustrating, even on a short run).

My next scheduled run was a 7 miler, and I knew I couldn't handle that kind of stopping and starting again, so my brother researched actual running trails in the surrounding area.  He found a running/biking trail that started up on the plateau around the Torrey Pines area near the University of San Diego, which boasted that it was about a 10K round trip- not quite long enough, but had to make do.  We couldn't find the beginning of the trail at first, and then it took us at least a half hour to find a place for our Mom to drop us off, so I was getting pretty antsy by the time we actually started running. It was a much better run at first, mostly flat, and there were gorgeous views because we were on a plateau with dropoffs on either side (towards the water on one side, and towards the land on the other). A couple of miles in, though, we noticed that the "trail" was really a road which led straight down the cliff on a steep incline.  Sam and I tried to find a trail that stayed on the plateau, but after a couple of failed attempts we just decided to follow the road.  It ended up being a steep hill for at least a mile which led all the way down to the beach- and we still had to run further once we had gotten down in order to get to the turnaround point of 3.5 miles. When we finally turned around and started climbing back up the hill, I had to keep my head down.  That's one of my tricks for a long hill- I don't look up to see how far I still have to go, because otherwise I lose a lot of mental drive.  So I just look at my shoelaces or the pavement in front of me, and try to push my cadence as high as I can stand it (slowing down can also be a killer).  We finally made it to the crest of the hill, but we still had a couple of miles to go.  It was, all in all, a quite tiring run; I was much more sore than I usually am after that kind of distance.  Finally, my mom was out hiking on the plateau and we couldn't find her for a while, so by the time we actually got to have some food Sam and I were pretty much starving (it's best to eat right after a run like that).

Having had enough curveballs thrown my way, I decided to really plan out my 14 mile run, especially since it was the longest I had ever run.  I vetted out a location that was a flat, paved bike path (from Coronado island down the Silver Strand highway), and made sure that it was long enough (it was 11 miles each way, more than far enough).  Unfortunately I didn't have Flash with me, but I did have the advantage of an entourage (my mom, sister and brother) as support.  My family dropped me off, then went to get a lot of post-run sustenance (bananas and larabars) as well as to pick out a place to eat right afterward, then drove to the six mile point.  As I ran past, I handed my mom my camelback (water pack) and she refilled it as I ran another mile out and back.  When I got back to the car, she passed it off to me as I ran by, and Sam joined me to run the final 6 miles.  I was feeling great, because it was flat, the air was cool, and I was extremely well rested- in fact, by the end of the run I was running mid-eight minute miles, below my half marathon pace. 

I was lucky that my family was there to support me that time, but that has not always been the case.  A few mishaps (such as when I twisted my ankle on a run in Virginia Beach a couple of months ago) have shown me that there are a few things that you should pretty much always have with you when running in an unfamiliar place by yourself.  First: a phone, preferably with GPS.  Even though it might seem like a pain to carry a phone, I can't tell you how many times I have gotten turned around in an unfamiliar place, and how the GPS on my phone has helped me figure out how to get back.  Even if it doesn't have GPS, you can call someone to find out how to get back on track. Second: money (this applies to when you are on a long run at home, too).  You may not think about it, but it's very possible that you could get injured an hour and a half into a three hour run and you'll have no way of getting back- since you have already gone so far, you would have to walk for miles and miles to get home or to your car.  If you don't have a phone, you wouldn't have any way to call someone to pick you up, and even if you did, there might not be anyone who can come to get you; so it's really important to have some money for a cab just in case.  Third: an ID. It's scary to think about, but runners have gotten hit by cars and have no form of ID on them, and the hospital has no way of knowing who you are or how to contact your family.

Anyway, enough serious stuff (ha).  Even without traveling, there are sometimes adjustments that you have to get used to.  Flash was out of town on vacation for the first week of August, then I was in California and Colorado for the second week, then he was out again for work the third week- in all, almost a month without my running buddy! I was starting to get really tired of running by myself all the time, because it can get pretty boring. We finally got to run together again last week, along with our other work running pal who is training for Marine Corps.  We had a 15 mile run on the schedule, so we decided to meet up at 6 am at Flash's house and run on the Rock Creek Parkway- which meant that I had to get up at 5 am.  It was awesome to get to run together again, especially since we were all chatting for a lot of the first half.  I forgot how much faster the time passes when you have that kind of distraction, instead of being alone with your own thoughts.  The three of us are getting amped up for our next long run- 17 miles- this Saturday, again the longest I have ever run.  Wish me luck!

Delicious Meat-free Things

Hey all! Sorry about the lag between posts, but I have been on a bit of a haitus because I was on vacation in San Diego and Colorado (expect a post soon about travel training!).  Anyway, I have had some requests to post more delightful recipes, so I have accumulated a bunch of photos and new recipes for all you vegetarians, flexitarians, or meat-eaters who want to try some other healthy food (you can even add a chicken breast or something to most of these, if your heart so desires-- I won't hold it against you).

Here are some of the things I have made lately:


Summer Squash and Arugula Salad

I got a LOT of squash in our CSA this summer, so I was searching for ways to eat it that weren't either roasting or sauteeing for dinner. This salad was a fresh, light lunch, and the homemade lemon vinaigrette added a light sunshine-y touch of citrus:

Ingredients:

• Small handful sliced almonds
• 1 pound summer squash (a mix of green and yellow)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 minced garlic clove (or tsp ground garlic)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Baby arugula
• 1/2 cup chickpeas

Place almonds on a cookie sheet and roast in the oven at 400 degrees until fragrant. Meanwhile, trim the ends off summer squash. If you have a vegetable peeler or mandolin slicer, thinly slice the squash lengthwise into strips and transfer to a large bowl (in the picture above I just sliced them into sections because I made it at work). In a small bowl, whisk together extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, minced garlic clove, and kosher salt to taste. Pour dressing over squash. Let stand for a few minutes (this gives it the flavor), then add a few handfuls of baby arugula. Add the chickpeas and toss. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with the crushed almonds.

Spinach, feta and tomato quiche

I made this quiche one Sunday afternoon and had it for breakfast for a few days.  I used whole wheat, organic phyllo dough that I found at Yes! organic market, and tomatoes, spinach and eggs from Eastern Market.

Crust

• 6 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
• 3 Tbs. olive oil

Filling

• Bunch of fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 10 cherry tomatoes, halved

Quiche Batter

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup low-fat milk
• Pinch ground nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

To make Crust:
Coat 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray. Lay one phyllo sheet on a work surface, and brush it all over with oil. Top with second phyllo sheet, and brush with oil. Repeat phyllo and oil layers three times more. Press into prepared pie pan; trim edges with scissors.

To make Filling:
Sauté spinach in a pan over low heat using olive oil until spinach is just lightly wilted. Sprinkle feta cheese over Crust. Top with spinach.

To make Quiche Batter:
Whisk together all ingredients in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Pour Quiche batter over the filling in the crust. Arrange the tomatoes on the top so that the sliced parts face outward. Set quiche on baking sheet, and bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until top is brown and center is set.

Braised Lebanese Eggplant with Chickpeas and Roasted Corn

Another ingredient we have gotten a lot in the CSA is eggplant, and I have really never cooked with it before. Since I became vegetarian, though, I have noticed that I have begun to crave it more (and my sister has said the same).  I have tried grilling it or making eggplant sandwiches, but I came across this recipe recently and decided to break out my Dutch oven for the first time since the winter!

• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 eggplants, halved lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp.)
• 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 cup marinara sauce
• 1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
• 1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 large mint sprigs, plus 2 Tbs. chopped mint
• Ear of corn (NOT shucked)

(Pic of the eggplant in the Dutch oven)

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, and sauté 7 minutes, or until soft. Stir in eggplant, and cook 5 minutes or until beginning to brown. Add garlic, allspice, and cumin, and cook 1 minute more.  
2. Stir in marinara sauce, vinegar, and 2/3 cup water, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in chickpeas. Season with salt and pepper. Lay mint sprigs on top of eggplant mixture, cover, and transfer pot to oven. At the same time, put corn directly onto grill rack in the oven. Cook 45 to 50 minutes, or until eggplant is tender (also keep an eye on the corn). Remove mint sprigs, and stir in chopped mint.  Remove corn with tongs and shuck (careful, it's hot!). Serve ear of corn on the side of eggplant.

Risotto Primavera

I was in the mood for something a little more filling one day, and of course I had tons of veggies, so I decided to make a light summer risotto.

• 3/5 cups vegetable broth
• Olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 small carrot, peeled and julienned
• 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 small zucchini, julienned or shaved with a peeler
• Grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup milk (I used lowfat)
• Grated Parmesan cheese
• Parsley for garnish

1. In 2-quart saucepan, heat broth over medium heat
2. Meanwhile, in a large non-stick saucepan, heat a tablespoon oil over medium-high heat.  Add onion and carrot, stirring frequently until tender.
3. Stir in rice. Cook, stirring rice, until it begins to brown (this step is important for flavor).
4. Reduce heat to medium.  Pour 1/2 cup of the hot broth over the rice mixture.  Cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until broth is absorbed.  Continue cooking 15-20 minutes, adding broth 1/2 cup at a time and stirring frequently until rice is tender.
5. Lastly, add 1/2 cup milk and some of the cheese (this makes it more creamy). Add broccoli and zucchini.
6. Serve with sprinkle of parmesan on top and parsley garnish.



Veggie Red Curry Stir Fry

 

This is a good "recipe" for those of you who don't really like following a lot of instructions and/or using a lot of ingredients.  This is something I make when I don't have a lot of time to make the sauce from scratch and want to make something fast with lots of vegetables, since I usually have most of these things on hand. Here's what I used for this one, but you can use any combination of vegetables, tofu, meat, etc. your heart desires:

• 1 onion, chopped
• Couple cloves of garlic, minced
• Red and green bell pepper, chopped
• Head of broccoli, broken into bite size pieces
• Baby carrots
• Fresh mushrooms, sliced
• Udon noodles (these are made with wheat flour!)
• Edamame pods (fresh or frozen)
• Olive oil or hot oil
• Red curry sauce (I like the one from Trader Joe's)

Heat water in a small pot (for steaming veggies). When water in the pot is boiling, place broccoli, carrots and edamame in bamboo steamer (this adds flavor) and steam for several minutes until soft (I like to have my veggies a bit al dente).

Meanwhile, heat oil in a big wok (I love my huge round sided one) over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms, and stir occasionally until soft.

When the steamed veggies are done, remove the bamboo steamer and add udon noodles to the boiling water. Boil for a few minutes, then quickly remove to strainer and blanch with cold water.

When Edamame are cool, shell them and add them to the wok.  Finally, add the noodles, steamed veggies, garlic and red curry sauce to the wok and cook for a couple more minutes. Voila!


Avocado, Tomato and Spinach sandwich


Sometimes I get tired of eating salads or soup for lunch, but there just aren't that many ways to have a vegetarian sandwich.  This is a good combination of food that is filling and satisfying (to me anyway) without imitation processed soy meat, etc. I just toast the bun and slap it all together with a small salad on the side and some fruit, and it's a great lunch!

• 3-4 avocado slices
• 2 large slices tomato
• Slice buffalo mozzarella
• Multigrain sandwich thin (I like the ones from Trader Joe's)
• Red pepper hummus
• Pesto (I made my own)
• Field greens

The Breakfast Club

I am not a morning person. I have been a night owl for my entire life; even when I was little, I would stay up late on family vacations watching re-runs of I Love Lucy when everyone else was long asleep, and I would be the latest riser. The only times when I would actually get up early to work out was when I had to rise at 4:30 in the morning to go to swim practice in high school (ugh), and my coaches would always say, "why are you swimming so badly?" ("It's five in the morning, and no one should be awake, let alone jumping in cold water," I wanted to reply).  In college, of course, my biorhythm was ideal; I could stay up late studying, wake up late, work out, then go to classes in the afternoon.  During the past year, though, I have had to completely change my patterns, since I work from 8:30 am to 6 pm.  Getting up at 7 am in order to go to work is hard enough for me, so I would usually work out during lunch or after work. The few high-minded attempts I ever made to run before work usually met a swift end when I cracked a bleary eye at my alarm then hit the snooze button.

Having had too many jaunts on the treadmill and in the heat lately, though, I decided that enough was enough, and I have been getting up at 6 am to run before work. I'm still getting used to it, and I don't always enjoy it, but I'm hoping that my body will start to adjust.  I have been having to make sure and turn out the light at about 10 pm, too, which is really hard for me (the night owl in me wants to stay up until 2 am), but with the kind of training I do, getting enough rest is vital.

When I get up, I have a bit of coffee waiting for me (thanks to my delay timer), and I whip up a quick sunrise (literally) smoothie: a banana, strawberries, a couple dollops of plain greek yogurt, a scoop of protein powder and some OJ.  I noticed that it gives me a lot more quick energy for short runs in the morning than the toast with peanut butter option I usually have before a long run.  I am out the door by 6:30, and the sun is just coming up, so there is still a bit of almost-coolness to the air.  Lately I have been riding Capital Bikeshare to work and running from there, but that means that I don't start running until 7 and it's already getting hot (sadly), so I might run from home next time to benefit the most from the coolness.

One thing I noticed is that there is a very interesting crowd running at that time in the morning.  I have even started giving them nicknames (to keep myself from falling asleep as I run? maybe), and they are similar to the personalities of the brat pack kids in The Breakfast Club.  If you don't know what I am talking about, go and rent the movie right now (or watch it on Netflix, or whatever the kids are doing these days), because it's an awesome movie. Anyway, here are the categories of runners I have seen...

"The Athlete": Obviously, anyone who is out running at this time of day is a kind of athlete, but these guys (or gals) are hardcore so they deserve the title. As I'm running along, trying to keep up a relatively good pace, suddenly one of them grazes by me like an antelope and makes me feel like a snail.  They usually have the defined musculature of someone who has about 2% body fat, which I can see because the males are wearing very short running shorts, while the females are in just a running bra and spandex.  They all probably are doing a half marathon before work (no big deal). As they go by I wish I could shout, "You go, Glen Coco!" but they are already a mile ahead.

"The Princess": These girls are in their matching, pretty lululemon gear, and don't even seem to glisten while everyone else is sweating bullets.  They aren't really running that fast, but they don't look to concerned about it. In fact, I'm surprised they are running at this time of day, but they are probably trying to fit in some "exercise" before their later microderm abrasion and massage.

"The Burnout":  These macho guys crack me up; they can also be seen on the Mall during the afternoons.  Sometimes a really muscle-y male will blaze by me at a startling pace, obviously trying to look really spiffy. At first glance, this species can be mistaken for an "Athlete," but they are usually not as lithe and have big arm muscles from weight lifting.  After about a half mile, I'll catch up to them, because they are walking with their hands above their heads, heaving for air and drenched in sweat. Turns out that lifting weights for four hours doesn't translate so well to running, eh?

"The Brain":  These are the over-analyzing runners who have a very expensive GPS running watch, complete with a heart rate monitor strapped to their chest and/or the Nike running chip shoes. They know and record all their splits and pace, and probably sometimes forget that running is supposed to be... fun?

"The Basketcase":  There are also some very strange people running out there. Once as I was running on the Mall I saw a guy running in a full sweatsuit in the heat, going at a pretty slow pace.  He looked like he was having a hard time, as his stance was slanted at an almost 45-degree angle.  I caught up with him, and started running a bit faster to go by him.  As I got level, though, he started running faster. So I started running faster. Then he ran even faster. I could tell he wasn't trying to attack me or anything (there were people around and he didnt seem aggressive), but he just kept going faster to keep up. This went on for about ten minutes (and we were pushing under 8 minute mile pace) when I finally got annoyed and veered onto a side road.

These characters are very entertaining, especially when you aren't the kind of person who wants to be out and about that early in the morning. It's kind of calming, though, running that early- especially since there (mostly) aren't hordes of tourists yet, and after about twenty minutes of sluggishness I usually start feeling more awake. I even ran up and down the stairs the other day on the Lincoln Memorial before a Park Policewoman kicked me off. So hopefully I'll get in the habit of joining The Breakfast Club, at least until the fall!