Monthly Archives: June 2013
Sunday Summer Training Summary – June 30
Another week down, another 64 miles in the books. This morning concluded the training week with a 12-mile long run at the same beautiful bike trail as last weekend. But this morning I had some company!
In high school, I would run at practice with the boys’ cross country team. The top 4 varsity boys and I covered many miles together, dozens of track work outs and lots & lots of long runs. With the amount of hours we spent running together all over town, we bonded pretty quickly. We were “The Five.”
Four of us are running for our university’s now, each in a different state. But during the summers, I have my old high school running buddies back! We each follow different training schedules per our coaches, however a long run on Sunday is pretty standard across the board. This morning, 4/5th’s of The Five reunited for an EARLY morning out-and-back on the Santa Ana River Trail.
(Who needs an ipod when you run with these guys?!)
Unfortunately only two of us made it the whole distance; our pace has definitely quickened since high school. My friend Matt and I covered 12.1 miles in 1 hour, 27 minutes (approx 7:15 per mile). All before 8:00am. On a Sunday. I sense a nap coming soon…..
This upcoming week’s training is not much different from the last two weeks, just increasing some mid-week days for a grand total of 68 miles. I plan to take full advantage of having 4th of July off work to get in a good one at the park!
One notable exception to this week’s schedule is the “Upper Body Weights” at the gym….I usually use free weight/dumbbells or machines, but want to start working with my dad to incorporate bars for chest, shoulder, tricep and back exercises. Coming from a girl who couldn’t bench press the (45 lb.) bar when I first got my gym membership, I think it’s important to try new exercises and challenge yourself! I’m still working on the pull-ups…
Now it’s Sunday afternoon, 106 degrees outside, and I’m done with exercising for the day. Sounds like a good time for frozen yogurt to meeee ;)
Sunday: Summer Training Summary
Message of the week =be flexible. Running partners cancel, some days your legs are tired, you have to stay late at work, the temperatures are hotter than you accounted for. That’s not to say these are excuses to skipping a workout! Flexibility means if the sun’s too harsh, use the treadmill. If you got to bed late, sleep in and plan a night run. If your legs are sore, cross train in the pool.
As much as we like to plan things out, writing them down on a white board calendar does not necessarily dictate how they will play out. Fortunately I have a weekly mileage goal that keeps me from rolling over and going back to sleep when 4:30am comes and I don’t exactly hop up enthusiastically to get to my treadmill. Cardio before coffee?! Sometimes when I run before the sun is up and it’s totally quiet outside, I feel like I’m still dreaming. Trippy!
Now add in LIFE somewhere in this schedule and it gets a little tricky. Where there’s a will, there’s a way…and I’ve definitely got the will ;)
Yesterday at Sprouts (I LOVE THAT PLACE) I bought chia seeds for the first time. After reading other blogger’s experiments with overnight oats, I’m so intrigued. I plan on making a batch tonight for breakfast tomorrow (which means saving time in the morning which means I can curl my hair. Double win!) Apparently the chia seeds are the necessary ingredient that changes the texture of the oats without cooking them. Magic?
Maybe I’m still in the “runner’s high” from this morning’s long run. But can I just tell you how much I am loving summer training? A friend asked me this morning if I would want to do yoga, and I am always up for new things. But honestly I think hard cardio, as sweaty as it may be, is my therapy. Not that I use the time to think; I’m actually the opposite. I like to turn up the music, lock into my pace and not think. Oh and it helps when your surroundings are pretty to look at ;) 
Last week’s Sunday Summary: June 17th
Clean-Eating Recipe: Sweet Potato Quinoa Cakes
There’s a little deli in the same parking lot of my work that offers typical deli food, but also Starbucks brewed coffee. Because the break-room coffee at my work tastes like tar is not to my liking, sometimes I head over for a grande blonde roast. But yesterday, the lady behind the counter was frazzled by the lunch crowd and gave me a grande cup of espresso. I know I boast a preference for “strong” coffee but 12 ounces of espresso is not exactly what I had in mind. 2 very disappointing cups of coffee = a sign that I should think about drinking less? Nope. Coffee is my comfort blanket. Just gotta find a new source ;)
After leaving the office, I was on a mad-dash home. One of my best friends Bre came home from college and we were reuniting in our usual fashion: cooking. Bre and I have been cooking/baking/experimenting in the kitchen with both utterly-delicious and downright-ugly results since high school. On the top of our list: Strawberry Banana Oat Cookies.
Last nights menu: Sweet Potato Quinoa Cakes with Blackberry Salsa. These are like a heartier version of a potato pancake, something that sounded totally new and different. They were inspired by Jessica @ How Sweet It Is, though I definitely had to triple the recipe since we had company! I love making new recipes almost as much as I love not getting a cup of espresso for my afternoon pick-me-up.
I am really slow at preparing meals….it took me about an hour and 40 minutes from start to finish because I take chopping herbs all to seriously and am more cautious than necessary about measuring ingredients. I like to take my time! Most people could probably throw this together in half the time, and I promise it’s worth the wait.
Clean-eating is a trending diet/lifestyle that incorporates only natural ingedients/cutting out processed junk. I cannot say I follow a clean-eating diet all the time, but try to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein and whole grains as much as possible though the occasional granola bar/peanut-butter pretzel makes its way into my lunch from time to time/every single day…
Here is the recipe! Makes 16 medium cakes, serves 5 1/2 hungry people.
- Drizzle 1 Tbs olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add cubed sweet potato, onion and pepper. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes, until sweet potato is soft. Add garlic in the last minute.
- Remove potato mixture into large mixing bowl, and slightly smash the potatoes. Add the cooked quinoa, fresh chopped herbs, bread crumbs, more salt and pepper if you wish, and lastly the eggs.
- Get your hands dirty and form hamburger-sized patties. Using the same large skillet, heat up a drizzle of olive oil again and place 2-4 patties at a time. Cook for approximately 5 minutes on each side, until you get nice black grill marks. Serve them fresh out of the pan!
I like using fresh herbs; that’s something I don’t do enough. Use the leftover onion and cilantro in this blackberry salsa:
- 1 carton of fresh blackberries, smashed (juicy!)
- 2 Tbs cilantro (more or less depending on your preference)
- Juice of one lime
- 1/4 red onion
- 1 jalapeno (remove seeds & veins)
- Pepper
Mix well, cover and refrigerate. The longer it sits, the juicier it gets…
Admittedly I thought Blackberry Salsa was a little random but went with it. Not bad! I don’t think the cakes needed any sort of sauce, and blackberry salsa would be better suited for blue corn chips but it’s always fun to try something new and it definitely made the plate look pretty.
Check out Jessica’s original post here!
Last tangent: who watches The Voice? I know I’m a little behind, thanks to Tivo, but YAY for Danielle Bradbery! I think America is starting to get the country-bug which is Stinkin’ Awesome. Yeehaw y’all!
