What gets you through?

Anyway you look at it, 26.2 miles is a long flipping way to run.  As I sit here thinking about the last long run before my 4th marathon, I wonder (as I always do), why the heck am I doing this?
I mean really:  why would someone voluntarily get out there and run for 4 or so hours?
This year, the race has a whole new meaning for me.  Instead of trying to just complete it, I am also attempting to do it in a certain time frame to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Which means a pretty lofty time goal.

So, as I sit here dreading the last 15 miler (10 at my marathon pace) I will complete before my race, I wonder, "what is going to get me through 26.2?".  Sure, my playlist will help get me moving (I will post that a little closer to the race).  My sheer determination will play a part in getting me to run those 8:20 mile splits.  But in the end, I think it will be gratitude that will push me through.  Gratitude for all that I have...even the most simple things as having 2 strong legs to get me through.

So as I toe off in 2 short weeks there are some people I will have in my mind that I will run for.
Like my mom's best friend Michelle who passed away too soon from ovarian cancer. Her daughter misses out on a mom to share such accomplishments with.  And for all my friends that have lost a parent too soon.
My friend Sara's friend Curt who suffered from ALS and passed away recently.  He would have given anything just to walk to the mailbox, let alone run a marathon.  I think of him often when I run.
Linda Fitzpatrick, whose husband who passed away WAY too young.  I am lucky I get to cross on the finish line with my husband cheering me on.
For any of you that have been sidelined with injury. I know you'd just love to run ONE mile.  I will run all 26 for you (with minimal complaining).
For people that lack the confidence in themselves to set a goal and work to accomplish it.  I may not run the race as fast as I set out to, but at least I had the courage to try.  And keep going.

That's what will get me through.  Next time you are struggling with a race, long run, or speed workout, think about those people in your life that can't.  I promise you'll move a little quicker.

southwestern quinoa salad

well, i think i ran myself into submission last week.  52 miles.  in one week.
who does that?

i guess i do now.

so my answer to all this running is to stock up on good food.  a 2 hour round trip drive and $270 later, my pantry, fridge and freezer are overflowing with Trader Joe's goodies...two buck chuck baby.  i pinned a couple of yummy recipes i wanted to try but was too lazy to try them separately so i combined them with a few extras.  SO good. not too heavy but filling.

here is what I chowed on tonight...you need to try this one fo' sho.

ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup quinoa-rinsed
1 3/4 cup water

1/2 red onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 jalepeno pepper
2 avocados, diced
big handful of quartered cherry tomatoes
1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed well

1 cup of roasted corn (i used trader joe's frozen roasted corn)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tsp cumin

juice from 1 lime fresh squeezed

handful of chopped fresh cilantro

sea salt to taste

feta cheese

1. Warm the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once it’s hot add the rinsed quinoa and toast for about 2-3 minutes until it starts smelling nutty. Add water, stir once, cover, and simmer with a lid on for 20 minutes.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, combine next set of ingredients in a large bowl. Prepare the dressing by combining the lime juice, oil, cumin, and salt. Whisk it aggressively. Adjust seasoning as necessary.
3. When the quinoa has finished cooking, remove it from heat and fluff with a fork. Add black beans and roasted corn and toss to warm them through.
4. Let the quinoa cool for about five minutes and then add all the remaining ingredients, including the dressing, and mix.  Sprinkle with feta cheese if desired.  You should desire feta cheese ;)

Girls' Night In

Sometimes you just need a night in with the girls.
The rules are everyone wears comfy clothes (read:  yoga pants and no makeup) and minimal planning.  No fancy appetizers...just bring what you've got in your pantry (excluding Fruit by the Foot Hollie...LOL).

My favorite go-to snack are my spiced pecans.  These are adapted from Cooking Light and they are SO yummy.  They work great for girls' night in, conquering mall sickness, or avoiding the dreaded drive thru.

Peppery Pecans

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon  sugar 
• 1  tablespoon  Worcestershire sauce 
• 1 teaspoon  kosher salt 
• 1  tablespoon  butter, melted 
• ½  teaspoon  ground red pepper (or more if you want more of a kick)
• ½ teaspoonon  ground cinnamon 
• 1  pound  pecan halves 
• Cooking spray 

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325°.

Combine all ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl, tossing well to coat. Spread mixture evenly on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Coat nuts with cooking spray. Bake at 325° for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Remove from oven; cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

can you cancel it out?

it is monday evening and after a hard 8 mile run (most of it with my Running 102 class), i find myself, as usual, hungry.  as luck would have it, my best girl friend and i ventured to our local bakery for lunch today (so nice to spend time with you today Sara) and it is national pie day, so we got a free piece of pie with our lunch.  i had big plans for this my friends, so i took a few little bites and tucked it away for later.

my husband travels quite a bit which leaves me home with my 2 little buddies to concoct dinner.  this is my excuse to either make all the things he would never eat (read: lots of my weird recipes) and/or eat bowls of granola and cinnamon toast crunch for dinner every night.

tonight i decided to make my favorite no hubby meal:  quinoa.  he can't stand the stuff, the kids scrunch their noses at it...and i love it.

this recipe is adapted from the Clean Eating Diet.  So I ask you, if i ate a bowl of it for dinner, will it cancel out the 8 oz glass of pinot noir i just guzzled and the rest of the carmel apple sweetie pie i am about to inhale?

quinoa w/ red peppers and spinach (adapted from clean eating diet w/ a few kim changes)

1 tbl of olive oil
1 med onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 large red pepper, chopped
1 cup water
1 vegetarian soup-stock cube
1 cup rinsed quinoa
1 cup chopped spinach

Preparation

1. Add finely chopped onion, minced garlic, celery and salt to olive oil in saucepan and sauté until onions are slightly brown. Add chopped red pepper and continue to sauté until onions are caramelized.
2. Add water, stock cubes and rinsed quinoa. Bring mixture to a simmer. Stir once after 5 minutes, then simmer for another 35 minutes or until water has been cooked in. Add spinach and cover and let stand 10 minutes.  Fluff quinoa mixture lightly with a fork

crack granola

there is something about a run in 15 degrees that makes you want to hunker down.
hunker down and bake to your heart's content.
unfortunately, i did not have time to be such the betty crocker.
i have other things to do, you know.  like go on pinterest and facebook stalk.  and laundry.  and vacuum.  all of which might get done after the pinning and facebooking.
anywhoo.

so i have been eating like a total caged animal lately.  my thought process is if i eat granola, the universe is good.  it's got oats so it's healthy.  so what if i throw chocolate into it.  i'll throw some peanut butter in there (of which i seriously have been consuming in such mass quantities) to balance it out.

i stumbled upon this granola recipe in my blog stalkings (which i do after the pinterest and facebook stalkings but before the laundering and vacuuming).

i can't stop eating it.  i literally sat on my hands yesterday during Grey's so I wouldn't stuff my face with more of it.  you must try it.  NOW.  and then bring me some more...

Crack Granola (adapted from eatliverun's Elvis Granola with a few Kim modifications)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup maple syrup (pure-not the cheapy stuff!)
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter (natural)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon (crucial)
4 cups old fashioned oats
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2/3 cup chopped dark chocolate (or mini chocolate chips)
1/2 cup chopped dried cherries (or raisins)


Directions:

Preheat oven to 275.
Bring the canola oil, maple syrup, peanut butter, salt and cinnamon to a simmer on the stove. Cook for three to five minutes.

While that’s cooking, mix together the oats, ground flax, peanuts and sunflower seeds. Pour hot syrup mixture over the oats and toss well to coat. Spread out granola onto two lined sheet trays and bake for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and turning trays midway through.

Let granola cool completely before adding the chopped chocolate.

VIVA LAS VEGAS! 

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 :)