Saturday, I Almost MISSED My First 10k

Posted on October 25, 2011 by pancakesandpilates

Saturday, Ted and I almost missed our first 10K. I thought it started at noon. Luckily, my officemate informed me NO races start at noon and looked it up for me. Oh, 7:30am? Okay…

Because we didn’t have time to pick up our packet Friday and needed to pick it up between 5 am (!!!) and 7 am, I informed Ted we had to be up at 6 at the very latest.

I am puffy and silly at 6am. Ted is quiet and tired/angry?

The subway ride was actually amazing. More runners got on at every stop until the subway became a river of runners snaking beneath Brooklyn, eventually spilling out into the street and meandering towards Prospect Park.

It was so motivating to see all these fit, awake, happy people. I finally felt like maybe I too was a runner.

Apparently, we weren’t the only ones who couldn’t make the midtown packet pickup on Friday.

The race did not seem to have any staff to explain the situation or help move the line along. Annoying. Even though many of us were still waiting on line to get our numbers, the race began at 7:30 as scheduled. I was assured that the little tag on my shoe would let me know my time so as soon as we got them on we were off!

Prospect Park is really a beautiful place to run and Saturday morning was no exception. I don’t think we could have asked for better weather. It was cool, comfortable and sunny.

I have no idea what time I finished the race, but I know I beat Ted Afterwards I explained to him that my winning tactic was to spot fit girls in cute clothes and aim to pass them so I could (a) check out their cute clothes (b) feel as fit as they looked. It worked!

In all fairness, Ted has been busy working and barely trained for this race. His completing it (probably just behind me) is remarkable. If the roles were reversed I wouldn’t be alive to write this post

I really wanted a t-shirt (we paid for them by entering the race and tearing it up!) but it was so long you’d think they were giving away free passes to Disney World. No-go for us.

Instead, I enjoyed my new medal. My first medal!I also decided that since I didn’t get the t-shirt I should get a new lululemon running top. (My logic is infallible. Don’t even try.) It’s getting colder out and I really want to keep running. The shirt I had my eye on has thumb holes and sleeves that fold over into mittens. FOLD OVER INTO MITTENS!!!

I’m ready for a 1/2 marathon this spring people. I can feel it

Overall, the race was amazing. It wasn’t by any means easier, but I handled it so much better than I expected (i.e., I did not die or puke at the end) and I absolutely loved being a part of the race pack. It’s motivating to be apart of so many determined and sassy people (one woman wore a sign that said “Pick it up! This pregnant lady just passed you!”), but I also realized I love picking people to pass one by one – it really makes time fly and pushes me to run a little faster in manageable spurts.

I’m impressed that both Ted and I were able to get up at 6 and kick so much ass. I’m hoping we can make awesome Saturday morning workouts a regular thing, albeit with a more reasonable wake up time. (I am NOT determined enough to do 6 am Saturday again anytime soon, let alone regularly.)

My only regret is ~~that I have no idea what time I finished the race. Does anyone know how to look up your race time if you wore a little tag on your shoe???~~ that I didn’t start running sooner! I just got my race time (thanks Brigid!) and i completed the race in 54:11. Amazing!

Question of the day: What little tips and tricks keep you moving or kick you to the next level while running or working out?

FYI In addition to picking people to pass, I also like to think of the motivational quotes from my “Healthy, Happy, and Totally Kick-@ss” Pinterest Board.

Running and Cupcakes and Cheese, Oh My!

Posted on September 12, 2011 by pancakesandpilates

Saturday began my 10K training and omg, it was eye-opening. I decided I really need to run outside as much as possible since the 10K is in Prospect Park. I’m the type of runner who loves the treadmill and refuses to run unless her headphones are working properly and the volume is at full blast. Well, I quickly figured out there are some training obstacles I hadn’t given ~~much~~ any consideration to when I signed up for this race.

Running outside is HARD. About 10x harder than running on the treadmill. Let’s hope my body adjusts quickly
There are traffic lights halting your progress and bicyclists, pedestrians and children darting into your running path like Nintendo’s Paperboy video game. Note to self: minimize busy intersections and main streets next run.
It’s difficult to keep pace. I used Adidas miCoach and it alerted me when I hit the 1, 2 and 3 mile marks, but absent constantly checking my phone in my arm band, I have no idea what pace I’m running. Any ideas people?
It’s hard planning a course. I used MapMyRun and it was really helpful for figuring out distance, but there are only so many interesting, safe 3-6 mile routes starting from my house.
I have to give up the music. The race doesn’t have music, so my training probably shouldn’t either. Saturday I kept the music, but Sunday I ditched it and I have to say it was kind of liberating. This might not be so problematic after all. But…
Treadmill slow jog paced runs seem painfully boring now. Running outside without music forces you to pay attention to and appreciate your surroundings and your body. I plan to switch up treadmill with music runs and outdoor music-less runs during the weekday mornings.

Phew. Wordy much? Thanks for listening

In other news, I am thankful to say it was another delicious weekend. After my run on Saturday I met up with my friend Danielle to spend a few hours meandering around the West Village. We hit up the wildly popular (and rightfully so) Magnolia Bakery. Pretty, simple, sweet and of course, delicious.

Danielle and I chose a vanilla cupcake with chocolate frosting and vanilla with (pink!) buttercream frosting. I’ve had the buttercream cupcake probably close to 20 times now, but never the chocolate. That pink frosting is super sweet and buttery, meaning, if they put sprinkles on top, it is impossible for me to resist. I have no regrets here.

We ate them on the step’s of someone’s very lovely brownstone. Perfection. After checking out The Bathroom (a very cute and frou frouy bath store), we decided to peruse some pricey handbags. Swoon. There are so many amazing shops in the West Village, but we mostly kept to window shopping.

One window we couldn’t pass by without heading inside?

Murray’s Cheese. Danielle wanted some cheese for dinner and I wanted some samples as an appetizer to my dinner that evening at Inoteca.

If you like cheese, Murray’s is a must go. It is Cheese Heaven. And the people who work here are super nice, knowledgeable, and heavy-handed when it comes to samples.

I scooped up some goat (for Sunday dinner) and cheddar (for whenever). I also couldn’t pass up some fanatasic marinated roasted tomatoes and surryano ham after trying samples.

If this post doesn’t capture my quest to live a delicious, healthy life, I don’t know what post could

Questions of the day:

If you run, do you prefer to run on the treadmill or outside?
Do you prefer sweet (like cupcakes) or savory (like cheese) treats?

Mushroom Barley Risotto with Caramelized Onions

Posted on August 10, 2011 by pancakesandpilates

Good morning!

In case you were wondering what that delicious pb coconut butter banana concoction looked like…

And it was heavenly. I had no idea that refrigeration would turn the coconut butter clumps into almost solid, candy-like crumbles. Great surprise

As with yesterday, this morning I dragged my butt to the gym with just 30 minutes to rock it. Feeling extra tired, the mission was simply to move for all 30 minutes, regardless of exertion. However, I am always amazed by what I can accomplish if only I begin. (In the gym, but also in life. Corny, but absolutely true.)

Run: 30 minutes, 3.2 miles, zero incline, just a couple of sprints thrown in. A sorry one minute of stretching before a gallop home.

Smoothie: The Best Smoothie Yet!
Stats: 1 cup water, 2 sm papaya halves, 1 lrg frozen banana, 4 smll super ripe strawberries, 1/3 cup frozen raspberries, 2 baby carrots, 4 lrg kale leaves, 4 sm broccoli florets, sm handful spinach, 1 1/2 TBS chia seeds, splash of plain almond milk, looong honey drizzle.

Verdict: Delicious! Well blended, the goods became a truly unappealing brown color (hence, no picture), but it was the most delicious smoothie in recent memory! Despite all those fruits and veggies, I was still hungry. I topped breakfast off with a super toasted (read: slightly burnt) slice of Ezekiel 4:9 bread with a schmear of almond butter, half a sliced banana and a drizzle of honey. (Are you sensing a theme? When not acting like the Cookie Monster, you can call me Winnie the Pooh.) Not as exciting as Tara Stiles’s version, but it hit the spot nonetheless.

Why I was so tired this morning:

A little out of order, but trust me, you won’t regret sticking around for this

I got out of work later than one would hope, but early enough to turn the barley I cooked Sunday night into Mushroom Barley Risotto with Caramelized Onions (hereinafter referred to as MBRwCO). Once I got going and also realized I had a stocked fridge from my weekend produce binge I decided it was perfect time to make roasted eggplant babaganoosh and asparagus spears.

Friends, my kitchen is painfully small. I cannot cook one dish, let alone three, without getting things everywhere and placing bowls of ingredients on my coffee table and, sometimes, the floor.

Yes, at the end of a long day I like to enjoy a glass of red wine while cooking.

But these pretty babies begged to be roasted, so I obliged.

The barley was pre-made Sunday because I naively believed I could make the MBRwCO and Veggie Burgers in one evening. (After tasting both dishes I’m really glad this superhuman feat was not accomplished because if it had been, I would still be on my floor in a food coma with a tower of dishes in the sink.)

Let me just say this: the MBRwCO is the very best thing i have ever created, food or otherwise. I added extra rosemary and enough earth balance so the idea that this was a VEGAN dish was mind bending. The asparagus were crisp, freshly peppered and basking in organic lemon juice glory. They were perfect to dip in the warm roasted babaganoosh, or chomp into for a refreshing break from the seductively aromatic, rich, and comforting Mushroom Barley Risotto with Caramelized Onions.

I’ll let the pictures say the rest.