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Lazy

December 7, 2011 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , ,

I should change this blog’s name to “The Lazy Vegan” because that is what I have been lately.  Since the marathon, I have really gone from one extreme to the other, running 30+ miles a week to watching TV 30+ hours a week.  Not that it hasn’t been fun, on the contrary, it has been amazing and just what I needed to re-charge my batteries.  It’s time though, to slowly ween myself off of the trashy television and ease myself back into my normal life.

On May 20th, I will be running in a race called “The Qualifier” in Midland, MI.  I have the option to run the full or the half marathon.  Coming off the Chicago Marathon, I just automatically thought I would run another 26.2, but the more I think about it, the more I think I want to run the Half Marathon instead. 

Both of my marathons this year have been great experiences, but I feel like all I am teaching my body to do is take as much abuse as possible.  I really would like to teach my body to run a little faster with a little less pain.  The only way I can see to do that is back off the injury causing miles and put more effort into every mile.  Quality over quantity my friends.

I also hope that training for a half will allow me to have a smidge more time this winter to concentrate on other things that are important to me like my love of vegan cuisine for instance! 

 

 

 

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Chicago Marathon 2011

October 11, 2011 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , ,

Stretching Before The Race

As I stood in line with 45,000 other runners in downtown Chicago waiting for the race to begin, only one thought was going through my mind, “Sweet goodness!  Why in the WORLD did I sign myself up for this again?”  My stomach was a knot of butterflies and half digested bagel.  Behind me was 18 weeks of serious training and in front of me was 26.2 miles.  In my head was the knowledge that no matter how much training you do in those 18 weeks, running those 26.2 miles would hurt.  A lot.  No way around it, I knew that sometime in the next few hours I would be in crippling pain, and I had PAID for it!

The Team I Run With - Group Shot Before The Race

When I stepped over the starting line and hit the “start” button on my Nike+ Sportswatch though, my worried thoughts started to melt away and they were replaced with “Holy bats!  I am finally running the freaking Chicago marathon!”.  I had some stomach cramping problems in the first mile (stupid bagel) but soon that ran its course and I was just running in the streets of Chicago marveling at the amazing amount of people both on an off the course.

Outside of the Caribou Coffee at Mile 3, my husband Kiel as well as my Mom & Dad were waiting to catch their first glimpse of me.  When you are running a marathon, the support of the people you know and love means more to you than anything.  It can put a pep in your step you didn’t even know you had.

Mile 3 And Feeling GREAT

Soon I was heading North through Lincoln Park (one of the most beautiful parts of the entire run) and really feeling good.  I was definitely experiencing a runners high.  The day was beautiful though a little warm and the race seemed to be just flying by.  Before I knew it, I was at mile 8!  Only 5 more miles to go until I saw my cheering section again!

At mile 13, I was again greeted by smiles and cheers from Kiel and my parents.  This time though, I really needed to see them, my natural pep was dwindling rapidly.  I was now half way through the marathon and starting to feel the burn just a bit.  The sun was really starting to heat up and I knew that it wouldn’t be long before the truly challenging part of the race was upon me.

Mile 13 Stretch It Out!

Luckily, just when I was really starting to settle into the painful part of the race at mile 17, my cheering section was there to wish me luck.  This would be the last time I saw them until mile 25.  I knew that if I could just make it to 24, the point where I could say “1 more mile until you see them and then only 1 more mile to the end!” then I could really do this.

Mile 17 - Here We Go!

I wasn’t wrong, mile 18 through 24 were the hardest.  My legs were in constant pain and no amount of stretching was going to do me any good.  I just pushed my body forward however I could.  I tried to let my mind drift as much as possible on random thoughts, but the pain always brought me rocketing back to the present.  The spectators helped though, with all of those people cheering you on, it is difficult to become too discouraged.

At mile 25, very near the “1 mile to go” sign, I saw what I had  been waiting for, the faces of Kiel and my parents.  I stopped for a second for what I knew would be my last stretching break while I listened to their encouraging words and steeled myself for what I knew would be the hardest mile of the race.

My only goal was to keep moving, and so I did.  I saw people on both sides of me give up, stop running, double over.  Ahead of me, I saw the curve in the road that meant I was just about there.  I saw the “400 meters to go” sign and felt the tears start to well up.  As I turned the last corner of the race and saw the finish line in the distance, my entire body seized up.  Every muscle locked and screamed out in protest.  It took twice the effort it had before to make my body move, but somehow I did it.  I had made it this far, there was no way I was going to walk across the finish line.

As I took the as steps of my race and crossed the finish line, the tears spilled over.  I had done it.  I had finished what I set out to accomplish.  At 5 hours 53 minutes, I had beat my previous marathon time by 36 minutes.  I had run my second marathon of the year.  I had smashed every goal I had made for myself and I was feeling on top of the world.

I tried to control the crying as I walked through the finish coral and got my water and banana and beer (free beer at the end!).  Soon, I was reunited with my family, and on my way home.  Getting down the stairs to the train was a fun experience (well not for me, but everyone else found it quite comical). The rest of the day was spend sitting on the sofa eating food.  That was pretty much the only activity I was capable of.

Now that it’s over, I trying very hard to settle into a routine that doesn’t involve getting up before sunrise every day for a workout.  Last night I even stayed up late and watched the football game!  I’m sure I won’t be staying away from running for too long, but I will be taking a break from hardcore training for a few months.  Training for my next marathon begins in January.  Until then, I have some free time to concentrate on some of my other passions like finally writing my book for Nanowrimo and of course my love of vegan cooking!

Thank you to everyone who supported me along the way!

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Adventures At A Salad Bar

September 29, 2011 · Filed under Recipes, Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

This past Sunday, Kiel and I took a trip to IKEA.  I rarely get to go there because APPARENTLY I lack the ability to go there with a list and a plan and instead spend hours wandering around open mouthed and drooling over the plentiful goodies.  The trip is a long one and the store itself is nestled in between the highway and a hunourmous shopping mall.  In the past I had never considered grabbing a bite to eat while we were out that way to be a big deal, in fact I rather enjoyed the opportunity to go the the McDonalds on the way back and grab a tasty burger.  Obviously though, as a vegan this was a different story.

Due to my 13 mile run that morning, my stomach was protesting its current empty state.  Surrounded by steakhouses, fast food joints and mall food, I began to despair that I would never get to eat.  Luckily, Kiel suggested a place that we had seen a few times before but had never tried.  It was actually a salad restaurant (no wonder this place didn’t really appeal to carnivorous me).

Upon entering, my spirits lifted.  In front of me was the largest self serve salad bar I had ever seen.  I quickly set to work filling my plate full of nutritious veggies in every color of the rainbow.  Dressings were a bit of a challenge, the typical offering was there, ranch, honey mustard, caesar, etc., none of which is on the menu for vegans.  So I settled for a simple vinaigrette and olive oil combination.

When our order was being paid for, the lady at the register informed us that with our order we had access to the soup and pasta bar as well.  Not knowing if I would be able to fit that much food in me, I sat down at a booth to eat my salad first.  I like to people watch so I chose a booth with a good view of the entire restaurant.  I wish I hadn’t.

Every person I saw walk away from the salad bar had plates full of salad, just like me, but I couldn’t tell you what vegetables were on their tray.  Everything they had was covered in a thick layer of opaque salad dressing.  On the other tables where people sat, I saw those same salads next to plates of baked goods and pasta from the pasta area.  Mostly, I noticed, the salads went mostly untouched.  I was just in absolute shock over how unhealthy people could actually make a restaurant that was primarily dedicated to salad!

Once I was finished with my own salad, I decided I did want to see what they had to offer for soup.  The selection was vast, beans and pork, chicken enchilada, chicken noodle, bacon and potato and then when I was just about to give up hope, tomato and onion.  After verifying with the staff that it was made from vegetable broth and not beef and that there was no dairy in the soup, I grabbed a bowl.  It was incredible!  I really enjoyed the brothy soup and decided right away to try and replicate it at home.  Luckily, this experiment was a successful one!  Below I share with you my recipe for Spiced-up Tomato & Onion Soup.

Ingredients:

1 32oz can of diced tomatoes in juice

1 Large sweet onion, sliced into “half rings”

3 Cups veggie broth

1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 Teaspoon pepper

1 Teaspoon salt

1 1/2 Teaspoon dried basil

3 Bay leaves

1 Veggie bullion cube

Directions:

1.  Combine all ingredients in large pot and simmer for 1 hour.  Done.

Do you see how simple that was?  Give it a try ASAP!  I guarantee you will love it!  I had it with some nice crusty bread for dipping.  Let me know what you think.  Happy cooking ya’ll!

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Curry-licious

June 1, 2011 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

I was recently informed by my mother that while my family was gathered for Memorial day, they voted.  It was a unanimous decision that they no longer minded my being vegetarian (a nearly constant source of badgering for the past year) so long as I wasn’t a vegan.  The main reason?  They all feel so bad that I have to eat the same dull food all the time.  Apparently, vegans lack variety and flavor.

And on that note, I give you last night’s dinner!  Chickpea, Tomato and Corn Curry!  Grab an ice cold glass of soy milk people.. this one will give  you a kick in the pants!

Chickpea, Tomato and Corn Curry

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon curry powder

1 Teaspoon ground ginger

1 Teaspoon ground tumeric

1/2 Teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 Teaspoon salt

1 1/2 Tablespoon agave nectar or maple syrup (I used maple syrup)

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

32oz Can of chickpeas (reserve 1/4 cup of the liquid)

16oz Can of diced tomatoes

8oz Can full kernel corn

Directions:

1.  In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine oil, spices & salt and cook for 2-3 minutes

2.  Add the maple syrup and lemon juice.  Stir thoroughly.

3.  Add the reserved chickpea liquid and cook for another 1-2 minutes

4.  Add strained chickpeas and add them to the saucepan.   Stir until well coated.

5.  Strain tomatoes and add to mixture.

6.  Bring the pan to a boil and reduce to simmer.  Cover and cook for 15 mins.

7.  Remove from heat and add the corn.  Allow to sit for 2-3 mins to heat up the corn.

A big thanks to NicoleGray at Vegweb.com for this one!

About half way through his first bowl, Kiel asked me with a full mouth “is there more of this?”  I on the other hand could only handle one bowl, though it was delicious, I felt like a fire breathing dragon by the end of my bowl.  Next time I make this I might take it down a notch on the cyan.  Then again, I am the type of person who can barely chew cinnamon gum, so the rest of you likely don’t have to worry.

If you get a chance, I would try this one out.  It’s really simple (despite the daunting looking ingredient list) and takes less than 30 mins.  I know I’ll be making this one again!

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