8.2 Mile Hill Run

8.2 Miles
1:30:51 Time
11:05 Pace

My body felt great, but with the heat it was a little tough. I had to walk at some points.

Memorial Day Weekend Runs at Fire Island

Saturday
3.65 Miles
43:11 Time
11:50 Pace

Sunday
3.19 Miles
56:14 Time
17:38 Pace

I went down to Fire Island with a group of 12 people and there were some runners in the group.  On Saturday I ran with Joe.  He apparently ran track in HS.  He found a route from Mapquest or whatever app he has on his cell.  I didn't know the area, so I just stayed behind and let him lead the way and I took the two pictures you see below.

Sunday I ran with Nicole who is recovering from an injury and wanted to take it easy.  Her ankle was bothering her so we went extra careful.  I knew the area more so went a simple route to Ocean Beach and had some breakfast at Rachel's.  I felt the trip was a special occasion so I decided to have a mimosa.  I didn't realize this until I logged the miles at home but I started the day out with 1498.88 miles and finished 1502.07 miles.  Another reason to celebrate.  Later in the day we also did some yoga, which is her specialty.

Monday was suppose to be me, Debbie, Tom and possibly Mel going on a run but 3 nights of little sleep adds up and no one wanted to run.  I took a rest day Monday instead of going alone.  Tom lives near me so we might run together at some point.

8.2 Mile Hill Run

8.2 Miles
1:27:37 Time
10:41 Pace

A little hot and humid despite starting at 8 AM.  I haven't done this route in like a month and I listened to REM - Out of Time, which I haven't heard in years...I used to listen to that album all the time.  Some minor pains at time but overall felt good.

3.7 Mile Run with Erin

3.7 Miles

41 Minutes

11:05 Pace

My hip was feeling much better. I ran with Erin who I met via the local Meetup.com running group. She is also doing the NYC Marathon so we are staring to build our base for training. Like me, she doesn't know she will train for it yet, but unlike me she says she isn't a fan of hills...hopefully I can change that. Great weather, great conversation and nice views from running at the beach. Apparently she ran a half last year with no Gels, strictly water and apparently not much water. Don't know how she did it.

Spicy Tempeh Chili

A little less spicy than the quinoa chili but a bit "meatier" with the tempeh.  I actually used two jalapenos.  Overall a decent meal.  It does well as leftovers as well, I actually made it last night and had some more for dinner tonight.

http://www.food.com/recipe/spicy-tempeh-chili-125302

2.66 Mile Run

2.66 Miles
26:36 Time
10:00 Pace

Ouch...At first my hip was bothering me and it was borderline painful.  I kept going and it did get better, but it still wasn't a pleasant run.  I will take off Wednesday and see how it goes Thursday.

5.3 Mile Running Store Group Run

5.3 Miles
51:55 Time
9:48 Pace

Respectable, though not impressive/time pace.  Felt like I was pushing myself atleast.  The last mile (up the hill) was my best mile, with a 9:36 pace.  Thanks to the new employee, Isabelle, for pushing me at the end (well most of time I struggled to run at her pace) and telling me quinoa is pronounced "keen wah" and not "key own ah"   At any rate, I will be happier when I am running more, as opposed to stressing about pace.  I might not even reach 100 miles this month.

Mushroom-Spinach Curry

Delicious!  Very very easy and tasty.  The sambar powder gives it a good flavor without making it too spicy.  I purchased some at the local Indian store.  I forget what recipe I used it for originally.  I was a little worried as the recipe doesn't specify cooking times.  I sort of guessed how to cook it and it turned out well.

http://www.holycowvegan.net/2009/04/i-enjoy-sharing-all-my-recipes-with-you.html

Curried Mixed Vegetables

Meh...Nothing special.  The chiles I used were a little old, so not as potent.  I also didn't use the Greek yogurt.  The pita bread also takes away more flavor.  Even without the bread, it was so so.  I guess the edamame beans are really healthy so maybe I can find a better recipe for them.

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/curried-mixed-vegetables

Ethiopian Cabbage

This was a bit bland. In fairness, I slightly burned some of the ingredients, but there still wasn't enough of a taste for me to try it again. I had food at an Ethiopian restaurant and loved it. This recipe and the Chickpea Stew recipe have been sadly mediocre.

http://adelaidefood.wordpress.com/2011/05/04/ethiopian-cabbage-vegan-delicious/

RFR Realty 5K Corporate Run/Walk

3.1 Miles
24:07 Time
7:46 Pace

I felt crappy running, but I guess that is expected.  I wanted to stop around mile 1.5, which is the hill.  They are a lot tougher when you are tired.  I pushed through though, but my hip was sore during after the race.  I'll update this when the results are posted and I am not half asleep.

...

Update (or rather better written race report)

On May 20, 2010 I ran my first race, the Stamford RFR Realty 5K. I finished in 33:39, which is a 10:50 pace. I finished 766th out of 1191, or bottom 35.7%

On May 19, 2011, I ran the Stamford RFR Realty 5K for the second time. I finished in 24:07, which a 7:46 pace. I finished 307th out of 1598, or top 19.2%

I felt crappy running, but I guess that is expected in a 5K. I wanted to stop around mile 1.5, which is a mild, but long hill, and walk for a bit. Hills are a lot tougher when you are tired. I pushed through though, but my hip was sore during and after the race. I thought I ran like 25:30 or something, as I looked at the clock when I finished and I thought it was around that time. I didn't have a watch/timer on me. The runners didn't seem to be going that fast that wear near me and I felt sluggish. I will probably take a few days off as I am still a little beat. Beat, but psyched I finally cracked an 8 minute mile.

Zumba warmup























Finishers

Spicy Vegan Quinoa Chili

Wow, the perfect kick.  I didn't get a chipotle pepper but I used an extra jalapeno and habanero.  The taste was quite spicy, any hotter and it would be difficult to eat.  A+.

http://eatingconsciously.blogspot.com/2009/01/spicy-vegan-chili_08.html

2.66 Mile Recovery Run

2.66 Miles
27:27 Time
10:19 Pace

My hip was a bit sore after yesterday and I was debating running today.  I figured go easy today and it might help loosen me up.  It wasn't too painful, and hopefully after some icing and yoga, I should be ok for my 5K Thursday.  I'll also mention, while there was no rain when I started, it came down heavy at the end.

5.3 Mile Running Store Group Run

5.3 Miles
50:32 Time
9:32 Pace

Felt very good running and I ran a decent pace.  The mist/light rain helped keep me cool.  The new employee who was leading the group run (it was actually just me and her today) definitely pushed me at the end, as I finished with a 9:03 mile which included a long hill.  A little sore after, so I'll probably go easy Tuesday, maybe I should stretch more too.

Vegan Sausage Rolls

This is one of the more difficult recipes I have tried to make.  I don't typically use dough.  The Phyllo dough I had was expired and I tried a pastry puff recipe I found online.  Not sure it was appropriate for this recipe, as I found I couldn't really roll it too thin without it coming apart.  The size of the rolls I made were burrito size.  The vegetable/spice mixture was decent.  Nothing to rave about, and the taste from eating a roll was about 50% dough.  I couldn't find a pumpkin to use and I forgot to glaze with soy milk.  I might try a similar recipe in the future, but I probably wouldn't try this again.

http://vegetarianchickie.wordpress.com/2009/04/19/vegan-sausage-rolls/

12.94 Mile Long Run

12.94 Miles
2:17:56 Time
10:39 Pace

Fastest pace at a 10+ mile distance (excluding races)!  I felt great, well not really great, but good enough to keep a decent pace.  The weather was nice as well.  The route was suggested by my running buddy Tina and it had a little of everything.  Lots of rolling hills, downtown (nice scenery), back roads by water (nicer scenery), a main road with traffic but sidewalks to be safe (not really nice scenery but watching traffic does help take your mind off things) and rolling hills.  Did I mention the rolling hills?  I think I am getting a little stronger from Bear Mountain and Van Cortlandt.  I will have to try route again.

For fuel prior to the run I had about half a smoothie, a large bowl of cereal and a YouBar (*my* YouBar actually), which I got via Groupon, with the 5 main ingredients being cashew butter, dates, brown rice syrup, cherries and pumpkin seeds.  Not sure if that helped me run but I didn't feel hungry.  During the run, I had 1 Gatorade Prime about 1.5 hour into the run and 8oz of water at about 2 hours.  No need for the gels.

I will have to use the distance CardioTrainer says.  I can't MapQuest about 10 minutes of the route since what I thought was the road I had to turn on was the back entrance to a business.  MapQuest says the rest of the route was 12.09 miles so that seems accurate.  I should mention CardioTrainer was a little funny today.  My first 3 miles were 11:14/11:54/12:29 and the last three 8:56/6:54/8:57 and I don't see the the first 8 miles on the map, despite me having GPS enabled.

4.76 Mile Run

4.76 Miles
50:31 Time
10:37 Pace

New route, with not a lot of traffic to deal with.  I sorta ran around randomly and ran through a park, so its a good thing I can use CardioTrainer to track my distance.  I had half a smoothie and some cereal before I ran but I was still a bit hungry at first.  I think I started a little too fast, my splits were 9:01 then 10:37/11:13/11:11 and I was a little disappointed with my pace overall.  I also rocked out to Shakira - Waka Waka which is now stuck in my head from Zumba

2.66 Mile Speed Run

2.66 Miles
22:04 Time
8:18 Pace

Fastest.  Pace.  Ever.  I beat my last record from March 10, when I ran this route with an 8:25 pace.  I didn't eat before I ran, and I didn't feel so good the first few minutes.  Hopefully I don't make this mistake for my 5K next week, my first since January.  I'd love to go sub 8, but around this pace would still be a PR.

5.09 Mile Run

5.09 Miles
48:54 Time
9:36 Pace

Nice 50 degree weather and a great pace for me.  Felt a little rusty at first, which I guess is expected after Bear Mountain, but I loosened up.  Felt great during the last mile or so.  I also rocked out to a new song, Belly - Feed The Tree.  I guess its not that new but I just heard it for what I think was the first time from watching the Greatest One Hit wonders of the 90s on VH1.

Vegan Chicken Marsala Masala with Fresh Morels

Delicious!  I think I forgot how good marsala wine was.  Spices do help, including the garam masala I used, but wow, the marsala wine took this to the next level.  A sweet taste with a lot of flavor.  I couldn't find the MimicCreme at Whole Foods so I used Silk Creamer.  For the vegan margarine I used Spectrum Canola Oil Spread.  For the chicken, I used Gardein Tuscan Breasts.  I couldn't find morel mushrooms so I used portobello mushrooms.  I also used penne rigata pasta.  I need to start searching "vegan marsala wine recipes" now to try to find things to cook that are just as good.

http://en.petitchef.com/recipes/vegan-chicken-marsala-masala-with-fresh-morels-fid-372469

Spinach & Mushroom Quiche

My long time vegan friend and recent vegan mentor, Randi, sent me a vegan quiche with wilting greens recipe a few months back.  I was checking old emails and I thought it looked good, but she said she didn't like it when I asked her today about it.  I luckily had a similar recipe saved in my bookmarks of recipes I want to try, so I figured I'd try it.  Like Randi and her recipe, I didn't really care for this.  It was a little bland.  I like spinach, tofu and mushrooms but together it seemed a bit plain.  Really plain actually.  To be honest I had no garlic spice, as I usually use the minced garlic which I didn't have any of, though I doubt that would have helped much.

http://happyherbivore.com/recipe/quiche/

The Northface Endurance Challenge/The Bear Mountain, NY Half Marathon

13.1 Miles
3:04:33 Time
14:06 Pace

The Northface Endurance Challenge/The Bear Mountain, NY Half Marathon

Introduction

The NF Endurance Challenge was my first legitimate trail race with technical conditions.  The few Holiday Marathons (rather 1/2 and 3/4 marathons) I have ran you could actually run, and by that I mean run the entire course if you are in good shape.  There weren't rocks you had to be careful stepping on or fallen trees you had to jump over.  I saw one person who I think twisted an ankle and decided not to continue to the race, a person with an ice pack wrapped around his ankle at the finish and a few people almost tripping, including myself.  I rolled my ankle a few times.  One was semi serious, or atleast serious enough for me to hear "are you ok" from someone behind me.  Not sure how it happened, but my thigh was sore for awhile after the race and overall I am still somewhat beat, and also drained from the heat.

First Half

The first few miles were semi technical.  Some uphill with branches and other trail objects you could trip over.  There was room to pass, though most people that were running near me were going at a somewhat similar pace.  The first aid station came up, which luckily had GUs, GU Brew (which I had never heard of) and water.  Not sure if the GU is vegan but I had a part of a packet at each station.  There might have been some Nuun too, atleast a later aid station had some.  I sampled a little of everything and then poured some water over my head to cool down.  Then we got to an open area near the parking lot (we actually had to park a few miles away and take a bus to the start.)  Even though it was pavement, I didn't really want to pick up my pace at this point and I kept going at my steady pace.

Second Half

For the second half, I remember the trail got vary narrow and steep.  You really couldn't pass anyone and you had to be careful.  After a climb so to speak, we seemed to be almost at the top of the mountain and we could see over trees.  Then we had to start going down which was a little sketchy, as it was still narrow and you had rocks to go over.  Another aid station came up (I think this was about mile 8.9, based on what a volunteer said) and the volunteer mentioned we still had another hill coming up and then the course was easier until the end.  The hill was basically what we had been dealing with, rocks and some muddy sections, but of course I, and I assume the other runners were quite beat by this point.  I was almost jumping for joy when I saw the next aid station as I was really starting to feel weak.  The terrain became much more relaxed and it was quite nice running with fewer people on the course.  I still needed to walk and at times I said "that's it, I am done" but I forced myself to keep running for a bit.  The end came up sooner than I thought and it was nice being cheered by some spectators.

Based on the timing information, I seemed to bonked toward the end.

2.6 Mile Mark
31:20 Time
12:03 Pace

8.3 Mile Mark
1:46:37 Time
12:51 Pace

Conclusion

Believe it or not, with the time I ran, I finished with bottom 25% of the runners, including some people who didn't finish.  Not great, but normally when you hear someone ran a 3 hour half marathon you think they finished last.  I am also new to this level of trail running so I didn't know what to expect.  Only a handful of runners went below 2 hours.  I actually thought I was one of the last to finish because I started at the back of the pack and I didn't think I passed that many runners.  I think I heard someone mention that you can add an hour to your typical road half marathon finish time to get an expected finish time for this race.  I ran my only street half marathon back in September, Yonkers, and ran it in like 2:17 something, so maybe I would do a lot better if I tried one today, though I am not really interested in doing that.

The start.

Some of the rocks we encounted on the course.

Nice view.

More pictures I took (I think I had some weird mode selected as they are the best quality)

5.09 Mile Run

5.09 Miles
50:24 Time
9:54 Pace

A little rusty at first but I loosened up. It was hotter than I thought it be, and I regret wearing workout pants and not drinking more water before the run, though I did have a small smoothie before I took off. I still had enough energy to run up the hills, though still at a casual pace.

Spicy Vegan Gumbo

Veggie overload.  Almost too many vegetables.  I normally like okra, I think there was a recipe I made with it, but I don't think it went well with the other ingredients as it was a bit mushy.  The recipe also suggested 4 cups of vegetable broth, though I only had one cup left and I felt it still was a bit soupy.  I didn't use rice, as there was no need.  Way too much for me to eat, so this will probably be lunch and dinner for the next day atleast.  No health expert, but I assume I getting servings of everything I need with this recipe.

http://marisashealthykitchen.com/2010/01/31/spicy-vegan-gumbo/

Gobi Masala (Cauliflower Curry)

It has a good taste to it, but wasn't terribly impressed considering the variety of spices you use. For spices, it includes asafoetida, garam marsala, cayenne pepper and a few other things. The recipe also calls for turmeric but I keep forgetting to buy it. I felt this would be good as a side. It seems to be lacking something and wasn't terrible filling. To be fair, the recipe suggests serving it with rice, dal, raita and/or Indian pickles, whatever Indian pickles are, but I just made this as is. I also chopped the hell out of the vegetables with the Vidalia Chop Wizard I got.

http://www.herbivoracious.com/2011/04/gobi-masala-cauliflower-curry-recipe.html

2.66 Mile Run

2.66 Miles
26:58 Time
10:08 Pace

It was raining a little when I started and it was basically a downpour at the end.  I hoped to get a few more miles in by doing the short loop I do twice, but I decided to call it day.  I took it nice and easy.  Like Monday, a little stiff at first but I felt great at the end.

Rainy day run

Stir-Fry Vegetable with Shirataki Tofu Noodles (Take 2)

I originally made this a few weeks ago, but this time I found the Shirataki Tofu noodles at Whole Foods.  I actually prefer the Asian style noodles due to their heavier texture.  I learned a new term, parboiling, which is essentially cooking food in boiling water.  I also learned hoisin means seafood, though hoisin sauce doesn't contain any.  Another sauce would have helped, as I felt hoisin sauce has too mild a taste.

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=203243&src=droid

5.34 Mile Running Store Group Run

5.34 Miles
55:30 Time
10:24 Pace

I took it easy today, as I still felt a little tight.  It was a little better than Friday.  When I got to the last mile, I held back despite my desire to pick up my pace.  Sometimes I wonder if I am fine but I imagine a sensation because I over focus on that area of my body.  I'll probably take Tuesday off and go easy again Wednesday.

Vegan Cupcakes and Frosting

My Daily Mile friend Randi D posted pictures of vegan cupcakes she made on her profile and I asked for the recipe. I wasn't sure how this would turn out. I don't have a sifter, I used a random recipe for mayonnaise and I used almond milk instead of coconut milk. I also rarely bake. From reading about ingredients online I learned people debate whether margarine is vegan and for those who think it is vegan, its a good example of why being vegan doesn't equal being healthy. I used vegetable oil instead which is probably just as unhealthy but I do like sweets on occasion though. The cupcake itself was ok, a bit bland. I thought it would have more of a taste with the agave nectar and the cocoa powder. However, the frosting was quite good. I think I put too much almond milk with the cream which is why mine have a glazed look. Overall quite tasty.

 

 Mine

 

Hers 

 

Recipe