Thursday, June 30, 2011

Pav Bhaji (Indian mixed vegetables)

Another example of not reading the recipe before I buy the ingredients.  I didn't have a pressure cooker but I cooked the vegetables covered in water for like 10 minutes.  I also couldn't really mash the potatoes, I have never tried mashing potatoes before and didn't want to learn it tonight.  I used garam masala instead of pav bhaji masala.  They look pretty similar to me.  The dish had a good kick.  I added tofu based on a suggestion in the comments.  I wish I didn't mash it up, as I kinda prefer the tofu in chunks.  Good but not great.
http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=11811

Moroccan Tagine

I found this recipe in a Runner's World forum thread about vegan/vegetarian recipes.  I used couscous instead of chicken.  I used all my strength to chop up the butternut squash, with some help from a chopper.  It was ok, the beans are good, but it could use some more spices.  I didn't think it was great or anything.  I actually made this a few days ago and while I did have some leftovers, I didn't finish it completely.I used couscous instead of chicken.  I used all my strength to chop up the butternut squash, with some help from a chopper.  It was ok, the beans are good, but it could use some more spices.  I didn't think it was great or anything.  I actually made this a few days ago and while I did have some leftovers, I didn't finish it completely.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/moroccan-tagine/detail.aspx

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

5.09 Mile Run

5.09 Miles
47:46 Time
9:23 Pace

Nice and cool, felt much better running today than yesterday.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

7.75 Mile Run

7.75 Miles
1:31:13 Time
11:46 Pace

Way too hot to run well.  I was scrolling songs to find one to play and not paying attention, and my shoulder hit a telephone pole during my run.  Really minor, no bruises or anything but I dropped my phone.  Luckily I just cracked my $2 case.  More embarrassing than anything but I don't think anyone saw.

Monday, June 27, 2011

5.34 Mile Running Store Group Run

5.34 Miles
50:15 Time
9:25 Pace

It was Newton night at the Running Company and the Newton rep let people run with their shoes.  I tried the Motion/Motus stability shoe for the run.  I couldn't really get the form down, remember you have to run mid to front foot strike with their shoes.  I know one person that swears by them but when I run I don't like to think about anything, form included.  People do say it takes  few weeks to get used to the shoes and running in them.  I still did pretty well.  The last mile was ran at an 11:33 pace as I had to walk a bit, but I still felt I ran well overall.

Me in the Newtons

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Vegan Blintzes

I got confused because it said Noodle *Makes 4 Large Blintzes and I thought that was a company. Since I didn't find any premade blintzes in the store, I used this recipe I found online. It was rather confusing, possibly because they don't expect you to fill it with anything, I am not sure. When I saw the full recipe, I then tried making the blintz in the way they suggest. Mine didn't come out so well. Its the bottom right blitnz, the rest are from the alternative recipe. In terms of the filling, I used a very light tofu, one that said it was good for smoothies on the package. It seemed to work with the fillings. The raisins/cinnamon and basic/tomato combinations were great, well not great but tasty. I didn't buy stevia, I just used sugar. The overall taste was just so so. If it involves flour I sometimes, well usually, have problems making it properly.


Saturday, June 25, 2011

Run A Muck 5K

3.1 Miles
54:13 Time
17:10 Pace

This was harder than I thought it would be.  I was aware of some obstacles, but you had some tough terrain to deal with and parts of the course were quite narrow.  Luckily, lots of trees made it shady and cool.  I did it with 3 other people, we were runaway brides and grooms.  We ran as part of the 4 person/team costume run.  Lots of fun, I might do another race like this in the future.


Sebago Beach/Harriman State Park, NY
http://runamuckfestival.com/locations/new-york/

Friday, June 24, 2011

6.02 Mile Run With Ron

6.02 Miles
56:59 Time
9:28 Pace

I ran with Ron who I met at the local running group.  He is a 3:30 ish marathoner and 20 ish 5Ker.  I was a little intimidated but he said he was due for a recovery run.  I told him for 5+ mile runs pacewise I am low 9s on good days and low 10s on bad days.  He actually said I was selling myself short during the run today.

The pace for the run turned out to be my best among the 36 runs I have done between 6-6.99 miles, we went a little beyond 5 (the last PR was back in November and that was mostly track workout).
Also, as I was going down a backroad a truck drove by slowly.  There was a tree and some of the top branches were above the road.  As the truck went by and brushed the branch, I thought to myself, good thing I am not right under it, and the next thing I know it falls to the ground.  It wasn't a huge branch and I was 10 feet away, but it could do some damage if it hit me.


Blurry picture of the tree branch

Thursday, June 23, 2011

8.2 Mile Hill Run

8.2 Miles
1:27:23 Time
10:39 Pace

I felt great, I felt like I was running faster than the pace shows.  Almost the same time/pace when I ran this route about a month ago.  Sorry, I thought I took a picture but I guess I didn't.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

6.61 Mile Downtown Run

6:61 Miles
1:08:00 Time
10:17 Pace

Not my best effort but still a decent run.  I did pick up my pace and ran one of my better miles running the East Main St. Hill.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Polenta Party with Mushrooms, Leeks and ‘Sausage’

Blah.  I didn't care for this.  A little too soupy.  The instructions for the polenta weren't too clear.  The polenta package said to cook it around 45 minutes but the instructions said to until it was hard like dough, which took much less.  I did like the Tofurkey kielbasa, which I used instead of the sausage.

http://twovegancooks.com/?p=679

Monday, June 20, 2011

5.3 Mile Running Store Group Run

5.3 Miles
48:26 Time
9:08 Pace

Solid run, and after running 6 days in a row I think I will have a solid rest day Tuesday.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

3.15 Mile Lululemon Group Run

3.15 Miles
28:34 Time
9:04 Pace

Another time when I am running with other people and I think I am going slow because I am back of the pack struggling to keep up. Overall good effort and I finished front of the pack. I love the hill.


Saturday, June 18, 2011

Kale Stuffed Shells

Easy and tasty.  Very light as well.  I am sure its also healthy.  My Facebook friends loved the picture of it (I used a slightly different one)...Not much else to say.  Try it.

http://theveganstoner.blogspot.com/2011/03/vegan-stoners-kale-stuffed-shells.html

13.05 Mile Long Run

13.05 Miles
2:34:05 Time
11:48 Pace

I felt a bit weak at the end, some walking, but oddly CardioTrainer had the last mile at 12:09 pace and miles 5 and 7 were 13+.  Probably could have fueled better.
Other info:
Lots of hills-CardioTrainer had the total climb as 441 yards
Fuel (pre run) - Generic Cheerios, smoothie
Fuel (run) 2 8oz water, 1 Gatorade Prime, 1 gel
Music - Interpol-Turn On The Bright Lights, Cinnamon Chasers-A Million Miles from Home, random 80s songs

Oh yeah, I bumped into Michele, a triathlete I know.  Its not everyday you hear someone say "hi Aron" while you are on your run.  She was biking with a group of people.  Someone also honked and waved but I didn't recognize them.

Friday, June 17, 2011

5.09 Mile Run

5.09 Miles
53:15 Time
10:28 Pace

Not my best time and not my worst time.  Wasn't feeling bad but wasn't feeling 100% either.





















I really love running up hills.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

3.68 Mile Run With Erin/5.44 Mile Run Solo

9.12 Miles
1:49:32 Time
12.01 Pace

Part one with Erin was 3.68 Miles, 49:43 Time and 13:31 Pace (though that time includes about 4 minutes of talking with Ron, who is a runner we bumped into)

Part two solo was 5.44 Miles, 59:49 Time and 11:00 Pace.

Nice run with Erin.  We talked about roommates who don't clean and healthy foods.  Apparently olive oil and soy products can be deceiving, and aren't all that great for you.  She is considering taking a year long nutrition class.  She ran well, I am glad her foot isn't painful anymore.  We also bumped into Ron from the local running group and we chatted for a few minutes and exchanged contact info.  He is a pretty fast runner so it would be intimidating running with him but apparently he lives nearby which is convenient.  After running with Erin I had some water, some of a protein bar and smoothie at my place, and then I did the same route as yesterday.  I took a small bottle of water with me as it was getting hot.  Ron actually saw me again, this time he honked as he was driving by.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

5.44 Mile Run

5.44 Miles
52:13 Time
9:36 Pace

Fueled with a fruit smoothie, I had a great run and felt energetic the whole time.  I noticed my splits were a little inconsistent, they ranged from 9:01 to 10:24.  The 9:01 pace was for the last mile which included a hill.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Chickpea Quiche & "Frozen Ice Cream" Smoothie

I know one too many vegans, or atleast people that appreciate healthy recipes. Running buddy and good music fan Nicole sent me the link to Two Vegan Cooks earlier this month (I think she knows or knows people who know the editors) but then I got confused and told her I was going to make kale stuffed shells from The Vegan Stoner and thanked her for sending me the link, but then we awkwardly realized that I got the sites mixed up. Someone else sent me the Vegan Stoner one. I got the issue straightened out and I tried the Chickpea Quiche. I actually was going to make the No Meat Loaf but I needed a juicer. I knew it would be challenge as I don't have a food processor, just a blender, and now I realized I needed water (which makes sense) but I overlooked it in the recipe. It still came out ok. A different texture than quiche but still decent. I used two teaspoons of cayenne and that was a little much. I will probably try it again to see how if I can make it turn out better.

She also sent a recipe for a "frozen ice cream" smoothie that is pretty simple and doesn't involve ice cream but is thick. I used the honey instead of the stevia, which I am not really sure what is but I have been recently seeing that in other recipes. I'll probably use a non frozen banana next time as it really didn't get blended and when I drank the smoothie my nose would touch the banana and I would get some of the mixture on it. Good thing I eat alone.








Monday, June 13, 2011

5.3 Mile Running Store Group Run

5.3 Miles
47:29 Time
8:58 Pace

Best 5+ mile run since I ran at a 9:21 pace about two months ago.  Thanks to some good weather and some new people in the group, I set a new personal record.  Since I was behind the newer runners for most of the time, I psychologically didn't think I was running that well.  It wasn't until I checked my time at the end I realized how I did.

To be fair, CardioTrainer had it as 5.11 miles/9.13 pace.  Someone in the group used some Nike sensor thing and it was 5.44 miles, though he said your stride can affect distance so it might not be accurate...I am using the standard 5.3 miles based on what MapQuest says.





















I really like running up hills.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

2.31 Mile Lululemon Group Run

2.31 Miles
29:31 Time
12:45 Pace.
Nice Lululemon group run. Slower than last week and less people, but there was a newer runner there who said this was the longest distance she had run.


Saturday, June 11, 2011

11.95 Mile Long Run

11.95 Miles
2:11:18 Time
10:59 Pace

Felt a little weak at the end and I had to do some walking.  I did feel legs burning to some degree so it was a good workout regardless.  I ran later than usual because it was raining this morning, but it was still cool when I went out.  I had one gel/Gatorade prime/11 oz water.  About 30 seconds faster than when I did this route last week.

Friday, June 10, 2011

African Sweet Potato Stew

A+.  Excellent combination of spices.  I didn't use chunks of sweet potatoes, instead just shredded them up.  I used edamme beans instead of green beans.  I used almond butter instead of peanut butter.  I didn't use a crockpot, I just let everything cook in low heat for an hour.  Great stuff.

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=185170

Thursday, June 9, 2011

5.06 Mile Run

5.06 Miles
52:41 Time
10:25 Pace

Finding some new places to run. Some parts were shaded, other parts were hot as hell.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

6.35 Mile Run

6.35 Miles
1:08:06 Time
10:43 Pace

It's hot out there!  I felt good, a little stiff at first since I didn't run Tuesday.  This is the first time in 2 months I ran this route.  I don't really care for it, you basically go to the end of this long street and come back.  Nice view of the water though.  I haven't been on MapMyRun in ages, maybe they have some new routes.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Crispy Cajun Chickpea Cakes

The spices were nice, hints of flavor without being too spicy. I actually doubled the cayenne and hot sauce because the blogger said it was mild to begin with. The problem was it was crispy from being fried, and that does take away from some of the flavor. It was ok, I enjoyed having a few of them but it's not something I'd likely try again. I also only have a blender, I am sure having a food processor would help.



Monday, June 6, 2011

5.3 Mile Running Store Group Run

5.3 Miles
50:32 Time
9:32 Pace

Solid effort, and oddly the same time as the May 16 run, which was the same route.  I have done better paces in the past but sub 10 pace is still good for me.  The last mile (which includes the Greenwich Ave hill) was 9:04.  Again, I have done better, but still a good pace.  Good to see Caroline running again as well.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

3.2 Mile Lululemon Group Run

3.2 Miles
30:41 Time
9:35 Pace

Fun group run at Lululemon for their first running group. I was pushed to do this pace but it wasn't too bad. Apparently 2 of the other runners there (there were like 10 runners total, all ages) are doing the New York City Marathon.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

11.95 Mile Long Run

11.95 Miles
2:11:47 Time
11:02 Pace

Why can't I run like this every day?  Not as impressive as my recent 12 miler at a 10:39 pace, but I felt very strong running.  I finished very strong, mile 10 was 10:18 and 11 was 10:21 and I had a few miles left in me.  Out of the 14 times I have run 11-11.99 miles, this was my best pace, with my prior record being from November where I ran 11:18 pace.  Also, I finish this week (Sun-Sat) with the second largest weekly miles in the last 12 weeks (35.95, highest is 38.55).  For breakfast I had some Cheerios with coconut milk and a smoothie.  During the run I consumed 1 11oz bottle of water and one package PowerBar Energy Blasts.  The weather was cool enough so I didn't need more water or the Gatorade Primes I brought.

I also rocked out to a band Nicole from the Fire Island trip suggested, Cinnamon Chasers.  Their album "A Million Miles From Home" has a dream pop/shoegaze/electronica sound to it.  Good stuff, great stuff actually, its not so different from Interpol and Heaviness, as all have dreamy albums good enough to listen to on long runs.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Black Bean Oatmeal Burgers

I found this recipe in the March issue of Yoga Journal, which I read on the Fire Island Vacation. I couldn't find the recipe on their site, though they have many others to choose from. Apparently another blogger tried the recipe and liked it so much she reposted it, or atleast the ingredients portion of the recipe. The blogger uses the same ingredients but cooks it longer than the Yoga Journal recipe, which seems to be a better idea. My problem was the burger wasn't super firm despite the amount of time I cooked it. The burgers tasted good, but some condiments can help. I added some pickles and hot sauce. The burgers are quite filling and I will have some leftovers. Definitely good at a BBQ or on a nice summer day. Not difficult at all to make, just difficult to make them firm.

http://angrychicken.typepad.com/angry_chicken/2011/04/homemade-bean-burgers.html










Thursday, June 2, 2011

6 Mile Run

6 Miles
1:02:57 Time
10:30 Pace

One of my better recent runs.  I felt great and went below an 11 min mile pace.  I brought a small 11 oz bottle of water and with the traffic you had to stay alert when crossing the street, so maybe that helped me stay strong.  This was a new route, you basically run around downtown (around it, not through it) and you dodge some pedestrians by the train station.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Carmelized Tofu with Brussels Sprouts

Technically my vegan streak came to an end when consumed fish that was part of a Thai soup. My throat was bothering me so thought what the hell and I ate it. I also had some other dairy and meat this Memorial Day weekend. I will still continue cooking vegan and try my best to cut down on dairy. No one is perfect. This is the second recipe I found using the Healthy Recipes App, the first recipe being the Stir-Fry Vegetable with Shirataki Tofu Noodles. Based on the calories it doesn't seem too healthy. It does have a ton of protein to be fair. This is quite tasty and sweet. It is quite light, and it went well with two Hoegaarden beers. I'd consider taking it to a BBQ or a picnic, but it would be great in any situation or just as a meal or a side.  I also learned how to chop brussels sprouts from making this recipe.







6.61 Mile Run Downtown

Pretty much a repeat of yesterday.  Actually a little worse.  I went a little slower despite going a shorter distance and I was more sore.  Some walking as well.  On a random note, I bumped into Chris from the running store today while running, so its twice in two days I have seen him.