I Walked a Mile! (And Made Manicotti)

I had the best workout ever today. I walked a WHOLE mile. My treadmill was starting to really question our relationship, but with one 17 minute walk I have proved that yes, we are truly meant to be.

Since the marathon (that would be almost 3 weeks ago) I haven't been able to run OR walk due to peroneal tendonitis in my right foot/ankle. Woe is me. Anyway, I have been feeling good for a couple of days so I tested it out and there was no pain. I'm crossing my fingers that tomorrow it's still ok....

Along with the walk I did a 12 mile easy cycle, 20 minutes of yoga and 20 minutes of abs/upper body. Most of that exercise was because it's good for you and blah, blah, blah - but also because this whole HBBC thing is making me competitive. I want more points! To make sure I got in my veggies today, I had this:

That dip in the middle is truly amazing. Just take plain Greek yogurt and mix in a tablespoon of parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and parsley. Tasty, high protein and easy! I don't know what it is, but I MUST place dried cranberries/raisins on my PB and celery. I just never outgrew ants on a log. 

While the dip was a success, dinner...not so much. I followed the exact recipe on the back of the manicotti box for a meat stuffed pasta. It was fine, just nothing special. I plan on playing around with the recipe to find something tastier to stuff it with. 

Stuffed Shells

Pre-oven, covered in cheese and sauce

Are you a fan of raw veggies? Any favorite dips?

I don't eat raw veggies often, actually - at least not like this as a snack. But I do love PB and celery. So tasty! I don't like many dips aside from hummus, so I'm happy to have created one I really like. 

Have you ever had manicotti/stuffed shells? What tastes best inside?

I am thinking something with ricotta cheese maybe? Have to hunt around for some recipes....

There's a Dirty Joke in Here Somewhere...

What do a couple of TV repairmen, an 80 minute bike ride and a serious decrease in productivity have in common? Heck if I know, but that's what my post is about. Deal.

Today we got a new internet service and TV. Our old internet service was super fast and awesome and roughly a gazillion dollars each month. No bueno. For some reason the same company booked our internet installer to come today, and TV guy to come tomorrow. Lots of last minute calls and changes, and they showed up almost at the same time instead.

I love this. Maximum efficiency right here. Clearly we need two giant TV vans with repairmen at the same time. I wish you could have seen me sneaking around trying to take this photo. Dang big windows letting them see in.

Anyway, now we have TV which means I expect my productivity to go down to an all time low. On the upside, I finally got so see what happens in Glee. It's a toss up I guess. Luckily I did make time to fit in a bike workout. I stalk people like Beth and Victoria on Daily Mile so I'm trying to pretend to be as cool as them on this guy here:

Today's workout was 19.25 miles in 1 hour and 20 minutes. I started with a 5 minute warm-up, and then let my playlist do the work. One song was fast and easy, and then next slow with hard resistance to recreate hills. Repeated for 75 minutes. It's official - I like the easy and fast way better than the slow and hard. There's definitely a dirty joke in there somewhere...

And now if you don't mind, I'm going to go watch craploads of horrible television and catch up on pop culture. Wish me luck!

Are you on Daily Mile? Let's be besties!

Real question here...how much time do you spend watching TV each day on average?

I always wonder this about people. Usually it's around 45 minutes before bed on our computer, but I know actually having a TV will mean more. I'm sort of dreading it...

I have two giveaways going on right now! One for an awesome Christmas running ornament, and one for free entry into the Georgia Marathon. Check them out!

The Run Home Christmas Giveaway!

You might remember a while back I did a giveaway for a necklace from The Run Home. I received a gorgeous 26.2 necklace to wear, but I felt a little odd wearing it until I had actually completed the marathon. Kind like sticking on the bumper sticker too early, you know? Now, however, I wear it any chance I get:

This time I get to give away something a little more Christmas appropriate (it's ok, it's after Thanksgiving, Im allowed now!) - a gorgeous running ornament! I don't know about you, but basically now that running has somehow infiltrated my life, nothing is safe.

I read running books. I wear running clothes. I eat runner's foods. I wear running jewelry. And yes, now I decorate my tree with running ornaments.

This ornament actually surprised me - online, it looks more fragile but in real life it's quite solid, and is really well made. And compare it to the size of my hand - it's big! (AKA noticeable on the tree and everyone will comment, and you can say, "Oh, me? Yeah, I ran a marathon...." Just me?)

Personalized Touch...

You could also use this as a gift tag for a present you're giving to a runner. Because then you would be the best person ever. How neat would this look as a gift tag?

How they get packaged

Debbie from The Run Home was kind enough to send me two "Run" Christmas ornaments, and one will go the winner of this giveaway. Lucky duck! Here's what you can do to win - leave a comment for each to be counted!

+1: Follow Gourmet Runner
+1: Like The Run Home on Facebook
+1: Tell me which ornament you like best (found HERE)
+1: Like Gourmet Runner on Facebook
+1: Tweet, Facebook, or blog about this, and let me know!
+1: Tell me what you want for Christmas from Santa. And don't ruin the whole idea of Santa OR ELSE.

The giveaway will run until December 5th at midnight - Good luck!

Rain, Rain, Go Away....

You just know that starting out a blog post with a nursery rhyme title is going to be good, right? The rain was already going here full force this morning and I prolonged getting out of bed as long as possible by repeating rain themed nursery rhymes to hubby. Can I just say that he finds this undeniably hot? True story. Promise.

Has anyone heard this one? Bear with me, I swear that this post is not (entirely) written for 4 year olds.

"It's raining, it's pouring

The old man is snoring

He went to bed

And bumped his head

And couldn't get up in the morning."

Is it just me, or is that the most sad, most depressing rhyme ever? NSF children, that one. Hey, kids! Let's sing fun rhymes about the rain. I know one about an old guy who gets concussed and dies! Not so much.

To contrast with the depression of that last bit, here are the foods you MUST eat when it's raining, it's Sunday, and it's depressing to think about the fact that tomorrow is Monday:

I've never bought creamer before, but I have a feeling it is a new staple in our house. We bought a Bailey's coffee creamer (with 32 servings) last week and it was gone in 3 days. Which is weird because Tim and I together only drank like 7 cups. Maybe you're not supposed to mix half creamer half coffee? 

Now I'm back to drinking the recommended tablespoon and it just tastes like coffee. Blech. Smells like coconut though, and that reminds me of holidays on the beach!

Rainy days are also perfect for soup, so I busted out my new favorite toy (immersion blender) and made a roasted broccoli and potato soup. 1 pound of broccoli, 5 new potatoes and some garlic roasted for 40 minutes, and then blended with 4 cups of chicken stock. Done. I added some shredded cheese and spoonfuls of Greek yogurt in to add some protein. 

What are your favorite rainy day foods?

I almost always go for something warm (even when it rains in the summer!) so it's soups and hot chocolates all the way. But Almond Joy coffee is a new substitute for hot cocoa....

Coffee or tea? (Red Bull is NOT an option.)

Usually I go for tea, which is funny because I used to live on a coffee farm. Anyone heard of Kona coffee? Yep, I lived in Kona and my parents grew coffee. I drank it when I was younger but stopped a few years back for some reason. I find that I don't actually like it much anymore unless it tastes like something else - AKA anything with syrup and flavorings from Starbucks.

HBBC Roundup #1

I'm participating in Amanda's Holiday Bootie Buster Challenger over at Run to the Finish this year. I may have made a little mistake though....

You can choose which level you want so sign up for, and I chose Advanced. Keep in mind at the time I was running 40 mile weeks getting ready for my marathon. Now...not so much. As in, 2 weeks, zero running miles logged. I'm still counting spinning, yoga, stretching, weights and pilates, along with points for eating 7 servings of produce each day. But I don't think I'll be winning any awards among the Advanced kiddos.

See those last 2 empty bubbles? Yeah.....

The HBBC started on a Saturday, the 19th of November, so here's my progress for that week:

Saturday: Nothing. Not a great start, I'll admit. But I got my produce in! (1 point)
Sunday: At home workout, 45 minutes of pilates and resistance training, plus veggies! (3.25 points)
Monday: Nothing - not even all my fruits and veggies! Whoops. (0 points)
Tuesday: 1 hour of yoga, 15 min. pilates, 15 min. upper body, and my produce! (5.5 points)
Wednesday: Spin workout at home for 55 minutes and all my veggies (6.5 points)
Thursday: Spin for 35 minutes, upper body and abs for 30 minutes, veggies! (6 points)
Friday: One hour of spin and veggies (7 points)

Total points: 29.25

Well, I'm not going to win the whole thing, but I love how HBBC will keep me on track over the holidays. Now that I have a viable cardio option (bike) I can try to make up some more points as well. Next week's goal: 40 points! And you better believe I'll be aiming for my 7 servings of fruits and veggies every day.

Anyone else doing Amanda's Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge? How do you like it?
I love that it's holding me accountable, but of course my competitive self wishes I was still marathon training to rack up those points!


Do you find it a challenge to eat 7 servings of fruits/veggies each day?
Some days I do. Without tracking, I can be all over the place - some days 7 or 8 without trying, other times 2-3! This forces me to keep track and include some at each meal/snack, which I love.

Getting My Sweat On

I have a confession to make. When I read recaps of people's spin classes, or the bike rides they took around town, I think "oh, that's nice." I NEVER thought it was a tough workout. Blame it on the fact that I can't actually ride a bike - so I never knew what it entailed. And the longest I've spent on a bike in the gym was ten minutes or so...waiting for a treadmill to open up.

A bum ankle is forcing me to look beyond running for a way to get my heart pumping, so I bought a used $25 spin bike. Twice this week I used it and while it was a workout, I kept wishing it could be harder or push me more.

Whoops. Started regretting that last night during workout #3. I looked up "spin classes" on youtube and did my best to pretend I knew what I was doing. I still have no clue what I'm doing, but at least after an hour I was drenched in sweat and figured out how to actually adjust the resistance. Let's just say, I won't assume anyone's spin workout on DailyMile was "easy" anymore:

Note I still wore my "Run" Bondiband, even on the bike. I'll bike if I have to, but dang it I still wish I was running! Maybe the best part about the workout was that I actually had that amazing glowing feeling after a tough workout. You know the one I mean? When you've conquered a super fast mile or Yasso 800s and you feel like you're on top of the world? Love that.

Exhausted but happy. Perfect.

So I did end up getting a TV yesterday and braving Black Friday madness, but luckily by 10am the stores were basically empty. We got the TV we wanted and didn't get shot, robbed or blasted with pepper spray. Win win. 

So now we have a TV, we actually have to pay for some television shows too. Out here it's Dish, which means nothing to me but apparently we'll get more channels than our current ZERO, so that should be fun. Any recommendations on what to start watching?

Any workouts you used to think were "easy" that now kick your butt?

Spinning, pilates and yoga I used to think were all rest day workouts, but I'm realizing there are ways to push it during all three to make them TOUGH!

Anyone brave Black Friday sales and score anything good?

We got a TV that was slightly on sale, a box of Nerds and two glass jars. I'm pleased. 

What are your favorite TV shows to watch? I need some recommendations!

I have a few sitcom favorites : The Office, Community, Modern Family, etc. But I don't know about any of the newer shows - anything worth watching?

My Black Friday Gift to You

Fellow residents of America - I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful! Everyone else around the world - I hope your Thursday was bearable! It was a quiet day at home as I prepared a feast for 2, but we spent the evening with friends, neighbors and babies that I came very close to taking home with me. Their moms said no, what spoil sports. There are plenty of photos of the the table, the turkey, the leftovers....but also plenty of me sneaking pieces of turkey skin. Ah, thats crispy goodness.

I thought this was a close up table shot....

Busted again!

Manly carving

The best part : leftovers!

After a wonderful day of eating, drinking, and pretending to care about the football score, Hubby and I are attempting to brave the madness of Black Friday in order to get a TV. Yep, it's official. We can no longer deal with watching the Office two days late on our laptop.

Since there's absolutely no way I'm getting any of you guys TVs (sorry bout that) let me give you this instead:

-$10 Registration to the Publix Georgia Marathon (or half!)
AND
-A chance to win two entries to the LA Marathon HERE!

The Public Georgia Marathon just announced that they are having a 5k and fun runs for kids age 4 and up (adorable - can't wait to see that) so you can bring the whole family. And then they can wait while you run an entire marathon. Seems fair to me.

When you register for the half OR the full, enter GOURMETRUN10 at checkout and get $10 off the price. No deadline or limit for these, use it whenever you want. Or, enter my giveaway for two entries for the race HERE. Only a few days left....

WHO is coming to hang out with me in Atlanta for this race?
Seriously. I am in dire need of friends. I promise to: take you for frozen yogurt, pretend I know the city of Atlanta and give you a horrible tour, and let you beat me in the marathon. Maybe that last part is just because of my whole running speed thing, but still. Self esteem boost for YOU.


Best thing you ate yesterday?
Cranberry sauce from a can. I don't believe in making your own. Just slice and serve. Hubby laughed at me because I was eating equal parts cranberry jelly and turkey. WHAT?

Thanksgiving Soup and Feeling the Burn!

Happy Thanksgiving Eve everyone! I'm pretty excited about tomorrow, although I must admit I feel like a bad American right now. I'm trying to explain about Thanksgiving, traditions and special foods to hubby and all I managed to say was that you eat a lot of turkey. I'll keep trying.

I'm in charge of our little meal (for two) which somehow involves a 15 pound turkey. 8 for him, 7 for me. Hope that's enough. There doesn't seem to be a way to avoid T-day leftovers, so I wanted to think of some creative ways to use them up. And turkey sandwiches don't count - that one's a given. So here is my roasted sweet potato and carrot soup!

Start with with leftover roasted veggies - whatever you have on hand after the meal would probably work, but for this I used 1 large sweet potato, 3 carrots, 1/2 an onion and 5 cloves of garlic. 

They go in a pot of chicken stock, about 1 quart of liquid. I added some salt and pepper to taste, heated it all up for a few minutes and then got busy with my immersion blender. 5 minutes later? Soup that tasted amazing. Gruel redemption. Oh yes. 

I topped mine with greek yogurt and stirred it all up, which really made it creamy. If you have leftover roasted veggies the day after Thanksgiving, whip up this soup - it's too easy!

Aside from the soup success, I'm also on cloud nine because I got to do some cardio today. I don't know when the addiction started, because a couple of years ago cardio ONCE every 10 days would have been a miracle. I still can't run, but I was able to ride the exercise bike and it was amazing! 13 miles in 54 minutes....which means nothing to me. I have no idea what fast/slow or anything else is on a bike. But it felt amazing and now I am super strong and invincible. Or I feel that way, at least. 

But I did get to try out my new Aespaeris Shorts and I'm smitten. Ignore the fact that my whole lower body is in compression gear - socks are for my ankle and shorts because every time I get new clothes I MUST have a fashion show. 

I'll review the shorts properly once I've worn them for more than posing and an hour long bike ride. 

I need your help: what's the difference between cycling and spinning? Is there a difference?

As you all know, I can't ride a bike. And I've used an exercise bike in the gym maybe twice - and never taken a spin class. So what's the deal? Are the bikes different? Is one outside, one inside? Help a biking noob out, please!

What's your favorite way to use up holiday meal leftovers?

I usually add turkey to salads, wraps and sandwiches for weeks, so I'm sure I'll be doing that again this year. But also making this soup with my leftover veggies and potatoes!

A Home Gym and Repurposed Tacos

This morning I did the best workout I could without any cardio, and it resulted in one hour of easy yoga, 15 minutes of ab work and 15 minutes of resistance bands for upper body. All good, but...I need my cardio fix. I need it bad. So I bought the $25 cheap-o used exercise bike I mentioned yesterday. I rode it for about 90 seconds tonight and I'm already in love.

It has a pretty sad little monitor for tracking distance, speed, etc., but I plan on wearing a heart rate monitor and just going by time anyway. It's official though - the room can be considered an official "office/gym" instead of just a "room with a tiny Walmart desk and a giant treadmill." So that's exciting. See the little plugs and wires in front of the TM? That's because one day I had a fantasy of sticking a TV up there. Ah, dreams....

To celebrate picking up the bike (any maybe because we drove 45 minutes away to pick it up and I was STARVING) we went for lunch at Moe's. I've never been there before, but it's a new favorite. Um, a salsa bar? Tofu tacos? Sign me up. 

I got two chicken tacos and then realized they came with a giant bowl of perfect chips, and the previously mentioned salsa bar. I at one taco and then gave up - they were good, but the chips were better. 

2 Tacos, chips and 2 salsas: tomatilla salsa is amazing!

Tasty taco abandoned for chips.

So amazing. I promise they're not paying me to say this. It's just that good. (On a side note, Moes? If you wanted to pay me I would do it. I will sell out for free tacos.) Anyway, once I ate all my chips and one taco, I was stuffed. But somehow managed to eat some of hubby's chips. WHO LEAVE CHIPS? A grown man. Pssht.

I saved the taco and wrapped it up to take home and eat for dinner. Popped it in the fridge, pulled it out 4 hours later. Soggy corn tortillas. Nasty. Being the genius/cheapo that I am, I figured out how to make it work. Step one: throw away soggy tortilla. Step 2: Dump the taco fillings and salsas on a bed of lettuce. Step 3: Top with homemade corn tortilla chips.

I will undoubtedly concede that Moe's meal was better. No question. But this was pretty dang tasty too. 

If you love Mexican food: what's your favorite place? Local or chain?

I clearly don't have a very authentic view of Mexican food, and I'm okay with that. BUT - this might be my new favorite. Definitely beats the pants off Taco Bell. I have never tried Chipotle - is this similar?

Any suggestions for ways to spruce up the old home gym? Blank walls aren't that motivating or entertaining, it turns out. 

I'm thinking of some cool framed prints or posters, maybe motivational type things? Any suggestions?

Look Ma, No Hands!

I got a lot of great suggestions for how to eat my 2 pound marshmallow. And I got a LOT of people who emailed to ask me where I got it from, so I thought it any of you were interested: Plush Puffs. I saw it months ago on the Food Network show Unwrapped (guilty pleasure!) and begged for it ever since. Thanks for delivering, hubby.

I decided the only way to start eating something like this would be straight up, tearing off a hunk with my mouth:

I believe I made the right decision. After a while we decided to get slightly more creative, and made indoor s'mores. That's graham crackers spread with nutella, and a giant hunk of marshmallow in between.

Since then the marshmallow has been slowly shrinking in size. But there is no nutrition information on it since it's more of a specialty item - which means, no calories! So awesome. Got lucky on that one. 

I decided to get a little more creative, since it's clear there is enough marshmallow to last me until my next birthday. Enter sweet potato s'mores. Every bit as delicious as they sound.

I sliced a raw, peeled sweet potato into disks and then microwaved them for 90 seconds on each side. Then, I dipped each disk into three bowls: flour, egg white and finally crushed chocolate cereal. Here they are ready to go into the oven:

Half in chocolate coating, half without

Once they got crispy (7 minutes at 400 degrees) I topped each one with a bit of marshmallow under the broiler. The got a little toasty but most just melty, gooey and delicious:

If Tim and I are both licking our fingers trying to get every last bit of marshmallow, you know it's good. 

Foot is still pretending to be all injured. Boo. My abs are killing from yesterday's workout though, so I can't complain that I can't exercise! I'm also trying to coordinate buying a stationary bike tomorrow! That way when my foot feels better I can use that instead of running. Plus - my foot hurts too much to even drive to the gym right now. Awesome. 

Anyway, this stationary bike is very used but only a $25 investment, so I'm thinking it's worth it. 

What do you think about buying used exercise equipment?

I really wanted a new treadmill, because I spend enough time on it that I don't want it breaking in a few months or hurting my knees, etc. But a cheap bike, weights, etc. I'm fine with!

What's better: traditional campfire s'mores or indoor ones?

Gotta be outdoor for the atmosphere, but I have to say...nutella is definitely better than Hershey's as the chocolate layer. Blasphemous, yes. But true.

A Pain in the... (You Fill in the Blank)

Oh, it's a pain in the (expletive of your choice) alright, but I'm also literally dealing with a pain in my foot. I feel so fortunate to have avoided all injuries, both major and minor, during training for my first marathon.

But since then? Not a mile has been logged. Any and all short attempts at walking resulted in pain. A sore ache in my foot became a sharp, pronounced pain.

I avoided talking about it in the hopes that it would go away, along with the other mild aches and pains brought on my running 26.2 miles - but no such luck. I was also hoping none of my Daily Mile buds would notice. But Ali from Running with Spatulas had to go and be all observant on me:

It's now official - I'm dealing with peroneal tendonitis, also known as "ankle-ouchy."  At least, that's the technical term I'm pretty sure.

Please Note: Not My Foot

I'm icing, resting and compression with the best of them. I bought some compression socks to try out - the brand is Swiftwick and while they are tight and seem like they should work, it's soon to really tell. They were recommended by running store worker man (we're very close, that's his full name) so I have my fingers crossed.

I've been staying off the foot, because any repetitive motion hurts. In an effort to do a little exercise, I've added in some resistance bands to work the upper body, mat work for the core and a little yoga if my ankle feels alright.

Sad face. I miss running.

Instead of wallowing, which I've done plenty of, let's highlight 3 positives of this situation:

1. I'm forced to do some strength training now. Be prepared for my guns to grow exponentially.

2. I've been cuddled up in blankets reading for hours, thanks to my newfound spare time.

3. I get to eat a lot more salad. Wait, huh? Lots of fiber and lots of running are NOT friends. True story. But no running = excuse to eat all the fruits and veggies my little heart desires.

The second one was amazing - "Thanksgiving Salad". Romaine lettuce and spinach topped with apples, cranberries, grated carrots, and sliced turkey. Like a healthy holiday meal!

I'm sure you'll all be happy to know that I didn't consume this entire bad boy in 24 hours. Believe it or not, even a sugar fiend like me can't eat 2 whole pounds of marshmallow in one day. It has some serious dents in it though, and some delicious recipes are coming your way tomorrow. 

If you couldn't run (or really do any cardio), what would you resort to?

For now it's pilates done on the mat, and some light yoga. I'm also busting out my resistance bands and reminding myself that my arms need some attention too!

What are your favorite salad toppings?

I love fruit on salads, either fresh or dried. I almost always top them with parmesan cheese as well, or flax seeds. Everything else changes each time I make one, depending on what we have on hand. 

Anyone else interested in the the two FREE race entires I'm giving away for the Publix Georgia Marathon this Spring in Atlanta? It's valid for both the half AND full marathon! Enter HERE!

A Marshmallow the Size of My Head!

I have a tendency to exaggerate a little. Maybe a lot. Things I eat are the best in the world - until my next meal. The movie was my absolute favorite - until the next time I'm at the theater. So you are forgiven for thinking I maybe just found a slightly larger than normal marshmallow. But you would be wrong. Exhibit A:

Yes, that is a 2 pound marshmallow. What else would you expect me to get on my birthday? By the way, thanks to everyone who sent message, emails and comments to me wishing me a happy birthday - gracias! Hubby and I had a great dinner with friends on Thursday night, and then a trip to Chattanooga on Friday for lunch in a restaurant I was really excited about - 212. 

They are a slow-food restaurant, so everything is from the area. LOVE that. The decor was horrendously outdated, but you can forgive them for that because the food was amazing. I had local baked chicken on a butternut squash/pear risotto:

And hubby went with the trout, spinach and sweet potatoes. 

Anyone ever get food envy? That's when you see what the other person ordered and wish you got that instead. I almost always feel that way, but not yesterday - I won the ordering game! I think the secret to amazing risotto is clearly equal parts rice and cheese - it was so gooey and stringy and fabulous.

We walked around the city for a while taking photos and exploricating. Yep, exploricating. My new word. Bridges, cliffs, rivers, buildings - Chattanooga is a nice city indeed. 

I was finally hungry enough to grab dessert. Any guesses? I went crazy and got frozen yogurt, just for a change. I like to be unpredictable, you know?

Anyway, between frozen yogurt, a sweet drink from Starbucks and, um..."birthday oatmeal" (yes, thats my normal chocolate/peanut butter oats topped with sprinkles) I couldn't even think about attacking the marshmallow quite yet. 

Sprinkles = Festive!

So today will be official Marshmallow day. I'll take any and all suggestions on how to devour this guy:

Advice or suggestions on how to eat this marshmallow? 

I'm thinking cut it into pieces and go for gourmet s'mores? Cut some up to float in hot chocolate? Slice it like bread, spread with nutella and hope I don't die from sugar overload?

Do you get "food envy" when someone's order looks better than yours?

No matter how amazing my meal is, I usually want to try the other person's anyway. Anyone remember the Friends episode where Joey won't share his fries? So glad hubby isn't like that. :)