Category Archives: running

5 Reasons to Love the Garmin Forerunner 405CX

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Ok so I just got it two three days ago and maybe it’s too soon to write this, but I LOVE my new Garmin Forerunner!

405cx

The Forerunner 405CX is an advanced sport watch that shows you time and distance, heart rate, and pace as you are running. D. got it for me for Xmas – yes it’s early but hey I’m NOT complaining!  :)   Thanks honey!

I’ve been using it everyday since I got it, and I’m hooked! If you cycle, walk, or run, you MUST have the Forerunner! Here are five reasons why I love it so much:

  1. It’s easy to set up. I had heard that it was challenging to get the Forerunner set up but that wasn’t my experience at all. And believe me, I am NOT a natural with gadgets!
  2. The Forerunner display is big enough that I can see it while I am running. I like being able to just glance at my wrist and get the information I need.
  3. The Forerunner’s “Virtual Partner” keeps me on track. The Virtual Partner (VP) is your DSC_0022running buddy that helps you set your pace. Before your run, you program the VP to run at a certain pace, and the Forerunner lets you know how far ahead or behind you are in both time and distance. There’s even a cute little picture on the screen of you running with your VP!
  4. The Forerunner 405CX calculates calories burned based on heart rate, resulting in a more accurate reading than when you use a chart or estimate. This has been really eye opening for me as I see I am burning WAY fewer calories than I had thought. No wonder I’ve put on five pounds!  ;)
  5. All of your running data can be wirelessly uploaded to the Garmin website. There you can see your run mapped out, along with your pace and the elevation at each point of your run. You can share your Forerunner data with others too!

What’s your favorite workout accessory?

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Everyday Eats

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veganmofo

Eats

A typical day of vegan food…

Remember the Pumpkin Pie Smoothie?

smoothieThat was breakfast this morning.
Mmmmmmm!! Delish.

And lunch was another oldie but goodie: Apple Cherry Oatmeal

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For dinner I tried a recipe from Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan, Blackened Tofu, which would easily fit in here:

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So in a last minute play, I rebounded with this:

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which went very nicely with our brown basmati rice and steamed broccoli.  :)

Run

I hopped on the treadmill today and went for a run. I know…it was beautiful outside today. But the treadmill is SOFT and the gym has WATER and so I opted to run inside.

Distance: 6 miles
Pace: 8:40 minute mile

I found out the gym now has BodyPump classes – has anyone tried this? I think I might give it a go next week. Right now I am running 6-8 miles every other day, and on opposite days getting on the elliptical machine or going to a vinyasa yoga class. I also have gotten back to walking the dogs 2x a day – about 2 miles each time. I LOVE running, walking, and yoga but the elliptical machine is…well…dry. So I’m looking for something else to add in.

On another note…

I came across an article in the Baltimore Sun called Turn Over a New Leaf: Vegan Diets are Moving Solidly into Mainstream. How awesome is that? The article says there are about 1,000,000 vegans in the USA, and that the rise of “eating locally” has resulted in an increase in vegetarian and vegan cookbooks. It also includes a recipe for Manhattan Vegetable Chowder that looks awesome!

Have you seen an increase in people going vegan?

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Kale Five Ways

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veganmofoKale is one of the most amazing vegetables.

Freshly picked Siberian kale.

Image via Wikipedia

Dubbed the “King of Calcium,” kale is also a great source of:

  • Vitamin A – good for your eyesight and your eye, skin, and nose membranes, AND is an antioxidant that fights free radicals
  • Vitamin C – good for cold prevention
  • Vitamin K – aids in blood clotting, which can be a good thing!

Kale is part of the cabbage family that also includes broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels Sprouts. Kale is low and calories and inexpensive too! It comes in several varieties but the ones you’ll see most often are curly kale and dinosaur (flat) kale, both in beautiful hues of green and purple. Choose a bunch that has strong, crisp leaves with no brown spots, and store in your crisper in a large plastic baggie with a damp paper towel included.

When you are ready to eat your kale, and I suggest that you eat it soon after bringing it home, first wash the kale and then strip out the stems and rip the leaves into small pieces. Then, here are my five favorite ways to prepare kale:

  1. Saute.  Saute the leaves in sesame oil and garlic until they are limp and bright, and serve sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.
  2. Roast. Place the DRY leaves in a baking dish and toss with olive oil. Bake in 450 oven for 5-10 minutes until leaves are crispy, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with salt and serve.
  3. Soup. Make a soup out of one head of garlic peeled and chopped, one onion chopped, 1 bunch kale de-stemmed and chopped, 2 medium  potatoes chopped, 2 carrots diced, any other veggies you like, and 8 cups veggie broth. Saute the garlic and onions first, and then combine everything in a big soup pot. Simmer until potatoes are tender. As an option, add rice vinegar, salt, and / or pepper and season to taste.
  4. Smoothie. Make your favorite smoothie, and add in tiny pieces of kale. Start with 1/2 a handful and then add more if you like.
  5. Steam. Bring about 1/2 cup of water in a large pot or Dutch Oven to a boil. Add a tablespoon or two of Earth Balance, and your kale. Put the lid on the pot and steam until kale is tender, adding water as necessary. Then season with salt and pepper,  lemon juice, olive oil, and / or soy sauce.

Have you tried kale before? What’s your favorite way to enjoy it?

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Seven More Thoughts on Running and Exercise

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Exercise has always been a huge part of my life.
My parents always exercised so to me it’s not at all odd to get up at 5am to run 10 miles or to spend two hours in the gym on a Saturday afternoon. I think when you grow up in that kind of environment it just becomes ingrained in you.

But there have been times in my life when I’ve struggled with maintaining an exercise routine.
So I’ve had glimpses of what it’s like to NOT have lots of movement in my life.

And I can say without hesitation that for me it is oh-so-much better to HAVE some kind of regular ongoing exercise.
I feel more energetic.
I can maintain a healthy weight.
I feel better about myself.
I am more productive in other areas of my life.

Even with the huge advantage I have of growing up with parents who exercise, I’ve learned that:

  1. I have to stay disciplined and make exercise a priority.
  2. The exercise that I do has to be something that I really enjoy. Currently I really enjoy running, but in the past I’ve experimented with gym classes, power yoga, swimming, racquetball, rock climbing, and weight lifting. So my favorite form of exercise has changed over the years and will probably continue to evolve.
  3. Having a routine keeps me on track. I prefer to work out in the morning and I will get up early if I have to. If there is just no time in the morning then I will plan ahead to work it in later in the day.
  4. Having a “just do it” mentality is key. Sometimes I have to make myself put on my running shoes. I have to talk myself into it. I’m always glad later on that I did.
  5. I can usually do more than I think I can. My brain likes to make stuff up, like telling myself that I can’t possibly run more than X number of miles. I find that if I JUST TRY I can usually go just a bit further. My body can do more than my brain thinks it can.
  6. Have a big goals is great, but it’s important to set small goals along the way. It’s unrealistic to think you are going to run 10 miles on your first day out. But 1 mile might be possible, and from there you can work your way up to 10.
  7. Never ever ever give up. Some days are off – they just are. But the next day you get up again, put on your running shoes, and try again. You just do. Because what is the alternative?

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Six Lessons From Running

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Six lessons I’ve learned from running:

  1. It’s always better to start small. We tend to get these ideas that we can or should tackle five miles on the first day out. This usually leads to nothing good. Instead, start small. Try attempting to run one mile by running one minute and walking one minute until you’ve completed the one mile. Then, STOP! Increase your running by 10% every week.
  2. It’s ok to WALK during your run. Why do we think that running the entire time is superior to walking some of the time? I don’t know – machismo?
  3. That all said, there is also a need to push yourself to YOUR limit. Knowing exactly what that limit is becomes the “yoga of running.” It’s going to be different for everyone and sometimes we get caught up in a competition with other people or with what we think we ought to be able to do. Try listening to your body.
  4. Running creates endorphins, which can fool you into thinking you can do more. So does this conflict with point #3? In a way, yes, and in a way no. It’s a challenge to listen to your body but know when it’s really the endorphins talking. To be a strong and HEALTHY runner you have to REALLY be in touch with your body. Learn to read the signs and hear what it is truly saying to you, and then HONOR it. Practicing yoga can help with this ;)
  5. Sometimes you won’t feel like running, but you’ll be glad later that you did. Sometimes you feel like sitting on the couch, but you won’t be glad later that you did. Going running often means putting your indulgences on hold. It may mean doing something you don’t feel like doing, but you’ll be better off later.
  6. Running will feel much harder when you are going up hill. Acknowledge that you are going up hill and allow yourself to slow down or even – gasp! – walk! It’s OK, you won’t get a ticket. Sometimes we need to slow down in order to have enough energy to finish the run.

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Vegan Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

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I LOVE this time of year for many reasons.

One of which is…PUMPKINS!

Pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin scones, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, and Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbucks. Mmmmm…..

So today I created…Vegan Pumpkin Pie Smoothie for the hubby and me.

smoothie1smoothie

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
Makes 2 12oz smoothies plus a little extra

What you need…

  • 1 12 oz glass full of ice
  • 1/2 container vanilla silken tofu (or plain – I thought this would be a good use for the vanilla tofu I had in my fridge)
  • 3/4 cup pumpkin
  • 12 oz So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Beverage (you could use any vanilla milk – this is just what I had on hand)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract – maybe 3/4 teaspoon if you didn’t use vanilla tofu
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • agave nectar to taste – I used about 2 tablespoons

Add all to the blender and buzz it up…

Enjoy!

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Marty Update + Daiya Vegan Cheeze

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We got great news about Marty today :)

We took her to the Oncologist, who said we have four options. We have OPTIONS! That alone was awesome to hear.
I won’t bore you with the details, but basically we are opting for surgery, which has a 95% cure rate!
The surgery will be on Thursday at South Paws in Fairfax.
I feel very good about this. I really liked the Oncologist. We met the surgeon too, and I really liked his as well.
So we’re all feeling very optimistic today :)

I also got my root canal finished today – yay!

Run

I went for an early run today at the gym because it was rainy and gloomy out.

  • 6.21 miles
  • averaged 7.2 mph which is about an 8:20 minute mile – I was cruisin’!
  • average incline: 0.75

I’m so excited to run the 5k with the Runners in Training in November!

Eats

Next to learning more about Marty’s situation and getting my root canal topped off, the a highlight today was making vegan pizza with Daiya cheese.

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Daiya is a relatively new brand of vegan cheese. In case you’ve never tried vegan cheese before I can tell you this: they ain’t great. The better “non-dairy” cheeses aren’t really non-dairy as they contain casein in them. The non-casein cheeses rarely melt very well and don’t have the best taste.

Daiya is different! It’s completely vegan, made with plant-based ingredients.
I used the “Italian Blend” flavor and found that it melted very well and had a creamy, full mouth-feel to it.
I also put other vegetables on my pizza and so the Daiya was a wonderful accent to those veggies (I used up the rest of my Tomato Salad! Thank you again Kat for the recipe!).
D. had a plain “cheeze” pizza because as I’ve mentioned before he will only eat plain pizza. He liked the Daiya too. He called it “pizza-y” and said it tasted good. He said it didn’t taste as good as dairy cheese but it’s definitely something to buy again.
Now I thought the Daiya tasted great but then again I don’t think dairy mozzarella really has much flavor and the Daiya was pretty mild too. But I also had it with other veggies so I’m sure that makes a difference.

Before going into the oven

Before going into the oven

Before...

Before...

After baking for about 10 minutes

After baking for about 10 minutes

Daiya also comes in Cheddar Style which I will definitely be trying. Overall I give Daiya a solid “A!”

(By the way I made the yeast-free pizza crust from La Dolce Vegan! It was so good – thin and crispy – but kind of more like a cracker than pizza crust.)

Have a great evening…stay tuned tomorrow for a GIVEAWAY!

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Labor Day Vegan French Toast

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Ahhh yesssssssssssssssssssssss.

I FINALLY have cooked from Vegan with a Vengeance! I was beginning to think I was the only veg who hasn’t.

Yesterday I made the Scrambled Tofu and Chorizo Sausage. I forgot to take photos BOO :(
But I can say it was delish. I think next time…a little less salt ;)

And tonight…French Toast! Or as Isa says, “Fronch Toast!”

And you might say, how on earth can French Toast be vegan?

Well, the recipe uses soy creamer, rice milk (I used almond), and chickpea flour.
And it was fabulous.
It’s been so long since I have had French Toast.
I used to like it but only when it wasn’t “eggy.” I always detested eggy French toast.

DSC_0001Next time I will add some cinnamon, or vanilla extract, or both. But even plain it was awesome.

Eats

I made it to 8 fruits and veggies today as part of my 9-A-Day Fruits and Veggie Challenge!

  • 1 Banana in my morning smoothie
  • 1 serving spinach in smoothie
  • 1 serving Tomato Salad snack – yummy yum yum!
  • 1 apple snack
  • 3 servings of veggies at Thai lunch
  • 1 serving Tomato Salad at dinner

I could make it to 9 tonight but I’m just not very hungry so I’m going to stop here. I’m pretty happy with 8!

One thing I’ve noticed since starting the Challenge is that I’m selecting my food more consciously. Instead of snacking mindlessly I’m thinking, “what fruit or veggie could I eat?”

Run

We have a new “Runner in Training!”

RIT2 and I started with a 2 mile run today:

  • walk 5 minutes
  • run 1 minute, walk 1 minute for 21 minutes
  • walk 4 minutes

RIT2 did AWESOME his first time out. I was really impressed with how well he was breathing during our run. He is planning to run a 5K with me in November – Details about that race will be coming!

Marty Update

Several of you have emailed me asking about how Marty is doing.IMG_0499
We found out on Thursday that the lump she had removed on Monday was malignant. She has fibrosarcoma.
The good news is that this type of cancer stays local and she was diagnosed as a “grade 1″ – we caught it early and it was small.
We got a chest xray on Friday and her lungs are clear. So that’s good, too.

We are going to the Oncologist tomorrow to find out what our next steps should be.
We know from the biopsy that some of the cells had started to migrate to the edge of the tumor, and so most likely she will have another surgery where they will remove more tissue from that area to make sure the cancerous cells have all been removed.

I was pretty distraught when I first learned all of this and it took me a few days to accept all of this. We’re staying optimistic and taking it one day at a time.
I really appreciate your kind words and prayers.

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Some of My Favorite Yoga Music

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yoga

I love practicing yoga to music. Here are a few of my favorite yoga tunes:Whitney+Houston+002

  • Sringara by Illumine
  • This Player’s Hands (Instrumental) by John de Kadt
  • 1739 by Brent Lewis
  • Om Namah Shivaya by Wade Morissette
  • Dub Version CD Krishna by Wah!
  • Bore the Righteous by Arjun and Guardians
  • Breathe Me by Sia
  • Love is My Religion (Acoustic) by Bob Marley
  • Fly Away (Acounstic) by Lenny Kravitz
  • Chandini Chowk by Midival Punditz
  • I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston ( I know…just try it)
  • Space Weaver by Lisa Gerrard
  • Ubartu to Ubud by David Parsons
  • Tjampuhan by David Parsons

I have more but that’s it for now :)   Enjoy!

Run

Today I ran 7.25 miles at a 8:13 mph pace. I was bookin’! I ran part of it outside and part of it on the treadmill at my gym. We don’t have good running paths with bathrooms and water fountains around here (grrrr!) so I like to go to the gym so I have access to those things.

The “Runner in Training” is now up to run 3 minutes, walk 1 minute for about 2.25 miles. We’re going to sign up for a 5k this fall! I cannot wait! OH…and RIT has started to write about her running journey on her blog, so check it out! Her name is KATE by the way, so we can stop calling her RIT :)

Marty Update

I mentioned in a previous post that I found a lump on Marty my black lab. Well on Monday she had the lump surgically removed and it is being biopsied. She came out of the surgery fine but she has to wear a white t-shirt and an Elizabethan collar for TWO WEEKS! Poor girl. Anyway I’ll hopefully learn the results of the biopsy soon. Please continue to send your positive energy our way :) 0625092024

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Yay for Being Home!

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We arrived home last night after 10 days on the road. During our vacation we:

  • Explored Door County – walked around the cute towns, shopped, got massages at the Lavender Spa in Egg Harbor, and loved the Greens and Grains health food store, also in Egg Harbor.
  • Visited our friends Sam and Tessa in Neenah, Wi – went out with several of my friends from high school and had a blast seeing everyone!
  • Hung out in Madison with Kiljoong and Christina – walked on State Street, watched the boats and students from the Union Terrace, had a vegan breakfast at Monty’s Blue Plate Diner, and enjoyed Nepalese dinner at veg-friendly Himul Chuli.
  • Went to Lambeau Field in Green Bay (aka “Mecca)!
  • Visited Gary and Tiffany in Fort Collins and got an in-depth tour of the city and surrounding area – thanks Gary and Tiffany!! xoxo  :)
  • Ate at Watercourse in Denver. A lot.
  • Explored the city of Denver by foot. Fell in love with Denver.
  • Spent lots of time with Jonathan and Lisa, who showed us parts of Denver we hadn’t even thought to explore!
  • Spent time with D’s friends from college and had a great time at Benji’s wedding in Keystone, CO.DSCN0023

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Wow what a trip, huh?

Run

During our trip I managed to run 6-8 miles nearly every other day. I skipped the last day because we were in Keystone and honestly I was having trouble breathing at times! We also walked a lot in Denver and in Keystone so I’m pretty happy with how I exercised during our trip.

Eats

Ok well my eating is another story. As always I struggled with food on the trip. We were able to find vegan food everywhere we went, and once I found it I ate a lot of it! This was especially at WaterCourse, which is definitely my favorite restaurant. It’s so unusual to walk into a restaurant and be able to eat anything that’s on the menu – sandwiches, soups, breakfast scrambles, biscuits, desserts. I loved it and literally ate it up!  We ate a lot of food – and then walked most of it off afterwards.

When I go on vacation, I tend to teeter between “hey I’m on vacation and I’m gonna eat whatever I want!” and “just eat when you’re hungry.” I think I did a better job than usual of not beating myself up for eating so much – in the past I probably would have felt really bad about it. This time I figured I’ll get “back on track” when I get home. So I jumped on the scale this morning and see that I only gained two pounds while on our trip. Ok – I can handle that!  :)

How do you approach food and exercise while you are on vacation? Do you indulge (Hey you’re on vacation!) or do you try to maintain good habits (stay the course!)??

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