The Runner's Kitchen

Realization #1: I ran 64 miles in 7 days – I think this is a record for me!

Realization #2: High mileage = aches and pains. I ran long on Saturday and felt good.  But during Sunday’s easy 6-miler, my legs started to get a little unhappy with me. My calves were super tight from my long run and I think this caused my right shin to start hurting a bit. I’m being very proactive with the RICE method (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) and I think it will be fine in a day or two, but running is always going to involve some injury prevention and management.

Anyway, despite my sore shin, it was a very productive weekend of training. I slept a ton on Friday night and woke up ready to get down to business (i.e. RUN!).

I love you, coffee.

Confession: I also really love Peter Pan’s whipped peanut butter. It tastes like frosting. Sometimes a girl needs some hydrogenated oils in her life. All things in moderation, right? Anyway, I slathered an apple in that creamy pb and followed it up with a clif bar. I had a pretty serious long run planned – had to fuel up well!

I had  intended on doing my long run on the treadmill, but thankfully the park roads were pretty clear and I ran mostly outside. I’m not going to lie – I was a little worried that a tree branch was going to fall on my head, but alas I remained unscathed. I ended up running 15 miles in 2:04:10 (11 miles in the park in 1:33:45 and 4 miles on the treadmill in 30:25)

I broke the run down like this:

Miles 1-3 easy
Miles 4-6 marathon pace (~8:20)
Miles 7-11 easy
Miles 12-15 1/2 marathon pace (started off at 8:00 and finished up the last .5 mile at 6:58 pace!!)

I mostly felt good for this entire run. Trying to run marathon pace for miles 4-6 was harder than I thought it would be, but the last (fast!) miles felt really good. Funny how that is… I really think that fast finish long runs are essential when training for 1/2 and full marathons. I didn’t do any while preparing for NYC or Boston and I wish I had. Practicing running at race pace while you’re fatigued will prepare you for the mental and physical fatigue of race day. Or at least I hope it will!

I immediately bought a gatorade to hydrate and followed that up with some greek yogurt (protein!) and dried cherries (carbohydrates!).

After my shower, I made sure to put on my recovery compression socks. Love.these.so.much.

And then it was time for more foodddddd. Luckily I had some leftover peanutty root vegetable stew to fill my belly.

After watching 2+ hours of TV on the couch doing lots of important things, I was hungry AGAIN. I had 3 bowls of Kashi Go Lean Crunch with milk.  Runners need to eat!

My legs were feelin’ like they could use a good stretch at this point, so I walked the mile or so to Whole Foods. I didn’t really need anything, but I wanted to drop off a big bag of #5 yogurt containers for recycling and so I just had to browse a bit…

I came home with a bag full of fun stuff: Kashi TLC crackers, romaine lettuce, frozen strawberries, pinto beans, coconut butter (!!), navel oranges, hummus, lara/clif bars, dried cherries, and floss.

After my hearty afternoon eats (hello protein + fiber in Kashi Go Lean Crunch!), I wasn’t that hungry, but I knew I probably needed to get in some more calories. So I assessed my options and put together a plate of nutrient dense yummy-ness: ezekiel bread toast topped with coconut butter and jam and a banana with lots of whipped peanut butter. Mmmm. After reading about the benefits of coconut oil/butter on Chelsea’s blog, I knew I had to try it for myself. The combo of coconut butter and jam on toast is scrumptious! I highly recommend.

Plus some thin mints that were hiding out in the freezer.

Yay, my article on the Top 5 Running Mistakes to Avoid was featured on Newser. I like this site a lot – it summarizes the day’s top news stories. Perfect for busy peeps!

Fun NYC event coming up: The Village Voice is sponsoring its 3rd Annual “Choice Eats” event on Monday, March 22. The event will feature tastings from  50+ restaurants, including: Café Glechik, Peppa’s Jerk Chicken, Bunny Chow, Sigmund Pretzel Shop, Xunta Tapas Bar, Salumeria Rosi, Jimmy’s No. 43, Xi’an Famous Foods, Lucy’s Whey, Counter, An Choi, and Café Steinhof. If you’re a New York area foodie, this looks like such a fun event! Bonus: there will also be craft beer and wine pairings available with the food. You can purchase tickets here. Bon appetit!

Question: What NYC restaurant/bakery would you like to visit (assuming locale and $$ weren’t an option)? Someday I will make it to Blue Hill….

After taking a day off of running on Saturday and a solid 8 hours of sleep that night, I was ready to knock out a long run bright and early. I fueled up the requisite coffee, banana, whole wheat toast, and nutella (a.k.a. the best thing in the world).

Before my run, I assembled all of the essentials: metrocard, cash, keys, ipod, and luna moons (on the run fuel!).

And then the run began! I ended up running for 2 hours and 15 minutes, approximately 16 miles. Didn’t intend to go this long, but I was feelin’ good, so I went with it. The first 6 miles were with Alma and then the rest were solo. I forgot the charge my battery on my Nike+, so this run could have been anywhere between 15 and 16 miles, but I’m going to call it 16 because I don’t think I was going very slow. Midway through the run I timed the uphill mile in Central Park (W. 72nd – W. 88th) and it was 8:00, seems hard to believe I was running that fast of a pace, but maybe? At the 2 hour mark I ran what felt like “half-marathon” pace for about a mile. I have no idea what kind of pace it actually was (7:30 pace….maybe), but it felt HARD. I stashed some water in the park and had a few swigs of that around mile 11. I also ate some luna moons throughout the latter half of the run. The sugar really helped my energy levels. My right hip and IT band are a little tight now, but no problems during the run. Also, it was a beautiful sunny day. Huzzah for good long runs!

As soon as I walked in the door I started making a pot of oatmeal. I multi-tasked by stretching my IT band while I waited for the oats to cook

I made oats in a jar - rolled oats, 1% milk, chopped apple, chocolate chips, and brown sugar were cooked on the stove and then transferred to an almost empty jar of Crazy Richard’s peanut butter. Perfecto!

Awhile later I was in need of a snack. I was feelin’ a little lazy, so I grabbed a box of Kashi Go Lean Crunch and went to town. I probably had about 2 servings (that’s a lot of fiber, yo!) while I read a book in bed. Since I’ve increased my mileage and workout intensity, I’ve noticed a few changes in how I’m feeling. For example, I am definitely requiring more sleep than usual. Yesterday I took a 2 hour nap and today I snoozed between 2-3pm. Naps are one of my favorite ways to recover from a long run!

After I roused myself from my nap, I was a busy bee cleaning the kitchen floor, finishing up a writing assignment, and foam rolling my tight IT band. Before I knew it, it was time to meet Agnes for a 5pm yoga class. After all that pre-nap Kashi I wasn’t feeling too hungry, so I didn’t pack a snack. BIG MISTAKE. I often experience bouts of hypoglycemia and running high mileage seems to exacerbate it a bit. By the time I exited the subway and was en route to the yoga studio, my blood sugar was starting to drop. Luckily, I was able to buy a Snickers almond bar and I inhaled it in about 60 sec0nds. I started feeling better almost immediately (sugar!!). As much fun as it is to gobble down candy, the shaky, lightheaded feeling I get from low blood sugar is NOT fun. The weirdest thing is that the drop in blood sugar comes on very suddenly – in fact I never even feel hungry. I just go from being fine to “get out of my way and give me some food right.this.minute!” Bah, this is something I’m still trying to figure out – it makes marathon training tough!

After the Snickers bar I was feeling much, much better and went on to have a great yoga practice. My stiff hip flexors really appreciated all of the stretching that we did. Along with higher mileage comes more tightness! The 5pm class at Yoga to the People is such a great way to end the weekend. Love it.

After a little Trader Joe’s pit stop, I came home to make a mexican-themed salad. My fruit & veggie intake was a little sparse today, so I loaded up a bowl with romaine lettuce, alfafa sprouts, salsa, cottage cheese, and organic corn tortilla chips. And then more tortilla chips straight outta the bag because they were so good!

Check out the latest article on Running Shorts – why you should keep a running log.

If you had to gobble down a candy bar what kind would it be?? (Sometimes I think candy bars aren’t much different from fancy energy bars and they’re usually cheaper!)

I was up and at ‘em early on Saturday – I had plans to do a long run before heading to Pennsylvania to visit my fam. I started off with my go-to breakfast: coffee, a banana with peanut butter, and a peppermint stick luna bar.

Eventhough I’ve done probably hundreds of long runs, I still get so nervous before heading out to run big mileage. To chill out, I just tell myself that I have to run 9 or 10 miles and anything more than that is gravy. For some reason that number is very manageable and I usually end up running longer! The temperature yesterday was a chilly 27 degrees, but I layered well and was comfortable throughout. Plus I had a great running buddy to keep me company – thanks Jacqui! I ended up running for 2 hours and  8 minutes – I’m estimating it to be about 15 miles. I’m not exactly sure what kind of pace I was running, but it felt a tad quicker than usual. The best part of the whole run? NO back pain! Yahoo.

Once I finished my run, I refueled with some Fage yogurt, peanut butter, and a sliced banana.

After a shower, I pulled on my recovery socks and finished packing for the weekend.

The other day, the folks at Wildwood tofu sent me some samples. I love the texture of baked tofu!

I made a sandwich using Ezekiel bread, dijon mustard, sprouts, and aloha baked tofu. The tofu was really yummy – it was perfectly chewy and had a slightly sweet taste.

Best part of the sandwich? The sprouts that I grew myself! Check out NoMeatAthlete’s blog for more info on home-sprouting.

In the car, I snacked on an apple.

And half of a brownie from a Wawa in New Jerz. Don’t judge. This brownie was probably one of the best 7 I’ve ever had. And it was from a convenience store. So moist and full of big chocolate chunks!

My valentine, Kiwi the cat, greeted me as soon as I walked in the door.

While doing some grocery shopping with Mama Runnerskitchen and little sis, I picked up a salad.

And some pizza! There was definitely a third slice involved. And maybe a hazlenut truffle from my G-ma’s Valentine’s Day box of chocolates.

Happy Valentine’s Day! In the spirit of the holiday, what’s your favorite type of candy?

Andddd, I’m jumping on the “Ask Me Anything” bandwagon. Wondering about my favorite food? How many miles a week I run? What my dream race is? If you click on the link below, you can ask me questions (anonymously if you wish) and I’ll post the answers on the blog!

Ask me anything!

Brr, it’s been a chilly weekend here in the big apple. I just finished running the NYRR Gridiron 4-miler and am feelin’ good! This was the first time I raced hard since I was injured over a year ago and it was a big confidence booster. But more on that later…

Yesterday was a day full of good eats and rest. After 8.5 hours of sleep on Friday night, I woke up ready for a quickie breakfast and a yoga class. I didn’t have any coffee beans on hand, so I tried the new Starbucks VIA instant coffee. I was a little skeptical, but it was actually decent! I don’t think I’d have this every day, but it’s a good option if you’re traveling. Along with my coffee I had a banana and Brown Cow maple flavored yogurt. Mmm, whole milk yogurt is so delicious.

And then I met some of my lady friends for a 10am class at yoga to the people. Obviously, I did not take a photo in class, but the studio looks like this:

Even though my gym offers yoga classes, I still prefer the yttp studio. FYI – even if you don’t live in Northern California or NYC, you can try out a yttp podcast!

After getting our yoga on, we headed to Atlas Cafe in the East Village. This little restaurant had an amazing array of menu options – I was a little overwhelmed! I ended up getting the smoked salmon and avocado sandwich on multi-grain bread. I don’t usually eat fish, but I was feeling like I could use a little omega-3’s in my life. The sandwich was delicious and fairly inexpensive by Manhattan standards.

Afterwards, we headed over to Momofuku milk bar for some COOKIES! I was tempted by the crack pie (toasted oat crust with gooey butter filling), but decided to go with the compost cookie (pretzel, potato chips, coffee, oats, butterscotch, and chocolate chips).

Oh lord. This was one of the BEST cookies I’ve ever had. Next time I’m buying two. Thanks to my friend Ani for the great recommendation

I had dinner plans with my friend Joe at a little restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen. My pre-race dinner was a little unconventional, but it hit the spot. I ordered the warm spinach salad: fresh spinach leaves, sauteed onions and mushrooms, LOTS of croutons and a balsamic vinegar reduction. I also had a whole grain roll and butter with my salad – gotta get in those carbohydrates

I had planned on being social after dinner, but the cold and wind convinced me to stay home and hibernate under the covers. Oh winter.

I finished up the night with half a pint some mint chocolate chip goat milk ice cream, netflix, and an early bedtime

Waking up early to go running is never easy, but when it’s 17 degrees it’s particularly difficult…

Ah well, I just have to remind myself that I run and race for FUN! When I look at racing as something I get to do, rather than something I have to do, my mindset is a lot more positive

I had the usual pre-race breakfast around 7:30am – coffee, banana with peanut butter, and 1/2 clif bar. Andddd I finally broke out my hand warmers. These things are lifesavers if you have poor circulation (like moi) and they’re only 99 cents!

Alma and I warmed up for about 30 minutes (ran from our apartment to the starting line) and after a quick bathroom break, it was race time! I’ve run some races as “workouts”, but today’s 4-miler was the first time I raced hard in awhile. I was shooting for 7:00 pace and finished a little under, so I’m pretty happy. Miles 1 and 3 were slower than I would have liked (maybe because of the hills), but other than that things went as expected. Also, I was really excited to meet a blog reader at the finish line. Hi Jacqui!

• Mile 1 – 7:11
• Mile 2 – 6:57
• Mile 3 – 7:10
• Mile 4 – 6:40
• Total: 4 miles in 27:57 (6:59 pace)

After the race I was feeling really good (probably a sign I should have gone faster!), so I added on some miles to make today a “long run day”. My cool down was about 50 minutes long bringing me to about 13 miles for the day. Only 6 weeks till the NYC 1/2 marathon!

After a long hot shower I refueled with some pumpkin-apple-chocolate chip oatmeal. I’m already hungry again – off to go eat some more!

Even though it’s February (and f-r-e-e-z-i-n-g in the Northeast!), it’s never too cold for a smoothie! Matt and I posted our favorite recipes on True/Slant – check it out

What’s your favorite smoothie combination?

Happy February! Here’s hoping that the worst of the winter weather is behind us…

I had houseful of boys (friends from college) staying with me this weekend, so I baked a batch of pumpkin muffins on Saturday morning. The muffins served as the perfect pre-run fuel!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• dash of salt
• tsp cinnamon
• dash of ginger and nutmeg
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 3/4 cup whey that was leftover from my strained yogurt (you could use milk instead)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 F and lightly grease a muffin tin
• Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl
• In a medium bowl, combine the wet ingredients
• Using a spatula, add the wet ingredients to the dry until combined – but don’t overmix!
• Fill the muffin tins about 2/3 full and bake for about 15 minutes, or until tops are golden brown and toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean.
• Cool for about 5 minutes and then remove from the pan and enjoy warm with butter. Yum.

After a chilly, but pleasant 5-miler in Central Park, I was able to try someplace that’s been on my to-go list for ages: Community Food & Juice (thanks for the great suggestion Ada! We need to meet up soon!) This hip uptown restaurant is affiliated with the reknowned Clinton Street Baking Company. While it’s not a vegetarian restaurant, there are plenty of seasonal veggie options and the meats are organic, free-range, and grass-fed.

I was impressed by my homemade veggie bean burger that came atop a brioche bun and was accompanied by tomato jam, avocado spread, and mixed greens.

Saturday continued to be a day of good eats – for dinner I purchased a ball of organic whole wheat pizza dough for $1.69 and turned it into homemade pizza! After stretching the dough to fit an inverted baking sheet, I topped the pie with sauteed garlic and broccoli rabe, goat cheese, and sundried tomato chicken sausage. I baked the pizza for about 10-15 minutes at 450 degrees. The crust came out crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside. Buying the dough from Whole Foods saved me about 2 hours worth of work and it was quite economical. I’ve made my own pizza dough before and to be honest, I couldn’t really notice a difference! The whole wheat dough, naturally low in fat goat cheese, antioxidant rich broccoli rabe, and high protein chicken sausage made this a power packed dinner. Perfect for runners!

Sunday was designated long run day and since I knew it was probably going to be cold outside, I procrastinated for as long as possible. About an 1.5 hours before I planned on heading out the door I chowed down quite a few servings of Nature’s Path peanut butter granola. I was a little bit worried about how this would sit in my stomach, but it ended up working out great. I felt awesome during my 14 mile long run! Maybe this granola is magic running fuel?

The sun was shining and eventhough it was only about 25 degrees, it didn’t feel all that bad. I ran my first 6 or so miles with Alma, mostly on the bridle path, and finished up the remaining 8 miles solo. My legs felt good enough that I threw in a few quick “pick-ups” around mile 11. The only annoying thing was that I started to get really thirsty around mile 12 – can’t wait till they turn the water fountains back on in Central Park! I ran for 2 hours and while I’m not positive about the distance, I’m going to call it 14 miles. Best part of the run (and weekend)?? No back or hip pain, woo! Maybe this physical therapy stuff is working….

What was the best part of your weekend?

Free Ways for New Yorkers to Get Healthy in February:

• Every Saturday in February, the JCC Manhattan offers an Afro-Caribbean dance class with live drums.
• Check out the Winter Jam in Central Park on February 6: snowshoeing, snowboarding and more.
• The new mind-body venue Studio Anya lets you try out your first group Pilates or yoga class on the house.

The day did not get off to a very auspicious start. The pear clafoutis I baked last night needed to be thrown out (more on that later…), my stomach was not feeling awesome, and Alma and I were running late for the 8am start time of the Manhattan half-marathon. Ugh. Despite my cranky mood, I managed to put together a decent pre-run breakfast: coffee, coconut water (electrolytes!), a banana, and peanut butter.

After waiting in veryyy long port-a-potty lines, Alma and I made our way to the starting line. Since I’ve been having some back pain, I decided to run today’s 13.1 miles as a “marathon-pace long run” rather than an all out race. The first mile started off nice and easy ~9:05 per mile pace and then we picked it up until we were running between 8:10-8:20 pace. Around mile 10, I realized we could probably finish under 1:50 if we pushed a bit, so we dropped our pace to 7:55, 7:45, and 7:35 for the last 3 miles. Alma and I finished the 13.1 in 1:48:37 (~8:17 pace). Today’s effort definitely wasn’t “easy”, but the pace allowed for conversation and I never felt too out of breath. My long-term goal is to PR (i.e. run under 3:38:41) in the NYC marathon in November, so it was nice to know that without much training I could run 1/2 that distance at goal pace! Here’s hoping the next 10 months are injury free…

After factoring warm-up and cool-down, today’s mileage was 15. Longest long run since November! And 12 hours later, I’m feelin’ pretty good

Loved the shirts for today’s race – a nice change from the usual white cotton:

After our cool down (and chugging some gatorade), my fingers were freezing and I was in need of something hot. A latte from Starbucks never tasted so good!

Once I got home, I popped a french toast bagel in the toaster and enjoyed it with a little bit of butter. Real butter is definitely the way to go, margarine sketches me out.

After showering and some other things on my to-do list, I snacked on a luna protein bar. The peanut butter chocolate flavor was alright, but not nearly as good as the cookie dough flavor that I tried after my indoor triathlon.

By mid-afternoon it was time to head to a potluck with some other NYC bloggers. Chelsea was such a gracious host and the spread of food was just what I needed post-run.

I started off with some delicious kombucha:

And then I snapped photos of all the delicious dishes before digging in! Leslie made a fennel and butternut squash dish.

Jamie brought a yummy Mediterranean-themed cous cous dish. Hummus was the perfect addition!

And Chelsea brought out a lovely egg white, turkey sausage, and cheddar cheese casserole from the Cooking Light website.

I filled up my plate and devoured every bite. REFUEL.

And then a slice of pear clafouti (luckily it turned out much better the second time around).

And finally a peanut butter cookie made with stevia and PB&Co’s Bee’s Knees peanut butter.

With lots of good food and conversation, the afternoon flew by – thanks for organizing Chelsea!

I spent the rest of the evening catching up on life and around 8pm I got hungry for meal #4. I did a lot of cooking and baking this weekend, so I wanted something simple. I combined chopped pear with greek yogurt, peanut butter, raspberry jam, life cereal, and some homemade olive oil granola (stay tuned for the recipe!).

Matt and I were busy this weekend – we compiled a list of the 10 races to run before you die. Check it out and let us know if you agree/disagree!

Question: What’s your favorite addition to yogurt? Obviously, mine is peanut butter!

Good morning! On every Wednesday until February 3rd Jamba Juice is selling it’s steel cut oatmeal for only $1! Take advantage – this stuff is usually much more $$.

My long run schedule was a bit off this weekend due to traveling, so I decided to take advantage of my day off of work (thanks MLK!) and run long on Monday. I woke up at the usual time and fueled with a cup ‘o coffee and chopped apple, Fage greek yogurt, and a big spoonful of peanut butter.

Plus a granola bar -

And then I headed out the door to start my run. The weather was beautiful! Sunny with temps in the 40’s is such a treat for January. I ran an easy 12 miles in about 1 hour, 46 minutes (~8:50 pace). Felt good for the first 2-3 miles, but then my lower back started to hurt. The pain never really got worse – it felt like muscle spasms or something – so I continued with the run. The muscle spasms did, however, affect my intestinal track and I had to stop to use the bathroom around mile 8. That never happens to me! Weird. But besides the back pain, my legs and hips and everything else felt fine.

I actually went to the doc yesterday to get my back checked out and luckily he didn’t seem too concerned. He seems to think the pain is coming from an increase in mileage + back muscle imbalance, so I have a few PT sessions on the agenda to build up back and core strength.

When I finished my run, my stomach was still feeling a little off, so I sipped on a ginger ale as I made lunch: a veggie burger topped with laughing cow cheese and hot sauce, pita chips with hummus, and roasted potatoes with ketchup. My fridge was a little bare – I had to get creative!

Later on in the afternoon I made a visit to somewhere I’ve been wanted to go for a while – Gimme! Coffee. According to many sources, this place serves the best coffee in NYC. Starbucks it isn’t – I had to wait close to 10 minutes for my mocha latte, but it was worth it!

On my way to meet Agnes for yoga, I snacked on a Amazing Greens bar. I’ve tried really hard to like these (they’re packed with greens and nutrients!), but I’m not going to buy them anymore. The taste makes me want to gag. Sorry, Amazing Greens.

Anyway, I took it nice and easy during a 60 minute hot yoga class. It had been 2+ weeks since my last practice and my post-long run muscles really appreciated the heat and stretches. It was particularly hot and sweaty in the studio today!

As soon as I got back home I devoured a few (un-pictured) handfuls of almonds and then fixed myself a little snack to hold me over – Fage greek yogurt (yeah…I eat this A LOT) with dried cranberries and more almonds.

Dinner was inspired by a recipe in my Clean Food cookbook – Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Fennel and Shitake Mushrooms. The only change I made was substituting quartered potatoes for the mushrooms. I love roasted vegetables!

There might have been some mini chocolate chips for dessert. I think mini-sized things taste better

Who makes the healthiest snack in NYC? How about the best organic omelet? Check out Vital Juice’s Guide to Healthy Eating in NYC!

Don’t live in the Big Apple? Check out this list of 2010’s best healthy foods that you can get almost anywhere!

What are your top 3 winter foods? Mine are roasted vegetables, oatmeal, and navel oranges!

I was up in the air about my long run this week – when should I do it? Where should I run? The temps on Saturday were pretty chilly – 21 degrees (11 with the wind chill!), but I had a group of running buddies to keep me company, so an outdoor long run didn’t seem too daunting.

My pre-run routine included the usual coffee with a splash of milk:

Herbal tea (to warm me up even more!), a sliced apple sprinkled with cinnamon, peanut butter, and a luna bar.

The run itself was pretty uneventful, a little chilly, but at least the sun was shining. I ended up running a relaxed 10 miles in about 1 hour, 28 minutes (~8:48 pace). I wore my Wesleyan cross-country zip-up and someone gave me a shout out at mile 5. Running into (pun intended) friends and acquaintances in Central Park is one of my favorite things – it makes me feel like I’m “at home” in this city of 8 million people

After a quick change-a-r00 (definitely a made-up word) I headed to Hell’s Kitchen to meet Joe for some eats. I selected Route 66 Cafe as our destination and it served a decent brunch. The decor is a little strange (nothing to do with Route 66 or the American West), but the food is always fresh and tasty.

Bonus: Our waiter brought us complimentary apple cake to start! I was hungry after my run, so this was much appreciated. Joe was ready to dig in:

Lately I’ve been craving meat (iron + protein), so I listened to that desire and ordered the Bison burger. It came with coleslaw, a pickle, and french fries and was exactly what I wanted. This was a pretty hearty platter of food and I was able to finish about 75%. Post-long run meals are the best – everything tastes better when you’re hungry!

I spent the rest of the afternoon walking around, shopping, and spending too much $$ enjoying a decaf misto from Starbucks.

And then a few squares of sea salt dark chocolate when I returned home. This chocolate is my favorite thing of the week!

After pretty-a-fying (another made-up word?) ourselves, Alma and I headed out on the town for the annual Central Park Track Club holiday party. It was held at the Harbour Lights Restaurant in South Street Seaport and the views of the Brooklyn Bridge were great!

Some nibbles went un-documented throughout the night, but I started off with a glass of white wine and some bruschetta for an appetizer.

Yikes, I’m still getting used to my new camera – I definitely should have changed the settings for the food photography! Sorry about the blur…

Dinner involved lots of green – salad with dressing, steamed veggies with a sprinkle of parmesan, red bliss potatoes, and a bit of salmon.

And a little taste of everything for dessert – the mini cheesecake was my favorite. The dessert selection at this year’s holiday party was far superior to last year’s offerings – thank goodness! Crappy desserts (or worse – none at all!) make me a very unhappy girl.

2 glasses of wine + heels + dancing + 1am bedtime was probably not the best pre-triathlon routine (umm…yes, that was scheduled for the very next morning!), but I had a lot of fun with my teammates and the holiday party only comes once a year! I DID survive my first triathlon, so stay tuned for a recap

Over at True/Slant Matt and I discussed the effects of sleep on running and race performances – check it out!

Question: What’s your winter-time workout routine? Do you stick to the gym? Run outside no matter what? Hibernate ’till April?

Welcome to 2010! Matt and I wrote an article for True/Slant about our running goals and resolutions for the New Year. Check it out and hold us accountable….

I rang in the New Year surrounded by good food, great friends, and maybe a little too much champagne. I’ll give you the highlights:

Apple and Caramelized Onion Tart – I used a recipe from the December 2009 issue of Real Simple. The free sample of Puff Pastry I received from Pepperidge Farm made this recipe super quick to make.  I was a little bit worried about mixing savory onions and sweet apples, but the flavors combined really well. I think the tart was the star of the party

In attempts to use up some fridge leftovers I made a Mediterranean-inspired pasta salad. I cooked up a pound of whole wheat rotini and added cannelloni beans, sauteed garlic, roasted red peppers, cubed iberico cheese, feta cheese, and olive oil.

And what’s a party with cookies?! Once again Real Simple Magazine provided inspiration for the Chocolate Crinkle Cookies. These were pretty good, but I thought the cocoa powder produced a rather dry texture. I think next time I would add some chocolate chips to the batter!

The party spread also included pistachios, goat cheese with crackers, and kettle corn.

Plus A LOT of champagne

I think this photo sums up the night:

This was the first time in 2 years that all of my housemates from senior year of college were reunited. Much to celebrate, indeed.

Needless to say…I was not feeling my best on Friday. Usually I try to practice what I preach – moderation. However, there is a time and a place for excess and for me that happened to be my New Year’s Eve party. I spent the day recuperating – a gingerbread misto from Starbucks, a hangover cure juice from Peacefood Cafe (this time I actually needed it!), a long walk in lieu of a gym visit, and plenty of time lazing about and catching up on Mad Men, Season 2.

This morning (Saturday) I woke up feeling refreshed and back to my normal self. I hydrated with a big bottle of water and then made a simple breakfast – banana with a BIG spoonful of nutzo and the Odwalla bar that I received from my Blogger Secret Santa (Thanks again Melissa!)

After some procrastination, I finally got myself out the door and headed to the gym. But first – I needed to make a quick Starbucks pitstop. Mmm, tall decaf misto with one-pump of gingerbread syrup. Probably not the best thing to consume pre-run, but luckily it didn’t bother my tum too much. Stomach of steel!

And then I had a very special run. This week I’m celebrating 1o years of running, so to commemorate I ran 10 miles on the treadmill in 1 hour, 27 minutes, and 30 seconds. I would have preferred to run outside, but the 20 degree weather and gusty winds made an indoor workout seem like the better choice.

In January 2000, as a high school freshman, I joined the junior varsity track team. On my first day I could barely run 400m. After running once around the track, I hunched over, gasped for breath, and said to my friend: “Please…tell…me…it…gets…easier.” Despite being sore for about 2 weeks straight, it DID get easier and now 10 years later I can run 10 miles like it’s nothin’. Matt touched on this subject the other day when he mentioned the book Talent is Overrated. Success isn’t necessarily determined inborn talent, it’s about the amount of time and effort you put into something. If you consistently train hard (and smart), you will become a better runner. Don’t get me wrong – I’ve definitely struggled over the years: under-training, over-training, injury, losing focus, coming thisclose to quitting while in college, but I wouldn’t change a thing. These experiences, successes, and mishaps have made me the runner (and the person) I am today. So, thank you running. Here’s to the next 10 years!

Anyway….back to 2010! Post-run I re-fueled with the “Equinox Cocktail” – freshly juiced beets, celery, carrots, cucumber, parsley, spinach, and ginger. It was delicious and nutritious! (Joe – If you’re reading this I know you’re probably horrified.)

I’ve been foam rolling like a fiend lately and apparently I’ve been a little over-zealous. Check out the bruises on my leg, yikes.

It was f-r-e-e-z-i-n-g today, so I heated up some leftover Tomato bisque when I made it back to my apartment. Alongside I had a string cheese for protein and some Stacy’s sea salt pita chips. Obviously I had to go back for seconds thirds of the pita chips. Why are they so addictive???

And a few pieces of chocolate. Thanks Hannah!

I braved the cold once again to meet Agnes for a 60 minute hot yoga class. It’s been over 3 weeks since I’ve practiced yoga and I definitely noticed. My hip flexors were SO tight – but pigeon pose worked wonders! I snacked on an un-pictured clementine on the subway ride home (mmm, potassium!) and then created a yummy dinner combo with something I just picked up from Whole Foods – Bubbie’s Sauerkraut. This sauerkraut is made without sugar or vinegar – the only ingredients are cabbage, water, and salt.

Did you know? Sauerkraut is fat-free. It also is low in calories, with one cup of un-drained sauerkraut having only 44 calories, and one cup of sauerkraut juice, only 22. It provides almost one-third of the US RDA for vitamin C, plus other important nutrients, including iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, thiamin, riboflavin and niacin. One cup also provides approximately 8 grams of fiber. [Source]

I topped a slice of whole wheat toast with a Morningstar Farms veggie burger, a generous serving of Sauerkraut, and melted some swiss cheese on time. Perfecto!

And in lieu of my usual dessert, I made something a little healthier – chopped apple, plain yogurt, a spoonful of peanut butter, a dollop of raspberry jam, and a sprinkle of Kashi Go Lean.

Enjoy the remainder of your weekend and stay warm!

Question: What’s your go-to healthy-ish dessert? After all the holiday cookies, pie, and chocolate I’ve had this season, I’m looking forward to incorporating some lighter dishes into my routine. Bring on the fruit!

I think I may actually be getting a little tired of Christmas cookies and holidays sweets. My long weekend in Pennsylvania has been fun, but cheesecake and pie and cookies – oh my! I’m ready to return to the city and start eating some simpler fare (i.e. fruit, veggies, and whole grains!).

I started my Sunday with banana oatmeal for a crowd (or…me, mom, and grandma). I cooked up 1.5 cups of oatmeal, 2 cups of water, 1 cup of 2% milk, a dash of salt, and 2 very ripe bananas. Yum! Cooking the banana in the oatmeal makes it incredibly creamy. I added a teaspoon of brown sugar and a few dark chocolate chips. My mom was a big fan, too!

After breakfast, I ran a few errands. After putting 600+ miles on my running shoes, it was time for a new pair. I alternate between the Asics Nimbus and the Asics 2100 series. The Nimbus provides more cushioning, but since I’m a fairly light runner,  I might not need all that bulk. I’m starting to think that when it comes to running shoes, less is more. My new pair is the Asics 2150 style – excited!

I also picked up a little holiday gift for myself. Hey, I had to take advantage of the post-Christmas sales…

My new bag feels so buttery soft!

I stopped for a Starbucks gingerbread misto and snacked on a Nature’s Path peanut butter granola bar as I finished up my shopping. I love these granola bars! They’re nice and big and have a great peanut flavor. My only gripe is that they could use a little more fiber (2g) and protein (4g). Oh well.

And maybe a few un-pictured Christmas cookies hopped into my mouth. Just maybe. Those gingerbread men don’t take no for an answer!

I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather (sunny and high 30’s) and run outside. I’ve been in a little bit of a funk lately and my motivation has been lagging. I considered skipping my long run this week, but I knew I would feel much better if I got a few miles in. The run was rather uneventful, I ran 10 miles in about 1 hours, 26 minutes. The pace felt nice and easy throughout and I was able to do a lot of thinking and reflection. However, both of my hips were feeling quite tight and ache-y by the final miles. This is what happens when I skip yoga for 2 weeks in a row! Also, I haven’t taken a day off of running since December 4th (bad Megan…), so I think a few rest days/cross-training days might be in order.

Immediately post-run I snacked on an apple.

And then enjoyed some leftovers for dinner. My mom fried up some homemade potato pierogis with butter and onions and I had a slice of leftover Christmas ham and green beans on the side. I love homemade pierogis!

The evening hours were occupied by the movie Nine with friends and a few candy cane sticks. I really enjoyed this movie! It made me miss Italy SO much.

By the time the movie ended, it was late, but I was hungry! I had a slice (ok, maybe two) of pumpkin pie. At least pumpkin is a vegetable, right?

Now that the holidays are (almost) over, I’m looking forward to 2010. I’m still formulating my Resolutions, but beginning today I’m going to aim for a little bit less wine and cookies and little more whole foods. Who’s with me?

Web sites to inspire your New Year’s Resolutions:

• Get your finances in order with Mint
• Track your miles with my favorite online running log
• Research some healthy recipes
• Make a difference and donate to your favorite cause

Question: Do you make New Year’s Resolutions? If so, what are they?