Sunday, July 15, 2012

Girls Weekend Food

Got home from another great girls weekend a little while ago.  Had some pretty awesome meals this weekend. (Thanks Becca!!)  Just so I won't lose them, here's the recipes:

Greek Herb Panzanella

Good Olive Oil
1 small french bread cut into 1 inch cubes
Salt
1 cucumber
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes halved
1/2 red onion chopped
1/2 pound feta cheese
1/2 cup olives (we skipped)
2 Tbs Fresh Oregano
2 Tbs Fresh Rosemary

For the vinaigrette
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1/4 good red wine vinegar (we used balsamic)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspood freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil

Heat 3 Tbsp olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread cubes and sprinkle with salt, oregano and rosemary; cook over low to medium heat, tossing frequently for 5-10 minutes, until nicely browned. Add more olive oil as needed.

Place cucumber, red pepper, yellow pepper, tomatoes and red onion in a large bowl.

For the vinaigrette, whisk together the garlic, oregano, mustard, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper in a small bowl. while still whisking add the olive oil and make an emulsion. pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables. Add the feta, olives and bread cubes and mix together lightly. Set aside for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.


Mango Salsa


1 mango - peeled, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 green onion chopped
2 tbsp cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 chopped cucumber

Combine all, sit 30 minutes before serving.



Black Bean and Corn Salsa


1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 cup frozen corn (thawed)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
3 tbsp lime juice
8 small green onions
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin

Mix all of the above well. Chill before serving.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

I am a Princess!

Registration for the disney princess half marathon opened at noon today. 
And by 12:41, I was registered.






Wednesday, July 4, 2012

RW Run Streak week 5 1/2 Recap

Well, I did it - I finished the Runner's World Summer Run Streak.  I ran at least a mile a day for 38 straight days.  At times it was fun; at times it totally sucked; but I did it. 

Here's my mileage for week 5 1/2:
Day 36 - Mon. 7/2: 1.13 mile, avg. pace - 10:38mpm
Day 37 - Tues. 7/3: 1.11 mile, avg. pace - 8:55mpm
Day 38 - Wed. 7/4: 1.01 mile, avg. pace - 10:17mpm
Total Miles Week 5 1/2: 3.25 miles

Now to answer the burning questions:

1. Why did you do it?
To prove to myself that I could.  To have motivation to get out and run when it's hot and miserable.

2. Are you going to keep a streak going?
Nope. I thought about it, but have decided against it. My body is definitely letting me know that it's tired and needs a rest day or two.

3. What did I learn?
I learned that though they are few and far between, I do have some fast miles me in.  I learned that my goal of a 27 minute 5k is not just a dream; with some work, I will be able to get there. I learned that there is truth in the statement: "you are so much stronger than you think you are."

4. Was it worth it?
Absolutely. It's made me a more persistent runner, a more dedicated runner, a stronger runner.
RW Run Streak Statistics:
Week 1: 19.79 miles
Week 2: 22.7 miles
Week 3: 20.64 miles
Week 4: 19.68 miles
Week 5: 30.81 miles
Week 5 1/2: 3.25 miles

Total Miles: 115.47

Sunday, July 1, 2012

RW Run Streak Week 5 Recap

And week 5 of the streak is done and in the books, so to speak.  And what a week it was!  On Monday, I declared that it was going to be Long Slow Distance Week, and I wasn't going to run less than 4 miles on any given day. I almost succeeded with that, but not quite - Wednesday I wasn't feeling well and I only managed to get 2 miles; Friday was the day of the "storm of the century" (only a slight exaggeration there) and I had to run inside with the wii for a makeshift 3 miles. 

But despite record high temperatures (100+ degrees multiple days) and the storm and its aftermath, I still managed to get my miles in and keep the streak alive.  It wasn't always pretty, and I didn't always feel good, but I completed the week and ended up with my highest mileage in a long time. :-)

Day 29 - Mon. 6/25: 6.01 miles, avg. pace - 11:11mpm
Day 30 - Tues. 6/26: 7.01 miles, avg. pace - 10:56mpm
Day 31 - Wed. 6/27: 2.01 miles, avg. pace - 10:34mpm
Day 32 - Thurs. 6/28: 4.72 miles, avg. pace - 12:31mpm
Day 33 - Fri. 6/29: @3 miles, avg pace - 10:00mpm (wii fit plus 30 minute free run) @6,496 steps
Day 34 - Sat. 6/30: 4.06 miles, avg. pace - 12:36mpm
Day 35 - Sun. 7/1: 3.99 miles, avg. pace - 11:57mpm

Total Miles Week 5: 30.81 miles
Total Miles RW Run Streak: 112.22 miles