Sometimes the simplest and best meal ideas come from the most unlikely places. Honestly. And this recipe is no exception. Why do I say that? Because this recipe comes from a cookbook called It’s All Good: Delicious, Easy Recipes That Will Make You Look Good and Feel Great. What? That doesn’t sound strange? What if I told you that the cookbook author is none other than actress Gwyneth Paltrow.
I was at the library last week and spotted this book on the shelf of the new releases. I picked it up and paged through it, seeing a few recipes of interest. So, I had my roommate check it out for me (I didn’t have my library card with me) so I could look through it some more when I had more time. The cookbook pretty much sat on the coffee table until Saturday morning. I had a race in Frankfort, Kentucky. Cathy was driving, so this gave me some time to page through the story in the beginning about why this cookbook came to be and a little bit about the author and co-author, Julia Turshen. And then…I got to soak in the recipes.
One of the most enticing sounding recipes was one that actually didn’t have ingredients listed off. It didn’t need it. But when Gwyneth Paltrow compares a recipe to a favorite pair of jeans – “so reliable and easy and just always what you want” – I admit…I get intrigued. And it sounded so easy. And so delicious. And now…I will share it with you.
Recipe: Gluten-Free Avocado Toast
Gluten-Free Avocado Toast
Servings: 2
Time: Prep 5 minutes; Cook 5 minutes
Ingredients:
2 slices gluten-free bread (I used Udi’s Gluten-Free Millet-Chia Bread)
1 avocado
Vegenaise (or other vegan mayonnaise)
Sriracha (optional)
Salt
Pepper
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Lemon juice (optional)
Directions:
Toast the gluten-free bread. Spread it generously with Vegenaise (or other vegan mayonnaise) and top it off with a few slices of a perfectly ripe avocado, ever so gently pressing the avocado into the bread. Hit it with a nice pinch of salt or Vege-Sal and a few grinds of fresh black pepper.
~*~*~
Yep…that’s it. Do make note that I mixed a splash of Sriracha into my Trader Joe’s Vegan Mayonnaise to give it a little kick. I also hit mine up with a bit of red chili flakes for some added heat. Gwyneth also suggests adding a little zip to the recipe by giving a squeeze of fresh lemon juice over the avocado toast. But, the fact is…the sandwich is fantastic on its own with the holy trinity of Vegenaise, avocado and salt. Simple, but delicious.
If I had a restaurant…this would be on the menu. For real.
Thank you, Gwyneth Paltrow…for giving me a new breakfast to make. Because I intend to make this often. It is so delicious and so healthy…and yes…so easy to make.
It has been a long, crazy, hectic, and draining week for me as I started my official training program for the Chicago Marathon. But I was totally excited to get it underway. It officially started last week…exactly…on Sunday, June 9th. It was…a rest day. Naturally. But I used that time wisely and started taking some steps that I hope will only better my training and my running in the long run.
That morning, I met up with a sports nutritionist. After getting a good physical report back from my check-up at the doctor and the okay to start marathon training as I was in very good health…I had inquired about talking with a sports nutritionist because…well…I am horrible when it comes to fueling and hydrating while on the run. And I wanted to go into this training doing everything possible to do right by my body. And that meant learning to fuel it properly before, during, and after running.
The problem was…we couldn’t find a sports nutritionist in this area. Strange, as we have the University of Louisville, which has a great sports program, right here. But…nope. Nothing. On a whim, I contacted Ken Combs Running Store and they put me in touch with one. Her name is Donna…and she’s awesome. She’s just like me – a gluten-free, vegetarian, long distance runner. She said she wasn’t taking on new clients at the time, but given my circumstances, she would definitely take me on.
In our first meeting she spoke to me about the importance of fueling my body correctly…not just on race day, but during the entire time I’m in training. This meant changing the way I looked at food…nutrition info…and changing up how I ate. We laid out a plan, which involved me drinking 16 ounces of water before heading out for a run, and getting something in my stomach. Prior to that, I would run my mornings on an empty stomach and not even bring water with me. I’d just go run. Worry about the rest when I got back. She emphasized how important it was to get something in my stomach so that my body is feeding off of the fuel rather than taking away from my muscle strength. It made sense. She’s moving me more towards a clean eating diet as well, which means less processed foods (aka: bad carbs) and more natural foods (aka: good carbs). And she is having me hydrate and fuel while out on every training run. This means not just water…but Gatorade to with giving my body electrolytes, sodium, and potassium that is lost while running…and giving an energy boost to the muscles with the carbohydrates it offers too. Fuel. I am also to take a GU or Sports Beans packet every 3-4 miles (about every 30 minutes) to really train my body to take in fuel while I’m on the run. It all made sense…so I vowed to start doing it.
I learned a lot from her and we’ll be meeting up again in a couple of months to see how I am progressing.
My charity group that I am running the Chicago Marathon with, Team Healthy Kids – part of Action For Healthy Kids, sent me a training program for my marathon training. I had one originally, but after looking at it, I felt that the mileage was too low. I’d been running 35-40 miles a week, and was being dropped down to half that. I contacted them to see about getting it changed up. They said that since this was my first marathon, they put me on the beginner plan, but they saw my point and moved me to the intermediate one. That being said, my first run happened on Monday morning.
Five miles…and it was raining. I heard the rain when I woke up that morning. But I didn’t make plans to head to the gym to hit the treadmill. I got dressed, laced up my shoes, grabbed my reflective gear and headed out the door. Marathons happen in all sorts of weather and as long as there was no lightning…I was hitting the roads. I noticed that Cathy had placed a sign up on the door. It had words of encouragement on it. And in marker she wrote me a message. I love that she is so supportive of my running and really is making sure I do my training as well. It means less time to do other things, but she seems willing to take on the sacrifice as well at times. The sign was the encouragement I needed. Monday morning…5 miles at an easy pace completed…in the rain. I felt really badass! I hated my time, but as the run specifically was meant to be done at an easy pace, I focused more on the pacing than the time.
Tuesday was my Cross Training day. I hit up the gym for a 45 minute session on the Arc Trainer, set to the hill setting. That was tough, but I got through it. Then I put myself through 10 minutes on the rowing machine. My arms were tired and sore from doing a yoga DVD on Sunday night…but I got through it and moved down to the weight room for some strength training.
Wednesday was supposed to be my 6 mile run in the morning, but…I was running a 10K on Saturday…when I was supposed to be running 9 miles long. So, I flip-flopped those days. On Wednesday, I spent my wee morning hours knocking out 9 miles in some pretty crazy humidity. I fueled every three miles and took Gatorade for hydration for the first time…since the Chicago Half Marathon. It all settled fine in my stomach and I finished the run feeling good. I was proud of myself.
Thursday meant it was Speed/Pacing day. And the schedule called for a 4 mile tempo run. A tempo run, for those of you who might not be familiar with the term, is simply running at a quicker pace than the easy pace, but at about 15 seconds slower than your 10K time. I managed to actually hold a rather steady tempo on my run, despite throwing in some hills to make it a bit tougher. I came out of that one surprised. Especially since I was also dealing with 15 mph winds that morning as well.
Friday…was the day of rest. I respected it and kept it holy.
Saturday was race day. I was participating in the Capital City Stampede 10K…which is why I moved my 6 mile run to Saturday. It just sort of…worked out that way. I went to the race, knocked it out with a new PR, and had a great time running. Races make me happy…but they are about to take a back seat to my training sessions.
And that rounded out my first official week of training for the Chicago Marathon. At the end of it…I feel good. I’m ready for this coming week where I work on my fueling, rehydration, and pace/speed as well. I have a goal…and I’m working hard to reach it. And…I have to say, I am very proud of myself for going out there on my first official day of training in the rain.
All-in-all…a draining, but very exciting week for me. On to the next…
Me crossing the finish line of the Capital City Stampede 10K – Frankfort, Kentucky
Race: Capital City Stampede 10K
Place: Frankfort, Kentucky
Date: June 15, 2013
Time: 45:31
Welcome to the third and final race of the Frankfort Trifecta Run/Walk Series for 2013. And…it’s new. Yep…new. Prior to this, the final race was the Activate America 5 Miler. Well, that changed this year. Frankfort, Kentucky hasn’t had a 10K race since the 1980s. And I was just really excited that the miles were expanded. I love a good 10K race. It’s a fun, yet still challenging distance to run.
I won’t lie. During the week prior to this, I wasn’t on a training program, so I was just running some miles in the morning at whatever distance and pace I felt like. For much of that week, I focused on the 10K distance (6.2 miles…for you non-runners reading this), hoping to turn in a better time than my current PR, which I set at the Rodes City Run in Louisville back in March…while battling bronchitis. You might remember that blog.
But, I digress. The fact of the matter was, I was pushing myself as hard as I dared and coming up short each time. My PR of 47:40 for a 10K distance stood…and my practice runs were frustrating the hell out of me as I tried to best it. I gave in. I was running in the early morning while it was dark and humid and flat. And I just couldn’t best it. The following week I was adhering to my first week of Chicago Marathon Training, so I was content with the fact that I would just have to go into this race with a clear head and just focus on the run itself. So, marathon training began, and I was more focused on my pace, my distance, my speed work than the upcoming 10K. Although I knew it was there. I flip-flopped two training days to make them fit the schedule better. The long run of 9 miles I would have clocked on Saturday was moved to Wednesday, and my 6 mile run was bumped to Saturday, as that would be my 10K race day. It worked. It fit. I was pleased.
Fast forward to Saturday morning. My head was definitely not in the game. I had a lot going on and my mind was just not focusing on one thing. I found myself starting something that morning, then moving onto something else without finishing what I had started. Not just once…but numerous times. I had to go through a mental checklist in my head as I dressed for the race (it was going to be in the 60s that morning, so I thought a running skirt and a singlet would be perfect), got snacks, water and Gatorade together for afterwards. I had to remember to grab my banana to eat closer to race time so I wouldn’t be starving, since my breakfast would be consumed before 6 a.m. and the race was to start at 8 a.m. I had to make coffee, and got halfway through that before I started doing something else…then went back to it…then got distracted…then finally got the pot brewing…and it finished up just as my roommate was getting up for breakfast. Which, doesn’t work, as she can’t drink hot coffee but doesn’t like cold coffee. So, really, ideally, her coffee needs to be sitting out for a good 15-20 minutes in order for it to be perfect for her. I failed to do that on race morning, which is not the morning to screw that up. I finished packing my change of clothes and regular shoes, downed my breakfast, and then we hit the road.
For some reason, we underestimated the time it would take to get to Frankfort from our apartment. Which…is weird as we have made this drive so many times we could probably do it in our sleep. I had one request, and that was to stop off at the Kroger in Frankfort so that I could use the bathroom before we got to the race. We pulled into that Kroger at 7:15 a.m. I already should have been eating my banana at this point, but I hadn’t even touched it yet. Cathy dropped me off and I hurried inside to use a flushing toilet (I am a princess!), then hustled back out to the car to climb in and make our way to the new Capitol building. I started to finally eat my banana while Cathy took to noshing on one of the protein bars we brought as she drove. Except, unknown to us at the time, there was a bike race going on and we had to wait for some bikers to clear the way before we could make the turn to head toward the Capitol. Cathy was aggravated as now we were really behind, and that just stressed me out more than I already was. So…I started crying. No help, but it happened.
We finally made the turn and got the car parked. Cathy grabbed the sign and we headed down to the new Capitol building, where at the bottom of the stairs, volunteers were working Packet Pick-up and on the other side Registration for anyone who waited to sign up or just felt like running or walking that morning. The 10K race also had an offered 2 mile walk.
I went to get my packet. That was easy and stress-free. Thank goodness. Moving up the steps, I got my bib pinned on and tucked the rest of the stuff in the bag into Cathy’s clear backpack. We walked back down the steps and started to move around some to loosen up the limbs. We had less time to stretch and warmup now that we were running behind, but it didn’t mean it couldn’t get done. I noticed that Cool Comfort had their tent up and remembered that an announcement was sent out that Cool Comfort would have the Frankfort Trifecta series shirts at the race…so I went to pick mine up. They handed it over and I tucked that one into Cathy’s backpack as well.
It was then I realized I didn’t have my phone, so we made our way back to the car to retrieve it. While walking that way, I had my Garmin start looking for satellites because it sometimes takes awhile in Frankfort to locate them. By the time I retrieved my phone, I had already started crying about being so forgetful that day and then managed to calm myself down some. I was a complete mess that morning.
Doing my best to get my head where it needed to be, I began doing some of my usual stretches. I needed to let my demons go and focus on something I was passionate about. Something that always made me feel free. No matter what happened out on that course, I was just going to go out for a run. I was coming into this race as the third female overall in the open category for the entire racing series. While that did put a little bit of pressure on me, at that point, I was even thinking about that. As I said…my mind was elsewhere, and I was just going to have fun. That’s why I run anyway. If I set out to PR and run hard at every race, I would burn myself out. I get up every morning and I participate in races because I love to run. Not because I feel I need to…or because I want to lose weight…but because I want to. And I think that separates me from a lot of my peers in the running community at times.
The start time was getting close, so Cathy gave me a hug and told me to have fun. I gave her a nod, took a breath, and went to stand with the runners who were beginning to line up with the pace signs. I stood between the 6 minute mile and the 8 minute mile as I normally do. As I was standing there, Linda Word, the woman who was behind me at the Pro.Active For Life 5K, came over to talk with me. We joked about all of the speed demons who were up at the front of the start. It was just the conversation I needed to get my head where I needed to be. So, thank you, Linda. You helped without even knowing it. She said she was going to slide back further in the pace groups and I noticed that we were being shuffled forward. I inched up slowly…and could hear very, very muffled announcements going on. Then I heard the starting gun guy say something about being ready. And without any sort of notice, the starting horn went off and we runners were caught unaware and unprepared for the most part. Suddenly, I was running.
Linda was just ahead of me as we came down the hill from the Capitol building. I ran next to her for a moment and heard her say that she forgot to start her music. It didn’t seem to hurt her any though. I love running with people like Linda…because as we were making our turns and our run through the streets, she took a moment to thank the police officers who were out there diverting traffic and keeping us safe on the course. These volunteers should be thanked and I know I do it every now and again, but I should be more conscious of it. It’s a great reminder to take a moment and thank those who help make these races possible. Linda did it every chance she had. And that…is awesome.
As this was a new race distance for Frankfort…this was also a relatively new race course. There were parts of it that were definitely familiar, but much of it was different. I made it through the first mile and reminded myself to slow the pace down just a little…without sacrificing too much, because I still had a long way to go…and I know that Frankfort has these long, slow hills. I also knew that there was one massive hill at the very end of the race, and I hoped to be able to get up that without being slowed down too much.
At around Mile 2.5, the runners were able to run past the Capitol building again. This was very fun because this meant the spectators were down there cheering you on. I saw Cathy holding my sign and heard her screaming at me, “GO TWIN! YOU’RE KILLING IT! GO MY SON!” The last line there is something we joke about thanks to Jamie Oliver. Chef jokes, for the win! I breezed past, laughing now and turned onto the route that we used for the 5 mile run that this race previously did. Nice. So, with that uplifting cheering, I headed onto the long stretch of road that would eventually take us to the turn around point. We now were encountering walkers out on the 2 mile walk, which was good because a lot of them would send out words of encouragement as we ran by. And the race volunteers at the mile markers…they were awesome as well.
I hit Mile 3 at what I felt was a good pace, making some strides to pass a few people as I went along. I was feeling really good here. My pace felt nice, challenging, but not too hard. I still had half the distance to cover and I wanted to really finish strong. As I was making it down to the 4 mile mark, which was about where we would turn around and head back, I saw the race leader run past, followed by quite a few other runners. Not too far behind them was the first female, and to my surprise, it wasn’t Kendall Hayes, the 11 year-old wonder runner who bests every female in these races in Frankfort. It was someone else. Kendall was a bit further back. But as I made the turn, I realized that I was currently standing in the third place overall female position for the 10K race. Now with just 2.2 miles remaining.
Me about to start up the steady, steep incline to go around the Capitol and finish the Capital City Stampede 10K – Frankfort, Kentucky
Where we had to run downhill on the way to the turn around, we now had to run uphill. I passed up a guy who has been ahead of me for awhile. He said, “Good job!” as I passed. It made me smile again. I had another guy ahead of me, blaring music in his earbuds so loudly that I could hear it. He and I made it to Mile 5 around the same time. The volunteer at the station said, “Good job, Karen!” as I went by. I loved that he personalized that encouragement for me. I don’t even live in Frankfort and there they were, recognizing me as I ran through their beautiful city. I did pass the earbud-music-blaring guy on the uphill, determined that I was going to attack these hills. I made it up that one feeling strong and was directed to run down to the woman in the red shirt before we were now sent up the steepest climb in the race. Yes. At around mile 5.5. I kid you not. EVIL!
Cathy was standing near the point where we really started to hit the incline. She saw me coming and was shouting again, “GO TWIN!! YOU’RE KILLING IT! IT’S JUST A HILL…GET OVER IT!” It once again made me laugh and I picked up the pace to really attack that hill. The first small incline I managed. But that second one…that one slowed me down. It hit back. And it hit hard. My legs were tired…and they really just didn’t want to work that hard. But, I pressed on. The hill might have slowed me down, but it wasn’t going to best me. Not that day.
When I finally managed to reach the crest, I rounded the corner to run behind the Capitol building. It was a long stretch and I kept thinking that Mile 6 should be beeping in on my Garmin any moment. But it didn’t. I ran down to the volunteer who said just to head down the hill and straight on into the finish line. And as I was running, he said, “You’re a third female. Good job. Keep going!” Keep going. I had every intention to keep going.
While it was evil to make us climb a mountain (okay…a hill) so near the end of the race, at least that meant the sprint to the finish line was downhill on the other side. That more than made up for it. So, as my feet hit the pavement and I hit that final stretch, I put whatever power and energy I had into each rapid footfall and made my way toward that finish line. I could see the clock ticking and that clock wasn’t as far along in the time as I anticipated. I could hear Cathy screaming to “GO!” I could hear Ronald McDonald making donkey noises. There’s a story there…trust me. So, with that sort of motivation…it was just pushing myself to sprint into that finish line and finish strong. I did. The volunteers there stopped me at the end, and went to tear the tag on my bib off, managing to rip my entire race bib in the process. I didn’t care.
I turned around and Cathy immediately gave me a hug, telling me how I killed this race. I turned back into the mess I was at the beginning of the race and just became this blubbering fool. It was the first time I ever broke down at the end of a race at the finish line. And at a 10K of all things. Cathy moved me to the side and told me to go and grab some water. So, I did that. And felt better. We started walking, moving up the hill that runners were climbing to round the Capitol and make their way to the finish. We shouted some encouragement to them as we walked around. We paused to get my victory shot in front of a beautiful backdrop of flowers and water…which was awesome. Then I retrieved my Gatorade from the cooler in her backpack and began my post-race nutrition plan as it has been laid out for me. It was a rather warm morning, and I needed to rehydrate from running that race. Hydration is key to recovery and I’m all about bouncing back quickly.
As I sipped on my Gatorade, we decided to make our way back down toward the recovery area. Runners were still streaming up the hill, so we shouted more words of encouragement to them, letting them know it was all downhill from there. I don’t know if we helped any. When we came back to the recovery area, I went to grab a couple of waters because we were going to go settle in on the steps for a little bit and wait for the awards. While sitting, we had our snack that we packed…Cathy a Luna Bar and for me a thinkThin bar of delicious awesomeness. We munched and drank some water. Then I got up and did a few stretches…high kicks…and then settled back down in the shade. While we were waiting, another runner headed up the steps carrying a pint glass saying that they got it for running in the entire Trifecta. So, I went down to the table and retrieved mine. It was a beautiful glass, actually. After posing with it for a moment, Cathy rolled it up in my race shirt and tucked it into her backpack.
It took about 40 more minutes before results started to get posted at the Packet Pick-Up Tent. But soon, the papers were being taped down. I hopped up to go and check on my placement. And…BAM…confirmed…third female to finish the race. Awesome!! I was thrilled. My chip time didn’t register, however, so my finishing time was based solely on gun time…which sucks because it took me a few seconds to get across that start line. But this isn’t the first race this has happened on. They had the sensors pointed one way for walkers, but runners started coming in at the same time and they didn’t have time to flip them the other way for the runners, apparently, so some have chip time…most are just off gun time. I’d say there is something to fix for next year’s race. Still, I had a new PR…I was third overall…and I was at least third female in the open women’s category for the entire racing series. That’s simply amazing. Afterwards, I found Linda sitting with the Cool Comfort running group. She introduced me to everyone and they commented on how some of their race bibs got shredded just like mine. I made a joke about having a Velociraptor jump out on the course at me and they all got a kick out of it.
After a rather long wait…the awards ceremony finally got underway. Cathy and I moved off the stairs to stand with the other runners who were waiting around. They did the awards for the Capital City Stampede 10K first. And they started with the overall men’s winners. It was the same rogues gallery from the previous races…in the same order, I think. We had a new female winner at the 10K race…an Erin Harper, who apparently runs trail marathons and ultras too. Kendall was 2nd. And I was called for third female overall. Awesome. I received this beautiful plaque which is already hanging on the wall. We all stayed and cheered for the age division winners and were told that the Trifecta awards would be handed out soon.
Me with my awards for finishing Third Overall Women in the Capital City Stampede 10K (plaque) and for finishing the 2013 Trifecta Series as the First Overall Woman in the Open category.
Soon took a little longer than expected. In fact, the tents and booths at the finish area were being broken down by the time the microphone was back in hand and the trophies for the entire Frankfort Trifecta were going to be given out. They decided to start with the Trifecta Overall Female…and the winner for the women was Kendall Hayes. That brilliant little 11-year-old girl. She’s going to go to the Olympics one day…and I’m going to be able to say…”I ran with her!”
However, this put a big surprise on me because they moved on to the Open Women’s Division for the entire Frankfort Trifecta…and first place was…ME! Yes. They called my name and I stood their stupidly for a moment because I wasn’t expecting that. But sure enough…me. I finally moved to retrieve my beautiful trophy, a rearing horse that has a clock built into it. Gorgeous. I was in shock. I couldn’t believe it.
Afterwards, once all the awards were handed out…Cathy and I went to find the Trifecta 2nd and 3rd women open winners and take pictures. They were in the group of runners I chatted with before the Stampede awards. Very nice women, all of them. Very talented runners too. And with everything wrapping up…it was time to head back to Louisville.
So…the official results of the Capital City Stampede 10K are that I finished with a new 10K PR of 45:31. WOOHOO!! That means I took a full 2 minutes off my previous 10K time. NICE! I was 20/287 finishers of the 10K run overall. And, I was the 3rd female finisher overall for that race. Awesome.
Moving on to the Frankfort Trifecta series itself…I was the winner of the 2013 Trifecta Women’s Open Division. Which is…awesome. They stated my time when I went up for my award…but I don’t remember it. I’ll post the cumulative time whenever that gets posted on the site. For now…I am just really proud of myself for pushing myself in this series and accomplishing a lot. I improved by leaps and bounds from the previous year and am very, very proud of this.
I am already looking forward to taking part in this series once again…next year. Frankfort is one of my favorite places to run. It does involve a bit of a drive, but the crowds, the other runners, and the atmosphere always make the journey worth it.
Thank you, Frankfort…for giving me the race I needed on Saturday. You helped me more than you can even imagine.
Let’s face it, my gluten-free friends. When it comes to pizza crust, we usually have two options – make it ourselves…or use the frozen pre-packaged cracker crust pizza shells made by numerous gluten-free companies. While these aren’t all bad…I have been fortunate enough to go to a few restaurants that actually make gluten-free pizza crust that isn’t crunchy thin and tastes like…real…awesome…pizza…crust.
But, tradition for me is a gluten-free pizza before the night of a big race. For 5Ks…I’m apathetic on the tradition, but on a 10K or higher…you better believe I want my gluten-free pizza the night before. I’m a superstitious athlete…and this has just been my magic night-before-the-race fuel. It just works for me. But…recently I’m on a tighter-than-usual budget (I blame race fees!), so instead of dropping money at a restaurant, I decided to pull out this kit I purchased at my local Earth Fare awhile back and give it a shot. It would be…the best of both worlds. A crust made from a mix that I got to roll out like a real pizza…without it feeling or, hopefully tasting, like those gluten-free cracker crusts of gluten-free pizza monotony.
I should trademark that…
Anyway…
It had been a long day at work and I was rather hungry when I walked inside from a long day at the office. Immediately I settled into the kitchen to get this pizza working. I opened up the kit, pulled out the vacuum-sealed pizza crust mix, the sauce packet, and the baking paper that they provided. I preheated the oven to 450 degrees and put my pizza stone in there to warm up. So far…so good. Now came the fun part.
I call this the fun part because this is where I felt like I was really, truly, making a real…yes a REALpizza. The crust was vegan, which means it had no eggs added to it and no dairy was involved in making it. In fact…it took 1/2 cup of water, warmed in the microwave for about 30 seconds, then the pizza crust mix that was provided. This was a simple blend of organic brown rice flour, organic buckwheat flour, teff flour, sweet rice flour, yeast, organic raw sugar, sea salt and vitamin C. Seems legit, yes? Well, I did as instructed and poured the mix into the warmed water, stirring it until it was all incorporated and then making a dough ball, as instructed, in the bowl, covering it with the provided baking paper, and letting it sit for 10 minutes to rise.
While that was happening, I prepared the rest of the toppings…which is whatever you want. For me…vegan Daiya cheese, avocado, pinapple, tomato, onion, green pepper, and broccolette. Mmmm…veggie pizza with a hit of sweet pineapple. It would be epic. I just knew it.
With my veggies chopped and ready for the pizza, I removed the baking paper…and noticed my dough ball hadn’t even altered in size. It looked just like it did when I rolled it into a ball and left it there. Hmmm…
Well, I ran with it. The baking paper was placed on the counter and I put two teaspoons of olive oil on it. The dough ball was plopped onto the paper and rolled around into the olive oil, then I grabbed my rolling pin and rolled it out into a 12-inch circle as best I could, doing a horrible job at crimping the edges. No surprise. This isn’t my forte. Anyway, I slid the baking paper with my crust base over to the warm pizza stone and set it on the low rack to begin cooking for about 10 minutes.
GalloLea Gluten-Free Pizza Kit includes a gluten-free pizza crust mix, a sauce pack, and baking paper
When that 10 minutes was up, I pulled it out and did as I was instructed by the kit…I poured the sauce packet on top and spread it out to coat the crust. The sauce, by the way is a simple blend of organic whole peeled tomatoes, organic tomato paste, organic extra virgin olive oil, organic garlic, organic raw sugar, organic basil, organic oregano and more organic spices. It sounded organically awesome, honestly. Pure, natural ingredients. I like it. Then, over the sauce I added all the toppings and a scattering of my Daiya mozzarella shreds. Vegan pizza…is awesome. Trust me. And back into the oven it went for another 10 minute baking session, allowing the crust to cook more, the toppings to warm, the cheese to melt, and that pineapple to caramelize.
When 10 minutes was up…the pizza stone came out and my pizza was done and ready to eat. All of this is around 30 minutes time. Not too bad for a dough you prep by hand. That was, actually, my favorite part of this process. I felt like I was eating something real. Not just a frozen mass of dough already pre-made for my convenience. I like getting my hands into things and making and rolling the dough was a nice step in that direction.
So…here it is…the truth, the whole truth…and nothing but the truth.
GalloLea Gluten-Free Pizza Kit let me down. It just…let me down hard.
I went to slice through the crust and found that it was…very difficult to slice into. My hopes of having this beautifully crisp yet soft pizza crust flew immediately out the window. I was already frustrated with the crust and I hadn’t even tasted it. Once I managed to slice it into fourths and then into smaller pieces for consumption purposes, I took a serving (1/4 of the pizza) to my roommate and served up another serving for myself. I settled in, hoping the taste would make up for the tough to slice through crust.
Nope. This crust turned out to be completely tasteless. It was crunchy and bland…reminding me more of the cardboard flavored gluten-free products of yesterday rather than the amazing flavor, texture, and taste that can come with gluten-free products that are done right. SO frustrating and aggravating. I was let down. The underside of the pizza crust got this amazing crunch to it, but the top, the part that was sauced, turned into a soggy mess. I’m sorry…pizza crust should not be soggy. Ever. It was lackluster, uninspired, bland, and just plain…disgusting. I almost didn’t want to save the other half of the pizza for the following evening. But I did…because I didn’t want to waste money. Ugh. I reheated it the following night in a skillet, hoping it might improve the crust some. Nope. Still a bland, soggy mess of a pizza.
GalloLea…you did everything wrong with this mix. I mean, who says that pizza crust has to be bland and just…not worth the effort to make it. I was so disappointed with the time I spent rolling out this dough and preparing it. The sauce was bitter and didn’t taste good at all. I’d recommend using your own sauce if you happen to have one of these in your pantry. I’m just saying.
As for the nutritional worth of this bland pizza crust…with the sauce included…the serving of 1/4 of a pizza will set you back 170 calories, and that’s without counting the toppings you add to it. There is only 1 gram of fat in the mix and sauce, however, and it does provide 3 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein. This mix is also low on sodium (220 mg) and contains only 3 grams of sugar. It is cholesterol free as well.
Unfortunately…it is also disgusting. And I was so disappointed that once again I was stuck with a less-than-satisfying pre-race pizza. I want a good pizza before a race, dammit. Is that too much to ask?
My recommendation…make your own gluten-free crust. Don’t rely on mixes. And if you are pressed for time, there are plenty of tasty, frozen, pre-made gluten-free pizza crusts out there to throw into the oven with your own sauce and toppings. Don’t waste your time and money on the GalloLea Gluten-Free Pizza Kit. You will regret it. I sure did.
GalloLea Pizza Crust stopped with my amazing toppings. The toppings were the best part. The crust was horrible!
Product: The Good Bean Sea Salt Roasted Chickpea Snacks – $2.99+
I’m on a mission. A mission that was set forth by my sports nutritionist.
Yes…I have a sports nutritionist.
Why? Because I’m preparing to run my first marathon and I want to make sure I am doing everything right. From following a good training plan to making sure I am fueling my body to the best of my abilities. This is important to me. So, as I work through some of the stuff that is in my pantry…as I am cheap and won’t throw it away…I am already looking for new things to replace some of these snack items with.
I found a winner at World Market a couple weeks ago. I broke them out on Friday as my snack at work and I fell in love at the first bite.
The product: The Good Bean Sea Salt Roasted Chickpea Snacks.
Yes…roasted chickpeas.
And yes…I am quite aware that I could easily make these myself, but my life is pretty busy and hectic as it is. Maybe when things settle down in a couple months I’ll work more toward making a lot of my own food items. But…this is pretty much as healthy as it gets when it comes to a snack. Let’s start with the nitty-gritty and work into my opinion on these.
These are…what the bag says they are…roasted chickpeas. I love chickpeas and I have my mom to thank for that (Thanks, Mom!). However, I had never tried them roasted (but have pinned many recipes for this very snack on Pinterest to try…one day). I chose to start with a trial on the original. The very first snack by The Good Bean – roasted chickpeas flavored simply with…sea salt. This concept was inspired by street vendors in Indian cities, who roast chickpeas in salt, resulting in hard little beans that give off this nutty, crispy, buttery texture of awesomesauce. Yes…that is an accurate description. Building off this concept, the people at The Good Bean roast their chickpeas in salt, bringing out the natural deliciousness of the chickpea itself. Let’s face it…chickpeas are awesome. They are a powerhouse of nutrition and just taste really good. They taste even more badass when they are roasted. Trust me.
So, let’s talk numbers. No one likes numbers…but these…these are impressive. The Good Bean Sea Salt Roasted Chickpea Snacks will only set you back 140 calories for a serving of 1/4 cup (which is the serving size). This will also serve you up only 2 grams of fat (the healthy kind you get from beans!), 6 grams of fiber, 7 grams of protein, and only 260 mg of sodium. Nice. These chickpeas are low fat, nut-free, gluten-free, cholesterol-free, contain nothing over-engineered, nothing artificial, and are just SO good for your body, your heart, your waistline, and for giving you energy. Nutritional powerhouses…that’s what these are.
But what about taste, right? You gotta go off of taste!
Mark my words…these are totally AWESOME!! Crunchy, tasty, with just the right about of salt to excite the taste buds. Oh yeah…these are full of yumminess. I loved the buttery texture and how, instead of having a mushy bean, you get this crunchy snack. It’s like eating potato chips that are good for you. Honestly. I was so impressed by these. In fact, I bought two of the other flavors today while grocery shopping. That’s how yum-tastic these are. As I move towards cleaner eating, these are more of the snacks I’ll be turning to. Thankfully…these are delicious!!
So, if you’re looking to break your potato chip habit, I totally recommend The Good Bean’s roasted chickpea snacks. Start with the basics…Sea Salt was the ideal place to start with me. But if you want to be bold…try one of the other three flavors available. I promise…you’ll love every crunchy bite of them.
Product: Udi’s Gluten-Free Dark Chocolate Brownie Bites – $5.99+
Nothing is quite as indulgent, quite as sinful, quite as delicious as dark chocolate. It is, by far, my favorite type of chocolate. And a little can go a long way. Maybe that’s what I love about dark chocolate. It’s rich and decadent and bittersweet…so overindulging doesn’t really come into the equation.
A long time ago…no joke…I spotted Udi’s Gluten-Free Dark Chocolate Brownie Bites in my grocer’s gluten-free freezer section. Being the chocoholic that I am…I had to have them. And, my roommate was feeling generous that day and offered to purchase them for me as a treat. I had just baked something for dessert that would last a week or so, so these went back into the freezer upon our return home that day. And there they sat. When I bought them, they were relatively new to the market and one of Udi’s new products. These…these are probably old news to much of the gluten-free world these days. But, seeing as I finally dug them out of the freezer yesterday…well…it’s my turn to taste and tell.
Udi’s Gluten-Free Dark Chocolate Brownie Bites are beyond amazing. Each brownie is baked inside a mini cupcake wrapper and is about 2-bites per brownie. And these are rich and totally satisfying. I want to take smaller bites just to make them last longer, honestly. The dark chocolate brownie base is like a moist, soft cake. I loved it. And each brownie is infused with fudgy bits of dark chocolate, perfect to melt on your tongue as you savor each sweet bite. Do you realize how difficult it was for me to resist going back for more? If it weren’t for the fact that I know how many servings are in that plastic container, I’d probably be swiping some…constantly…because I love that delicious chocolate flavor. It’s just enough, in each bite, to wake up the palate and keep things interesting. Those dark chocolate chips that are baked into each one…are heaven when you find them. I was in brownie heaven last night. It’s not often I say nice things about pre-packaged brownies…but these were so incredibly moist, soft, decadent, and delicious. They needed to be raved about.
Honestly, I’ve come up with dessert ideas that revolve around these little bite-size brownies of awesomesauce!
We are talking a snack and sweet treat here, so nutritionally speaking…keep that in mind. A serving size is two of these little two-bite brownies. That will set you back 180 calories and 8 grams of fat. A serving also provides you with 100 mg sodium, 16 grams of sugar (it’s dessert…it’s dessert…it’s dessert), 1 gram of fiber and 2 grams of protein.
Treat these brownie bites as they are intended…as a bite-size treat. The entire container doesn’t need to be consumed all in one or two sittings. It’s best to savor…or…expand on it with little touches of your own. A mini scoop of ice cream, some nuts, whatever your heart desires. Just know that when that chocolate craving hits…whether you are gluten-free or not…these are the little treats you should be consuming…because they are just that awesome. I wouldn’t lie. In fact, I can’t wait to get to dessert tonight. Four bites of heaven. I can’t wait.
Let me reiterate this once more – NOTHING ARTIFICIAL!
So what exactly is this Froot Loops-like cereal made from…and why am I blogging about them?
Well, I’m blogging about this cereal because it was a new gluten-free item that I spotted at Whole Foods. And it was inexpensive for a gluten-free cereal. And I hadn’t had Froot Loops since I was really, really little. And sometimes, even as an adult…you just want something to remind you of your childhood. The only thing I looked at on the box was the sugar, and it was low for a cereal, so I put it in my shopping basket as I was going to need gluten-free cereal anyway…and away I went.
I wasn’t sure what to expect. Normally I equate inexpensive gluten-free foods with disgusting gluten-free cardboard flavor. So, when my current cereal was gone and I popped this box open yesterday…I was almost hesitant to settle in for breakfast. I can be quite adventurous, but I also was on a tight schedule yesterday and not liking my cereal would have put a big crimp in the morning activities and energy level, for sure. But, after my first spoonful…I worried no more.
Not only do these taste better than Froot Loops, but you can tell they aren’t laden down with unnecessary sugar either. The flavors are all natural, because, as I said, Freedom Foods believes very strongly in their products having nothing artificial in them. That means the colors are all natural and the flavors are all natural. So…what does this mean? It means this fantastic fruit flavor is coming from…yep…natural fruit flavor. Imagine that. Getting a fruit flavor from…fruit. And the proof is on the taste buds. While these are definitely not as sweet as Froot Loops, these are definitely packed with great flavor and offer a gluten-free version of that childhood classic. As for the color…that is also all-natural, being drawn from turmeric, fermented rice powder, gardenia flower extract, and sweet potato extract. For real! Sure, the colors aren’t as bold or bright or unnatural as the original Kellogg’s brand cereal…but I don’t need my colors to pop. I need cereals that don’t use artificial dyes and sweeteners. And Freedom Foods is offering that. And these aren’t just for kids…obviously. The fruity flavor is really amazing and I dug in, spoonful after spoonful until it was, sadly, gone.
Freedom Foods is free from gluten, wheat, nuts, dairy, sesame, soy, and eggs. As I mentioned before, the colors and flavors are all natural. This cereal is low in salt, a great source of fiber, and completely preservative free. No BHT here. You’ll find it in Froot Loops though. You’ll find soy, wheat, and hydrogenated oils in Froot Loops too. Oh…and artificial colors. Why eat something artificial when you can eat something that comes from natural ingredients. That’s how food should be made. It’s even better when the food is as delicious as this turned out to be.
Nutritionally speaking, a serving is 1 cup of Tropico’s cereal, which will set you back 130 calories and only less than 1 gram of fat. This serving will also provide you with a scant 40 mg of sodium, 8 grams of sugar, 2 grams of fiber and 2 grams of protein. While Kellogg’s Froot Loops variety has fewer calories, it has a little more fat, definitely more sodium, and 12 grams of sugar. I think I’ll take the 20 extra calories for something that is all natural and has less sugar in it. Thank you very much.
Freedom Foods Tropico’s is just one cereal that I found. There are quite a few others lining the shelves. And, according to the Web site, some other options as well that Whole Foods might not have yet. That being said, I am looking forward to trying another type of their cereal because they have completely wowed me with this one. Maybe I’m still a kid at heart, but this is a cereal parents can feel confident giving to their children and adults can enjoy as well. It’s all natural…and all good.
The Pure Pantry Organic Gluten-Free Old Fashioned Pancake and Baking Mix
Product: The Pure Pantry Organic Gluten-Free Old Fashioned Pancake and Baking Mix – $6.79+
What does a runner love to eat…probably as much as bananas, pasta, and pizza. If you said pancakes…you’d win the jackpot. And, even before I became a runner, pancakes were one of my most favorite breakfast foods to have. And my mom was a pro at making them. In fact, her very own recipe in the cookbook she put together for all of the kids in the family actually has them titled “The Best Ever Pancakes.” I think we called them that once or twice…or always.
But…going gluten-free sort of took the fun out of pancakes. So often, the batter would be runny, or the pancakes would have no lift to them. They were dense, not light and fluffy. Or the flavor was all wrong. There are so many factors that go into creating the perfect pancake. And none of them ever achieved “Best Ever” status like my mom’s.
And while none of the mixes have duplicated that perfection…a few have come close. And, while this remains on the lower end of my favorite pancakes, The Pure Pantry Organic Old Fashioned Pancake and Baking Mix has achieved something that no other gluten-free pancake and baking mix has managed. It managed to get that perfect golden crust on the outside of the pancake, so that you get that initial crispy texture, followed by the soft, hot center.
Yes…it might just be gluten-free pancake nirvana.
And it all came to light on Monday morning. I had just come in from my first official marathon training run. Five easy miles…while hydrating and fueling. All on the orders of my sports nutritionist. But now it was time to recover and get some carbs and protein working in my diet. So…at the request of my roomie the previous night, and to celebrate my first run toward my ultimate goal of 26.2 miles…pancakes just seemed right. But not just any pancakes will do when you are marathon training. Nope. They have to be special. Fit with the theme.
So…I took this mix and doctored it up with some PB2, a tablespoon of melted Peanut Butter & Co Smooth Operator Peanut Butter, and a chopped banana. Does that not sound like the ultimate recovery breakfast? It’s a runner’s dream come true. Protein, potassium, and carbohydrates. I served mine up with a homemade raspberry syrup (the “jelly” component)…which gave me some antioxidants from the fruit. Oh yeah…I was feeling good. The only thing I worried about was how the mix would do when I altered the ingredients that went into it.
I should have known better than to worry. This is actually an easy mix to blend together. To the 1-1/3 cup of pancake mix, you simply add one lightly beaten egg, 1 tablespoon coconut oil, 1-1/3 cup almond milk (or non-dairy milk of choice) and blend. But I didn’t stop there. Nope. I had to go further with the peanut butter and banana. Because that’s a winning combination. You gotta admit. I wasn’t sure how it would turn out in the end…but my fears were put to rest after I scooped the first 1/4 cup serving of batter onto the hot skillet and started the first batch cooking.
Within moments, the edges of the pancakes were getting bubbly, just like real pancakes do…but gluten-free pancakes don’t often achieve. I was feeling good about this already. I flipped the first round, almost squealing with happiness when I saw the perfect golden hue on the cooked side. Nothing done halfway. No light areas. Perfectly golden and…even fluffy. They were FLUFFY!
With the first batch done, I went to prep those for breakfast consumption that morning, warming up my homemade raspberry syrup, and making a Brown Sugar Agave Butter to schmear over each pancake. With the next batch cooking on the griddle and one set ready to eat, I served them up to my roommate and ended up standing up over the skillet while eating mine and cooking up the rest of them.
I was so happy with these.
The Pure Pantry’s Organic Old Fashioned Pancake and Baking Mix is perfect for anyone following a gluten-free/casein-free diet. These pancakes can also be made with dairy-free rice, almond or soy milk. I love a mix that can work with dietary needs. Regardless of the milk you add, the pancakes don’t just fill the kitchen with that homey, Sunday morning brunch aroma, but the product that emerges off that skillet is a testament to the quality and standards of The Pure Pantry.
With the unique and versatile blend of organic, gluten-free flours, this mix is meant for more than just pancakes. In fact, it can be used to replace flour in any regular baking recipe. Gotta love that. This mix contains a blend of organic brown rice flour, organic white rice flour, organic potato starch flour, organic corn flour, organic tapioca flour, baking soda, aluminum free baking powder, xanthan gum, and organic sea salt. I will once again point out that this is another fine example of using ingredients that aren’t chemicals or unpronouncable. These are real ingredients which helps produce the very delicious product as a result.
Nutritionally speaking, these pancakes will set you back 150 calories and only 1 gram of fat. Yep…you read that right! These have no cholesterol and are low in sodium (280 mg). However, it would be best to add something like peanut butter and some fruit to these as the fiber level sits at 1 gram and the protein is a scant 2 grams before any sort of doctoring happens to the mix. So…if you make them as-is…you will probably feel hungry shortly after.
However, what you do get is a perfect specimen of gluten-free pancakes the way they should come out when cooked. I hadn’t yet achieved this level of pancake perfection until now. And I have The Pure Pantry and their amazing Organic Old Fashioned Pancake and Baking Mix to thank for it. I…am sold.
Gluten-Free Peanut Butter and Banana Pancakes made from The Pure Pantry Organic Gluten-Free Old Fashioned Pancake and Baking Mix
I don’t eat a lot of chips. Honestly…I don’t. I much prefer gluten-free pretzels or chocolate covered gluten-free pretzels at that. Chips…they kind of fell off my radar awhile back. A lot of that has to do with so many chips aren’t labeled gluten-free. And even if they are…well…I much prefer sweeter treats like Greek yogurt or fruit if given the option.
But, every now and again, I do have chips. Mostly because I have them in my extensive gluten-free pantry. And while I didn’t have any chips in my pantry, that all changed a couple of weeks back when I was in my local natural food store and Glutino products were on sale.
Glutino. Was. On. Sale.
Do you get what I’m saying here? I mean…something actually was fitting into my budget. So, I splurged a little and picked up three items.
One of these items…was Glutino’s BBQ Potato Crisps.
Not chips. Crisps.
What’s the difference? Well, upon first glimpse, they remind me a lot of Baked Lays. The shape, the thin texture, the lightness to them. They aren’t greasy, which I love. Nothing worse than chips that leave behind a film of grease on your fingers while you’re eating them. Not these. They are very clean. And very, very delicious. Each chip has a great, soft crunch to them. They are seasoned to perfection. The BBQ Potato Crisps have this fantastic smokey flavor to them. In fact, they are the best BBQ flavored chips I have ever eaten. And growing up, BBQ chips were some of my favorites. I even let my co-worker at work with the picky palate try one and she had to write down the brand name and where to find them because she said they were the best flavored chips she had ever had. And she is very particular…especially if I tell her it’s gluten-free. So, this was a huge victory and speaks volumes about how good these BBQ Potato Crisps from Glutino really are.
Let me repeat this.
BEST. BBQ. CHIPS. EVER.
ANYWHERE.
FOR REAL!
Okay…so now that I have established that, let me give you the rundown on the nutritional value of these…chips. I know…they’re chips. Nutrition isn’t going to be on the high side. But honestly…these aren’t bad.
These potato crisps are made from dehydrated potatoes, corn starch, seasoned with a wide variety of flavors and natural spices and flavors, as well as salt…these crisps are cooked up in corn oil. One serving, 28 grams (or about 12 chips), will set you back 110 calories and 3 grams of fat. That’s surprisingly not bad for a chips. These contain no trans-fat, no cholesterol, and only 220 mg of sodium (in CHIPS!). You will also be provided with 1 gram of fiber and 2 grams of protein.
It’s pretty impressive for a snack chip, to be honest. Just remember to stick to the serving size. I’m so impressed with these chips. I might have to indulge every now and again…a little more often.
Another impressive and delicious product from Glutino. They keep on hitting it out of the ballpark. And I continue to turn to them because I trust them to put forth a quality product. Much love, Glutino. Much love.
Marisa and I (the two in the rainbow socks) crossing the finish line of The Color Run – Louisville, Kentucky
Race: The Color Run
Place: Louisville, Kentucky
Date: June 8, 2013
Time: ?? (UNTIMED EVENT)
Happiest 5K on the Planet? Hell yeah!
That’s how The Color Run is billed in all of their marketing and it couldn’t be further from the truth. There wasn’t a moment of this untimed 5K event that didn’t offer a good time. And that’s saying something from someone who was running on fumes that morning. Let me explain…
As you read in my previous post, a friend of mine from high school, who I last saw at a high school graduation party back in Horseheads, New York…in 1998…was coming into town. She was one of my dearest friends going up. In fact, we were both single at the time of the senior prom (and I was already a graduate), so we decided that we would attend prom together with our friends. I am, of course, talking about my good friend Marisa, who reconnected with me awhile back on Facebook. God bless social media, yes?
Anyway…through a wild and crazy turn of events, she wasn’t able to run The Color Run up in New York or New Jersey or wherever it was being held. So…she got in touch with me and inquired about the Louisville race. I was already signed up to run it because last year I had missed out due to a running injury (many tears were shed on packet pick-up day last year). She inquired about coming down to Louisville for the race and, naturally, hanging out with me. I told her she was always welcome…and now the Happiest 5K on the Planet just became a little…no…a lot happier.
Marisa, mind you, lives in New Jersey and works in New York City. On Friday night, she was to catch a flight down to Louisville and arrive around 11:45 p.m. Thanks to the very unhappy Tropical Storm Andrea bearing down on the Northeast, her bus to LaGuardia was running way behind due to flooding. All night, edging up closer and closer to her flight departure time, she’s texting from an unmoving bus, not certain if she was going to make her flight. Through a bit of a miracle, her flight was delayed, her bus got through some flooding, and she made it to the airport in enough time to make the delayed flight out to Louisville.
So, at about the time she should have been arriving, Cathy and I hop into my vehicle and drive out to the Louisville airport to await the arrival of her plane. We parked and headed inside…it was really close to midnight. Her plane landed and soon…she was texting to say she was heading toward baggage claim. I let her know that I was there and waiting…and a few moments later, she stepped out of the terminal and I hurried up to give her a hug.
It was definitely way past our bedtimes. After midnight, we made the trek back to Indiana to crash for a couple of hours. I was already in my pajamas and ready for bed, so I showed Marisa to her air mattress, where the bathroom was, and allowed for her to get her night routine done before we all turned in for the night. My alarm was set to wake us up at 5 a.m. My coffee maker was set to start automatically at the same time. This was not a coincidence. This was necessity.
At 6 a.m. sharp, my alarm goes off and I switch it off, roll out of bed, grab my whites to wear to the run and go to get changed. I get everything done except putting my hair up. I totally forget about that. It’s early. I’m tired. The coffee is just finishing up brewing. I stumble out of the room to get some breakfast ready and allow Marisa some time to get ready. As I’m getting cereal poured and some Greek yogurt prepped, I notice that Cathy’s door is still closed and there is no sign of life. So, I grumble to myself (not a good attitude for the Happiest 5K on the Planet, right?) something about not being her mother and knock, loudly, on the door. I hear her stir and I go back to the kitchen, this time to pour some water, pour some coffee (it has now stopped brewing and is ready to wake me up), and lay out three bananas to eat on the way to the race itself.
Marisa is not much of a coffee drinker, but she loves tea. So I get some hot water on the stove for her and let her choose her cereal. She went with the Vans Gluten-Free Cinnamon Heaven, which, in my opinion, is the best option that we had. LOVE my Van’s cereals. But, I digress. She picks out the Celestial Seasonings Pumpkin Spice tea for some caffeine and we get it steeping in some hot water. While that works, we settle in for breakfast with some cereal (carbs) and Greek yogurt (protein). We hydrated with water, caffeinated with our coffee or tea, and then get to brushing our teeth, getting our numbers pinned on, getting our shoes on (I dug out my very old pair of Brooks Adrenaline for this…their final race), and then I remembered to do my hair. So did Marisa for that matter. I wasn’t alone.
Marisa and I hanging out with the Troll Under the Bridge before The Color Run – Louisville, Kentucky
Originally we had wanted to do some costuming…go as superhero princesses…but we just didn’t have the time nor the money at that point to work it. But…we’re already planning for next year, so expect some greatness with that. With that being said, we tried to emulate each other as much as possible. She wore rainbow socks…so instead of the white socks I had laid out, I grabbed my rainbow socks. We both were in white t-shirts. We both wore pigtails…hers were braided. Then over that…the official The Color Run sweatband.
NOW we were ready to head out the door and get to the race.
Being that we put some hustle into our morning routine, we were leaving just a little later than anticipated. But, we only had a short drive over the bridge and then over towards The Galt House to park. So, we weren’t in too bad of a shape. I noted the time soon after we left the apartment and it was already banana time. So, Marisa and I, being that we were running, both ate our bananas while Cathy said she’d eat hers on the walk toward the start line. That worked. This gave Marisa and I time to eat without being rushed and let everything settle in our stomachs.
Parking was hassle-free and worry-free. No problems at all. We climbed out of the car in the parking garage and off we went to make the trek toward the start of the race, which was happening in and around Waterfront Park. We know our way around downtown by now, but there was no way to even think about heading in the wrong direction. The sea of people in white shirts and costumes was enough to let us know we were heading in the right direction. As we stepped out into the streets, Cathy decided that we would go the more scenic route toward the start line, which would take us past Louisville’s famous Troll Pub Under The Bridge, and their infamous troll. We had to pause and take pictures with said troll before making our way to the sea of humanity known as…the starting corrals.
Cathy said that she would find a spot near one of the breaks, so Marisa and I meandered through the waves of Color Runners to find an opening that would allow us to get into the corrals. We finally found it and ducked inside, now having to wend our way back to where Cathy had positioned herself. I wanted to hand off my cell phone. It took some clever maneuvering, but we managed to finally make it up to where Cathy was waiting. I handed her my cell phone and found enough space to show Marisa a few of my stretches I do before a race.
The DJ at the event was cranking out tunes, people were having a great time, free stuff was being tossed out to all the runners within the vicinity. It was just a fun, happy atmosphere. I don’t think Marisa and I stopped smiling.
They were getting ready to kick off the race, which was starting in waves. Probably the only sane way to keep this race somewhat organized. It just so happened that Marisa and I were in the second wave to be sent off. Go figure. So, after the first wave left to go and get doused in color, we were moved up behind the green tape and stood around for, probably about 5 minutes. More free stuff was hurled at us. People were opening up their packets of color and tossing it in the air. I got a bit of a color coating before I even left the starting gate. I was okay with that. The entire point of this race is to leave it pristine white and return…coated in the rainbow of colors they toss on you.
The countdown was started, the tape was pulled away…and my group was off and running.
Here’s the best part about having a friend in town for a race. I promised Marisa I would run or walk, whichever she needed to do, with her…the entire way. She had said she didn’t want to slow me down, but she came down here to run a race with me, we were totally going to do it together. This is not an event you run for speed, and even if it had been, I still would have stuck with her. That’s what friends do! We were hitting the streets of Louisville, running down River Road, and having a good time. I let her set the pace and she actually was taking it at a conservative, but good clip. I was proud of her.
And soon, we were coming up on our first color station. Neither of us had done a Color Run before, so we weren’t sure what to expect, but as we ran under the blue arch, we were suddenly being sprayed with blue paint powder from the volunteers there. It was awesome. And as we exited the cloud, we both agreed that blue didn’t taste very good. Moving on…we struck out for the next stretch of road.
And that was how it worked. The next color station, the green station, we now knew the routine. We ran close to the side so that we would get some color on us for certain. I was laughing, because while Marisa was managing to get coated in color, the volunteers were hitting me from the waist down. It was amusing. So, my legs were quite colorful at this point.
At the water stop, we gratefully took offered water. We drank some. We rinsed our mouth out with it. We took a moment to regroup, and we were back on track to hit up more color. As we came to the turn around point, we were hit up with some colored water out of a super soaker. NICE touch. I think I finally had some color on my shirt now. YAY!!
Back down the other side of the road we went, ready to get coated at least twice more with some color. We hit the orange station, or as they called it, “Oompaloompa Land”…and discussed Oompaloompas as we were getting a nice dousing of orange color. We held our breath through the cloudy orange haze and came out on the other end. Moving on.
We made sure to grab more water, get our mouths rinsed out again, and continue on for the last portion of the race. The last color station was pink and Marisa really got it here. My legs, once again, were the recipient of my color. Now painted up in the colors of the rainbow, we were now heading back toward downtown Louisville. We actually ran past the start line and could hear them still sending off waves of runners. This event had sold out…so there were a lot of participants. Given that we weren’t blitzing through this race, it was awesome to make it back to this point and still see pristine white-clad runners about to head out. We were actually surprised this was still happening at this point.
Up into Waterfront Park we went…and that was when I could see the Finish Line gate. I turned to Marisa and pointed to it. We linked hands…and we dashed in for a strong, colorful finish. And we were laughing, smiling, talking, and having a great time…the entire time. It has definitely become one of my favorite race experiences.
The Color Festival at the finish line of The Color Run – Louisville, Kentucky
After finishing, we met back up with Cathy, who was waiting for us at the finish line. One of the Color Festivals was happening near the stage, so after grabbing some free Kind Bars and some water…the three of us headed down that way. They were tossing out extra color packets to the crowd, some free The Color Run swag, and hitting us up with super soakers in the process. Nice. Marisa and Cathy were able to tear into their color packets to prepare for the next Color Festival…but I was having trouble with mine. Through the use of the car keys, Cathy was able to at least get a tear started in mine and I was able to rip it open. Marisa was armed with green, Cathy with pink (she had my packet from last year), and me with blue. They were counting us down and before we knew it…color was raining down on us and we were a huge part of that. I was laughing out loud and just having a blast jumping up and down in the “mosh pit of color.” The announcer called out, “You look beautiful, Louisville!” And we were just this massive array of color. All of us.
Being that it was so much fun, I went to see if I could get all of us some more color packs. None were being hurled or handed to me, so Marisa and I eventually made our way back to where we left Cathy. She’s easy to spot in a crowd…look for the old-person looking Gilligan sunhat. Hey…it works. I found her, but somehow lost Marisa in the fray. And now the countdown was happening again. Some nice women ahead of us gave us some extra color they had and…once again…the cloud of color covered us and we danced and shouted and got doused with color.
Marisa found us right after this and we decided we were going to participate in one more Color Festival before heading over to The Color Run Store (Marisa wanted some merch and since she wasn’t here for packet pick-up…I picked up both our packets on Friday afternoon…this was necessary!). No color this time we just stood there, having a good time with everyone who had joined us, and then hit up the countdown to color one last time. I can’t remember a time where I was having this much fun, and, in the process, turning into a human rainbow.
We ducked out of the Color Festival and walked around the stage to head to the store. Marisa made her purchases and we posed for a few pictures…the three of us…before heading back toward the car.
Now…while I didn’t do The Color Run last year…I also love my car. And my car was not going to get coated in colored corn starch paint stuff. Prepared for this, Cathy and I had giant trash bags, which we cut down the sides and laid over the seats so that we wouldn’t bring The Color Run to the inside of my car. Some other color runners noticed this and said, “Ah…you’ve done this before!” No…I just love my car too much. LOL!
Marisa, me, and Cathy before departing from The Color Run – Louisville, Kentucky
We were all starving at this point, so we bid adieu to The Color Run and headed out to Annie May’s Sweet Café, an allergen-free bakery, for some breakfast. Nothing like showing your friend some of your local eats…and I figured Annie May’s was my favorite place in Louisville, so we’d go there. Yes…still coated in paint. And we weren’t the only ones. After we ate breakfast, we came back to Indiana where we all took turns hitting the showers and getting ourselves cleaned up to face the rest of the day.
This race is so special. Not only did I get to run it with Marisa, whom I have known since 8th grade, but I got to spend it catching up with an old friend, running it with her, and crossing the finish line with her. We picked up right where we left off. And we did it all while on the run. Marisa ran the entire way, something she wasn’t sure she could do…but proved to herself she had the endurance to do the 5K distance. I was so proud of her. I really was. She did fantastic.
And we had a blast. For the record…we’re already making plans for next year.
Novelty runs are a nice change of pace (literally) and one that I encourage every runner, whether casual or competitive, to try. You might even rediscover the true reason you participate in this sport – happiness, health, and a whole lot of love. And in this case…color. Lots of color.
Marisa…you were a rockstar on Saturday and I had an absolute blast. Let’s do it again…soon!
The Celiathlete 