Three Things on Thursday

My life is a roller coaster these days.  Good days.  Bad days.  Highs and lows.  There are days I feel unstoppable and days that stop me cold.  There are days where I feel on top of the world, and days where the tears just won’t stop.

There are pain-free days…and days where it hurts just getting out of bed.

This is my life…and has been since February 16, 2015.

Almost a year.

Still not better.  Still fighting.  Still not where I imagined I’d be.

I’m going to be honest, I came out of the weekend, despite the slip and fall on ice, feeling good.  My pain levels were down.  I was moving without problems.  And then…Tuesday hill repeats.  UGH!  JUST UGH!!  I did fine, but when I stop that’s when the problems start.  And despite a round of stretches my physical therapist assigned me, I was still feeling it yesterday and this morning when I worked in my training runs.

All that being said, I’ve powered through a lot, and despite my demanding work/training/recovery schedule…I’ve done some pretty amazing things so far this week.  I thought I’d share!

1. THEMED SPIN CLASSES

Rocking perfect tights for a disco-themed spin class, yes?

My amazing and inspiring friend, Deana, is a very fun spin instructor.  It’s always a mixed bag with her.  And when you attend one of her classes, you are going to walk out of there a sweaty mess.  She’s in training for her first Half Ironman, and we’re in training with her, in a way.  At least on the stationary bike in the safety of the walls of the YMCA.  HA!

Anyway, this week, Deana has had themed spin classes.  And I am loving it.  Monday morning, my 5:30 a.m. class was treated to Spinning to the ’90s.  All the music was songs straight out of the 1990s…and I knew and even sang along with every single one of them.  Not loudly, because, I wouldn’t put anyone through the torture of hearing me sing, but it really takes your mind off of that hill climb and definitely brought a lot of hoots and hollers from the class.  And Friday morning, we’re getting a disco ball and having our own Disco Inferno all up in the spin room.  And I am already working on what I intend to wear for said Disco day.  There might even be a lava lamp.  Regardless, I’ll be ready to work hard to the tune of the best disco songs.

Themed spin classes…who knew?!

2. HILL REPEATS

Love them or hate them…hill repeats are real.  In fact, hill repeats are what my physical therapist currently wants me doing.  So, every Tuesday, I’m out at either Cherokee Park or Iroquois Park here in Louisville…running me some major hill repeats.  The past two weeks, I’ve knocked out 4 miles of hill repeats each Tuesday night.  4 freakin’ miles.  To this point, that is the furthest I have run since…the stress fracture in my leg back in August.

I won’t lie…a little part of me panics every time I go out there for these.  Hills do make you a stronger runner…but they hurt.  In my case, they really hurt.  But, I feel strong while doing them, and after some plyometric exercises and stretches…and a little TLC from my foam roller…I’m usually back in the game the next day.  So yeah…hills.  YAY!

I don’t worry about my time or how long I’m out there or even my speed.  What’s important to me is that I am actually out and running again.  Not completely pain-free…but being out there is SO much better than where I have been.  I’ll take every chance I can get to attempt to get stronger again.

3. CHILI COOK OFF

So, yesterday was the annual chili cook off at my office.  Now, I have never actually submitted a chili to this cook off because, prior to this year, the co-owner (who has since retired) used to always tell me not to bother with bringing in a vegetarian chili, since his wife was making one.  I just never argued the fact.  With this year being wide open, I got a little carried away and ended up making 2 chilies and 1 batch of my gluten free corn spoon bread recipe that I’ve killed every time I’ve made it.  Meaning, it’s extremely awesome.  When it comes to cooking, especially in a quasi-competitive manner, I can be pretty indecisive on what chili to make.  So, I did what any chef would do…

…I made both.

Pizza Chili (which I figured would be my star) and Hawaiian Chili.

I realized I was splitting my odds at winning, but…I love both of these chilies and they were both very different.  VERY different.  Even from the other chilies (there were 7 entries…2 of which were mine) that were entered into the annual cook off.

And, shocking me (and probably the rest of the office who doesn’t always want to venture into my plant-based, gluten-free goodies)…I won.  With…Hawaiian Chili.  So not the chili that I expected to win.  I was seriously surprised. Of the two I brought in, I thought Pizza Chili would be the more popular one.  And it was a very near thing with the runner-up, a Mexican Beer Chili.  The winning chili is pictured above with the corn spoon bread.

I am so happy.  This is the first time a vegan/vegetarian chili has won.  And it’s the first time I have won anything at work.  So…YAY!!

I’ve had many requests for this recipe, so I will leave it here.  Do try it.  It’s amazing.

Recipe: Hawaiian Chili
Makes 4 very large servings

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 garlic clove, minced
• 2 bell pepper, seeded & diced
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 cups pineapple, diced
• 2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce
  Crackers (optional…to serve on the side)