comfort food

there's something about running 14 miles in the cold snowy air that makes you want to eat.  and eat.  and eat.  let's be real here.  for me, there's something about running 4 miles on a perfect Fall morning that makes me want to eat. and eat. and eat.

anywhoo, as the snow gently falls outside my kitchen window, and my legs feel like there are 20lb dumbbells attached to my nonexistent toe nails, i am concocting a comfort meal food to go along with our "family night" of movies (good god i hope i stay awake) by the fireplace.

first up, pour me a glass of this:

i wish i could tell you it was a 1993 bottle of the finest chardonnay from our last sojourn to Napa Valley.
Nope.  it's a 2011 bottle of 2-buck-chuck from my last trip to Trader Joe's.  classy.

for dinner i made a recipe from my favorite blog Eat, Live, Run:
chicken-n-biscuits-fix-your-life

now i can't promise that it will fix your life but the wine you are drinking while preparing it certainly can numb things for a while.  also be forewarned it takes a little while to prepare and you will use multiple pots and pans in the process. (ps. i got a new iphone so there will be multiple pics now on my posts. deal with it.  at least i am not taking shots of my *non*toenail).

then i needed dessert.  so I made Apple-Crumble-and-Vanilla-Ice-Cream but realized i forgot the ice cream.  of course i ran out to the little store up town and grabbed a $6 1/2 gallon of vanilla.  a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

according to my garmin i burned roughly 1400 calories on my 14 mile run.
i then promptly added them back after eating this meal.

the badge of honor

after wearing my smartwool compression socks for a *few* days non-stop (less to take a shower.  i think i took a shower this week...), i peeled them off this evening to rub my barking dogs.
in fact, i rubbed a little more off than i bargained for.
my big toe nail.

now this is not the first toenail i have lost in my short career as momma runner.  i lost the 2nd toenail after my first half-marathon a few years ago.  but let me tell you, the 2nd toenail is just a tad bit smaller than the biggins toenail.  I mean, they don't call it the "big toe" for nothing.

that sucker fell off without warning.  sure, i had some issues with it after my fall marathon, but i guess the layered on polish from pedicures of past hid the fact that she was ready to come off.  it's a little scary looking.  i called my kids in to look at it...they both gagged and went back to their angry birds.  all i can think is this baby better grow back for my cancun trip in april.

i've heard that losing your toenail is a badge of being a "true" runner.  sort of like running in a downpour.  or through a wind so strong you feel like you are running into a wall.

the bottom line is you don't look so pretty after any of these, but you still feeling amazing :)

my 2012 diet: wine, coffee, beer, sugar

all in moderation of course.

in the years past you may (or may not have...lord knows you have better things to do than read this blog) have read about my quest at the detox.

smoothies all day long.  no grains.  no dairy.  no coffee.  no diet coke.  blah!

i just couldn't do it this year.  oh, but i tried.  i vowed after chasing mounds of dips, chips and snacks with beers and apple pie drink (made with Everclear GRAIN alcohol.  oh, and my MOM made it) on new years eve that i was getting clean.  detox for sure.  out with the old and in with the new.
then i opened up a bottle of wine.

here's my thought for the new year.  moderation.  a glass of wine here.  a cup of joe there.  if there's a cookie to be had, eat the f-ing cookie.  then maybe chase it with a spinach smoothie.  perhaps try a couple of clean eating recipes each week.  maybe swap a cup of green tea for the starbucks a few times a week.  i'll share anything on here that is remotely tasty.  stay tuned.

ps.  and where the hell have you been?  i've been blogging all year and i haven't seen you.
ah.  i lie. i think i fell off the blog wagon. i'll be better.  promise.

Oh Boy. So I lie...

OK.  I read the NY Marathon thing wrong.
We apply FOR 2012 and if we are denied then we get in for 2013.
UGH!  Oh well...gotta try.   Who knows...maybe we'll just get in and won't have to worry about being 3x losers...LOL!

start spreading the news...

Today is the NYC marathon.
If you know me and have followed this blog for any amount of time, you know that my dream race is to run the NY marathon.  When I first decided that I would run a marathon last year, that was the one I wanted to do.  I was born and raised in NY and it seems fitting to run the race I grew up with.
Yeah, me and 100,000 people want to run it too.
So the deal is that you "apply" to run and if you get in YIPEE for you.  and if you don't get in, you apply again.  and again.  and again.
So that's where we're at (yes, i have dragged Sara into this mess with me).  But here is the exciting news:  Tomorrow (on my 29th birthday) we will apply for the 3rd time to get into the marathon.  In April, we will find out if the NYC marathon gods have accepted us into the race.  If they say yes, we are buying a plane ticket to Manhattan.  If they say "no" (again), 3 times a charm and we automatically get in!  YES!  It pays to be a 3 time loser!!!
I must have read the rules on the website over and over again, just to make sure I was seeing it correctly.
No matter what, WE ARE IN FOR 2012!


I can hardly stand it.  So while my good friend Kara is toeing the start of her NYC marathon experience this morning, I am snugly warm at home in my sweats and steaming cup of coffee.  But a year from now, it will be me and Sara, tethered together (i am not losing her!), running the race of our lives.

Happy birthday to me :)

zero week

what have i been up to since i ran my 3rd marathon, you ask? (or maybe you are not asking.  maybe you could care less.  guess what?  you are reading this blog so i guess you're gonna have to hear it anyway)
well, i can tell you what i have NOT been doing:  running
that's right.  i have been sitting my lazy post-marathon self on the couch and eating reese's peanut butter cups and drinking diet coke.  i have shoved my sneakers (yes, all 7...or 8 pairs of them) in the back of the closet and have lived in my ugg slippers.  i haven't heard the chime of my garmin in 6 days (but who is counting?).  other than a short run with my running 102 class, i have not ran since the 26.2.

and i love it.

usually i'd be all antsy and wanting to get out for a run to "shake the legs out". i'd be counting the days until i can hit the pavement again for a speed workout.  and even though hal higdeon gave me permission to run on the thursday after the marathon (he calls this "zero week"), i didn't run.  i walked on the treadmill.  WALKED, PEOPLE!

and i loved it.

i've got a date tomorrow** to hit the road running.  but for today i am going to enjoy one more guilt free day of parking it :)

**note to above:  4 mile run this Sunday morning on a beautiful crisp fall day.  still no regrets for taking a full week off of running but it felt SO good to get back out there.  friends, revel in the fact that we get to make a choice everyday if we want to run or not because I promise you, there are folks out there that wish they could.  but on the same note, it is perfectly OK to stop and put those feet up every now and again.

Are Candy Corn Carbs?

My spontaneous marathon is quickly approaching.  I guess it should be considering I signed up just 2 weeks ago!  I am trying not to think about the fact that most suckers out there running the 26.2 have faithfully followed the pearls of wisdom via Hal Higdon for 18 long weeks.
Not me.  I followed a blend of Hal, Kim, and whoever else had advice for me for 6 weeks.  A 16 miler, a 18 miler and a 20 miler thrown in for fun.  A 13.1 race.  Another 5 mile race.  Yup.  That should be good enough.  Let's hope.
So anyway, I can't control any of that right now but what I can focus on is food.  Lovely, carbo-licious food.  Today I decided I needed to bake a few of my favorites to keep me on task:

Granola (this is my favorite recipe by far)
preheat oven 250 degrees.
cover 2 cookie sheets with foil and spray with PAM

In large bowl combine:
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup walnuts chopped
1/2 cup pecans chopped
1/2 cup flaxseed
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pepitas
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbl brown sugar

1/4 c plus 2 tbl pure maple syrup
1/4 c canola oil
1/4 tsp salt
whisk together and pour over dry ingredients,

divide evenly between cookie sheets and bake granola 1 hr 15 min stirring every 15 min.
cool completely and then add dried cranberries (or raisins or dried blueberries or dried cherries)

Pumpkin Muffins (adapted from Gourmet Magazine to make a little healthier)
(you can make these into 2 loaves of bread too!)

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil, 1/2 cup applesauce
• 3 large eggs
• 1 16-ounce can solid pack pumpkin
• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour, 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional- but yummy)
• handful mini chocolate chips (optional-but even yummier!)
• 
  

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin tins with paper muffin cups. Beat sugar and oil/applesauce in large bowl to blend. Mix in eggs and pumpkin. Sift flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt and baking powder into another large bowl. Stir into pumpkin mixture in 2 additions. Mix in pecans and choc chips, if desired.

Divide batter equally between prepared pans. Bake 20-25 minutes.

oh no, I didn't stop there.  I had to go ahead and make a loaf of Peg's Artisan Bread.  YUMO

and then I kept on going and made a batch of these:

peanut-butter-pretzel-granola-bars

and I cracked open a big back of candy corn.  i may tuck some of those in my spibelt come sunday...