Alive!

Yes, I suck, haven't blogged in two months. Tons has been happening that is very blog-worthy, but I've been lazy. I think my goal is going to be short burst sort of posts, a few a week. That way, I can put something useful out into the world that isn't work intensive. Set the bar low so you can always come out way over it, right????

Today: Odwalla bar product review.

I love these things. They have great stats for breakfast - I'm not hungry first thing in the morning, so I end up eating my breakfast after I've arrived at work. These are great because they require zero prep, don't smell, and don't make alot of noise when you are eating them (can you tell I work in a cube?!).

Specifically, the chocolate chip peanut flavor is EXQUISITE. I'm on board for anything that tastes like a candy bar for breakfast. The stats are perfect for a meal - 230 cals, and a decent amount of fiber and protein. With a banana as my mid-morning snack around 930 or 10, its a perfect morning, food-wise.

The downside is that they are crazy expensive, so I usually buy them on sale and stock up. The best price I usually find is $1/ea. Seems high still, but when you figure that's the cost for a meal it's not too bad.

BONUS: go to http://www.healthysnacksdirect.com/ and use code HGirl20 until 9/15. It's for 20% off, which puts them at exactly $1/ea. Plus they have lots of other good stuff on the site so the discount allows you to stock up on other tasty items!

Guacaparagus

Avocados are awesome. I just really started to appreciate their fabulousness about three years ago, and now I love them. They are full of healthy fats, nutrients, and are an excellent way to feel satisfied without eating junk food. Some fun facts:

-The Aztec word for avocado was ahuacatl, which means "testicle tree"
-Avocados have the highest protein content of any fruit.

-Rudolph Hass, a postman, patented the Hass avocado tree in 1935. The first Hass avocado tree is still alive and producing fruit

-Avocados contain more potassium than bananas

Now, the major drawback to this wrinkly green fruit is the fat and accompanying calorie content. If you normally eat a lowfat diet, its not a big deal, but we can all identify with wanting to trim calories here or there. This recipe is a great way to do that - it combines asparagus and avocado to create a delicious version of guacamole. Awesome with chips or crackers, this is also tasty as a sandwich spread. I found the original version in the Moosewood cookbook, and tweaked it a little for my purposes.

Guacaparagus

-1/2 lb asaparagus, with tough ends trimmed off and cut in 1" pieces

-1 clove garlic, chopped

-1-2 T lemon juice

-1/4 c. onion

-1/2-3/4 ripe avocado

-1/2 c. fire roasted tomatoes, drained (you can use regular, fresh or canned, if you prefer)

-Cayenne pepper + hot sauce

1. Steam the asparagus for 10 minutes, until very tender

2. Let the asparagus cool a bit, then pulse in a food processor with the lemon juice, onion, and garlic.

3. Add the avocado, tomatoes, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and some hot sauce to taste (I used about a teaspoon). Blend to desire consistency, and you're all done!

Drinking and running....combined!

I've been lazy with blogging (specifically taking interesting pictures of things and writing about them), but I figured I'd throw out a few niblets for your enjoyment.

While somewhat disappointing in respect to my post-work and weekend activities, I found this NY Times article about the health benefits of alcohol interesting. Basically it questions all of the studies linking moderate drinking to health benefits. Jury's still out.

In a similar vein, here is a good Runner's World article about alcohol consumption and running.

Lastly, in order to get enough miles to bump me up to Elite status on Northwest I was thinking about doing the Las Vegas Rock n' Roll half marathon. That is, assuming I don't die running the Seattle one in a WEEK AND A HALF. Oh god, that's coming up really damn fast! Well, I did over a ten-miler this weekend, and one two weeks before that, so I should be good to go. But I'm still slightly terrified.

Our very own garden patch!

A few weeks ago we finally planted all of our newly acquired seedlings in our garden out back. I'm so excited! I've never grown my own vegetables, so this is a new experience for me. We planted a few different tomato plants; red, green, and a few kinds of hot peppers; lettuce; snow peas; zucchini, yellow, and acorn squash; an herb garden; and garlic. I also planted a few rows of "fancy" lettuce that is miraculously sprouting. So basically in two months we are going to be FLUSH with produce and it shall be fabulous. I may even have to explore the world of pickling and canning!

We've even already started to pick up some good gardening tips and tricks during our short time horticulturing. First of all, Washington has some crazy-ass slugs. They are especially bad in the spring, when it's cool and damp. They are EVERYWHERE in the morning, at night, or when it's rainy out. If you didn't know, slugs really like to eat plants, specifically baby plants. Now, I know the old world slug remedy is to bury a bowl of beer flush with the ground and they will drown..... but I wasn't sure of efficacy of that so I went ahead and purchased good ol' Slug Death. It's a pesticide you sprinkle on the ground - and it WORKS! Not a slug in sight after I applied it. However, out of guilt I may try the beer trick. I'll keep you updated.

Additionally, there are a few neighborhood cats 'round these parts, and apparently they decided our garden would make an excellent play area/litter box. I respect their natural desires, however digging up my precious plants is NOT permitted. So I set up a few deterrents where they liked to dig, which seem to be effective. First, I shoved a bunch of sticks into the ground, about 6" tall and 6" apart. The reasoning behind this is it discourages them from digging and/or sitting down in that area. Furthermore, I sprinkled a bunch of homemade chili powder over all of the soil, since I guess they don't like the smell. Cats won't intentionally dig up plants, just the dirt around them, but if you have seeds or bulbs in the ground it could obviously become a problem.

Long runs for beginning runners!

I don't know how many beginning runners there are out there working on half or full marathons, but there certainly doesn't seem to be a wealth of information for us out there. Sure, there are training plans for "beginning" runners, if by that you mean you can already run at least 12 miles a week and run 9 or 10 minute miles. As you can imagine, that's a little intimidating for some of us.

My recommendation for those setting your sights on a longer race (which ANYONE can do, seriously) is to first commit to a 5K. There are a ton of training options available for free online. I'd say three months is a reasonable amount of time for someone to go from not running at all to running a 5K. Not RUNNING, per se, but a nice jog. We're talk between 10 and 12 minute miles, maybe longer, nothing totally insane. When I say running, I mean just being able to keep going without walking. Once you can comfortably run three miles, its much easier to get settled in a long-term training plan.

Now, let's say you're like me, and want to do a 10K, and then move on to a half marathon. My method has kind of been a three-month rule: allow yourself three months of training every time you double your goal distance. So, once you can run a 5K, give yourself three months to train for a 10K. Same thing going from a 10K to half marathon. Sure, you could definitely do it faster - but for those of us that aren't naturally talented or lifetime runners, that allows for a week or so of recovery after a race and some tapering, then building back up for the next race. This also helps keep me from getting burnt out - I only run three days per week.

I'm currently a month and a half away from my first half marathon, with my goal time of 2:30 (5.25mph pace basically). Here is my tentative running schedule up to the race, starting on Mondays and keeping in mind a few day will get swapped around:
Week of May 11: run 3 mi @ 5.4mph, 1 hr strength training, run 3.67mi @5.3mph, 1 hr strength training, spin class, 8 mi long run @ 5mph-ish, rest
Week of May 18: run 3 mi @ 5.4mph, 1 hr strength training, run 3.67 mi @5.3mph, 1 hr strength training, spin class, 9 mi long run @ 5mph-ish, rest
Week of May 25: run 3.5 mi @ 5.4mph, 1 hr strength training, run 3.75 mi @5.3mph, 1 hr strength training, spin class, 10 mi long run @ 5mph-ish, rest
Week of June 1: run 3.5 mi @ 5.4mph, 1 hr strength training, run 3.75 mi @5.3mph, 1 hr strength training, spin class, 10 mi long run @ 5mph-ish, rest
Week of June 8: run 3.75 mi @ 5.4mph, 1 hr strength training, run 4 mi @5.3mph, 1 hr strength training, spin class, 11 mi long run @ 5mph-ish, rest
Week of June 15: run 4 mi @ 5.4mph, 1 hr strength training, run 4 mi @5.3mph, 1 hr strength training, spin class, 8 mi long run @ 5mph-ish, rest
Week of June 22: run 4 mi @ 5.4mph, 1 hr strength training, run 3.75 mi @5.3mph, 1 hr strength training, rest, RACE DAY, rest!!!

A Bizzarrely Happy Monday!

I've been productive at work and the day has just flown by - why can't every Monday be like this?!?!

It was probably helped along by my f'ing awesome lunch - Jerk Seitan from Vegan With a Vengeance! The batch of seitan I made Saturday turned out REALLY good; usually I slack on the kneading and/or don't start with ice cold broth, so my seitan is too soft. This time it was perfectly firm and fabulous. Furthermore, Jerk Seitan is probably on my top 5 list of VWAV recipes. This is an old picture of a dinner I made with it last year, but that's better than my lame plastic container of it that I lunched on.

Additionally, this weekend we finally began our garden out back, and now I am pumped for our vegetables to come in! I planted some lettuce and zucchini seeds, and we'll be purchasing tomato and pepper plants in a few weeks. In about 20 minutes my friend and I are bustin' out of work to hit a local greenhouse, too! I plan to get my paws on some fresh herbs. Yum yum yum!

3.5 mile "fast" (equal to or slightly faster than my half marathon goal pace) fun tonight! I did Jillian's 30 Day Shred level 1 yesterday just to DO something the day after that monster run, and I'm still a little sore today :( We'll see how it goes!

7 mile long run, omg

Yesterday my fellow fat kid Alissa (she's running the Rock n' Roll half with me) and I set off on our long run for the week - seven miles. I thought the Lake Youngs Trail, near my house, sounded like a good run. Of course, I did not look at a topo map before we went. It was constant rolling hills, the entire way. And they were not small hills. We were both DYING at the end - we probably only did about 6.5 miles running, but I'm pretty sure a flat 7 would have been WAY easier so I'm happy. It was a good, but painful, training experience. I'm sure consuming a few of these last weekend (and ALOT of other stuff) and not running didn't help:

Yes, that is a pitcher of Long Island with a straw....because I drank it myself. Then had 1.5 more. At $6.75 each, it's pretty hard to pass up. Behind it you can see Houghton's famous lift bridge.

Next week I'll be in Michigan for a friend's wedding, so the plan is to do a flat 7 there and then the next week Alissa and I will hit up Green Lake for a solid 8 mile run. Less than two months to go!