Simple, Scrumptious, Healthy

One of the downfalls of living in my otherwise delightfully quirky apartment is the lack of sunny outdoor space. I would LOVE to have space for a garden, so I could grow all the healthy veggies I try to cook with. The good news is, both Paula and my Mom have fabulous gardens -and are willing to share!!

Yesterday while visiting in Murrieta, my Mom taught me how to make another one of her scrumptious dishes: simple roasted tomatoes over pasta. I loved it so much, I decided to take advantage of the homegrown Romas Paula gave me, and make up a batch for lunch today...

The "before"... Roma tomatoes sliced in half, some salt and pepper, fresh dried oregano from Mom's garden, sprinkled breadcrumbs, drizzled with olive oil, and garnished with sliced garlic.

The "after"... roasted goodness with yummy burned bits.

Added on top of brown rice pasta with a little extra olive oil, salt and pepper.

It's good to be the daughter of a talented Italian ;)

Race Planning

Even though I have yet to run my first post-marathon race (Disneyland Half September 6th), I'm already thinking about my next marathon. Originally I was planning on RNR Phoenix in January, but they just announced that the L.A. Marathon will be moved back to March in 2010... AND it will be the "stadium to the sea" route! Given that I've lived in L.A. most of my adult life, I feel somewhat obligated (in a good way) to run in March. I also had considered the Pittsburgh Marathon in May, since I might be there around that time for Ph.D. purposes anyway. Obviously this would not work out if I am running L.A. less than two months before. With all this in mind, here is the current plan:

September 6th: Disneyland Half

December 6th: RNR Las Vegas Half

March 21st: L.A. Marathon

This certainly has the potential to change, but for now I'm sticking to it!

What I've Been Reading

Revisiting post-marathon recovery.

Increasingly intrigued with trail running.

Half marathon inspiration.

Where I need to focus.

Favorite Food Finds

Lately I've been trying to grocery shop more regularly. I'm trying to cook more at home, avoid spending too much at restaurants, and get back to exploring good healthy food. Among many of the items I love at Trader Joe's, I picked these up the other day...

When I was working with a nutritionist and training for the marathon, I had 2 protein shakes a day. The brand she sold was expensive, but high in protein and all-natural. This option from TJ's has 25g of protein per serving, with no artificial additives.

At one point in time, I was probably spending more money per week than anyone should on Pinkberry. I was so excited to come across this frozen yogurt for under $4.00. It is nonfat and has active cultures. Adding some organic frozen blueberries and/or agave nectar takes it to the next level!

My favorite is the mango version, but the chile spiced pineapple comes in at a close second!



Flax seed is super rich in omega 3s and easy to add to yogurt, shakes, and baked goods. This milled version comes with blueberry added.


Training update: 6 miles this morning at 6:30am (Hermosa to Torrance beach and back). My right IT band is still aggravated, and I stopped twice to stretch and mix up my routine.

Split 1- 11:42
Split 2- 12:12
Split 3- 12:42
Split 4- 13:02
Split 5- 12:33
Split 6- 12:11

Hermosa to Manhattan

Put on my shoes, hunted for a parking spot, and managed 4 miles tonight on the strand.

Jen 1
Funk 0

Feelin' the Funk

When stressful situations occur at work or in our personal lives, activities we enjoy tend to fall away from our carefully planned schedules if we don't prioritize them. Running and writing tend to fall in that category for me. After my run (and fall) last Saturday, I've been reluctant to hit the road. First, I've been concerned about injuring myself post-incident. Second, there have been major changes/challenges at work. These changes have not impacted me directly, but definitely have contributed to my fitness funk this week. Tonight I am really hoping to get out and tackle 4 miles, regardless of how exhausted I feel now. The thing is- we all know we feel better after exercise especially if we are feeling extra pressure or anxiety. The difficulty lies in conjuring the motivation to get your shoes on and run those first few steps.

What do you do for motivation?

Ouch...

I woke up early this morning, excited to tackle a hilly 8-miler in PV with the TNT crew. I could tell it was going to be very warm, and we didn't get started until about 7:45am. It was definitely hot, and the run was more difficult than I thought it would be...especially when I bit the dust (literally) around mile 2.

My running partner and I decided to veer off the road and take a trail that leads along one of the many seaside bluffs in the area. This particular trail was less smooth than most, and it didn't take much to send me flying when I tripped over a rock (that seemed to be much bigger, mid-fall). I slid for a few feet across the gravel, and it took me a few seconds to realize I wasn't completely broken. The first thing I noticed were the stinging cuts on my arm and knees. To top it all off, I was also covered in a nice layer of dust and mud. We were off and jogging again after I managed to clean up a bit and gather myself.

About 2 more miles along our route I started feeling pain in my right knee. My left knee actually looks worse, but something is definitely amiss with the other. I feels like a cross between IT pain and bad bruising. I remember thinking to myself that I should stop and walk the rest of the way, but of course I did not.

After multiple rounds of icing, and lots of lounging on the couch, I feel a bit better...but new aches and pains are cropping up. I'm sure the moment of truth will be in the morning, when I get out of bed and try to venture downstairs.

Even though I had grand plans of cross-training tomorrow, I might lay low (or attempt an upper-body workout at the gym). Despite the fall, and subsequent walking breaks, our splits weren't half bad (especially considering the heat and hills):

Split 1- 11:50

Split 2- 12:56

Split 3- 11:28

Split 4- 12:42

Split 5- 11:51

Split 6- 14:45

Split 7- 13:10

Split 8- 10:29

Total time: 1:39:15

The Elusive Long Run

I am writing this from the lovely state of WA, where I am enjoying the "working" part of my vacation. My plan is to write and run, and I've been mildly successful with both. My primary frustration at the moment is my lack of motivation in getting a long run on the books. I've logged about 27.5 miles since the marathon. However, the most mileage I've accrued in any one run is about 5. I've read MANY articles on post-marathon recovery and how one should go about rebuilding their base. Some people take an entire month off...others start jogging 3 days after they complete their race. Either way, it's time for me to start with my Saturday long run schedule again.

The good news: TNT alumni runs are beginning! Anyone interested can return to practice in PV on Saturday mornings at 7:30am. This will definitely help with my motivation issues.

The bad(ish) news: I am registered to run the Disneyland Half Marathon on September 6th! I have about 9 weeks to build up my base again. According to the adapted TNT training schedule, I should have ideally logged 8 miles over the weekend, and should embark on 10 next weekend. Let's hope some other TNT folks will be up for joining me on a longer route...

On another note, the Garmin continues to be awesome, especially the wonderful online world of Garmin Connect. I know many of you who read this have known about the wonders of the Garmin products for some time, but I still won't hesitate to share my excitement! :)

Goals for the week:

-log 25-30 miles by Saturday night

-incorporate some cross-training into my schedule (and not just talk about it)

-make yoga a priority next Monday

In Love...

with the new Garmin! How did I ever live without this before?? I'm still learning some of the tricks and advanced options, but so far this is a fantastic tool. I highly recommend taking advantage of the Costco.com sale if you are thinking about getting one. (Caution: the sale ends July 5th). I also tried the HR monitor this morning for the first time. I was initially concerned it would irritate me, but I barely felt it. Mind you, the run was only 3.5 miles. Something tells me that after 16, you'd definitely be aware of the strap wrapped around your torso.

Other than a few aches and pains (left knee and right ankle), I am feeling good about beginning a schedule to maintain/increase my fitness for the Disneyland Half Marathon on September 6th. Ongoing TNT alumni runs on Saturday mornings will be a big plus, as I motivate myself to keep up the weekly long runs. Next step: adapting the marathon training schedule to the mileage necessary for the half. I'm guessing this will seem like a breeze compared to the last 5 months!