The Celiathlete

March 31, 2012

Papa John’s 10 Miler – Louisville, KY (March 31, 2012)

Me (in the pink) racing for the finish line of the Papa John's 10 Miler - Cardinal Stadium, Louisville, Kentucky

Race: Papa John’s 10 Miler

Place: Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium, Louisville, KY

Date: March 31, 2012

Time: 1:29:33

This was the big one.

Not only would this equal out to an amazing long run for my half marathon training, as well as really give me an idea of the pace I’m capable of, this also was the final leg of the Louisville Triple Crown of Running. Before I go into the race itself, let me just say this…kudos to Louisville for putting on this amazing and very fun racing series. I’ve enjoyed the build up to the Papa John’s 10 Miler, with the 5K to start it off, and the 10K in the middle. This has been a great series to be a part of. I loved every mile of every race and experienced a PRs at every single one.

How’s that for my first year doing this?

So, the morning started off in typical fashion. I woke up at 5:00 a.m. to get dressed for the race, eat some Honey Nut Chex cereal and a slice of Udi’s Gluten-Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread with a schmear of Wowbutter (nut-free peanut butter) on it. Mmmm…gluten-free breakfast for the energy to get through 10 miles. WOOT! I was feeling good. I slept amazingly well. Apparently we had storms come through. I heard some thunder around 10:30 p.m., but missed the rest of it. I’m okay with that as storms usually wake me up and I really, really wanted to be well rested for this one.

I updated my iPod Nano and quickly mixed up my vegan chocolate protein shake for after the race. That went into a makeshift cooler, my running bag was packed with a Lärabar (Apple Pie, for those wondering), a granola bar for my roommate, and I put some chunks of dehydrated papaya into a baggie to carry with me should hunger hit on the long run. A quick brush of the teeth and getting my number pinned on and we were set to make the drive into Louisville.

And that went smoothly up until we hit a line of traffic on I-65. BAH! Apparently they are busting up the concrete barriers to, allegedly, put in taller ones. But until that happens, it’s just a mess. But we got through it and made it down toward the stadium, where we were now on a mission to find parking. Our original route, it turns out, was blocked and we were directed to a very far-off lot that was not to our liking. We basically had to hike toward Churchill Downs from there and it was not close. So, we skipped parking there, turned around and headed back. Where, somehow, we stumbled on side roads that got us around the road block and into a parking lot for the people in the race. SWEET!!

The hike then started. From our parking spot, we headed toward Cardinal Stadium, then through a parking lot, up a flight of stairs to a bridge that carried us toward our destination. The start was near a Starbucks…which you know, caffeine and coffee are a runner’s best friend. I never deviate from my pre-race food though so by-passed it, knowing I was going to a locally owned (and my favorite coffee shop around here) afterwards.

I had a little bit of time to stretch before finding a place at the starting gate. I didn’t want to be too far back, but I didn’t want to be too close either. I usually fall in the middle of the pack, but I got into that area before it got stupid-crowded, so I was near the front…so that it took me…just about 2 minutes to get there after the race kicked off. Not bad, considering my roommate headed toward the stadium for the finish line wait and there were tons of runners and walkers still waiting to round the corner to even see the starting gate. LOTS of people in this race.

Another important note I should make is that this was my very first time racing with a GPS watch. You know, I swore up and down that I would never be one of those runners who ran with one of those watches…but I needed to stop running with my iPhone. Seriously. So, I treated myself to a Garmin 210 and absolutely love it. I didn’t get to test it out pre-race though because the night I was going to go for a run, I ended up twisting my knee at work and thought it better to ice it and rest. Good decision in the end.

So, the basic break-down is this. The first mile went by quickly. And I held a pretty steady pace throughout the entire race. That is something I am very proud of. The second mile was just as fast and soon we were rounding a bend heading toward Mile 3. This is what I knew about Mile 3. At Mile 3, we entered Iroquois Park, which, I have run before and I know the hills are KILLER!! So, I was trying not to go out too fast because, I had 10 miles to run, and because I knew I would have steep hills to contend with. This was a smart move.

The hills were just as I remembered them…long and steep. And I did my best to push on at each one. I never once walked. My pace slowed…but only slightly. I credit that to my practice on hills as of late while running outside. I am off that treadmill as much as possible these days now that the weather is warming up. Miles 3-6 were on hills, mostly going up, as the downward bits were not as long as the upward climbs. Naturally. But, my headband of choice today stated: “BEAT THE HILL” and that’s what I intended to do. And I managed. And finally, Mile 6 passed and out of the park we went. And here is where I clocked my fastest pace on the entire race. Yes…after running up hills. After coming back to a flat track. From Mile 6 to Mile 7, I was flying. I didn’t even realize it until I plugged in my Garmin and uploaded the data. Very proud that I can turn on the speed that late in a race.

At Mile 7, I knew all I had left was less than a 5K, so I tried to keep a good pace going, even though I knew I was starting to get fatigued. I managed. I powered on through Mile 8. This was where we passed where we started. I knew…the finish was getting closer. I kept it going, loved that I was being told I was in the top half of runners in the race and then rounded the corner at Mile 9…to be greeted with yet another hill. Oh, Louisville…curse you and your random hilliness. This hill was the bridge we had to walk over to get to the start line. I should have thought of that as we were walking it that morning that I’d probably be running up it later on. But it didn’t occur to me. Oh, miles 8-9 also meant running straight into the wind. Of course. So, hill and strong winds. I can do this, right. Yes. Getting up the hill meant I was now heading into the finish. Half a mile away and I could see the runners making the turn ahead to enter the stadium. I had a corner to round, then a small straightaway and then…I rounded that corner to head toward the stadium entrance. I rushed through the gate, hit the concrete, ran down the ramp, and then hit the turf. Which, I wasn’t expecting. And I had never run on that before so it was just a matter of getting used to it.

The finish line was on the opposite end of the stadium, so we had to round the field and head in toward the finish. I knew I was doing better than my goal I had set for myself. I didn’t realize how much better. My roommate was on the sideline in the stands, cheering and clapping and telling me to GO! I crossed the finish, smiling, and headed away from the finish area so other runners could come in and not run into me.

I found some stairs and got into the stands, found my roommate, and downed my vegan chocolate protein shake. After that, we moved around and I drank up some water to rehydrate. Then called my mom as I propped my feet up to get the blood rushing back to all extremities and out of my legs. After talking to my mom, I went into the bathroom to change and prepare for the rest of the day, which meant a coffee stop, some shopping, lunch at P.F. Changs, and then the rest of the grocery shopping.

As it stands, my results for the Papa John’s 10 Miler are that I finished the race in 1:29:33. I was 1599/6912 finishers overall and 79/573 in my division. Let me tell you…I am way beyond thrilled. All the hard training I’ve been doing for my upcoming half marathon has really been paying off. I can tell with these results. I’m right on par with where I hope to be for the half. So, this is a great sign.

And with that…the Louisville Triple Crown of Running comes to a close. And now I can’t wait to do it all again next year. This was a blast. I’m so glad I participated.

March 30, 2012

The final leg of the Louisville Triple Crown of Running

Today, on my lunch break, I’m heading into Louisville to stop in at Papa John’s Stadium. Packet pick-up is going on, along with a race expo, for the final race in the Louisville Triple Crown of Running.

What’s on deck for Saturday?

The Papa John’s 10 Miler.

I’m super excited about the race. I have a goal in mind, and hope to stay on pace to achieve it. It’s been awhile since I’ve run this far in a race. The last long race I had was just 3.1 miles further…the Chicago Half Marathon. So, this race will also give me some key information on how I’ll do in my first half marathon, which happens in May.

The Louisville Triple Crown of Running has been a lot of fun to participate in. I can see why it draws so many people and has so many spectators along the way. I hope there are a good number of them out there this weekend, because 10 miles is a long time and some stranger in the crowd just cheering you on does help give you that extra push.

I was actually a bit concerned about this race yesterday, mainly because when I was hauling trash down at the office I twisted my knee weird and it was twinging the rest of the day. This meant my afternoon run in the park was nixed, which I hated to do, but knew I needed to or else risk not being able to run on Saturday. As it stands, I iced it a couple times last night and this morning it feels great. So hopefully that will continue throughout the rest of the day. Unfortunately, today is a rest day, so no running. I’m despise rest days, but understand the importance of them.

So…I’ve come this far. I have had really great races for the Anthem 5K Fitness Classic and the Rodes City Run 10K over the past couple of weeks. This race is the one I have been anticipating. Up until yesterday, they were predicting rain. I was grumbley about that, because, honestly, 10 miles in the rain does not sound like fun. But, it seems the weather moves through today instead which leaves beautiful temperatures and weather for the race on Saturday morning.

This will also be my first time running while wearing a GPS watch. My Garmin is going to get road tested immediately in a race since I wasn’t able to go out and give it a whirl last night on a run. I’m hoping the Garmin (which I named Dean after the Ultramarathonman, Dean Karnazes) will help me maintain a good pace throughout instead of having me go out way too fast (something I notice I do a lot on my training runs).

So, stay tuned. My first ever go at the Louisville Triple Crown of Running is about to come to an end. And I’ve really, really enjoyed myself throughout.

Papa John’s 10 Miler…I’ll see you on Saturday!

March 29, 2012March 29, 2012

Katz cookies are a gluten-free treat…topped off with sprinkles

Product: Katz Gluten-Free Colored Sprinkle Cookies – $4.70

I told you…I’m a cookie monster. They are my Achilles heel of desserts and snacks. Of course, these days I can’t just dive into a box of Girl Scout Cookies or those pre-packaged Toll House or Keebler soft-baked goodies that just tempt you from the grocery shelves. Nope. I’m one of the unfortunate (or fortunate, depending on how you look at it) ones who can’t even sample those birthday cake Oreos, no matter how much my friends rave about them. When it comes to my favorite snacks, I either have to find a gluten-free variety or make my own…gluten-free…either from scratch or from a mix.

I think I’ve sampled just about every gluten-free cookie out there. There are some that I love. Some that I like. And some that I haven’t cared for. There are some that are crunchy, some that are soft, and each one has either won me over or made me vow never to buy them again.

So, when I got my deal on Katz’s products via a gluten-free web deal, I knew I was getting donuts and pizza crusts. I still had some money left, however, so I decided to give some of their cookies a go. My choice, the Colored Sprinkle Cookies.

Why? Because sprinkles RULE!

And the other day, I finally had the chance to sample them. It’s a good thing I portion these things out, because this little container would have been devoured and licked clean of every sprinkle and crumb. Yes…these cookies are really, really good. And here’s why. They start off with that initial crunch that you expect from a packaged cookie. But they are soft. Not soft-baked, chewy soft, but soft in texture. Smooth in flavor. Light. And the sprinkles are a fun, even if unnecessary touch. I loved the balance of sweetness that these cookies have in each bite. I don’t feel like I’m going into sugar shock. They are full of cookie-good flavor…that reminds me a lot of what shortbread cookies taste like. Crumbly, and sprinkled with rainbow goodness.

I have been so impressed with the products I have ordered from Katz. Not bad for taking a chance on a Web site order and hoping for the gluten-free best. Let me tell you…they truly deliver in flavor, texture, taste…and the price isn’t bad either. The shipping costs may get you, but the products, as I have found, are worth every dollar!

March 28, 2012

Recipe: Gluten-Free Lemon Blueberry Scones

I know.

Around Christmas last year, I put up a recipe for vegan lemon blueberry scones. But this is a recipe completely of my own finagling. Honestly. I just took the basic scone recipe from Pamela’s Products Baking & Pancake Mix bag and tweaked the ingredients and hoped for the best.

What I got was a low calorie, pleasantly fruity, lemony fresh scone that makes a delightful breakfast that is refreshing and also good for you!

Really!

Recipe: Gluten-Free Lemon Blueberry Scones

Servings: 12
Time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients:

2-1/4 cups Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix
1/3 cup sugar (I used Truvia)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup fresh organic blueberries
4 tbsp butter (I used Smart Balance)
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup lemonade
1/3 cup lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°.

Mix the dry ingredients together.

Cut in the butter using two knives.

Add the lemon zest, lemonade, lemon juice, beaten egg and the blueberries. Mix together with a fork. Dough will be thick.

Drop large, tall dollops of dough (scones will spread when baking) onto lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake for 15-17 minutes.

~*~*~

I wasn’t sure if these would be lemony enough. While I probably would add more zest next time to give them a bit more zing, these prove to have great lemon flavor as it is. I think lemon and blueberry mesh well anyway so this was a match made in gluten-free scone heaven!

Go ahead. Bake up a batch and see for yourself!

March 28, 2012

Slice up a perfect gluten-free pizza with Katz pizza crust

Product: Katz Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts (7-inch) – $5.99

I don’t know if it can possibly get better than Katz Gluten-Free. I was skeptical, but so far, everything…and I mean everything that I have had from Katz has blown my gluten-free mind. No joke. When you talk about gluten-free food, point your comments toward Katz because perfection is what they offer.

I don’t know the reason for my skepticism. After all, gluten-free foods have come a long way. Part of it may have been the fact that in order to get these products, I have to order them online. There is something so daunting about trusting your food to an online order, especially if unfamiliar with the products.

My first gamble on Katz products was on their gluten-free powdered sugar donuts, which, as I previously reviewed, I loved. Next came the gluten-free cinnamon donuts, which I more than loved. And when I had an online coupon come through, I went ahead and decided to try out the pizza crusts and ordered some of the gluten-free cookies as well. Why not go for broke here? The only way to branch out away from the donuts is to try other things.

I should have known to trust Katz Gluten-Free when it comes to their products. After all, the company was started by Mrs. Katz back in 2006, who has two children who are gluten intolerant. With that, set out with a mission to create good, delicious food that reach taste, texture and flavor perfection. In addition, the facility that these products are made in are nut-free and dairy-free, so it’s allergy friendly too.

What Mrs. Katz did, first in her kitchen before expanding and starting this amazing company, was achieve food perfection. So often gluten-free products lack some key quality, be it in texture, taste, or flavor. Since the main focus of Katz’s products were these three components, it’s no wonder that perfection has been achieved every time.

The other night, I was digging in my freezer and found the little 7-inch pizza shells I ordered from Katz. I had some pizza sauce in the fridge, plus vegan cheese and mushrooms for toppings, so I figured why not make it a pizza night. The 7-inch pizza crusts are the perfect individual pizza, and each crust only has 180 calories (for the entire thing!). If you top it right, this low-calorie treat can stay that way. Four crusts come in the pack so between my roommate and I, that meant 2 delicious pizza nights.

I did pizza two ways for this reason, because not only would it test the integrity of the crusts, but the flavor profile would change with how it was topped off. So, one pizza had a sauce on it, the other was a white pizza. The first night was a simple pizza with red sauce, mushrooms, caramelized shallots, and vegan mozzarella shreds. The package, unfortunately, didn’t say at what temperature to bake the pizzas at, so I threw them in for 10 minutes at 425°F. This temperature worked its pizza baking magic.

Katz Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts topped with sauce, mushrooms, and vegan mozzarella shreds — Katz Gluten-Free Pizza Crust topped with sauce, mushrooms, and vegan mozzarella shreds

From the oven emerged two perfectly done pizzas. The tortilla-like crusts were thin, but crisped to perfection, where it still had a bit of a chew to it. Not overdone. Not underdone. That perfect crust consistency that wins me over. I don’t like soft crusts because they don’t hold up to the toppings. And too crispy of a crust and the pizza just seems dry. This fell right where it needed to. I sliced up each pizza into four slices, plated them, and settled in to pizza nirvana. Honestly, my blog has covered quite a variety of pizza crusts, but this one won me over. This one…has become my favorite.

Last night, I decided to see if I enjoyed the crust as much without being laden in sauce. So, I made up a white pizza. I simply took the pizza shell, misted it with olive oil, drizzled a bit of honey over it, added some mushrooms, pecans, and caramelized shallots, topped it with some vegan mozzarella cheese and popped it back in the oven for that 10 minutes at 425°F. When the timer went off, I threw some spinach on top, put it back in the oven for a minute to let the greens wilt.

What emerged was, again, nothing short of fantastic. Without the sauce, the crust would have to stand on its own. A white pizza is the ultimate pizza crust test. I was not disappointed at all. The crispy/chewy consistency remained. It really does have the perfect “pizza crust” flavor in each bite. And, I devoured it each night with gusto because it was really, really that good.

I never should have doubted the company that brought amazing donuts back into my life. Honestly. If you are looking for individual pizza crusts that are great in flavor and not heavy at all on the calories, even if you aren’t gluten-free, you should really consider Katz Gluten-Free. It’s pizza perfection in each slice. And you’ll wish you bought more.

And now that mine are gone…that’s what I’m off to do.

Katz Gluten-Free Pizza Crust topped off with a drizzle of honey, mushrooms, caramelized shallots, pecans, vegan mozzarella shreds, spinach, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes

March 26, 2012March 26, 2012

Special diets get VIP treatment at Stacked Pickle

Restaurant: Stacked Pickle, Carmel, Indiana

Leave it to a neighborhood restaurant-bar to take better care of me and my dietary needs then some of the high-class, upper echelon of restaurants I have dined in. This is no joke. I was treated like an absolute VIP at the Stacked Pickle in Carmel, Indiana, when I was in town over the weekend.

I actually had never heard of the Stacked Pickle prior to a couple weeks before going. A friend of my roommate and I posted a picture of her fish and chips meal on Facebook. Well, if you’ve been following this blog you know how my roommate is about her fish and chips. Immediately…we had a new place to eat next time we were in town. And it just so happened that not only was I running in a race up in the area, but I was attending the Celiac Awareness Tour as well. It looked like we finally had our time.

I took a look at the menu online, as I normally do, given that I am a vegetarian with a gluten allergy. Normally, my usual order at such a place would be a salad with the fries. But, french fries can be tricky depending on how they are cooked. If they share a frier with breaded foods, well…game over.

On the Web site’s page, however, there was a place to click in order to contact the restaurant. I went ahead and took it upon myself to contact the restaurant in regards to my special dietary needs and went ahead and inquired about how the fries were cooked, something I have been learning to do after becoming ill after eating somewhere and not asking. The owner, Chris Long, contacted me back not long after I sent the original message about coming in on Saturday and my special dietary needs. He immediately assured me that dishes could be made vegetarian, “from vegan to lacto, ovo, & pesco…” As for the fries, they are “beer battered,” he told me, so best if I stayed clear of them. In addition, he included the name and e-mail address of the chef, and told me to please get in contact with him.

Already I was feeling at ease about going here. I went ahead and sent an e-mail to Bill Gruesser, the chef at the Stacked Pickle. Once again, I had a quick response that not only put me at ease, just made me feel really comfortable about dining in an establishment where gluten-free is not their way of doing things. This doesn’t happen often. Chef Bill assured me that salads could be made without any of the proteins and that the balsamic dressing (my favorite anyway) was gluten-free. As for other meals, the black bean burger was a good vegetarian option, as well as gluten-free if ordered without the buns and with a side other than fries. He told me to ask for him when I arrived.

Saturday came and I went and ran my race, attended the Celiac Awareness Tour, and headed out for some food. The people at the Stacked Pickle are incredible. I felt right at home upon being greeted, told to take a seat anywhere, handed a menu and told my server would be over in a moment. My server was the delightful Hannah, who was working with her foot in a boot due to some sort of injury. But she was getting around great. She came to get our drink orders and, as I was instructed, I asked for Chef Bill and she said she would definitely go and get him.

Our drinks were brought over and soon Chef Bill came out to greet me. He gave me a nice handshake and pulled up a chair to go over my food options that day. I had settled on the Fu-Fu Salad (minus he chicken) and would choose a ‘safe’ side to come with it. He said that was easy enough and then said, since he knew I was coming, he had sent someone over to Meijer earlier that day to look for gluten-free pasta so he could offer me a pasta dish instead, but they couldn’t find any there. What an amazing thing for a chef to do! This was a first. He laughed and said it was sort of like dangling a carrot in front of me and then jerking it away, but I assured him the extra effort, despite not being able to fulfill it, was definitely appreciated. I have never been to a restaurant where the chef has come out to talk to me personally about my options, nor attempted to do something completely off the menu for me in order to give me another option. There was not only something special about the Stacked Pickle, but its owner and chef as well. I thanked Chef Bill and he returned to the kitchen and Hannah came over to take our orders.

Hannah came over soon after and said that Chef Bill let her know I was interested in the Fu-Fu Salad (sans chicken) ($7.79). Again, I loved that he went ahead and also let my server know and that she was very diligent about double-checking the order with me. One more glance at the description and I was sure that everything else on the salad was safe and fell into my dietary guidelines. I went ahead and ordered it with a side of the Mandarin Oranges ($0.99). My roommate, of course, knew what she was going to get. Fish and Chips ($9.99) was her choice. With the orders taken, Hannah went to give them to the kitchen.

Our food arrived a short time later and it looked fantastic.

The Fu-Fu salad consists of fresh romaine lettuce, red onions, honey-glazed walnuts, and strawberries. Remember…with me…if it has strawberries, it wins. It came dressed in the balsamic dressing, which definitely paired deliciously with every component of that salad. All of the ingredients were fresh, the strawberries sweet, the lettuce crisp, and those walnuts added that little bit of crunch and flavor that pushed the salad out of ‘eating the garden’ and into something special. I knew that it was carefully prepared for me because I had ultimate faith in Chef Bill.

As for my roommate, she raved about the fish and chips, saying that they not only paired as adult fish sticks, but were crispy, moist, and amazing. And the fries…while full toward the end of her meal, she refused to let even one go to waste. Her dish was polished off as quickly as mine.

While we were eating, Chef Bill returned to make sure everything was okay and I assured him everything was delicious. He gave me his business card, and a little extra information, like that he’s a private chef, a caterer, and would be happy to help me out again as needed. I really, really appreciated all the care and extra time he took with me and assured him he would be hearing from me again.

From first glance, the Stacked Pickle doesn’t seem like much. I never would have even thought about dining there had my roommate not caught sight of those fish and chips on a friend’s blog. That being said, this is not your typical sports bar and restaurant. It’s owned by someone who genuinely wants to make his clientele feel comfortable eating there, and who has a lot of knowledge about not just vegetarianism, but also food allergies.

But a lot of the magic of the experience falls to Hannah and Chef Bill, who really made me feel comfortable with my food and my service and saw to it that I didn’t need to question anything. This was the first time a chef actually came out to discuss menu options with me, as well as even attempt to go the extra mile by sending someone out in search of other foods I could have that he could offer me upon my arrival. There is just something special about a chef and an establishment that would really take it upon themselves to take that extra step and to take such care with someone with special dietary needs.

Not once did I feel like I was being a burden to the kitchen. On the contrary, I felt that the kitchen was giving me the VIP treatment and doing everything it could to ensure that my visit to the Stacked Pickle was fantastic.

And it was. The food was really, really fresh and delicious. The service was beyond what I have received anywhere, including the high-class restaurants I have eaten within the past year. This was, without a doubt, the most at ease I have felt dining out since having to go gluten-free. I was beyond impressed.

If you happen to be traveling through Carmel or Fishers, Indiana, find the Stacked Pickle and go in for the food and the service. Both are great. I know I’ll definitely return sometime in the very near future.

Who would have thought it would be a small sports restaurant-bar, known for wings, burgers, and beer, that would make me feel so safe and confident about what I was consuming? This is no ordinary establishment. And this was proven to me before I even set foot inside. Impressed doesn’t even begin to describe my feelings. Great food, great service, great attention to detail. Oh…and a great chef who comes out and goes over menu options with someone regulated to a special diet. Yeah…this place is special.

Stacked Pickle's Fu-Fu Salad (no chicken) with a side of Mandarin Oranges

March 25, 2012

Durbin Classic 5K – Nobelsville, IN (March 24,2012)

Crossing the finish line of the Durbin Classic 5K - Noblesville, Indiana

Race: Durbin Classic 5K

Place: Noblesville, IN

Date: March 24, 2012

Time: 24:59*

Yep, that’s an asterisk.

I don’t want to admit that that time possibly could be wrong. I really don’t…because this would have been my first sub-25 minute 5K race. And it fell perfectly into my half-marathon training program, which was to run a 5K at race pace. I was already going to be up in the area for the Celiac Awareness Tour, so this little race was perfect and not outside of my training regimen. When doing any sort of training for a big event, in this case a half marathon in May, I try to stay within the parameters of my training program on my iPhone. I definitely don’t want to get injured when I’m this close to my race. For once, a race and the training distance coincided.

So, why might the time be wrong? I’ll get to that.

It was a perfect morning for running…eventually. You see, traveling to little races SUCKS. I hate getting out of bed at 4:00 in the morning to eat something, dress, brush my teeth, pile everything into the car, and then drive for 2 hours to a little 5K race. It just doesn’t seem worth it. But, as there was actually an event I was attending going on…well…it wasn’t totally out of the question. But sleep is very important as a runner needs to be well-rested. I really, really would have liked those two hours to sleep, personally. A runner has to do what a runner has to do.

I was going with a completely different race look on this one. The night prior, I had found a pair of Superman socks that had capes hanging off the back. Yes…I had to buy those. There was no way I could walk away from those. So, they were the base of the running outfit I put together. My running skirt was a must. And I actually, for the first time, wore a cotton t-shirt for this race. When I graduated from college, my friend Amanda got me a Superman shirt…and it became my race shirt for the day. In went my colored hair extensions (red and blue for Superman) and my headband (the bright yellow one). I threw a couple of extra snacks into the race bag, tied on my running shoes, and called myself as ready as I was going to be.

My roommate and I left the apartment just as scheduled after eating a little something before hitting the road. It was dark, and she was armed with Diet Mt. Dew…me with a bottle of water (HYDRATION!). We set out toward Noblesville, Indiana, a good 2 hour drive from where we live, wanting to hit packet pickup around 8:00 a.m. or soon after. The drive was dark, dull, but made better with the aid of my iPod and Bruce Springsteen’s new album.

We arrived at Durbin Elementary School pretty much when we needed to be there. We found parking without a problem, grabbed my bag from the car and headed toward the gymnasium for packet pick-up. There was a little chalkboard with the route mapped out on it and instructions for runners to turn right at the red cones and left at the blue cones. Okay…I guess that shouldn’t be too difficult to remember…

I picked up my packet and went back outside to get pinned up. After that, I started to stretch and just people watch. This was a new area for a race for me and I could see a lot of kids were pinned up, two of which were in bright shirts that indicated kids running groups. That’s awesome. Lots of adults were around too, most running the 10K, although there were the few of us who were set on the 5K. I would have done the 10K…but my training program said…5K at race pace. No harm in a short run on a Saturday morning.

Without really any indication of where to go, my roommate and I ended up following a swarm of runners who suddenly started making their way down through the parking lot and out onto the street. This was, apparently, where the race was starting. Good thing we are lemmings and do what others do. I got my good luck hug and went to find a good spot to start from, which I did, near the front on the right side. Fantastic placement. That was…until the children filed down and started to swarm in around me. Granted, this is their race too, and some of them turned out to be damn fast runners, but…if usually it’s customary to line up by pace. Eh…whatever. I slid over to the left side, just a bit further back from where I was and let the kids have their place. Fair is fair and they had just as much right to be there as the rest of us did.

The race organizer came down, whistle in hand. And, with no real warning, he blew it and we were all off. The race course wound through the roads, which were shut down for the race, cops monitoring the situation and keeping all of us safe during the event. I started off at a good clip, without pushing too hard because I didn’t want to tire out too quickly. Not only was I completely unfamiliar with these roads and the area, I was honestly out in the country. No air pollution at all. Crisp. Clean. Fantastic. I was really feeling it.

Mile 1 came up and the lady with the stop watch ticked off our times as we passed. Mine was at a flat 8 minutes. Awesome. I was going at a very good speed and I felt I was maintaining it, even over the, albeit, slight hills. This course was mostly flat with only a few small inclines. Good way to keep those legs engaged, yes?

Mile 2 came up next and all I totally missed the count on the minutes and only heard seconds being called out. It was forty-six when I ran past, so…as usual, I just kept on going, focusing on posture, breathing, and the music going on my iPod.

I came around a corner and could see the red roof of the school in the distance. That meant I was nearing the end. I was in the last mile of the race and knew I’d need to start pushing it as I was getting close to the finish. I rounded another bend in the road and could see the orange cones leading back into the parking lot. As I went to run around the parked cars, the person with the stopwatch shouted off 23 minutes and some seconds. Oooh…I was close.

So, I put on as much speed as I could as I made the turn in the parking lot and headed toward that finish line. The announcer said, “And here comes Supergirl!” as I ran over the sensors and made my finish at a remarkable…first time yet…sub-25 minute 5K time. Barely. I mean…24:59 was almost 25…but technically…not.

I was thrilled. I moved out of the finish area to grab a banana to munch on and some water to down for re-hydration purposes. Then, I went to find a spot so I could watch other people come in and finish their race. I love cheering people on and giving them motivation to just put on that last push. Some of the walkers eventually started filtering in…just about the time the 10K was coming in for their finish. This made for a little bit of finish line chaos, but everyone worked with it.

The finish line was filling up with racers and observers. The kids sometimes got a little too close to the finish line sensor and their bibs would set off the buzzer again. Finally the announcer asked for the kids to either move ahead of the finish line or to have their parents take off their bibs. They happily complied and the excitement and spirit of a good race continued as happy finishers came in.

Save for one jackass. Apparently early on in the race, he came in, made the turn in the parking lot and missed the sign that was set up that directed 10K runners back out and 5K runners toward the finish line. He started to shout, “Where is the 10K? Where is the goddamn 10K?” First of all, dude, chill…this isn’t the Olympic trials or anything. It’s a small, local race. Second of all…you are around children…so please, cut the language and maybe act like a responsible adult. Anyway…he came in and immediately just started bitching and complaining about everything to his wife, who sat there, nodding her head and encouraging him and agreeing with him. I mean, he wouldn’t stop. He was totally killing the mood. For real. So, we moved away.

The kids fun run was about to kick off and I went to go get changed out of running clothes and into street clothes to wear to the Celiac Awareness Tour. As I got done changing and my roommate and I settled in at the gymnasium to watch the awards ceremony…even if I know I’m not winning anything, I love staying for these. It’s good fun to praise the runners who really kicked ass on their run.

As the race organizers were getting things in order, my roommate pointed out that the results were posted on the wall. So I hopped up and went to go check them out. According to the 5K race, I came in 19th/185 overall and was 2nd/36 in my division. I skipped back to my spot, texted my family and friends as is customary, and waited for the awards.

And this is why there is an asterisk by my race time. The race coordinator started by announcing how great everyone did. Then said that if it felt like we had really great times, it might be because he forgot to start the split times at the beginning of the race. Oh…and the race course might have been just shy of the distance. Everything in me fell because here I was with a sub-25 minute time, feeling like I finally managed that with all my hard work and running I’ve been putting into training…only to find out that two factors may have affected that. UGH! But, what can you do? I got on MapMyRun this morning and mapped out the course, and if it is shy of the 3.1 miles, it is just shy of it. Because I came up with a 5K distance when I mapped it according to the route. Oh well.

So, the awards ceremony kicked off. The coordinator had all the kids fun run participants come up. We applauded and they all bowed, which, by the way, is adorable. Then he invited up the two elementary school running teams that participated, and had them do the same. More cheering. And then, out went the awards. Even those who won overall won their age groups, instead of how it is normally broken up with men and women. Oh, and awards were not given out for those who ran in the 5K. I’m sorry, but that’s sort of like saying a 5K isn’t good enough to award those who did really well in it. I’m not looking for a medal, nor would I have gotten one, but honestly, whether running in the 10K or the 5K, I think those who excelled in each race should have been awarded. But, it’s not my race and not my place to tell people how to run something.

So, with another race behind me, I leave this one with mixed feelings. I’m a bit bummed that errors might have meant I didn’t run it as fast as my timing chip said I did. Or that the race course might have been just shy of the standard 3.1 miles for a 5K race. It bums me out. Honestly. Because I actually pay attention to my times. I like to see how I improve, or where I struggle. If I put in too much mileage in the days prior to the race, or if I rested appropriately. And there is no way to judge that. But, we’re all human and we all make mistakes. Other 5Ks await…and I’ll just have to aim for the sub-25 minute 5K again…and again…until I properly, and rightfully achieve it.

If that isn’t motivation…I don’t know what is.

March 23, 2012

Edward & Sons Vegetable Baked Brown Rice Snaps are convenient, but the taste has been compromised

Product: Edward & Sons Vegetable Baked Brown Rice Snaps – $3.99+

I’ve had my fair share of delicious gluten-free crackers. From my Mary’s Gone Crackers to Glutino to Crunchmaster to Nut Thins, all have had something amazing and unique about them.

One day, while out on a grocery errand for me, my roommate returned with a surprise purchase for me. Another new product…’for the blog.’ What she handed me was a package of Vegetable Brown Rice Snaps from Edward & Sons. I had never heard of them, but they looked a lot like Nut Thins. This could only be a good thing. As I was working my way through another crunchy snack at the time, these were put away in the pantry, until yesterday when I cracked them open to take to work.

Like I said, these little brown rice crackers look a lot like Nut Thins. They are little round discs of snackage. In fact, it seems Edward & Sons has 10 different varieties of these brown rice snaps, with some very unique sounding flavors like Tamari Seaweed, Tamari Sesame, and so on. The Web site says that these little crackers are the ideal base for spreads and hors d’oeuvres, or straight from the package. I’m a straight from the package girl when it comes to crackers for the most part, so that’s how I took them to work.

A serving of these is a mere 8 crackers, at only 60 calories. Not so bad. They have under 2g of fat per serving as well. NICE! And much of what goes into them is completely organic. If you look at the ingredients, there is nothing fake or chemical sounding either. I recognized everything that was put into them. That was the good stuff.

Now, the bad news.

While the Vegetable Brown Rice Snaps aren’t horrible, they lack that certain “WOW’ factor that has accompanied other gluten-free crackers that I’ve sampled. These just sort of fell flat in the flavor department. They taste is a bit…different. I can’t really describe it. I bet these would really work better with a bit of hummus or a light dip, but that’s not always feasible. Like I said…they aren’t bad, I would probably just buy a different brand before I picked these up again. They were okay, but there are others superior to it. And I stick with brands that wow me. These…are forgettable.

March 23, 2012

Recipe: Gluten-Free Chocolate Almond Torte

Okay…I admit it…I’m addicted to my newest cookbook. What’s not to love. This recipe was made, per another request by my roommate, after she flipped through my The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free book and found another recipe that intrigued her. Since we’re a bit stocked on gluten-free cake mixes, this is actually ideal and it gives me a bit more experience in the kitchen with cakes (not something I’ve ever been big on…eating or baking), as well as working on some new techniques.

This recipe actually involved having to slice layers of cake in half to end up with four layers. Now, I’ve never done this before, and found out yesterday that craft stores usually have a device that makes this task easy. Wish I had known that sooner. I did it the old fashioned way…very carefully with a sharp, serrated knife. And, considering my cake mix didn’t fluff up like my mix from Betty Crocker, I was quite happy with that accomplishment.

I made this recipe as close to dairy-free as possible, substituting coconut milk for low-fat sour cream, almond milk for milk, and margarine for the butter. I did, however, use heavy cream in the ganache, but if you need to make it dairy-free, you can use a dairy-free whipped topping instead of making up the ganache to frost the cake with instead.

Anyway…this cake is very, very yummy. It has a nutty chocolate taste to it, and the layers look awesome once it’s frosted and sliced into. Otherwise, my cake prior to that, looked like a hot (but delicious) mess. So, straight from The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free…I bring you this recipe.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Chocolate Almond Torte

Servings: 10-12
Time: Prep 45 minutes; Bake 18-22 minutes

Ingredients for cake:

Vegetable oil spray, for misting the pans
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder or rice flour, for dusting the pans
1/2 cup whole shelled almonds
1 package (15 ounces) chocolate gluten-free cake mix (I used Cherrybrook Kitchen)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream (or substitute with coconut milk, which is what I did)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

For the filling and lemon whipped cream frosting:

1/3 cup almond paste (NOTE: Read the label…the stuff at Whole Foods had wheat in it. I bought a can at the grocery store that is gluten-free)
8 tablespoons margarine, at room temperature
2-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon milk or heavy (whipping) cream (I used unsweetened almond milk)

For the ganache:

8 ounces (1-1/3 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli)
3/4 cup heavy (whipping cream)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Layers of Cherrybrook Kitchen Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake cooling in pans

Make the cake: Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly mist two 9-inch round cake pans with vegetable oil spray, then dust them with the cocoa. Shake out the excess cocoa and set the pans aside.

Place the almonds in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process them in short pulses until finely ground, 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer the ground almonds to a large mixing bowl.
Place the cake mix and granulated sugar in the bowl with the almonds and stir to combine. Add the sour cream (or coconut milk if substituting), oil, water, eggs, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and the almond extract and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are just incorporated, 30 to 45 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat the batter until smooth, 1 to 1-1/2 minutes longer, scraping down the side of the bowl again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Divide the batter evenly between the 2 prepared pans, smoothing the tops with the rubber spatula. Place the pans in the oven side by side.
Bake the cake layers until the tops spring back when lightly pressed with a finger, 18-22 minutes. Transfer the cake pans to wire racks and let the cake layers cool for 5 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of each cake layer and give the pan a good shake to loosen the cakes. Invert each layer onto a wire rack, then invert it again onto another rack so that the layers are right side up. Let the layers cool completely, about 20 minutes longer.

One layer of cake spread with the almond filling

Meanwhile, make the filling: Place the almond paste in a small glass bowl and heat on high power in a microwave for 10 to 15 seconds. Spoon the warm paste into a medium-size mixing bowl and add the margarine. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until the lumps are gone, 1-1/2 to 2 minutes. Add the confectioners’ sugar and milk and beat again on medium speed until the filling is smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Set the filling aside.
Make the ganache: Place the chocolate chips in a medium size stainless steel mixing bowl. Pour the cream into a heavy saucepan, place it over medium heat, and bring to a boil, stirring. Remove the cream from the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Using a wooden spoon, stir until the chocolate is melted. Stir in the 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and set the ganache aside to cool slightly. Ganache needs to be thick enough to spread like soft butter. If your kitchen is cool the ganache will reach this consistency in 10 to 15 minutes. If the kitchen is warm you can place the ganache in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 minutes to speed up the process.

My "hot mess" assembly of the different layers and filling for the Gluten-Free Chocolate Almond Torte

To assemble the cake, using a serrated knife, slice each cake layer in half crosswise. Transfer the bottom half of one layer, cut side up, to a serving plate. Thinly spread the cut side with 1/2 cup of the filling, then place the top half over it, cut side down. Spread the top of this layer with 1/2 cup of the filling. Place the bottom of the second layer, cut side up, on top of the first layer. Spread that layer with 1/2 cup of the filling. Place the top half of the second layer on top, cut side down. Once the ganache has cooled to frosting consistency, frost the top and the side of the cake liberally with it, working with smooth, clean strokes.
Store the cake, in a cake saver, on the kitchen counter for three days, or put in the fridge.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Almond Torte, frosted with a chocolate ganache

~*~*~

Things I learned while making this recipe included that not every almond paste is gluten-free. READ YOUR LABELS! The same goes for vanilla and almond extract. Check the labels. Some gluten-free cake mixes bake up better than others. This is something you just learn the more you work with certain ones. I probably should have let my ganache cool a bit more. But it’s chocolate and it formed a nice layer over the cake, therefore it fulfilled its purpose. I need a better food processor. I should probably get one of those cake layer cutting thingies if I really get into this cake baking thing.

As for the taste…chocolate goodness. With just a touch of nutty flavor from the almonds and almond paste. It’s a moist, delicious, chocolate decadent treat that is just made to be sliced into and enjoyed…layer by layer. It’s a task to assemble, but honestly…worth all the hard work in the end.

March 23, 2012

Tri at the Y Indoor Triathlon – Jeffersonville, IN (March 18, 2012)

The happy triathlete after finishing the 3rd Annual Tri at the Y Indoor Triathlon in Jeffersonville, Indiana

Race: Tri at the Y Indoor Triathlon

Place: Clark County YMCA, Jeffersonville, IN

Date: March 18, 2012

So…I’m a triathlete of sorts.

After a full day of running fun the day prior to this, I decided it would be fun to try my hand at a local triathlon. Thankfully, however, this one was indoors and would not involve getting into the Ohio River, which I’m still pretty certain if I did, I would emerge a mutant.

That being said, this meant another early morning for me, though not as early as normal on race days. My start time for the Indoor Triathlon event was 9:40 a.m. So, I got up in enough time to at least have a good breakfast for energy without eating too late so as to give me cramps or make me feel sick.

I dressed…per instructions of the event…with my bathing suit on under my running clothes. I ate a couple of scones and had some cereal around 7:00 a.m., giving my body enough time to digest it all. My roommate hauled herself out of bed soon after that and she ate her breakfast. Then, the rest of my morning prep and we were heading towards the Clark County YMCA in Jeffersonville, Indiana.

This was my first time at this particular YMCA. I am always at the Floyd County one, as it is closer to where I live and work. Let me tell you, the Clark County YMCA is sooooooo little. It surprised me, really, as I’m used to the big YMCA I go to, where there are three levels. This one was all ground level and the weights and fitness areas were put together. The pools were little. And there were only two lap lanes. Now I understood why the 2 person heats were taking place.

I signed in and filled out a form before being told to wait and be called back. My partner was supposed to be the Aquatics Director there at the YMCA, but she was sick. So, I didn’t have someone to compete against…just myself. That was enough given the state of my legs after the two races the previous day.

At 9:40 a.m., I was called back to the stationary bike. Here, I was to pedal away, rack up the miles, and that’s what I attempted to do. I adjusted the bike seat when I got there, but I think I should have gone down one more notch. I was still a little higher than I liked, but I had already started. Whoops. Ah well, I made the most of it and just pedaled my heart out. The guy monitoring the bike area was a lot of fun and kept me engaged with some discussion about travel and different places of the world to visit. Including Japan. I AM TRYING!!

Immediately after finishing the bike portion, I was sent over to the treadmills. Here, I was told just to hit start. These treadmills are so ancient compared to the high-tech ones at my YMCA. So it took me a moment to get the speed adjusted, but I got it. And I had to keep adjusting it because my legs were screaming at me. But, I ran and ran and ran, because this is what I do. And when I was done with that part, I went to change out of my clothes and head into the pool area for the last portion of the triathlon…the swim.

I had been dreading the swim. My legs were tired. I was tired. And, while I love swimming, I’m not the strongest of swimmers. Sometimes my roommate and I would go to the Y and we’d swim laps and I was tired after two lengths. So, this was going to be my biggest challenge. I got into the pool and away I went. Yep…I was tired. I took it slow and just paced myself as best I could. I knew this would be, for lack of a better term, where I would flounder in the events of the triathlon. But I got through it, and vowed that I would work more on my swimming because, damn, it kicked my ass.

With that done, I headed into the locker room to change, completely pleased that I had just competed in my first triathlon. It was a lot of fun, but I am a long way away from being ready to do another one. I’ll get there. Now that I know what to expect, I can work on the areas I need to improve on. And, maybe next time…I’ll take it outdoors.

However, this was a well-run, very fun event. An Indoor Triathlon is a great idea for this area, especially in March. Albeit, we’ve had a mild winter and it was 80 degrees that day, but it was a great way to be introduced to the concept of the triathlon. Would I do another one? Sure. But only once I’ve trained properly for it. Guess this means getting in the pool a little more often and working on my laps.

So, the results for the Tri at the Y were that I placed 7th in the bike portion, 3rd in the running portion, and 7th in the swimming portion. Whew. You know what? That’s not bad for someone who ran two races the day prior and had never done a triathlon before. I’m quite proud of myself and really understand what I need to do to prepare for the next time I decide to do three events in one race. Triathlons are a lot of hard work, a lot of muscle power, a lot of willpower…but a lot of fun.

Maybe there is another one out there for me in the future…