The ultimate test of anything…is to test the standard. In the case of bagels…PLAIN. It doesn’t get any easier or normal than the every day, run-of-the-mill plain bagel. And, as one of the four flavors that Annie May’s Sweet Cafe now offers…Plain is, as it should be, one of them.
Bagels, to this former New Yorker…are the ultimate food. Breakfast…lunch…dinner. I could eat them all day. First of all…MMMM…CARBS. Second of all, for the most part, they are pretty versatile. You can eat them with Earth Balance, or Cream Cheese, make them into a sandwich…or a pizza…
That’s the great thing about bagels. ESPECIALLY…Plain Bagels. It’s like staring down a blank canvas. You can go sweet or savory with it…and that’s why they are magical. And wonderful.
And, when you get one of the NEW Plain Bagels at Annie May’s Sweet Cafe…you are also getting one that is Top 9 Allergen Free. How about that?! So before any further discussion…let me reiterate one little thing…
Annie May’s bagels are not pre-cut. Never fear…this is nothing that a good serrated knife can’t fix. Slicing a bagel isn’t hard. Make sure, if you’re starting from frozen, thaw the bagels out and then slice through them. As a pro bagel slicer…start where the bagel is a little bit thinner and slice through that end first. It makes for a much cleaner and even cut. Pro tip!
Now…let’s dig in…
The plain bagel is the simplest of pleasures when it comes to the bagel. You can’t go wrong with it. But it has to be made well. That’s the one caveat I have. Call me a bagel snob if you must…but a bagel must not just look like a bagel…but taste like a bagel. And if you can’t do a simple plain bagel…well…just stop trying to make them.
Annie May is fantastic when it comes to the products she serves because if she doesn’t like it or if she isn’t happy with it…it’s not going in the bakery case or freezer or up on the Web site for order. Talk about good quality control. As a consumer, I appreciate that as it means I am guaranteed a tried and true product. YAY!
I eat breakfast at work…because it keeps me from snacking so much if I have a later breakfast. Seriously, I used to have 3 snacks a day…so shifting meals worked for me. I have to take a few precautionary measures to ensure I still eat safely…but I’ve manged so far. My office has a toaster oven in the kitchen and I bring my own aluminum foil to use since I avoid the communal toaster completely, because…well…cross-contamination.
As was true with the Everything Bagel and the Onion Bagel…the Plain Bagel toasted up to a golden perfection. I could tell as I pulled the foil that cradled these little babies from the toaster oven that they weren’t going to disappoint. The outside toasted up to get a little crispy…and the surface got that gorgeous golden color and crispy…but it still had the fluffy, chewy middle, which is definitely what makes a bagel so…incredible. It’s not just bread…it’s so much more than bread.
As a traditionalist, I schmeared this bagel with the new Kite Hill Jalapeno Cream Cheese. I love Kite Hill because it has a whipped texture, but packs amazing traditional flavor. It is almond milk based, so if nuts, specifically almonds, are a problem…try other options on the market. Thankfully, we live in a time where the market is inundated with dairy-free products so there are numerous options to fit your dietary needs. And…if dairy isn’t an issue for you or if you aren’t vegan…well…grab yourself some of that Philadelphia Cream Cheese and go to town. But…it’s Kite Hill in my home. Because YUMMY!
So now that we’re properly dressed…let’s take a bite, shall we?
Sometimes bagels can just feel heavy. These are perfect. Just the right amount of bread to get you to that right level of fullness. These toasted up beautifully. If you have had the chance to taste and partake of Annie May’s dinner rolls, sandwich buns or soft pretzels…these are very reminiscent of those. And Annie May’s Sweet Cafe, to this day, has my heart when it comes to gluten free (and vegan) breads! The same is holding true with their new bagels. Plain bagels…they are simple…but delightful and perfect to fit whatever you’re feeling when it comes to breakfast. OR…make it a sandwich. If you’re not a vegan, put an egg in between it with some greens. Or…top it with marinara and vegan mozzarella cheese shreds. Bagel pizzas really are life.
Plain bagels can satisfy any desire or crave…and these are no exception. I probably ate mine way too fast…but I was enamored with it. I was dreaming up other ways to eat them…rather than the standard way. Why not? I do my best thinking when I’m eating delicious food! If you haven’t gotten yourself around to purchasing these bagels…get on it. Now.
And, remember, if you aren’t lucky enough to live in Louisville, Kentucky (like I am…because this bakery has been with me for ALL of my Celiac journey…we’ve grown together), have no fear…Annie May’s Sweet Cafe does ship…and yes…they are shipping the bagels.
Follow this link!! And be sure to check out all the other stuff they offer as well!
As I stated before, they do offer them at the bakery as well…and if you don’t want to buy a pack of four…you can buy them individually there and get them topped with Earth Balance, jam (raspberry or strawberry), or plain cream cheese. I think they are currently offering them in-house on Tuesdays and Thursdays. So, you may want to call ahead and make sure they have them. But…you can just go and hope for the best. If nothing else, you’ll walk out of there with something tasty.
Stay tuned…because next week…I will delve into their sweeter version of their bagels…the Cinnamon Sugar. But…today…it’s all about plain. But there is nothing ordinary about these. They are definitely extraordinary.
Annie May’s Sweet Cafe Plain Bagels schmeared with Kite Hill Jalapeno Cream Cheese
Remember last week when I shared that Annie May’s Sweet Cafe is now making bagels? You know…bagels that are Top 9 Allergen Free? Remember? You should, because I did an extensive review of one of the four flavors that they offer – the Everything Bagel.
I’ve mentioned numerous times that I grew up in New York, so the bagel was a breakfast staple in my home. And when I was diagnosed with Celiac…it took forever to find a bagel that actually felt like a bagel to me. It’s been a long journey. And while some have exceeded the bar, others have fallen short.
Well, those didn’t last long in my freezer, so today I prepped the Onion Bagel for a try.
For those of you who haven’t tried one yet or didn’t make note…Annie May’s bagels are not pre-cut. Never fear…this is nothing that a good serrated knife can’t fix. Slicing a bagel isn’t hard. Make sure, if you’re starting from frozen, thaw the bagels out and then slice through them. As a pro bagel slicer…start where the bagel is a little bit thinner and slice through that end first. It makes for a much cleaner and even cut. Pro tip!
Now…let’s dig in…
I used to hate onion. Hate it. Until I was a teenager and I realized that the bite actually brought great flavor to thing. Guess my pallet turned on around the age of 13. But after that, my life was filled with onion. Onions aren’t for everyone…but I am a believer in the power of the onion.
And the power of the bagel.
Especially an onion bagel!
So, per the usual routine…this morning I sliced the bagel I thawed in half and brought it to work with me. I bring my own aluminum foil and use the toaster oven (not the toaster) to avoid cross-contamination. So…these toast in the toaster oven in the kitchen. It also makes the office smell really good anytime I toast up bagels in there. Especially flavored bagels. Mmmm. (No joke…I just had three people walk into the kitchen while I was waiting for them to finish and commented on how good they smelled and warned me not to turn my back!)
Once toasted…cream cheese had to happen. A proper bagel has a healthy schmear of cream cheese or Earth Balance (or butter if you aren’t dairy-free).
Actually, Scully, it was VEGAN cream cheese. I really like Kite Hill because it has SUCh good flavor and is almost whipped in texture. Love a light (get it) and airy texture to my cream cheese. Not traditional, I know…but when you can’t do dairy…you do vegan cream cheese. Kite Hill is by far the best, but it is made from almond milk…so if you can’t do almonds…you must find a different path. But there are lots of options out there these days!
I happen to have (and love) the new Kite Hill Jalapeno Cream Cheese. It’s delightful.
Okay now. Settle in. Take a deep breath. Savor the aroma….and then take a bite.
LOTS of flavor! The onion is there, but it won’t overpower the bagel itself. It’s got just enough punch to let you know that it’s there, but not enough to make you reach for the breath mint afterwards. I loved how well these bagels toasted up…browning up on the outside and on the sliced part…but remaining soft and chewy in the center. It made it the perfect vehicle for the cream cheese. Sometime bagels fall apart when you go to schmear them. Not these. Let me tell you, I also love the way the onion is incorporated, because it didn’t burn in the toaster oven and become bitter. It toasted and became sweet and savory all at once. Simply delicious. Down to the last bite.
Remember, if you aren’t lucky enough to live in Louisville, Kentucky (like I am…because this bakery has been with me for ALL of my Celiac journey…we’ve grown together), have no fear…Annie May’s Sweet Cafe does ship…and yes…they are shipping the bagels.
Follow this link!! And be sure to check out all the other stuff they offer as well!
As I stated before, they do offer them at the bakery as well…and if you don’t want to buy a pack of four…you can buy them individually there and get them topped with Earth Balance, jam (raspberry or strawberry), or plain cream cheese. I think they are currently offering them in-house on Tuesdays and Thursdays. So, you may want to call ahead and make sure they have them. But…you can just go and hope for the best. If nothing else, you’ll walk out of there with something tasty.
Onion bagels…you’re my jam. Or my cream cheese. Or my breakfast.
Annie May’s Sweet Cafe continues to make my gluten-free world a happier and more local place!
Annie May’s Sweet Cafe Onion Bagels schmeared with Kite Hill Jalapeno Cream Cheese
Today…February 9, 2018…is National Bagel Day. I didn’t know this until JUST NOW (thanks Instagram)!
Grab your serrated knives, lovelies!! And your toasters. And your topping to schmear on liberally because…NEWS FLASH:
*ANNIE MAY’S SWEET CAFE IS NOW OFFERING BAGELS!*
That makes this displaced New York girl want to do a happy dance! Like…do a good old fashioned subway terminal happy dance. As any New Yorker is wont to do every now and again. Especially on a good day.
Just like that. OH YEAH!
Annie May’s Sweet Cafe announced this last Saturday on their Instagram, noting that bagels will be offered at the bakery on Tuesdays and Thursdays…or for preorder. And since I knew I’d be there Wednesday, I put in an order for a pack of each flavor! Because…as I am a New York girl through-and-through…if bagels were happening at my local Gluten Free Bakery…then they were just going to happen to end up in my fridge…in my toaster oven…and in my belly!
On Wednesday, the winter weather was a no-show, so I happily skipped into the bakery to pick up my Soft Pretzel Wednesday order (this is a real thing, friends!)…grab some macarons (because…reasons)…and pick up my bagel order. I was handed the bagels first off…and I may or may not have bounced them in my arms like a newborn baby.
These things happen.
I’m not ashamed.
SOMEHOW…I managed to hold off breaking into the bagels until Friday. So I went TWO days without touching them. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. But this morning…
GAME ON!!
I thawed out two of the Annie May’s Sweet Cafe Everything Bagels (because I’m nice and share with my roomie…and she may have bought them for me too…so there is that…)
Anyway…I thawed out the bagels and then got out my serrated knife to easily slice them in half. I could tell how good these were going to be simply by slicing into them. I mean, undo the plastic and get a whiff of that garlic from the everything spices and it’s heaven. And that’s before things even get toasty!
I tossed mine in the oven (I don’t actually own a toaster) for about 12 minutes and they came out PERFECT. Lightly toasted so that the outside got just enough crisp on it and then the middle was still soft and chewy and perfect.
Yep…these are perfect.
Also…the kitchen smelled AMAZING as these were toasting. Hello delicious, flavorful, aromatic topping! I was more than ready to dive right in…but being a proper bagel lover…no bagel is complete without a schmear of something good. Traditionally…cream cheese. I have a stash of different varieties in my fridge. Today…I used the last of the Daiya Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese and my roomie got the last of the Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese. The toasty bagels came out looking all golden and amazing and each half got a healthy schmear of the vegan cream cheese goodness.
Time to dig in!
Sometimes bagels can be dense and immense and heavy. Especially gluten free ones. Either that or they are packed with fillers that make them…not even a bagel anymore, in my opinion (most store-bought ones are this way). Annie May is a perfectionist and she doesn’t add something to her bakery menu unless it meets her quality standards.
These surpassed standards. I loved that these bagels were filling without being too much. I love that these bagels are made with real ingredients. I love that these bagels are light and have that perfect crust and that chewy inside (even after slicing and toasting). And the real stand-out for the Everything flavor of the bagels…is that Everything Topping. THAT…was a flavor powerhouse. To me…no other gluten free (or regular back when I could eat them) Everything Bagel has come close to this level of flavor. And I was dancing in my chair out of pure joy with every bite. I savored it, rather than inhale it. I wanted to take my time…chew…savor…enjoy. They were a standard bagel size…they were everything I want in a bagel…but without the blandness that you can find in bagels. Bread is amazing. Bagels are better.
And these bagels…are my new favorite things in life.
And if you aren’t lucky enough to live in Louisville, Kentucky (like I am…because this bakery has been with me for ALL of my Celiac journey…we’ve grown together), have no fear…Annie May’s Sweet Cafe does ship…and yes…they are shipping the bagels.
Follow this link!! And be sure to check out all the other stuff they offer as well!
As I stated above, they do offer them at the bakery as well…and if you don’t want to buy a pack of four (I understand you the least)…you can buy them individually there and get them topped with Earth Balance, jam (raspberry or strawberry), or plain cream cheese.
And your life will come full circle and be complete. And you will live happily ever after.
If you get nothing else from this post…understand that YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!! Local peeps…get on over there. These bagels are free of the top 9 allergens, they are vegan, they are super yummy…they are round with a hole in the middle.
I’m already planning on restocking my freezer and I haven’t even polished off one pack yet!
Annie May’s Sweet Cafe Everything Bagels topped with Daiya Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese are like a warm hug!
Me heading into the finish line of Fast Freddie’s – New Albany, IN
Race: Fast Freddie’s Festive Five Mile Foot Feast
Place: New Albany, IN
Date: November 23, 2017
Time:36:36
Magic happens when you let it.
As we are all pretty much aware by now…my body has taken a liking to falling apart on me as any sort of mileage or speed ramps up. It never fails.
Ever.
So, after my last round of physical therapy had to be cut very short due to insurance not wanting to cover it (because, hell, I could walk around…I don’t HAVE to run, right?…seriously, that is a can of worms I need to keep the lid on because it makes me mad any time I am reminded of it), my physical therapist recommended that I start using a run/walk method. So, for awhile I started by walking…and running through song choruses. I hate listening to music when I run, but I wasn’t going far at all. Then I decided to try 9 minutes of running with 1 minute of walking. EH…I wasn’t such a fan. Then, I decided to hit up Jeff Galloway’s site and his recommendation for my pace was a 4 minute run with a 30 second walk. I tried that…and felt that it worked. Even my training partners have been gracious to do this style with me.
That being said, my runs have been built on a run/walk process. There were a few mornings, I ran short mileage without the walk breaks…but for the most part, I’ve been doing this run/walk method to keep my hips from breaking down before January strikes.
This will be more difficult to do as the weather gets colder…but I’ll save the weather rant for another blog.
Needless to say, in the days leading up to my traditional Thanksgiving race, I had no expectations for pace at all. My parents were going to be in town for Thanksgiving and my intention was simply to go out and just finish. If I needed walk breaks, especially on the hills, I had permission to take them. After all, January is the prize I am seeking. A local “turkey-trot”…not so much!
I was running long on weekends by myself for a few runs, which was fine. I normally run in Louisville, but when I have no one to meet up with…I simply stay here and run my local area…which includes…always…the Fast Freddie route. In the long run (heh…running pun), I think doing this helped me tremendously on race day. I ran it at least 4 times prior to race day in some combination of my long distance runs. So that was helpful…especially since my body is anti-hill for the most part.
The night before the race, I went over to the 4-H Fairgrounds across the street from my apartment to pick up my t-shirt and bib. That was simple, and my parents got to walk over with me before we headed out for dinner at Dragon King’s Daughter. Sushi. Vegan sushi was happening! YUM! I usually do pizza the night before, but I also didn’t want to go over to Louisville for gluten-free pizza that could be iffy on the gluten-free-ness. So…I branched out. After all…no expectations meant that I could stray from my routine a little and not fret over it. After dinner, we returned home and my mom and I prepped a few dishes for Thanksgiving before we settled in for the night. I checked the weather (it was going to be effin’ cold) one last time and went to grab some leggings and a lined top to run in. I asked my dad to choose a color for my compression sleeves, and he said “black and blue?” So…I had both colors so I grabbed one of each. HAHAHA!! Why not? With that taken care of, we settled in for the night. I went to crash on the couch and set an alarm to give me time to wake up and get some more stuff prepped (the turkey had to go into the crock pot) and stretch prior to the race.
Angela, Michelle, and Me before the Fast Freddie Festive Five Mile Foot Feast
Morning came and I started drinking water, ate a light breakfast, and got my stretches in. My mom emerged to help me with stuff in the kitchen and we got the onions, apples and bbq sauce into the crock pot with the turkey.
My dearest friends, Michelle and Angela, were coming over before the race. I offer all my friends my warm apartment on Fast Freddie morning. And Angela was bringing Persimmon Pudding (gluten free & dairy free) with her as well. YAY!! And…YUM!! We had enough time for photos and some talking before heading out to the start line. There was a new backdrop for the race, so we took full advantage of that. I may have worn my unicorn hoodie over there. If I didn’t care about it getting sweaty, I might have considered racing in it. But I bet it’s a pain to wash. And it’s white. So…yeah.
As people started congregating on Green Valley Rd, I knew that the race was getting close to start time. I always try to start up close on this race. It is now timed, but still based on gun time. So, starting close to the start line gives me a more accurate finish time. Michelle and Angela started up with me and so did a random guy with a stroller who was teasing some kids by saying, “You need to run fast. You don’t want the old guy with a stroller to pass you. That would be embarrassing.” I don’t know about the kids, but he passed me at the start and I never saw him again.
I have a unicorn hoodie. Your argument is invalid.
Fast Freddie’s Festive Five Mile Foot Feast starts promptly at 9 am. Fred came out to give the usual information about the start. He always lets us know that his cue to runners is “get ready” and then the whistle. And…as always…that’s what he did. And at the whistle blow…we were off.
I saw Cathy with my sign and my dad ringing a cowbell and my mom with this clappy-noise-maker thing and it made me smile. I settled into a comfortable pace and just let it ride. No goals means no pressure. And I often perform better when I’m not bogged down with a set time goal or pace. Some people perform better with those. I don’t. I panic. I’m not your typical runner, you know.
The past two years have seen me with hips that basically want to fall apart. My right hip labrum remains torn, but I’ve worked around it and it rarely bothers me. Sometimes when it’s cold outside…but it isn’t often anymore. My left hip fell apart twice this year. Once in January and again in July. MEH. Physical therapy was life for awhile, but I was able to get back to running once we got the hip flexors and core to work together. All that said, with the hip problems…the hills I run at times are slow and sometimes bring me to a walk. No shame. I’m trying to not have this problem in the future and I’ll do whatever it takes to get this body healthy and race-ready again.
Today…despite it being 30 degrees outside, not counting the wind chill…I felt GOOD! And I ran without feeling out of breath or like I was running too fast at the start down Green Valley road and over the first small hill. No struggle. I was loving it. I was smiling too! The first turn happens just before the first mile marker and taking the turn at the light at the end of the road didn’t even phase me. I didn’t look at the clock at the marker, I just kept going. I still felt good. I didn’t feel out of breath. I was enjoying this. Easy!
Mt. Tabor Road is a series of rolling ups and downs. By now, the body is warmed up and I can take these in stride, for sure. Since I had run this a few times leading into the race, I handled these better than I anticipated. My biggest complaint heading into Mile 2 was the group (probably cross-country runners) that came up behind me and got right in front of me, spreading across the ENTIRE street making it virtually impossible to pass. And that sucked when I hit one of my downhills that I rely on to let me make up for some of the slow downs on the hills. UGH!. We turned onto Grant Line road and hit Mile 2. After this mile marker, I hopped up on the sidewalk just to get past the fanned out amoeba group and got back on the road as I barely cleared them.
But now we were heading to the part of the race that I think is the most difficult. I took the turn into Sam Peden Community Park, which takes us to Mile 3, and immediately get to take on the long hill. This hill isn’t steep, but it goes on for awhile. So, it really is a climb. Long and drawn out…not short and steep. MEH. It’s about a half mile of climbing before it levels out at the Mile 3 marker. I didn’t actually slow too much on this, which was surprising. But I did ease up on pace and focused on my form. When it leveled out, I could feel my pace pick up and I still felt good. This never really was feeling hard. I love running comfortably. I rounded the corner and started to make my way out of the park and take on the rolling and steeper hills of Schell Lane.
I used to dread Schell Lane. It is the hilliest part of the race. The difference is these hills are shorter but steeper. While I lose power on the uphills, we have nice downhills on the other side. LOVE those down hills. There were people out in the neighborhood blaring music and cheering, even in the bitter cold. This is one of my favorite parts of the race to be honest. I plowed up the last (and hardest) hill and was rewarded with the best downhill ever…all the way down Daisy Lane. I made the turn, and pushed my pace on that downhill without trying. Gravity is a wonderful thing. Anytime I run this route, this is my favorite part. I feel fast and free. Always. Four miles…done.
It was here that I caught a glimpse of the clock. 29 minutes and some seconds. I did the math and knew that if I could keep a 7-something pace, I could come in faster than last year’s 37 minutes. I thought I was picking up my pace to run in the last mile…but I wasn’t really. HA!! It sure did feel that way in my head.
Me heading into the finish line of the Fast Freddie Festive Five Mile Foot Feast
As we move past the marker for half a mile to go, you start to get people out walking their dogs, or who are waiting on friends/family to finish. The real crowd is right near the finish and I was almost there. There were some people who had finished and were already cheering everyone in. I made the turn to run it into the finish and could hear Cathy screaming and my dad just ringing that cowbell. I crossed the finish line and saw the clock said 36 minutes and seconds after it. I came closer to last year’s goal time without trying. Last year I tried and came up a minute short. I knew my fastest Fast Freddie was back in 2013, when I ran it for a little girl with brain cancer…and that was in 36:54.
I went around the back of the building and grabbed a bottle of water and continued on to meet my parents and Cathy. When Cathy met me she said, “You were like…36:36!” And I said, “What was my PR on this race?” When she looked it up it became clear…I had a new 5 mile PR. And I did it without trying. In fact, I was so chill that my heart rate stayed down for most of the race. No joke. I was in the green zone more than anything. How’s that for some good running?
Santa and me after the Fast Freddie Festive Five Mile Foot Feast
She went to get me delicious coffee and I went to line the road with my parents to wait for and cheer in Michelle, Angela, and Melissa and Paul (who were late getting to the race so I didn’t see them before the start). I had coffee in hand when Michelle and Angela came booking it into the finish line. They ran a very good 5 miles. And after they finished, they came to help cheer in Melissa and Paul as well.
As they were coming in…I held out my hand and yelled, “HIGH FIVE ME!” They are very compliant and did just that before they took their turn to run it in.
Whenever possible, we like to stay for the awards. And it turns out that my time (faster than last year when I placed first in my AG)…was good enough for third in my age group. And the award this year wasn’t another coffee cup. It was a free race entry. WOOT!! LOVE IT!! I also love that I have great friends who cheer when my name gets called.
Overall, what can I say? I ran smart. I ran well. I ran fast. And I did it all without trying or feeling like I was pushing myself hard. And this just all fell into place for me on Thanksgiving. It was nice to grab a PR this year…even if it took me to the LAST race of the season. Winning. Hey…when you’re injured for 2 years off and on…these are the victories that count the most.
Victory pose…and a new PR on the course!
After the awards, we hugged Melissa and Paul and wished them a Happy Thanksgiving, before walking with Angela and Michelle back to the apartment. I devoured a slice of Persimmon Pudding and got to just hang for a few before they went on to get their Thanksgiving celebrations ready.
I had my amazing friend, Laura, joining us for Thanksgiving, so I went to shower and then finish up with the side dishes while Cathy checked, shredded, and made sure the turkey was ready for the carnivores. Me…I was looking forward to Brussels Sprouts, Gluten-Free/Vegan Stuffing, Gluten-Free/Vegan Mac & Cheese and…mostly…Laura’s Mashed Cauliflower. Holy yum!!
The official results of this year’s Fast Freddie Festive Five Mile Foot Feast was that I finished with an official time of 36:36…a new PR by 18 seconds. WOOHOO!! Still thrilled with how this race went this year. I love suprising myself after a disappointing year. I was 93/794 finishers this year. I was the 26th female to cross the finish line. And I was 3rd in my age division. And…I feel like the sub-36 minute might be in my yet. I guess we’ll have to wait and see!
I’ve been trying to be a bit more mindful of how I start my day when it comes to food these days. While it is so easy to simply grab a (delicious) gluten free bagel and top it off however I wish…my sports nutritionist and I have been working hard on keeping my protein levels higher…so this gives me incentive to come up with new ways of doing my favorite meal of the day.
And, one day, while shopping at Costco and spotting the pack of pomegranate seeds…an idea struck. And it has grown to be one of my favorite ways to do breakfast ever since. And why not? We’ve jumped on the smoothie wagon for Wednesdays, since our lunch is a giant, gluten free pretzel (always!). Why not play around a little more and find new ways to get nutrients in in the morning?
This is a super easy recipe, the most time consuming part is the 15 minutes it takes to prep and cook the quinoa. The rest…easy-peasy!
Find the recipe below:
Recipe: Pomegranate Breakfast Quinoa
Pomegranate Breakfast Quinoa
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
2 tbsp dark chocolate chips
2 tbsp nuts of choice (optional)
Directions:
Cook quinoa: place 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa in a pot with 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, turn heat to low, cover, cook for 12 minutes until water is absorbed.
Split between two bowls.
Drizzle with pure maple syrup and top off with the pomegranate seeds, dark chocolate, and nuts (if using…highly recommended).
Enjoy!
~*~*~
Just yesterday, I had asked my roommate what she wanted for breakfast, and listed off some favorites including bagels, overnight oats, and pumpkin pancakes. But she said, “I really like that quinoa thing you’ve been making.” And just like that…I knew I had hit on something good.
How do you like to fuel your mornings? Do you keep your breakfast basic or do you like to get creative?
Me heading to the finish line of the Louisville Half Marathon – Louisville, KY
Race: Louisville Half Marathon
Place: Louisville, Kentucky
Date: November 12, 2017
Time:1:44:09
Training has kicked in for sure this week for my January races. And these days, I’m slowing down my speeds on races and weaving more runs together. This is imperative. And I have to be smart about speeds at distances because I am just DONE with the whole hip/body falling apart JUST before races. Usually just prior to taper, so when the mileage is super high.
So…that is what went down with this race. I know…I just ran a half marathon last weekend (the Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon), which I finally blogged about yesterday! WOO! See, I’m getting this done early. Good for me! *pats self on back*
If you follow me on Instagram, you know that this week I took two full days off in the middle of the week (Tues & Wed), and then had short runs through to the weekend. Yesterday, I ran half of my distance by myself and then met up with some amazing ladies to do the Thanksgiving course with them (they have never run it) to finish up the rest of my distance. Damn, I love running with people. Maybe that’s why I love racing so much.
Today I was supposed to run/walk this half marathon (which I signed up for last week, no joke) as part of my training, with my training partner, Matthew. But he had some family come through unexpectedly and texted me last night to let me know. It was just me today and I had to decide on my run plan. Since I really took it easy yesterday, I made an agreement with myself to walk the hills and water stops at this race instead of doing the 4 minutes running/30 seconds walking I was originally going to do. Since this is held in The Parklands, I knew there would be hills. BIG hills at times. SO…this was a good compromise with myself now that I had no one to reign me in with standard 4/30 intervals for a run/walk.
Packet pick-up was a MESS! Seriously. It was held at our local Fleet Feet in Louisville, but, the new location has very limited parking spots and the race organizers were setting packet pickup for 5 hours only…on Saturday. Whew. So, I arrived when the store opened and was told I needed to come back at 1 pm. *sigh* There was also race day packet pick-up, but I like being able to pin up and be ready on race day and not have to get there even earlier and concern myself with more lines and people and waiting. Especially when the weather is cold.
It was 20 degrees warmer than my 10 mile run yesterday…but it didn’t feel like it. HA!
Anyway…I went back at 1 pm. and got my bib and my shirt. It was a madhouse. I signed a waiver thingy…had to go up and tell people my bib number. There was nothing on it with my name, so then I started to second-guess myself on that. MEH! I double checked on my phone and I did have the correct bib. I just hate not having the security of my name being on the big itself…somewhere.
I spent the rest of the day grocery shopping and making homemade nut butter. I do that. HA! OH…and I swung by Annie May’s Sweet Cafe to place my Thanksgiving order and buy something to eat post-race (the pumpkin coffee cake was the winning selection!). Sorry, race organizers…I can’t have your Derby Pie at the finish, or beer, or granola bars. I mean…what race doesn’t have bananas??!! So…that happened. I made sure I recovered well from my 10 miles that day so I would be good to go for 13.1. This meant, I did finally get in some stretching. And then, my feet were up and I was on the couch, watching the new Spider-Man: Homecoming on blu-ray. Thanks, Redbox!!
Went to bed later than anticipated (I was up at 3:30 am to do my Saturday run and now I was going to have to do the same to get to the shuttle area and to the start without being too crunched for time)…but slept pretty well. I was probably just overly tired because I was fussing about the time my roommate was going to get up so she could eat breakfast and get ready without feeling rushed. And she is the worst about getting to races for parking. We were parking at Papa John’s headquarters and being shuttled and she still was stressing over that. But not as much as parking in a muddy field.
I chose my outfit today because I wanted to wear my Pink Argyle Pro Compression socks, LOL! Good morning!
We were out the door in time to not be stressed for sure. I had my pre-workout mix with me and a Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Big Fig Bar to eat before the race. That was new for pre-race. But as I wasn’t running this race for time…I figured…why not try something new. I had the Pamela’s Products Gluten Free Matcha Happiness Ambition Bar before Monumental and that was new too! Whatever! I needed something to start off my race with some fuel in the tank. And I, myself, failed on the banana front for the second race day in a row. I think it’s time to get back into the banana habit.
I took a short power nap on the way to the shuttle buses and happily toted my blanket from the car with me to the bus and the race start. It was chilly, and while I was wearing my longer compression shorts, I knew I was going to be cold. I am ALWAYS cold. Getting on a bus to the start line was super easy. The return trip…is going to come at the end of this post. Wait for it! It might be in the form of a rant.
The blanket that kept me warm-ish prior to the race.
But I’m getting ahead of myself! GAH! So much running around in my head.
Okay…the announcer at the start/finish line was actually really perky and excitable. But he did keep using the same jokes over and over again. It was definitely too cold for the runners to be all excited at the start line, and he kept trying to get us to shout. At one point, I let out a loud “WOOOO!” and he said, “ONE PERSON…ONE PERSON IS EXCIED.” HAHA! Honestly, I was miserable because I had to give up my hoodie and really didn’t want to. But, we all started to crowd into the start corrals, which had tiny little areas for paces. No one really wanted to go up front…but there were some who honestly did belong to be up there and proudly went up to take their spots. There were also some overly-ambitious sorts too. HAHA! But I took up my spot around the 9 min milers at first and then was shuttled forward as the race neared the start time. They played the national anthem (we had NO flag in sight), and then…with a countdown from 10…we were off.
Cathy trying to get me to give up my hoodie and me resisting…and saying, “I’ve been lifting weights, I’m STRONG now!”
Now…I knew how tough the first 2 miles of this race would be because it was the same route as the Great Pumpkin 10K. I knew there would be ONE SUPER BIG HILL within the first 2 miles. I left the start area feeling good and loving not having any sort of time goal for this run. I just wanted to run it smart and get to the finish line. The first hill I ran up, but knew that the next one would be done at a walk because it would be STEEP! Totally didn’t care that I tossed up a hand to indicate my intention to walk and went up the hill that way. Of course, after doing that, it was difficult to get back into my stride…but I fell back into eventually. The first water stop, I didn’t walk. I had just finished climbing an evil hill. MEH. I kept going. Just before Mile 3, the turn-around for the 10K was happening. Most of the people ahead of me were turning around, but I was continuing on straight. This did open up the course a lot more, which was nice. I crossed over the timing pad for the 5K at 23:42. I can’t complain with that. I walked a monster hill, which also meant I conserved a bit of energy for the rest of the race as well. Miles 3 through the turn-around point were pretty much a steady downhill, with a few small inclines thrown in. Mile 4 was Pope Lick Park where I train a lot with my training partner, so I loved being familiar with the twists, turns, and terrain there. The hills aren’t bad through there and I figured out exactly where we would be turning around.
Me cruising out of the start line at the Louisville Marathon/Half Marathon/10K – Louisville, KY
There was a water stop at Mile 4, but one of the pace groups was right behind me so I had to wait for them to pass before tossing up my hand to alert anyone else of my walk break. I took in some water and a bit of my Nuun Performance, then picked it back up again. The turn around was tight, but manageable. I hate hairpin turns in races, but when you are running an out-and-back race…it’s going to happen.
After turning around, the fun began. I actually caught up to a woman I had been talking to at the start of the race. We were just started talking and she mentioned she was from Minnesota. I told her that I was born in Minnesota. She asked where, and I told her Bloomington. Turns out she was a teacher in Bloomington for 34 years. I never went to school in Minnesota though…we moved to New York before I turned 4. But that was really cool. Her racing season is usually over by now and she goes into cross country skiing (how Minnesotan…my Grandpa did the same thing when he was a runner), but she came down for this one. That’s pretty cool. I was set for some fuel, so I let her go on ahead and I fell back to take in more Nuun Performance. Short break…back to it.
Out and backs are awesome because I can see friends of mine on the course. And I tried to say “HI” to as many as I could. I saw Nikky, Katie, and a few others that I know through Instagram and smaller races. And I got an amazing high five from my friend Melissa, who was pacing the 6 hour group for the marathon. That was just what I needed. I knew a crazy bunch of hill climbing was coming. And that basically started around Mile 9 and lasted through around just before Mile 11. BIG shout-out to my friend Kathryn who cheered for me when I came through the race initially and then on my way back through. It was fantastic to get the shout-out on the course. Really lifts you up.
I was actually concerned as I was coming back as the mile markers were a little off from my watch beeps, but as I started down the steep hill that I had walked up near the start of the race, my Mile 11 beep came just as I passed the sign. All was right in the distance world. With 2 miles left, I just did what I could to get there. My legs were tired, sure. Even walking hills takes a lot out of you. Just not as much. I started to catch up to people, which was nice. And as Mile 12 ticked by, I was ready to get to that finish line. There was one last hill to go up before making the turn to round out to the finish line. I decided not to walk it, but my pace slowed. This nice man in front of me, who had commented about me not liking hills when I was walking the bigger ones between miles 9 and 11 (and I explained I was coming back from injury and just not going to blow it all on a hill), waved at me and said, “Come on! We got this. Let’s do this one together.” It was just what I needed. Up and over and down. From there…it was just a matter of making the turn and taking the road around to that finish chute.
Me having to, literally, squeak past the couple finishing their 10K walk while holding hands.
Some of the 10K walkers were still coming in at this point, and there was a couple right at the finish line as I was running in. They were holding hands and pretty much taking up the entire finish area. I squeezed past, which was fine, but it also meant they blocked the finisher photo that Cathy was trying to take.
I ran into Paul and Michelle (I met Paul through the KDF Ambassador Team last year and Michelle is gluten-free like me) just after finishing. Results weren’t posted yet for the half, so we were just sort of hanging out. Cathy was checking the phone for finishing results and told me that I had “unofficially” placed in my age division. Heck yeah! So did Paul, for that matter!! It was cold, so I pulled my blanket out of the backpack Cathy had and wrapped it around me. It wasn’t enough. I was sweaty and the wind had picked up. No Mylar blankets at the finish…no banana…meh. I was over it.
Finisher of the Louisville Half Marathon!
The official results finally were posted, and officially both Paul and I placed. YAY! But now we had to wait for the official results to be given to the age group award holders…which involved a lot more waiting. I was cold and hungry now. But…I’m glad I waited. Once I saw the papers handed off, I went right up there and…yep…there I was. Number 3 in my age division. BOOM!
Paul and I both obtained our age group awards and we went to take some photos. Afterwards, we parted ways. They were heading back to their car and I was on my way to meet the shuttle bus. We were told by people there that the shuttles were picking up at the dog walk park. So, we hiked that way. There were people standing there, so we joined in, after double-checking with the kid who was the volunteer there to be sure we were in the right spot. He said the buses had just left and would be back soon. After 10 minutes, a bus came into view. Full. And kept driving. And then, another 10 minutes later, the same thing happened. One of the ladies who had been standing there before then, flagged down that bus driver and asked about where the buses were picking up people. He said they were told to go to the finish area.
Me with my finisher’s medal and my age group award medal at the Louisville Half Marathon – Louisville, KY
Now we were all pissed as we were told to come here and had been freezing waiting on a bus. He called back to the finish and said a bus was coming for us. Thank God. After a total of about 30 minutes, we were on a warm bus and making our way back to Papa John’s headquarters and the car.
I was extremely tired and hungry. The plan had been to go home and do breakfast, but the whole return to the car took longer than expected. It was almost 11:30…so Cathy decided we would go back to North End Cafe today and have brunch. Good call. We had a 30 minute wait, but we already knew what we were ordering. Coffee…and the potato melt (minus the cheese and sour cream for me). Food and coffee hit the table and then were used as recovery as we both devoured our food. Coffee…they gave us some to go on our way out if that tells you anything. HA!
Unexpected breakfast at North End Cafe with protein, carbs, and COFFEE!!
So…the official results of the Louisville Half Marathon are that I finished in 1:44:09…walking the steep hills and the water stops. Hell yeah! I was 59/749 finishers overall. I was the 12/420 female finishers. And I was 3/76 in my age division. Once again, taking smart and planned walk breaks. It’s all about staying injury free right now. I’ll focus on time again when this body is really ready and fit to race.
For a first-year race…not bad. But they really need to work a bit on the after-race situation with shuttles, when shuttle use is being encouraged. Having runners stand out in the cold that long after a run is not good for anyone involved. Especially runners. Hypothermia is real, friends. Thankfully, it all worked out in the end. Also, I would like bib’s to have some sort of deciphering quality as to which race is being run. There was a mass start for a 10K, Half Marathon, and Marathon this morning and no real way to tell who was running which race. ALSO…I wish the medals were different. The finisher’s medal was for all three races, with no separate ones for the 10K, Half and Full. Which…I guess saves money, but having one for your distance is way nicer.
Me crossing the finish line of the CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon – Indianapolis, IN
Race: CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon
Place: Indianapolis, Indiana
Date: November 4, 2017
Time:1:41:44
When weekends are busy…boy, they are busy. That’s how my Monumental Half Marathon weekend turned out to be. The running gods just sort of made this race available to me, as I was already going to be up in Indianapolis that weekend for a wedding. Why not make an event out of it?
So, I signed up for the Monumental Half Marathon and went into it with the run/walk mentality that I’ve been practicing, in an attempt to not have my body fall apart on me again at crucial and critical times. Training with the run/walk method is one thing. Actually incorporating it into racing is another beast altogether.
But I digress.
My race weekend started off with lots of packing on Thursday night. Not only did I need to pack for a half marathon, but I also needed to pack for a wedding…AND (yep…there is an and in there) a soccer match. Told you my weekend was busy. And this all was happening in the span of one day.
Lunch on the go…when you’re broke!
So, packing for three events meant about 4 pairs of shoes! HA! No joke though, because at first the forecast called for rain, so I had my regular racing shoes, my rain shoes, heels for the wedding, and my recovery shoes for the soccer match. It also meant packing running clothes for rain, for cold, for comfortable weather…a dress to wear to the wedding…and some jeans, a t-shirt and a hoodie for the soccer match. Plus pajamas, race fuel, snacks, protein powder, recovery stuff…ALL THE THINGS!! And, I had originally suggested grabbing sushi on the way up to Indianapolis (we were taking a half day from work to travel and would hit the road right at lunch time), but decided to save money and made gluten-free cashew butter and jelly sandwiches! My roommate had a small baggie of chips with hers (we had one serving left in a bag at the apartment) and I had the remainder of the grapes we bought at Costco! That was lunch.
Me at the race expo for the CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon – Indianapolis, IN
We got up to Indianapolis in good time, actually. No traffic issues really at all. So, after checking into the Hilton near the Indiana State Capitol (and also near the start line and finish line), we took a walk to the convention center to hit up the race expo. I had actually expected to spend more money on stuff at the expo. It’s a really nice expo. But all the official merchandise promoted the full marathon, and not really the half. So, that was a bit disappointing. Aside from that…obtaining my race bib, t-shirt, and all that stuff was super easy. And we navigated the aisles of the race expo without signing up for more races, or buying extra stuff…save for 3 Bondi Bands. They had one that’s perfect for a race I am planning to do with friends in the fall, one that had unicorns and rainbows on it (DUH!) and one that said “Run Like A Princess Today.” HELLO! Made for me. And that was it. I purchased two replacement water bottles for my fuel belt and called it a day.
With plenty of time to kill, we took the stuff back to the hotel room and then decided to hit up Indianapolis by foot. This meant walking Monument Circle and stopping into candy store (DUH!). That’s where we picked up dessert, actually. Because…candy store!! Cathy picked up a Diet Butterscotch Root Beer to dry, and it was decent enough. We then took a stroll down to the city library because she wanted to look at their Irish History section. And from there…we were both ready to figure out what to have for dinner.
Ideally…it’s always gluten-free pizza before a race for me. BUT…as this was my first distance race where I would be incorporating my run/walk method, I was toying with giving up the pizza and opting for Mexican or other options. The gluten-free pizza place we had discovered the year I ran the Indy Women’s was our first stop though. They weren’t taking reservations and with a marathon happening the next day, we weren’t certain that it wouldn’t be crowded. It wasn’t at that point. They said they could seat us at a table, but we’d have to be out by 6:30. Not a problem. That gave us plenty of time to peruse the menu, make dinner choices, and still not feel rushed.
Gluten Free Focaccia from Napolese in Indianapolis, IN
Our waiter was awesome. We explained to him that I was a Celiac and also couldn’t do dairy. He was great to work with and even remembered the dairy-free part when we ordered the gluten-free focaccia, which had garlic. Lots of garlic. YUM!!
After going back and forth on the type of pizza we were going to split, we finally decided that creating our own would be the most fun. AND…we even asked the opinion of our server when it came to doing either a white pizza or one with sauce. We had wanted to have winter squash, balsamic onions, and then quail eggs (protein!) on the pizza. And after mulling back and forth on whether to sauce it up or go white pizza…the server settled it for us, saying that the white pizza would let the other ingredients shine, and with the eggs, we would have plenty going on with the pizza. No need for the red sauce. DONE!! Order in.
The pizza we built at Napolese in Indianapolis, IN: Gluten Free Crust, Winter Squash, Balsamic Onions, Quail Eggs
The pizza, by the way, was magnificent. The crust was basically what they made the focaccia out of, but this time it wasn’t sliced into triangles and put into a basket, it was laid out on a plate, baked to perfection, topped with everything. Eggs on a pizza was a new experience for me. And it was amazing. We devoured without rushing through the meal, pausing to discuss how EPIC this dinner was. This reminds me…I have squash in my fridge that I need to bake up so it doesn’t go bad. Perhaps a pizza is in the future.
With my pre-race meal now in the tank, we took a stroll to CVS to pick up additional waters for that evening and race day…and then turned in for the night. I laid out my clothes while Cathy showered…and then it was Food Network for Diners, Drive-In’s and Dives until bedtime. We turned in early. But thanks to being so close to the start of the race, my three race morning alarms were set later.
Rocking my Louisville Landsharks shirt at the Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon
Got up with my first alarm to take a pill and some water. Went back to bed. An hour later, alarm went off. I went to get dressed in my race clothes and finished putting my hair up when the alarm for Cathy to wake up went off. It was perfect timing. I had packed some snack bars/protein bars to have for breakfast…so we did that in the room. I filled up my fuel belt with one side water and the other my Nuun Performance (LOVE!!) before grabbing my hoodie, and heading out. Cathy even remembered the sign. We were WINNING this morning.
I texted my coach once I got to the start line area, hoping to catch her before the race. She was aiming for a PR. I’m not concerned with time right now…just focusing on form, and how I feel. And she and I discussed a race plan via text for this one the night before. With as many people running this as there was, we decided a 4 minute run/30 second walk interval might cause problems. So…the new plan was to have me walk all the water stops. She was hanging in the convention center, so I didn’t actually find her ahead of time. Cathy had to convince me to give up my hoodie and get into my corral as I was a Wave 1 runner and the start of the race was getting close.
I gave it up, got a hug, and went to get into the corral at the start. I had just found a spot that was a decent amount of space back from the start, but not too far back, and then I hear my name being shouted. I start turning my head, and I see two guys waving at me. It’s Tim and Greg from Frankfort!! Greg came over and gave me a hug. They were doing the full. We joked about how I was smart and was focusing on half marathons for awhile. But with the anthem starting to be sung, we wished each other luck and got back into our own zones.
The wheelchair race was underway first. And then…Wave 1 was off.
I actually felt really good that morning, even with the cold air. I had opted, at the last minute before leaving town, to swing back by the apartment and grab arm warmers for the race. This turned out to be a wise decision. While there were points of the race that I felt I was getting too warm, the wind would kick in and I’d be grateful to have them again.
I loved this race. Honestly!! I have always heard good things about it…but this was my first year actually running it. I have known friends who have done the full or the half and have never heard anything bad about it at all. I settled into what I felt was a good and easy pace and got into the zone. Even though it was crowded, there wasn’t a lot of weaving going on. I felt comfortable and like I wasn’t really pushing too much too fast. I saw Cathy just after crossing the start line, and she had said she’d be at Monument Circle as well before heading to the finish line to wait for me. Apparently an actual breakfast happened for her as well…because while I saw her at Monument Circle (hard to miss that sign!), she didn’t see me. It was still dark, and I was wearing darker colors than I normally do. After she realized she missed me, she spotted the Au Bon Pain and ended up getting one of their breakfast sandwiches. HA!! She’s resourceful like that.
Almost 3 miles in now and I still felt good. No hip issues (even with the chilly weather) and just a steady rhythm going. I knew that the marathon/half marathon split was just after Mile 7, so I knew things would thin out a bit at that point as well. At my 4 mile water stop, Tim caught up with me and gave me a pat on the back and told me I was doing great. He was doing the full and looked like he wasn’t even trying to maintain a fast pace. He’s superhuman, I swear! He ended up catching me again at the water stop around Mile 6 before the split. I kept waiting for Linda or Greg to pass me…but never did see that. It was good to see Tim out there though!
The split came and that involved running underneath this arch where half was labeled for the full and the other half was labeled for the half. They kept on going straight and we made a left turn to continue on our path to the finish line. Just after Mile 8, they were handing out gels on the course. Not my thing so onward. I really felt good the entire time, except between Miles 10 and 11. I just felt really tired at that point. I walked a “hill” and a water stop within the same mile. I didn’t feel bad for it. I was tuning into my body and it really needed. There is no shame in walk breaks. In fact, they sort of make the run more enjoyable…and in the end…the results are quite surprising. I didn’t speed walk those breaks either. I strolled each water stop…taking in my own water of fuel as needed. And after that extra break heading into Mile 11, I felt better and I was able to pick it back up. Final two miles and into the home stretch.
Me with Linda, my coach, after the Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon – Indianapolis, IN
I could hear the announcer as I neared the final stretch of the half marathon. I took a corner and could see that finish line. As I was nearing it, I spotted Cathy and the sign. She was shouting at me and the crowd was loud and awesome. And I heard my name get announced just as I was moments away from crossing that finish line. That’s always a motivation to kick it up a notch. I never have much of a kick at the end of a race, but I was smiling the entire time as I crossed over that finish line and threw my hands up in celebration!
Afterwards, made the walk through the finish chute, getting a Mylar blanket, a medal, lots of snacks, and some water. I got an official finisher photo on the way to meet up with Cathy. And soon after finding her, we got word that Linda was on her way to the finish line, so we waited to flag her down. And the first thing she did was give me a hug. I love my coach, for real!! She’s my biggest support system, even when I am one of her biggest headaches (I am neurotic; I can’t help it!). We talked to her for a little bit, but soon had to head back tot he hotel to cycle through showers and get dressed for the wedding. Linda was going to be waiting on her runners doing the full and half marathon.
From running shoes to high heels and a pretty dress. We made a coffee stop at Strange Brew in Greenwood, IN before the wedding (necessary) and then got to see two friends get married. A little dancing and food at the reception and we were in the bathroom changing into clothes for the soccer match and heading back to Louisville to cheer our team to victory (it went to penalty kicks and we won…and charged the field afterwards). It was a long, but totally amazing day!
So…the official results of the CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon are that I finished in 1:41:44…walking EVERY water stop. I’ll take that time with walk breaks. Hell yeah! I was 720/7972 finishers overall. I was the 175/4492 female finishers. And I was 32/775 in my age division. WITH. WALK. BREAKS. YAAAAAAS!! Maybe Jeff Galloway really does have the secret recipe for racing success! I mean, I ran/walked that race faster than I did the KDF Half Marathon. It was also faster than I ran the Dark Side Half Marathon. Yep…Jeff Galloway is a genius!
Hard work understands hard work. And hugs from your coach at the finish line make it all worth it in the end.
Me, Melissa and Paul after a strong finish at the Norton Sports Health Great Pumpkin 10K – Louisville, KY
Race: Norton Sports Health Great Pumpkin 10K
Place: Louisville, Kentucky
Date: September 30, 2017
Time:1:24:33*
I have actually had no intention to race these days. Honestly, I’m still dealing with a bit of a hip twinge thing when I run at times and have been keeping each run to a basic run/walk as I continue to heal this body and strengthen my hips and core. After giving up on my Chicago Marathon this year, I’ve been pretty down in the dumps and depressed. I put a lot of work into training and it just hasn’t fallen right for me in marathon training in 2 full years now. Wouldn’t you be depressed?
Honestly, I’ve felt like a bit of a failure.
There…I said it.
Sensing this, I think, my friend Melissa texted me and told me I should consider signing up and run/walking this as part of my recovery run/walks. I ran it past Cathy, because I do get all gung-ho about running stuff and dive right in. Cathy told me she would be okay with it as long as I stuck with Melissa and Paul and promised to run/walk. I was going to run it past my physical therapist…but that’s a whole new blog waiting to be written.
And it will be written.
But not here. That being said, I went ahead and registered for the Great Pumpkin 10K and let Melissa know. I also said that she now had the responsibility of making sure I didn’t overdo it. In races, I usually get wrapped up in the hype, and yes, the competition, and overdo things when I’m coming back from injury.
As a big help, Melissa picked up my race packet for me and texted me to let me know that the race shirts were the softest fabric she has ever felt. This was not an exaggeration. This meant that I could go home and eat my pre-race pizza sooner, rather than later, and settle in for the night with my PT stretches and all. YAY for awesome friends.
I was also going into this knowing that Melissa was having the worst week ever, and prior to Saturday morning, broke her toe pretty badly and fell down some stairs and busted up her knee. We really are the same person, I swear. We decided just to go out and see what we could do…and have some fun while doing it.
After all, if it isn’t fun, why bother?
Parking in tall grass/weeds and a ditch
Saturday morning arrived and I ate a light breakfast at home, packing a pouch of applesauce to eat prior to the race itself. I’m horrible about hydrating pre-race, but poured a bottle of water to take with me…which I pretty much ignored on the drive to Beckley Creek Park. The race began and ended at the Egg Lawn…and this was the one area of The Parklands I had yet to run in. So…I knew nothing of what awaited me. And…Cathy, used to going to Pope Lick for me to do my runs, went the wrong way, but with some Google Maps-fu…I got us there some back roads way and we made it to the parking area, coming in the way that no one else was coming in. Everyone else got instructions from the Web site, which Cathy had done, and was now waiting in a line at the other end of the parking area (in the grass). So, we got right in and parked. In a little ditch. In the tall grass. I told Cathy that my little Toyota might have an issue getting out of there.
We made the L-O-N-G walk to the start/finish area of the race where we were immediately spotted by Laura! It was great to see her and we stood around and talked for a little while…about running, people, Louisville City FC (soccer!). She needed to do her warm up and stretches and Cathy and I stepped over to a tree to wait on our friends. They arrived and Melissa handed over my bib and shirt. I tucked the shirt into Cathy’s backpack and she pinned me up. It was 5 minutes to the start and the three of us gave Cathy a good-bye and and we went to get into the start corral.
Me, Melissa & Paul before starting the Norton Sports Health Great Pumpkin 10K – Louisville, KY
The National Anthem was being sung, and soon after…the race was given the go. And we were off. We strolled from our start place up toward the actual start line…crossed and we were off. Waving to Cathy as we passed.
Now…I knew that there were some hills here…but I didn’t know how steep some of these hills were. Like…whoa. That being said…I ran to the first hill and up it with no big issue. It wasn’t too steep, but on the way down, I realized I had lost my friends so I turned and immediately spotted Melissa’s florescent yellow Bondi Band. I walked until she and Paul caught me and then settled back in with them. It was fun getting to chat and talk and hear stories of years prior to this. They have done it the past 2 years…this was my first time doing this particular race.
Just after Mile 2…we turned around a corner and there was this MEGA-hill. Melissa said that I needed to be very aware of my hip on this one. I started up it. pushing off and making sure I was lifting my left knee to drive it equally…but about 3/4 of the way up, I had to stop being stubborn and walk it. The whole purpose was to not take anymore steps back and I was going to make sure I came out of this NOT limping. I waiting for Melissa and Paul and we continued on our way.
Paul, Melissa & I heading out at the start of the Norton Sports Health Great Pumpkin 10K – Louisville, KY
At one point heading into the turn-around at Mile 3, I got separated from them again. I kept going as I knew I could circle back around when I saw them at the turn-around point. They weren’t far behind me at all…and I just looped back and we were together for the rest of the run at this point.
Melissa’s toe/foot was really starting to hurt…and pain is never good. That’s when the dangerous game of compensation happens…so instead of pushing through it, we let her set the pace. If she started to run, we ran. If she needed to walk…we walked. It was a gorgeous morning…sunny and brisk…and it made for the best time in the long run because at least we could enjoy the morning.
Just before Mile 4, Howard caught up to us and he took a moment to ask about my hip. We talked a little bit about running and aches and pains and just how we’re happy to still be able to do it. And he got to talk to Melissa and Paul as well. I really need to get them into the NQRFPTR group. In fact, Howard made me explain how we don’t use the “S” word in our group. The “S” word, for those of you who are unaware, is SLOW. We don’t believe in “slow” runners. We believe in running deliberately!! Don’t you just love that? Howard went on to finish his run and as Melissa’s toe told her she was DONE running, we fell into step and had a nice talk and discussion as we walked the final two miles. We did, however, run the last bit to the finish line…and the three of us crossed this bad boy together!
Honestly, one of the most fun and enjoyable runs in a long time. Getting to do a recovery run with friends who keep you in check and keep your injury safe is priceless. I know good people…and good people look out for each other.
After the race, we received our medals and went over to the post-race area. They were doing the awards, but we stopped by some booths to grab some free Norton’s swag and spin the wheel to attempt to win some free Barre classes. Melissa did. I missed. But they were kind enough to give me a free class pass as well. As soon as Melissa’s toe is better, we’re going to go to a class together and check it out. I’m pretty excited.
Brunch Post-Race at North End Cafe…I got the Basic Breakfast with 2 eggs over easy, home fries, and fruit!
And then…after that, we went to North End Cafe (of course) for brunch before they had to head home to get cleaned up to go to the Louder Than Life music festival (because they are hard core and amazing). Cathy and I went to hit up some Halloween stores, LUSH, Trader Joe’s and Costco. We got the first pumpkin of the season (which has been cut open and harvested for its seeds) and I also made a homemade batch of Pumpkin Seed Butter. YUMMY!
So…the official results of the Norton Sports Health Great Pumpkin 10K are that I finished in 1:24:33…complete with great conversation and laughs and time with friends. The struggle was real today, but we persevered and saw each other to that finish line. I was 960/1146 finishers overall. I was the 571/714 female finishers. And I was 109/126 in my age division. Melissa likes to say that this may have been my slowest race, but it was my safest.
But…I don’t believe every race needs to be a PR or an all-out sprint. Sometimes, the best races are the ones that you spend with friends, near the back of the pack, seeing each other through struggles with hip injuries and foot injuries and knee injuries. Talking and supporting each other through this crazy thing called life…where we have plenty of outside anxieties and stress weighing us down as well.
Finish lines…not finish times!
I wouldn’t have changed a minute of this race…nor do I regret taking the pace I did. When you get to spend time in the beautiful Parklands with some of your most beautiful friends…that’s a win any day!!
Paul, Melissa & I heading into the finish line of the Norton Sports Health Great Pumpkin 10K. I had just finished doing a dance! – Louisville, KY
AH…it’s so nice to be able to put up recipes and just blog about anything and everything. I’m really, really, REALLY trying to make this one of my priorities these days. I never realized how much I missed doing product reviews, typing up recipes, or just laying out my thoughts/feelings/emotions….for you guys!
So, it seems that Wednesday is turning into a Smoothie-For-Breakfast kind of day. Which is awesome. And, that being said, I attempt to make these as nutritious as I can…which means I’m incorporating both vegetables and fruit. Working off the base of the smoothie I made last week, I upped the game a little today and made a brand new smoothie concoction.
Below, find the recipe for the Blue(berry)-Green Protein Smoothie.
**FOR THE RECORD: I am using PlantFusion protein powder for these smoothies**
Recipe: Blue(berry)-Green Protein Smoothie (Gluten Free; Dairy Free)
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 avocado
2 cup spinach, fresh
1 package vegan protein powder (I used Plant Fusion Chocolate-Raspberry Flavor)
Place avocado, spinach, protein powder and milk in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the vanilla, powdered peanut butter, blueberries, and ice, and blend until thick. This is where having a good blender comes in and I love my Vitamix! Pour into glass or bowl and top with preferred toppings.
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For the record, I topped mine off with 18 Rabbits Chocolate Banana Jr Granola Cereal (which I picked up at Kroger) and 1 tablespoon of NuttZo Organic Chocolate Power Fuel (which I got at Whole Foods, but is also available on Amazon). I also tossed more blueberries on top because they are freshly picked, local, and delicious. And why not? More antioxidants!
This basically tasted like a sweet tart, but with less of the tart so it wasn’t overwhelming. And I do highly recommend the toppings…especially if you make it into a smoothie bowl, like I do. I froze the bowl overnight to keep it chill on the way to the office.
ENJOY!
Do you have a favorite fruit to throw into a smoothie? Tell me about it!!
It was inspired by an accidental find while strolling the streets of SoHo in Manhattan, NYC! My roommate and I were in NYC because I was running the NYC Half Marathon…but we were going to spend a few days there and not just fly in, race, and fly out. On one of our excursions that afternoon, we stumbled upon the Chobani Café there in SoHo.
We were curious…as we had never seen (or heard) of the Chobani Café before, but we were both fans of Chobani Greek Yogurt. So…we stepped inside to get an idea of what it was all about.
After looking at all the amazing creations being done up in the kitchen right in front of us, we took our own look at the menu and decided to get a half size bowl of one of their breakfast bowls and have that as a snack/lunch. We ended up deciding to try their PB&J Breakfast Bowl, which was created using Plain Chobani Yogurt, Creamy Peanut Butter, Fresh Red Grapes, Concord Gape Jelly, and topped off with Roasted Peanuts.
Chobani Café PB&J Breakfast Bowl, my inspiration!
We devoured this…so, upon returning home…I decided this would be a perfect breakfast to have, especially on our gym mornings. So…I began to recreate it. With different versions, different flavors, and different peanut butter options. I’ve come to love my current incarnation of it, which uses powdered peanut butter.
So, upon request from a few people, I’m putting the recipe I have worked for over a year on (and will mention variations I have tried) to perfect over and over again.
Recipe: PB&J Breakfast Bowl
PB&J Breakfast Bowl made with Vegan Yogurt, Powdered Peanut Butter, Strawberry Jam, a mix of organic Strawberries & Blueberries, and Roasted Peanuts
Serves 1
Ingredients:
1 cup plain yogurt (Greek, vegan, etc…your choice)
2 tablespoons peanut butter (creamy natural or powdered)
1/4 cup fruit sliced (grapes, strawberry, whole blueberries)
2-3 tablespoons jam/jelly (I prefer low sugar versions and match flavors to the fruit I use…grape with grape, strawberry with strawberry, etc.)
1-2 ounces roasted peanuts
Directions:
Scoop 1 cup of yogurt into a bowl. If you are using powdered peanut butter (less fat & calories), add it here and stir well. Otherwise…hold off on adding the peanut butter for the time being.
Slice fruit in half and add to the bowl.
Top with jam. If you are using creamy peanut butter, drizzle it around the inside edge of the bowl.
Top with peanuts.
Devour.
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As I said, I have been making this for well over a year now, and have done so many different versions of it. It is an amazing way to start the day. I have used chocolate peanut butter with the strawberry jam and strawberries for a chocolate covered strawberry take and so on. So…get creative!! That yogurt is a blank palate…so feel free to play around with it.
Below, BTW, is the version I used to make with the natural creamy peanut butter.
Breakfast PB&J Bowl made with Vegan Yogurt, Concord Grape Jelly, Grapes, Natural Peanut Butter (NuttZo) and Roasted Peanuts
However you decide to mix it up and fill it up…you’ll love this bowl. So go ahead…get creative!! And enjoy every bite.
Product: Annie May’s Sweet Cafe Everything Bagels – $11/pack; $3/bagel
Just like that. OH YEAH!
On Wednesday, the winter weather was a no-show, so I happily skipped into the bakery to pick up my Soft Pretzel Wednesday order (this is a real thing, friends!)…grab some macarons (because…reasons)…and pick up my bagel order. I was handed the bagels first off…and I may or may not have bounced them in my arms like a newborn baby.
GAME ON!!
Anyway…I thawed out the bagels and then got out my serrated knife to easily slice them in half. I could tell how good these were going to be simply by slicing into them. I mean, undo the plastic and get a whiff of that garlic from the everything spices and it’s heaven. And that’s before things even get toasty!
Serves 2
The Celiathlete 