The Runner's Kitchen

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!)

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?

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!

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!

My Sunday was just as jam-packed as the rest of my weekend, but at least I was able to sleep in until 9:30am! After a few hours of  breakfast, blogging, and organizing my life, I headed to the gym. I had a long run on the schedule, but the weather was just awful (cold with heavy rain). I try to run outside whenever possible, but today was definitely a treadmill day. How do you run 12 miles on the treadmill without dying of boredom? Well, first you should read my True/Slant article with Tips for Surviving the Treadmill! I tried to follow my own advice and while the run wasn’t thrilling, It went pretty well.

I split up the run into 3 parts:

• 5 miles on treadmill #1
• 5 miles on treadmill #2
• 2 miles on treadmill #3
• Total: 12 miles in 1 hour, 46 minutes, 17 seconds (~8:51 pace)

Breaking up the run into smaller chunks makes it seem more manageable and it helps me get around the machine’s 60 minute limit! I jog from one treadmill to the next, so the break isn’t that long – 30 seconds tops.

After showering, I re-fueled with a grapefruit, Clif bar, and a few Goji Gourmet cookies.

I received the cookies as a free sample (they’re made super-close to where I work) and I loved them! The top 3 ingredients are: organic whole wheat flour, organic goji berries, and organic oats. They’re sweetened with organic buckwheat honey and contain other goodies such as: raw wheat germ and almonds. Each cookie is 25 calories and contains a decent amount of vitamins and fiber. Plus they taste GOOD! This is definitely something I’ll be buying again once my samples are all eaten

Later in the afternoon, I headed downtown to meet Chelsea for a class at Yoga to the People.  The class featured some deep hip openers and gentle IT band stretching – exactly what I needed post-long run!

After yoga, Chelsea and I braved the rain and ventured to a cozy macrobiotic  restaurant near Union Square called Souen. Curious about what macrobiotic actually means? Check out the description on Souen’s website – they describe it very well!

I started off with a pomegranate juice seltzer.

For my entree, I was adventurous and chose the broiled tofu okabe. A thick slice of tofu was covered in a delicous and savory sesame seed sauce. It tasted a lot like tahini!

I received brown rice on the side.

And my favorite thing of the day – a big plate of steamed vegetables! Seriously, the kale and acorn squash made me SO happy

I finished this dinner with a happy tum and then booked to the W. Village to hear Alma perform at Le Poisson Rouge. The concert venue was transformed into a jazz club-esque space: low tables,  flickering candles, etc. It was a fun show! Very different from anything I’ve been to lately.

When I got home, it was nearly 11pm. After a snack and some email writing, I was ready to crash. Busy weekends and long runs will do that to a girl!

‘Tis the season:

In honor of the latke-making class I’m headed to tonight (so excited!), check out this healthy Hanukkah recipe from the gals at Skinny & the City.

Check out these tips for making healthy choices at the holiday buffet.

Need a gift idea for your active friend? Nancy Clark, R.D. offers up some recipes for yummy, edible gifts. Will someone make me those peanutty energy bars?? Hehe.

Question: What’s your favorite weekend ritual? Pancake breakfasts? Sleeping in? Afternoon yoga classes?

Happy weekend! My TGI Friday started off with a little bit of sleeping in (till 8am!) and a banana -

And then a cappuccino with a packet of sugar in the raw and clif bar once I arrived at my desk. I finally received my new (BPA-free!) Sigg bottle. I like the new “sports cap”, but it took me nearly an entire day to figure out how to get the water to  come out. Seriously.

Morning was productive, stomach started to get hungry around noon. Had some prunes to hold me over till lunch and then headed over to a 45 minute spinning class at my gym. I usually dig the music this instructor plays, but today I just wasn’t feelin’ it. Ah well, maybe we’ll get a little more Britney Spears next week. After a warm-up the class did 3 hill climbs with some speed surges mixed in. I really like going to cycling classes because I don’t think I would add resistance or speed if I were to bike by myself!

Lunch was a salad from the cafeteria (so much more exciting than a packed lunch!):

• iceberg and mixed greens
• shredded carrots, mushrooms, red onion, roasted butternut squash
• black beans, cannelloni beans
• sprinkle of blue cheese, craisins, and sunflower seed
• balsamic vinaigrette (extra garlic-y today!)

Afternoon snackeroos: chai latte (from the flavia machine at work) and a dark chocolate-covered pretzel.

And a Brown Cow maple cream top yogurt. This was the first time I ever tried one of these – I liked it a lot!

I stared at the clock worked diligently until 5:30pm and then skedaddled to a 6pm hot yoga class with Agnes. It was sweaty. If you don’t live in New York City or Northern California (or just feel like stayin’ home) you can still partake: check out the new YTTP podcasts!

After yoga, I was feelin’ good. My shoulders were relaxed, my head was clear, my bags were light. Wait. Maybe a little too light. When I was about 1/2 way home I realized I had left my new lunaracers (Thanks Nike!) in the changing room of the yoga studio. F%$#!!

I dashed into my apartment, changed out of sweaty clothes, grabbed a snack and headed back downtown.

My fellow subway passengers were weirded out intrigued by my carrot sticks and peanut butter snack.

Thankfully yogis are pretty good people (karma!) and my shoes were waiting for me when I arrived. I was so happy to retrieve them that I snapped a photo on the grungy subway platform. The lunaracers are SO light – 4.5 ounces! I can’t wait to race something fast in them.

9pm, finally home and hungry. Apologies for the lack of creativity, but I just wanted to EAT. I heated up a cup of roasted garlic-potato soup and had some triscuits and a laughing cow cheese on the side. I was craving salt after sweaty hot yoga.

Shortly before hitting the hay, I downed a glass of milk and some Nantucket cookies. Yum!

And that was Friday!

I just finished up a 16.5 mile run (more on that later)…and have plans to stay snug in my apartment for the rest of Saturday. It’s cold and rainy outside – perfect for reading, napping, and baking

Question: What’s your favorite cold and rainy day food?

Did you know that food is more valuable in its fermented form (think apples vs. hard cider, milk vs. cheese)? Check out this cool article on food fermentation!

My Friday just ended up getting better and better – a project deadline was extended, so I was able to leave the office on time, yay! And you know what that means? 6 o’clock hot yoga class with Katie. I’ve been looking forward to a class all week and this session did not disappoint! I was dripping in sweat by the end and I think I scurred a few people on the subway. I was the girl attired in sweaty running shorts + bright red winter coat + cowboy boots. I didn’t quite look homeless, but I certainly didn’t look sane. Ah well, it’s the price I pay for stretched out muscles and core strength…

When I got home, I scrounged around in the kitchen and made a dinner of pantry staples: 2 slices of whole wheat toast topped with peanut butter, a smidge of homemade apple butter, and apple slices. Plus more apple slices and pb on the side. Can you believe all of that apple is from just ONE piece of fruit? I had a jonagold the size of my head and it was very delicious. I love apple season!

After I ate dinner and showered I was feeling mighty ambitious, so I decided to bake something yummy. I looked at a few cookbooks for inspiration, but in the end I decided to make up my own recipe for Peanut Butter Cup Brownies. The combo of salty and sweet is really addictive and I am in a bit of a sugar coma from all of the batter sampling and crumb nibbling. So worth it though!

My Kitchenaid stand mixer was the BEST birthday present ever. Thanks mom!

I love things that are mini-sized. Especially if they contain chocolate and peanut butter.

Brownies warm from the oven:

Brownies with mini peanut butter cups

Ingredients

• 3/4 bag bittersweet chocolate chips (I used ghiradelli brand)
• 12 Tbs unsalted butter (1.5 sticks)
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour, 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• (most of a) container of Trader Joe’s mini peanut butter cups

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, lightly grease a 9″x13″ baking pan
• Melt butter and chocolate chips in a pan over low heat
• Using a mixer, cream together eggs and sugar
• Combine chocolate mixture with egg/sugar mixture, add in vanilla and applesauce
• Slowly mix in flour and salt
• Stir in peanut butter cups
• Pour batter into baking pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean
• Makes about 20 servings. Enjoy!

In college, I used to dread Sundays. I would wake up around noon (still feeling the effects of Saturday night partying) and have a ton of things to do before the day ended: papers to write, chapters to read, lab reports to finish, a long run with the cross-country/track team, and maybe some laundry.  But over the past few years, Sunday has become my favorite day of the week. I’m a total Grandma and don’t really stay out late anymore, so waking up at a decent hour is no problem. I’ve also learned to love long runs because they’ve become something I want to do rather than something I have to do. Oh, and I don’t have homework anymore. That’s pretty sweet! So I’ve decided,  Sunday is my new favorite day!

Favorite day started off with a walk to Dunkin’ Donuts for a latte lite. Love.

And then it was time for oats in a jar. I had about 1-2 Tbs of almond butter left at the bottom of the jar, so I made stovetop oats and then added the oats to the almond butter container. The hot oats melted the almond butter and everything mixed up quite nicely!

• 1/2 cup oats made with 1 cup water, splash of milk
• sea salt and cinnamon
• sliced banana
• 1-2 Tbs almond butter
• a few chocolate chips

My oats were perfect fuel for a long run! The weather was so amazing in NYC yesterday – sunny and 68 degrees when I set off for my run. I stopped around mile 6 to stretch out my ache-y IT band, but other than that I felt strong throughout my 12.5 mile run. I finished in 1 hour, 49 minutes which is about 8:45 per mile pace. If it weren’t for time constraints, I would have run longer! Love this weather. Can we just skip January, February, and March?

[source]

I foam rolled and stretched and then re-fueled!

• 1 cup plain Oikos greek yogurt
• chopped apple
• 1 Tbs peanut butter
• 1/2 Kashi crunchy granola bar

And a clif bar on the way out the door!

I met Katie for 5pm yoga and the same instructor from last week was teaching class. I love, love, love this teacher. Her core sequence is killer, but the deep stretches and the instructor’s mind-body philosophy more than make up for my sore abs. I don’t think it would be cool to take a camera into the studio, but I wanted you all to see what Yoga to the People looks like, so I pulled an image off of their site (thanks http://yogatothepeople.com). If you’re in the NYC, San Fran, or Berkeley areas, you have to check out this studio. I think the instructors are great and I love that the classes are donation based. Sometimes I have more money in the bank account, sometimes I have less, but I can always manage a donation for a yoga class. And that’s a very good thing.

[source]

*Note for those unfamilar with yoga: this photo makes it look like the class is worshipping an altar or something, but they’re really just in child’s pose (a gentle, resting pose).

After a quick stop at Trader Joe’s (madness on a Sunday evening!), I dashed home to start laundry and dinner. Before I got down to business, I had a small snack: 1/2 whole wheat sandwich thin with Greek olive hummus.

And then for the next 2 hours I cooked risotto. Yikes. This recipe was A LOT more labor intensive than I expected. The results were pretty good and I have a ton of leftovers, but I’m not sure I would do this again! But just in case you have a lot of time on your hands, I’ll post the recipe. Note: I improvised and used ingredients that I had on hand, so feel free to use different kinds of cheese, wine instead of beer, or arborio rice instead of brown.

Megan’s Pumpkin and Cheese Risotto (adapted from a Millenium Knickerbocker Hotel recipe)

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1.5 Tbs olive oil
• puree of one small pumpkin
• 1/2 can of pure pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 cups short grain brown rice (use arborio if you have it)
• 4 oz cottage cheese (or you could use goat cheese)
• 2 laughing cow lite cheese wedges (or you could use Parmesan cheese)
• 5 cups hot water (or chicken stock)
• 1/2 cup beer
• bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 Tbs salt
• 1 Tbs butter

Directions:

• Steep bay leaf in 5 cups of very hot water.
• Heat olive oil in large pot and saute rice, onions, and pumpkin until onions are translucent and rice has nutty aroma.
• Add garlic and saute briefly.
• Add beer and deglaze the pan.
• Remove bay leaf from hot water and discard.
• While stirring rice mixture with a wooden spoon (vigorously!), add one cup of hot water at a time until rice absorbs all water.
• This is where I started to freak out – my risotto was taking a very long time to cook. I was stirring and stirring and going to the laundry mat to pick up my laundry stirring non-stop for nearly 50 minutes before everything started to come together. I realized this was because I used brown rice and the original recipe uses white arborio rice which has a much shorter cooking time. This is what I get for trying to be healthy…
• Anyway, after your rice has finally absorbed the water and is al dente (soft, but chewy), add the canned pumpkin, salt, pepper, and cheese.
• Before serving, add Tbs butter and stir until melted.
• Allow the risotto to sit for a minute or so before serving and then enjoy over spinach or mixed greens.

After dishes and laundry folding, I was ready to pack it in. Phew, what a night of domesticity!

I finished up my Sunday with an episode of Mad Men, a glass of milk, and 2 white chocolate pumpkin cookies. Perfect.

Don’t love running? Neither did Matt until he discovered the beauty of the trails. Check out the new Running Shorts article on True/Slant for the whole story!

Cursing the alarm clock every morning? Read these tips for getting the restorative sleep you need.

Question: What’s the most labor intensive thing you’ve ever cooked or baked?

After my late Halloween night, I was feeling a little less than stellar on Sunday morning. But with some coffee and a big glass of water, I rallied enough for a run alongside the West Side bike path. Hannah and I ran about 5 miles (~43 minutes) and then came back to my apartment for breakfast!

Non-fat Dunkin’ Donuts latte, toasted cinnamon raisin bagel with goat cheese, and a sliced apple with almond butter. Full of stabilizing protein, healthy fat, and carbs. Oh yeah, and a mega-dose of caffeine.

Approximately 10 minutes after finishing breakfast, Hannah and I hit the road for another run. In order to get to mile 19 (1st Ave/115th St) in time to see our marathoning friends, we had to jog (walking takes too long!). I was a little worried about the coffee + breakfast + running and I wouldn’t do this every day, but it actually worked out fine. We were able to see the the runners at mile 19 and then again at mile 22. I wore my Nike + to record the distance and we ended up running/jogging about 3 extra miles throughout the early afternoon.

Female NYC Marathon winner: Derartu Tulu (love her!)

It was fun cheering with the crowd, but I’m not going to sugar coat it – the whole atmosphere of the NYC marathon has been kind of rough for me. I was entered in the marathon this year, but when I was side-lined by injury this summer, I knew I probably wouldn’t be able to participate in the race. It was a really hard decision to defer my entry, but I know it was the right one. If I had attempted to run yesterday, I probably would have only exacerbated my IT band/hamstring issues. I’m finally able to run again (for which I’m incredibly thankful!), but there are still days that my hamstring/knee bother me a lot and I’m always worried the injury will come back in full force.

All of the well-meaning co-workers who asked “are you running the marathon?”, the bombardment of Marathon ads on the streets and subways, and the general running buzz throughout the city have been constant reminders that I spent the better part of 2009 injured. I’m glad to be building mileage again, but I’m also frustrated that I can’t run as much or as fast as I’d like to. But it’s not all doom and gloom – there are some positive things that have come from my running struggles this year. I don’t think I will ever take a run for granted. I appreciate each mile that I’m able to complete. I’ve learned to enjoy new activities like cycling and yoga and I’m very excited to experiment with an indoor triathlon (January 10th!).  And being injured has allowed me to have a deeper understanding my body. I am more attuned to aches and soreness and fatigue, but I can also appreciate how good a pain-free run can feel. So as 2009 comes to a close I hope I can start moving forward, focusing on what I will be able to do and not the races that I’m missing out on.

Ahh, my heart feels better already. Thanks for listening.

I downed some Kombucha when I got back to my apartment and felt full of energy all afternoon – I was even motivated to sweep & mop the floors and take out the recycling!

My stomach started to growl around 3pm, time for a mini-meal of pineapple chobani greek yogurt and sliced banana.

Oh yeah, and a cupcake the size of my head. Earlier in the morning Hannah and I made the very wise decision to scope out the selection at Make My Cake – the cake shop (!!) next to my apartment building. I went with the red velvet cupcake, a Southern Classic. Not only was the cream cheese frosting rich and tangy, but the cake was incredibly moist (Magnolia, you could learn a few things from the folks Uptown). The red velvet had spicy undertones, so if you’re looking for a classic cupcake taste this might not be for you, but I really enjoyed it. I nibbled on this cupcake all day long and devoured every last crumb!

Mmm, cupcakes.

After I said my goodbyes to Hannah (sad), I met Katie in the East Village for quite possibly the best yoga class ever. The teacher’s style definitely wasn’t traditional, but I loved her the mind-body philosophy, the fast pace of the asanas, and the intense core sequence at the end.

Pretty hungry by the time I left class and in need of groceries, so I stopped at Whole Foods. Ahh! Salad bar twice in one weekend! So good, but so $$. Will cook tonight.

My take-out container included:

• base of romaine lettuce
• roasted mushrooms
• collard greens with pineapple
• roasted beets
• roasted apple
• wheatberry salad
• tuna salad with apricots and celery

Worth every penny. Yum.

After too many a few hours of email writing, photo uploading, and organizing for the week ahead, I was ready for a snack.

Lucky for me, my yoga buddy had gifted me with a container of vegan peanut butter & jelly bars. I can believe that they don’t contain animal products, but I’m pretty sure they contain crack. So delicious. Hopefully I will have the recipe soon. You’ll have to make your own, because I’m not sharing

Were humans “born to run”? Check out the newest Running Shorts post and see what Matt has to say!

Question: Have you ever had a sports-related injury? How did you deal?

This has got to have been the.longest.week.ever. Thank Goodness It’s Friday!

Friday started off with the usual coffee (1/2 decaf), lots of emails, and a baked apple with vanilla oikos greek yogurt.

Mid-morning snack: Kashi crunchy pumpkin spice granola bar (’Tis the season for pumpkin after all!)

I was workin’ like a mad woman trying to get through my to-do list and by the time I looked at the clock, it was already noon. I debated staying put and finishing up a project, but I knew I’d feel better if I got my blood flowing a bit. I hurried to the gym and made it in time for a “spooky cycling” class at 12:15pm. It was awesome! We listened to “The Monster Mash”, “Thriller”, and the theme song from “Ghost Busters” as we pedaled away. I love going to this instructor’s class because i.have.a.huge.crush.on.him.too.bad.he.likes.boys he always plays the best music!

After spin class, I popped into the cafeteria for a salad.

This yummy jumble of flavors included:

• arugula, mixed greens, carrots, onions, mushrooms
• feta cheese, cranberries, pumpkin seeds
• piece of sweet potato
• spoonful of rice & beans
• spoonful of pinto bean salad
• brussel sprouts + roasted apples

And then some salt & pepper popchips (addiction).

Even though it was the day before Halloween, my office was seriously lacking in candy, so I ventured to Duane Reade in search of something sweet. I debated getting some candy corn, but instead decided on a box of kudos. I think the last time I had one of these was in the mid-90’s, but it was surprisingly good! I tried the chocolate chip variety (100 cals, 3.5 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber) and it satisfied my sweet tooth while being a little bit healthier than candy. At least it’s made with whole grains

I chugged water all afternoon in preparation for hot yoga with Agnes and by 6pm I was ready to do some warrior poses in 95 degree+ heat. Really, it’s fun. However, tonight’s class was just so-so. The instructor wasn’t my favorite (I never like the ones that make us do bicycle crunches…), but in the end I’m glad I went!

After I convinced everyone in my subway car that I was a bum (sweaty mess), I arrived home with a mission: quickest dinner ever!

I heated up an Amy’s Kitchen Veggie Tamale dinner and while it does NOT look pretty, it certainly tasted good!

My photo:

Amy’s photo:

Umm, Amy wins.

And for dessert – 2% Fage greek yogurt with PB2 and tart cherries mixed in.

Ok, that’s it for tonight. Hannah will be arriving via Bolt Bus from Boston any moment! And I haven’t showered yet. Need to hop to it.

In the News:

Something we probably already knew: music makes exercise easier!

Live in New York? Hungry for pumpkin? Check out these local restaurants that are serving up seasonal fare!

Before you dig in to the candy, start your day off right with some high protein pumpkin pancakes. This one’s for you Holly!

Keep Halloween candy portions in check with this tool.

Did you know that trick-or-treating dates back to the middle ages? Find out more Halloween facts here.

Question: What’s your favorite Halloween candy? I love mini snickers bars!