My e-mail from Eating Well couldn’t have come around at a better time. Inside, a link that would take me to about 25 different recipes which utilized asparagus. And I was swimming in asparagus thanks to my CSA bin having back-to-back weeks with this vegetable. I love asparagus, so this isn’t an issue, but I haven’t used asparagus too much in my cooking, so sometimes I need a little inspriation.
I used to be a subscriber to Eating Well magazine. But life got a little busy, so I had to let some of my subscriptions go. And, sadly, this was one of them. But I still get a few special e-mails regardless, mostly with recipes. And, when I showed this one to my roommate, I informed her that we had every ingredient that was needed for the recipe in the fridge or pantry at home.
I knew what dinner was going to be. I made a couple of adjustments to fit my dietary needs.
But nothing could be simpler to make! Looking for a new way to enjoy pasta and work some asparagus into the menu? Give this recipe a shot.
4 ounces pasta (the original recipe uses penne, but I had DeBoles Gluten-Free Rice Spaghetti Style Noodles on hand)
1/2 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
3/4 cup whole milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard (I used Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard)
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour (I used Hodgson Mill Gluten-Free Multipurpose Flour)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (I used cayenne pepper…for spice!)
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided (vegan Parmesan can be substituted)
Directions:
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil.
Cook gluten-free rice pasta for 4 minutes.
Add asparagus and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the pasta and asparagus are just tender, about 3 minutes more. Drain and return to the pot.
Meanwhile, whisk milk, mustard, flour, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Whisk in the milk mixture. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, and cook until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tarragon, lemon zest and juice.
Stir the sauce into the cooked pasta and place over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thick, creamy and coats the pasta.
Stir 1/4 cup Parmesan into the pasta until combined.
Serve the pasta topped with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.
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What I loved about this dish was the lemon tang in the sauce coupled with the slight heat I added by using Dijon mustard and cayenne pepper. The sauce is light, especially with my decision to keep this lactose-free by using almond milk instead of whole milk (which my stomach would have hated). The sauce still gets thickened and creamy and coats the pasta deliciously well.
The crisp asparagus coupled with the al dente pasta and the creamy sauce make a fantastic treat for the palate. My roommate and I both loved this dish and can’t wait to make it again…when we have more asparagus.
Give it a try. It’s super easy to prepare. The lemon really livens up and makes the dish! Don’t skip it. And if asparagus isn’t your thing…change it up and use a vegetable that you enjoy!
Sweet potato chips have always been my absolute favorite thing. Why? Well, I absolutely love sweet potatoes. Sweet potato fries. Baked sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes have been my favorite type of potato for a long, long, long time. So, when I spotted a bag of Popchips in a sweet potato flavor…I lunged for the shelf to snatch them off and drop them into my shopping basket. After all…a nice, crunchy afternoon snack never goes amiss, right? Right.
Well, today was the day I carried a serving to the office with me for my usual 3 p.m. snack. All day I was anticipating that sweet potato flavor…sort of like what I’d get in Food Should Taste Good’s Sweet Potato chips, I assumed. Because those chips are amazing.
And…these were Popchips. And I love Popchips. I have since they were first introduced to the market and I found them in the store. I tried them, loving their non-greasy nature, their crunchy texture, and how light and guiltless they are. I mean, they are never fried and never baked. They are…popped. Seriously. Popped. Popchips use the finest ingredients, add some heat and pressure, and make it go POP!…creating a light chip that doesn’t get soaked in oil or have the flavor baked out of it. The first time I tried them, I was impressed. They have a different texture from regular chips, but as a popcorn fan…that was fine with me.
Nutritionally speaking, Popchips are a great choice. As stated before, they aren’t fried or baked. They are light and airy. This means you get more chips per serving than you would regular chips. The serving size is still 28 grams, but that gets you around 23 chips. Nice. There are only 4 grams of fat per serving in the sweet potato chips. They are free from trans-fat and saturated fat. They are cholesterol free. They are gluten-free. They are low in sodium (115 mg). And one serving is only 120 calories. So…they do have their good side.
HOWEVER..for the first time since falling in love with Popchips, I fell out of love with one of the flavors. And, oddly enough, it was the flavor that I thought I would rave about the most. Yep. Sweet Potato.
The Sweet Potato Popchips are rather…vile…to be honest. I popped one of the chips into my mouth and immediately didn’t get that sweet/smokey/salty flavor I associate with sweet potato. In fact, nothing about this chip reminded me of sweet potatoes. What I did get was…marshmallow flavor. I don’t want my chips to taste like marshmallow. If I wanted to eat something that tasted like marshmallow, I’d get out the jar of Fluff in my pantry. My chips should not taste like a Rice Krispie Treat gone wrong. EVER! And that’s all I got here. Nothing sweet potato even reminiscent in here. Unless they were going for sweet potato casserole flavor…but that’s one sweet potato dish I have never liked. I don’t like or care for marshmallows on my starch and I certainly don’t want my chips to taste like marshmallow. If I wanted salted Rice Krispie treats, I’d make them. I don’t want that. I want a healthy chip that gives me amazing sweet potato flavor. Not sweet potato casserole. Not Rice Krispies. SWEET POTATO!
Nothing was right with these chips at all. And, I am breaking a cardinal rule when it comes to food items that are purchased for the sake of trying them out. I found these so unappetizing that I am tossing the rest of the bag away and moving onto whatever snack might be next in my gluten-free pantry. I never trash food because of my tight budget, but the very thought of eating any more of these (I choked down today’s serving so I wouldn’t starve between now and dinner time) makes my stomach churn. There is nothing redeeming about these chips.
At all.
So, take my advice, fellow Popchip and snack lovers…avoid these at all costs. Your wallet, your stomach, and your taste buds will thank you. These definitely have to rank as some of the worst chips I have ever eaten.
Breakfast, as many of you know, has always been my favorite meal of the day. In fact, I have been known to eat breakfast foods for not only breakfast, but also lunch and even dinner. Sometimes…all in the same day. I don’t know what it is about breakfast, but I have always loved it. It’s always so fulfilling and can be either savory, sweet, or a little of both. And maybe that’s just what food love is all about.
As I mentioned in my previous recipe, I have a fridge that is overflowing with asparagus. My CSA bins the past two weeks have included asparagus. And I do love asparagus, but sometimes I have a hard time fitting bin items into my meals…and so, two pounds of asparagus later, I’m seeking some recipes to help move it out before I lose it. I don’t like waste so I try to use what ingredients I have when I can.
That being said, I saw a pin come up on Pinterest the other day that was repinned from a recipe featured in Better Homes and Gardens. I was intrigued. This was for an Avocado and Asparagus Egg Sandwich. Sounded like the perfect thing to try for breakfast…and it moved out a couple of items from my bins. Perfect.
Breakfast, for the most part, is simple to convert to gluten-free. For this recipe, I simply used gluten-free challah bread from Katz Gluten Free, my vegan & gluten-free homemade bacon, and instead of frying up an egg in butter, I lightened up my dish by poaching the egg, which happens to be one of my favorite ways to eat eggs. I also made my sandwiches open-faced instead of having another slice of bread on top.
This made quite an impression at breakfast today. Even my roomie devoured it. The recipe (with my modifications) is below…
Recipe: Gluten-Free Avocado and Asparagus Egg Sandwiches
2 tablespoons butter (only if you are frying or scrambling your eggs)
4 eggs (I poached mine, so I didn’t need aforementioned butter)
4 slices of bread (I used Katz Gluten Free Challah Bread)
8 slices crisp-cooked bacon (I used my homemade vegan & gluten-free bacon)
Salt and pepper to taste (I seasoned with cayenne pepper for a bit of spice)
Directions:
Place asparagus in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Cover with about 2 cups of boiling water. Let stand for 10 to 12 minutes, until bright green and crisp-tender. Drain. Finely chop three of the asparagus spears; set aside.
In a small bowl mash avocado with lime juice. Stir in chopped asparagus; set aside.
If frying your eggs, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Break eggs into skillet. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook eggs for 6 minutes, until whites are completely set and yolks begin to thicken. If desired, turn eggs, to fully cook the yolks.
If like me, you prefer poached eggs, bring water and a splash of vinegar to just below boiling. Break an egg into a bowl. Stir the water to get a whirlpool effect and slide the egg from the bowl into the water. Leave in water for about 3 minutes. Remove to paper towel and season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, toast the bread. Spread avocado-asparagus on four slices. Lightly sprinkle with salt. Layer bacon, egg, asparagus.
Enjoy!
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This recipe was SO easy to make and put together. And the best part was just how tasty it was. I sincerely enjoyed every bite. And the poached egg worked so well with the creamy avocado and the light crunch of the asparagus. The slightly runny egg yolk just added to the texture and flavor overall. I can’t wait to make this again. It will definitely become a welcome addition to my breakfast table.
This breakfast is definitely packed with nutrition and healthy fats, as well as a great source of protein. What a great way to start your day!
It doesn’t get much better than that. Just ask my mom, who would always share one of her favorite cookies with us when we were growing up – Pecan Sandies. She loved those cookies. And they traveled well in the summer, so those car trips we took to Minnesota in the hot summer meant no gooey chocolate chip mess. We’d have Pecan Sandies on hand. I grew up with that rich, buttery, yet salty flavor and grew to love it as much as my mom did.
And then the whole gluten-free thing happened…
For awhile, I went without any cookies, treats, snacks aside from vegetables and fruits. And I truly felt like I was missing out. So, when I started to purchase some here or there…I had to budget it. These aren’t inexpensive little treats. Gluten-free often means bigger grocery bill. But at least I know the food won’t cause me any sort of problems. Peace of mind.
Well, as stated over numerous entries…cookies are sort of my thing. I love to bake them as much as I love to eat them. But when my life gets a bit hectic and that urge to have a cookie strikes…sometimes you just have to find one at the store. Thankfully, most stores around here carry Pamela’s Products. And one such journey brought me to one that happened to have Pamela’s Products Pecan Shortbread Cookies.
I had to have them.
And then…over the course of me putting them in the pantry, they got lost in the gluten-free goodies shuffle. Up until last night. Because I needed dessert and the last cookies I had didn’t do it for me. I climbed up to the goodie shelf and there, happily anticipating their time to shine, was the box of Pecan Shortbread from Pamela’s Products.
Starting with the basics here…a serving size is 1 cookie. And these cookies are really decent sized. None of this bite-size, gone in two nibbles stuff. Each cookie delivers 130 calories and 8 grams of fat. Keep in mind that these cookies do have nuts in them, so that at least means some of that fat is the healthy kind…and not just from the butter. These cookies only have 5 grams of sugar, which is awesome, and are low in sodium and cholesterol. It just makes dessert a little less guilty when you look at those facts, yes? And these cookies have six ingredients: the cookie flour base, butter, evaporated cane sugar, pecans, xanthan gum, and vanilla flavor. I recognize everything listed there. WIN!
But…how do they taste?
Remember that lead-in I gave about the Pecan Sandies? I think these are better than those cookies. I haven’t been able to eat Pecan Sandies in years, but these crumbly, buttery, nutty cookies really took me back to the way those cookies tasted. The texture is awesome…just like shortbread…crumbly, buttery, and soft on the inside. The walnuts add just the right amount of saltiness to go with the sweetness of the vanilla.
In a side-by-side nutrition comparison, Pamela’s Products Gluten-Free Pecan Shortbread has fewer calories, less fat, less sodium, and less sugar than Pecan Sandies. These are, definitely, a healthier option if you love that type of cookie. And, as I stated, I think they taste better. They definitely avoid any sort of preservative or chemical, unlike Keebler. And Keebler has a slue of ingredients as opposed to the six in Pamela’s Products cookies. I’ll take less ingredients, better taste any day of the week.
These cookies are rich, tasty, and amazing. And I’m hooked on them. I need to add more to my pantry next time that cookie craving hits. Because these definitely hit the spot. Delish!
There has been a common ingredient in my past two CSA bins that have arrived at my doorstep on Friday evenings. For the last two weeks, my bin has had asparagus in it. And I absolutely LOVE asparagus. But I hadn’t even used the previous week’s bunch and here I was with a fresh stock of it as well. I needed to come up with something…and fast. I could always toss it in with pasta…or make up a risotto, both options I have done before. But…I wanted to try something different. Think outside the box.
And thanks to a pin that showed up on my feed on Pinterest, I had to look no further than a simple pizza.
Pizza!
This truly was a simple pizza, made with ricotta cheese, asparagus, Parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper. That’s it.
I figured, why not try it? After all…I had some vegan ricotta cheese lingering in my fridge and now had a recipe to use it in again.
So, last night for dinner, I baked up a gluten-free version of the recipe that was posted on Just A Taste, a blog about exploring life through food. Hmmm…my kind of blog. Anyway, I made the necessary adjustments to make this fit into my gluten-free diet. Below is my version of the original recipe.
Recipe: Gluten-Free Asparagus and Ricotta Pizza
Gluten-Free Asparagus and Ricotta Pizza
Servings: 2 (half of the pizza)
Time: Prep: 15 minutes; Bake 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 Udi’s gluten-free pizza crust, or gluten-free crust of your choosing or making
Cornmeal, for dusting baking sheet/pizza stone
Olive oil
3/4 cups ricotta (I used Tofutti Better Than Ricotta Cheese)
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (I used 1 tablespoon dried parsley)
1 pound asparagus (medium thickness)
Lemon, for garnishing
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 500ºF.
Sprinkle your baking sheet or pizza stone with cornmeal. Place the pizza dough/crust on the baking sheet and brush the top lightly all over with olive oil.
In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, parmesan cheese, garlic and parsley. Season the cheese mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
Using a vegetable peeler, shave the asparagus length-wise into thin ribbons. (There’s no need to remove the tough ends first, as you can use them to more easily grip the asparagus as you peel them. Just make sure not to shave off any of the tougher part.) In a small bowl, toss the ribbons with 2 teaspoons of olive oil.
Spread the cheese mixture all over the pizza, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges, then evenly distribute the asparagus ribbons on top of the cheese.
Bake the pizza for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating it half-way through, until the crust is fully baked and golden brown.
Remove the pizza from the oven to a cutting board, drizzle it with fresh lemon juice.
Slice and serve.
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The picture over on the blog I got the original recipe for was much prettier than mine…but my vegetable peeler was not liking the asparagus. It just didn’t want to shave it cleanly. So, I made do with what I could manage. And probably got a little overzealous with the amount I put on the pizza…but…it was a nice change of pace for a pizza.
I loved how even the vegan ricotta cheese melted down to creamy perfection, forming the perfect base layer for this pizza. When roasted in the oven on the pizza, the asparagus took on the texture of a green pepper. It was fantastic. I loved each bite of this pizza. And the crust was golden and crispy and held up to the unwieldy toppings that I tossed on there. Next time…prettier asparagus shavings. But this was good for a first attempt. I would totally make this again. And I might have to try other pizzas with that vegan ricotta base. The creaminess mixed with the crunch of the crust and the crisp, oven-roasted asparagus really made the texture of this pizza perfect.
I encourage you to experiment with some asparagus…and whip it up on a pizza. It was amazing.
Product: Sunstart Chocolate Wrapped Golden Crunch Cookies – $6.50+
There are very few cookies in this life that I have met that I haven’t wanted to just shove into my mouth and devour. Honestly. There are flavors I prefer to others and certain brands I would buy ahead of others. There are ones I would make before I made others. But there aren’t a lot that I would take one bite and just…feel so unimpressed.
But that was how I felt when I cracked open my box of Sunstart Chocolate Wrapped Golden Crunch Cookies.
I had never seen this brand before in my life. However, the Gluten-Free Trading Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin had them on their shelves. And as I was making a conscious effort to purchase products from that store that I had never found anywhere else, these cookies made the cut. And I was pretty excited about them. I mean…chocolate makes everything worth biting into, yes?
Eh…not really in this case. Which I am truly sad to report because I was pretty excited about these cookies. For one thing, they are imported from Northern Ireland. One of the draws of this particular brand is that it is gluten-free, wheat-free, egg-free, cholesterol- free, and yeast-free. Hence part of the “Freefrom” branding that this company does. One reason I was stoked about trying these was how allergen-friendly it was. According to the box, these cookies are reminiscent of British digestive biscuit, coated on one side with chocolate.
Like I said…chocolate = delicious. Sadly, the chocolate was my favorite part of these cookies. One bite and I was less than impressed. Not to say that they were horrible. They weren’t. But I have so many gluten-free cookies in my pantry, I’ve decided not to waste my time on ones that don’t wow me. And these didn’t. At all. The actual biscuit part has a slight coconut flavor and texture…which didn’t work for me, oddly enough. Also, while the photo on the box shows a cookie liberally coated in chocolate, the reality is…quite different. In fact, you can see the golden biscuit through the light chocolate coating on the actual cookie from the box. So disappointed. I was expecting this thick layer of chocolatey goodness…and was left with just enough to put some sweetness into each bite.
Granted, these cookies are actually a decent size (about 2.5 inches across) and clock in at only 85 calories per serving with 5 grams of fat. That’s not bad for a cookie, especially a gluten-free cookie. But the flavor was just…not there for me. The texture was rather dry and crumbly, more like shortbread without that buttery flavor. In fact, this cookie was more like a Girl Scout Samoa…just lacking that caramel flavor. But…overall…just such a disappointment. I had high hopes for these, especially with those nutrition facts…but…they were just…eh.
And this cookie monster doesn’t want to waste time on cookies that fail to impress.
While Sunstart makes other gluten-free cookie options, I think I’m done with them on just this cookie itself. Not impressed to pour any more money into their products. I wanted to like these…I really did. And I liked them…I just didn’t love them. Nor did I feel the urge to go back for more or hide them so I didn’t eat the entire box in one setting. That, in and of itself, speaks volumes.
Okay…two posts in a row dedicated to Annie May’s Sweet Café in Louisville, Kentucky? Overkill? Never. Why? Because I go here often. And there is a reason I continue to return weekend after weekend after weekend. The food they bake up and cook up is worth the trip over the river. It’s one sweet or savory indulgence…and even if it means I only get it on Saturday morning’s due to living on the Indiana side of the Ohio River…than so be it. One day of treating myself is worth every moment in that cozy little bakery on Frankfort Avenue.
Normally on Saturday mornings, I get my long run or my race in and then my roommate and I hurry over for some amazing breakfast food at Annie May’s Sweet Café. I am truly addicted to their allergen-free donuts and their allergen-free and vegan breakfast sandwich. Seriously. It might be borderline unhealthy obsession…but I constantly am talking about breakfast at Annie May’s before the weekend even hits. I guess that speaks highly of their breakfast service…so if you haven’t been in there for breakfast…get over there this Saturday. I mean it.
But…this past Saturday we opted to do something…different. And it completely threw off Annie May and Kenna at the shop. But, they were more than happy to accommodate the change, of course. We actually arrive shortly after 11 a.m., instead of our usual 9:30 a.m. time. Why? Well, I ran in the Papa John’s 10 Miler that morning and clocked a fantastic time. Afterwards, instead of heading right to Annie May’s for breakfast, we did a little browsing at Half Price Books to kill off some time. The reason? Gluten-free pizza.
Yes, for their lunch portion of the fare offered on Saturday’s at Annie May’s…they cook up individual gluten-free and vegan pizzas. With a variety of offered toppings. As we had grown so accustomed to their baked goods and their breakfasts…Cathy and I chose to hit up the lunch service and see what the pizza was like. Now, I had my usual pre-race fuel of a gluten-free pizza at The Mellow Mushroom the night before…but we were totally getting different toppings and I was quite curious to see what the pizza crust was like here. They actually sell frozen pizza crusts at the shop, by the way.
So, we placed our order for one of the 9-inch gluten-free pizzas with vegan cheese ($9.99), and added tomato and onion for our toppings ($0.50 each). Kenna went ahead to get working on it and Cathy and I took a seat and anticipated our lunch. We were both rather hungry at that point, having eaten breakfast long before my race, and splitting a banana afterwards to just get us through to when we could get to the café and order lunch. For the pizza at Annie May’s…you can get a half (3 slices) or a full 9-inch pizza (6 slices). As we were splitting the pizza, we got the full one as we knew it would be just enough. We were right.
The pizza arrived after a short wait and I set to taking pictures for the blog while Cathy anticipated that first slice. With the photos taken, I dished us each up a slice and we dug in.
First of all…I love that for the onion they used red onion. It is my favorite onion, by far, and it works so well on pizza. The tomatoes were nicely diced and scattered over the top. The tomato sauce was light and flavorful, seasoned very well. And they use Daiya cheese, which I am a huge fan of, when it comes to vegan cheese. It melts to perfection and it totally complimented the rest of the toppings on this pizza. But the true star of any gluten-free pizza is the crust. So often gluten-free pizzas get relegated to that thin, cracker crust. The type that is immediately crunchy coming out of the oven. There is little to it. And it often can’t stand the weight of the toppings. I’ve eaten my fair share of cracker crust gluten-free pizzas. And that crust is okay…but it’s not…the pizza crust I remember.
At Annie May’s Sweet Café, you get an actual pizza crust. I mean, it’s no deep dish…but that’s good. I don’t like deep dish. But you get an actual crust. A fluffy, actual pizza crust that you can slice of bite into and actually feel like you’re eating a real pizza. It was such a nice change of pace from the norm of eating gluten-free pizza out. I was so thrilled. And everything about it just made my lunch that much more satisfying. It was golden brown, baked to perfection. The toppings were warm and the vegan cheese was melty, gooey, good. Cathy and I made very short work out of our 3 slices each.
And we loved, and yes, savored, every bite!
And we split one of their chocolate chip cookies for dessert. Because I love those cookies. So. Much.
This is how gluten-free pizza is done properly. Totally impressed. Maybe when the summer hours kick back in at Annie May’s my pre-race Friday pizza will be enjoyed there more often. So glad we decided to give the pizza a try because I was beyond impressed.
Whether it’s for baked goods, specialty cakes, breakfast, lunch (served throughout the week), or pizza on Saturday…stop in to Annie May’s Sweet Café and treat yourself to some gluten-free and even some allergen-free treats and meals that will blow you away. Anyone who says gluten-free is tasteless obviously has been dining and eating at the wrong place. Annie May’s Sweet Café hits all the right flavor notes and makes everything to perfection. Delicious perfection.
Annie May’s Vegan and Gluten-Free Pizza with Daiya Cheese, Tomato, and Red Onion
People start running for a variety of reasons. Most of the time it has something to do with weight…or loving beer…or wanting to eat more without the guilt. And that’s all fine and good. I don’t begrudge these types of runners…not at all. At least they are being active. But, my advice…find a sport or activity you actually love doing. Do you like to bike? You burn a ton of calories biking…give that a shot. Do you like to walk? You burn as many calories walking a mile as you do running a mile. One just gets you there faster. Don’t expect to stick with running if you don’t really love to run.
That being said…for me, running is about passion. There are very few things I can honestly point to in this world and say…”This defines me.” But running…running does. And I think that’s why I get a bit aggravated with the ones who buy into every gimmick…or new running fad that enters the market. Running doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s easy. One foot in front of the other…forward motion. You don’t have to be fast. Running doesn’t come with a rule book. But for anyone out there whose head might be spinning from all this newfangled running stuff…here’s simple advise: Wear proper shoes for your feet, get out and run…and don’t worry about how fast or slow you are, and eat your meals and treats without regrets. Okay? This is how I live…every day. You know why?
I simply love to run.
I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed lacing up my shoes, heading outside, cranking out a couple miles, and returning home, sweaty, spent, and feeling better than when I walked out the door in the first place, until I discovered what running meant to me. The runner’s high is very real…and I love that feeling of complete domination when everything on a run goes right. I don’t have to run fast or steady. I just need to feel that pavement under my Nike’s and take in the sights, sounds, and beauty of whatever road I choose to run.
You see…running runs in my family. Kind of. It’s not a gift. Nor is it a talent that is passed down from generation to generation. If it were, my dad and his sister would be runners…but they aren’t. However…my grandpa was. And he picked it up late in life. I can’t recall a visit with my grandpa that he didn’t head out for hours to run and come back sweaty and ready for a shower. You see…he found joy in his runs. He found himself. He found…solace, space, euphoria, and freedom. I never understood why he ran. I just knew that he started to run in his 50s and he didn’t stop until his late 80s. He’s run marathons in other countries. He’s competed in countless road races. And, when he stopped…it was as if I picked up the torch and found out just what it meant to him to run. Because I can’t imagine a moment without that feeling I get when I run.
One of my favorite races happened in February 2012…in Birmingham, Alabama. It was the Making Tracks for Celiacs 5K race. And my brother-in-law, who had just taken up running, our friend Armand, and myself were running in it. But grandpa was in town and he said he was going to come along to cheer or see if they needed volunteers to help with water stops or whatever. And then, he ended up signing up to walk the course. So, I got to be in a race with my road hero. It meant so much to me. Especially since Celiac is something I live with and why I have to be gluten-free. I’ll never forget that race and how much I smiled when grandpa crossed that finish line. I was there to cheer for him…and it still makes me smile to this day.
Running didn’t come easy. In fact, it hurt. It hurt a lot, at first. Back in 2003, I was in Ireland with one of my best friends and our car was struck head-on by a truck. Both of my knees dislocated and since then had been giving me problems. My first attempts at running were done on the smallest track in the world, the one at my gym, where 18 laps gets you a mile. It took me awhile to work up to 18 laps. I bought knee braces that hindered me, so I went without. And soon, I found my knees no longer bothered me. And 18 laps wasn’t so daunting.
I had heard about an upcoming 5K in Louisville, Kentucky…right in my backyard, at Cherokee Park. I told my roommate that if I could run 3 miles in under 30 minutes at the gym, I was going to sign up and make it my first race. I gave it a go…and at the end, I managed. I was tired. I was out of breath. But I managed.
So, on April 9, 2011, I arrived at Cherokee Park, not realizing how hilly it was, ready to pick up my race number, receive my t-shirt, and go for a run. My roommate and the receptionist at the office I work in came out to cheer me on. I didn’t know where to line up or where I was going. I figured I would just follow everyone else. This, by the way, is still my method when it comes to racing. I’m not speedy enough to lead the race, so I just go where everyone else does. I ran that 5K race in 30:28…and it felt like the hardest thing I had ever done. But…I was ready for more.
Since then, I have run in every sort of weather imaginable. I have been injured badly twice, once in June 2011 after the Activate America 5 Miler in Frankfort, Kentucky, where I spent the rest of the summer out of running with a stress fracture in my right foot and bad runner’s knee in my right knee, and on July 21, 2012, when I tore my plantar fascia at the Grand Slam 4 Miler race in Louisville, Kentucky. I truly missed running when I was down with these injuries. I would cry, and I know I was a terror to live with. My roommate was very supportive and very, very kind to put up with me.
See…passion. If I didn’t love to do it…I wouldn’t have been crying because I couldn’t.
I’ve run countless 5Ks, some 4 milers, some 5 milers, a couple of 10Ks, some quarter marathons, a 15K, half-marathons (in fact, I ran a total of 6 last year!), and am now in training for my first marathon, which I will take on in October. I’ve come a long way from that girl on the track at the gym.
I was spring cleaning the other day and getting some organization done around the apartment. My roommate was helping me get my running gear and goods in order and when I pulled down the medals I had simply been hanging on a Care Bear on the top of my bookshelf. She said to organize them and take some pictures. So…I did. It’s like looking back almost 2 years in time and seeing what all I managed to accomplish…plus more that I have no awards for, but happy memories.
Below are the pictures we took of the various awards I have been lucky enough to receive during my life on the run.
Participant Awards:
Race Participant Medals – Top Row: Athenaeum Volksmarch (walking) (2009), Geist 5K (2011), Indianapolis Women’s 5K (2011), Tap N Run Louisville (2011), The Shamrock 2 Miler (2012); Bottom Row: Hope For The Children 5K (2012), Bunny Hop 5K (2012), Geist 5K (2012), The Leprechaun 2 Miler (2013)
Division Awards:
Race Division Awards – Top Row: Tomorrow’s Children 5K (2011 – 1st in division), Doug’s Run 10K (2011 – 1st in division), Tomorrow’s Children 5K (2012 – 1st in division), Pro.Active For Life 5K (2012 – 1st in division), Activate America 5 Miler (2012 – 2nd in division), Walk Away From Colon Cancer 5K Run (2012 – 3rd in division), Million Mutt March 5K (2012 – 1st in division); Bottom Row: Reindeer Romp 4K (2012 – 3rd in division), Santa Hustle Half Marathon (2012 – 3rd in division), Frostbite 5K (2013 – 2nd in division), Snowman Shuffle 4 Miler (2013 – 2nd in division), Polar Bear Grand Prix (2013 – 1st in division overall from 3 races), Run For The Gold 3K (2013 – 1st in division)
Race Medals (10K-Half Marathon):
10K – Half Marathon Race Medals – Top Row: Chicago Half Marathon (2011), Big Hit Quarter Marathon (2011), OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini Marathon (2012), Rock ‘N Sole Quarter Marathon (2012), Minneapolis Half Marathon (2012), Indianapolis Women’s Half Marathon (2012); Bottom Row: Air Force Marathon 10K (2012), Big Hit Quarter Marathon (2012), Hershey Half Marathon (2012), Louisville Sports Commission Half Marathon (2012), Santa Hustle Half Marathon (2012), Disney Princess Half Marathon (2013)
And, not pictured are the pint glass I received for taking 1st in my division at the Race for the Berries (2012), the Louisville Slugger Bat I received for winning 1st in my division at the Big Hit Quarter Marathon (2012), and the Hot Chocolate 15K (2012) finisher’s cup I picked up in Columbus, Ohio. It was full of chocolate goodness. What a great reason to run!
You know…the bling is nice and all…but I never run these races trying to walk away with an award. I stay and I cheer for those who do. Sometimes…I get surprised and win one myself. But the fact is…I run these races because somewhere out there on the road, through my own training runs and through races, I found myself. I found my smile. I found something in life I love to do. I don’t have to be good at it. I just have to be good enough for me.
And I am. I’m strong. And I’m getting stronger and better. I know this was something I was meant to do. I wish I had realized that earlier in life. But here I am in my early 30s and I have some of the best conversations with my grandpa about running. We compare race shirts. I listen to his stories about running in Germany and around Minnesota. My inspiration continues to inspire me to this day.
I have my grandpa to thank for giving me the inspiration and the drive. I have that little track at the gym for giving me my initial running challenges. And I have a small, local race on April 9, 2011 to thank for getting me hooked on the sport. When it comes down to it…if you want to do something for life…make sure it’s something you love.
My life has changed for the better since I took up running. I can’t picture my world without my time to run…be it on my own or in a race. It’s soothing. It’s fun. And it’s my passion. These legs have carried me pretty far in two years. I can’t wait to see where else they take me next!
Me crossing the finish line of the Papa John’s 10 Miler – Cardinal Stadium, Louisville, Kentucky
Race: Papa John’s 10 Miler
Place: Louisville, Kentucky
Date: April 6, 2013
Time:1:18:52
I hate not being at the top of my game for a race. It doesn’t happen often. In fact, this year has marked the first time since I took up running where I have actually run while sick. It just hasn’t happened to me before. But these past two races in the Louisville Triple Crown of Running have proven that even when my body is fighting off sickness…it can do amazing things. Even when I doubt it.
Bronchitis sucks. It sucks regardless, but it sucks even more when you are a runner. Breath control is so important when it comes to running…and when each breath is a wheezing gasp, it sort of makes an easy run feel that much harder. I started to come down with bronchitis on March 17th, just after the Run For The Gold 3K in Frankfort, Kentucky. Since then, it has been a struggle for me to train for my upcoming races, particularly my half marathon in 27 days up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. But, I’ve trained through it. I’ve slowed down…because I don’t like breaking into a coughing fit…and I’ve come to terms with between the end of this bronchitis and the start up of allergy season…this might turn into an interesting spring racing season for me.
Oy vey!
To put it bluntly…on Saturday morning, when I woke up and got dressed to go run in the Papa John’s 10 Miler…I felt off. I felt very off. I’d take a step and I’d lose my balance. This hadn’t happened before. But, no time to worry with it. I had cereal to eat, coffee to make and then consume, and a race to get to.
My roommate work up about 45 minutes after I was up. I usually like to get up over an hour ahead of her so I don’t feel rushed, but she wanted to be down at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium at 7 a.m., and she is notoriously S-L-O-W in the morning and I really, really, really didn’t want a 4 a.m. wake-up. So, I set my alarm for 5 a.m., told myself that I would immediately get up and make coffee (she can’t drink hers right from the pot…it has to sit and cool down for like 20 minutes…but, get this, she doesn’t like cold coffee either…) so it would be ready. I got the coffee pot working and went to go slip into the other uniform my company purchased for me to run in. NCL representing in Louisville! WOOT!
This uniform is red…and…as this was Saturday, the Louisville men’s basketball team was attempting to make their way into the Final Four…so I knew red was going to be one popular color. So that Cathy would be able to spot me at the end of the race, I decided to wear my pink compression socks and a bright orange BondiBand. This BondiBand just happened to be the exact one I wore to last year’s race…that declares: Beat The Hill! It seems fitting, given that the 3 middle miles of this race are spent inside one of Louisville’s hilliest parks: Iroquois.
I figured my clashing, but colorful, attire would at least make it a bit easier to see me coming as I rounded into the stadium and headed for that finish line. Hey…runner’s don’t have to match and I love being, as my co-worker puts it, “Rainbow Brite.” Which means…the more colors, the better. And the brighter…the better. I laugh at people who are afraid of being a riot of color. Running isn’t about being a fashionista, it’s about being a fastiniesta!
So, when Cathy dragged her hiney out of her room, I handed her a bowl of cereal and sat down with my own and a cup of coffee. I ate and got my small dose of caffeine then went to clean my dishes. I was pretty much set to go, except to brush my teeth. So, I did that, gathered up what I needed and let her pin my bib onto my shirt. She scrambled around making last minute additions to her packing in her backpack, added my SmartWater and my Arbonne vegan chocolate protein shake. She grabbed the sign and we headed out to make the drive over the river to Louisville and attempt to find parking around Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.
Believe it or not, parking was super easy. So, we were now down there with plenty of time to kill. Oh well. We wandered up toward the stadium and I ducked inside to use the bathroom, you know…the kind that has a flushing toilet and running water (I am a princess!). With that, we went to take the stairs up to the bridge that would then take us over a hill, around a corner, past the busy Starbucks and a line of port-a-potties to about where the start was going to be. The starting gate was inflated and ready to go…but no one was really up that way yet. Everyone sort of hung back and did their stretching and whatever pre-race rituals they have.
I moved away from the wafting air of the port-a-potties and began to do my usual pre-race stretches. I wanted to make sure I got plenty of stretching in because I knew those hills at Iroquois Park were going to be difficult, even on the tale end of bronchitis. I don’t run Iroquois Park much due to it being way out of the way. Cherokee, Seneca, and the little park over near where I live…I run those often. Not Iroquois. It isn’t in the best part of Louisville for one thing…and it just, as I said, isn’t really convenient for me to run in. I think I should start doing more of it so I can really work on those hills.
With my muscles stretched, I finally saw some movement of runners up toward the starting line…so Cathy and I made our way up that way as well. I shed the hoodie I was still wearing, given the air was still a bit chilly at that point. Just nudging up toward 50 degrees. It was perfect weather for the run. I was just going to run what felt comfortable to me. No sense pushing too hard and throwing myself into a coughing fit. That was the plan. The National Anthem was sung and we all stood there, with no flag, but still respectful. And then…we were told that we had about 10 minutes to the start of the Papa John’s 10 Miler. So, Cathy gave me a hug and told me to have a great run…and then she disappeared, leaving me standing with my peeps…the other runners who were just as eager to get underway.
The wheelchair racers (there were two of them this year…one in a racing chair and one in a regular chair) were sent off a minute before the rest of the pack was. The countdown was on. And soon, we had the “Runners…set.” And the air horn sent us off on our way once again.
It took about a minute to get up to the starting line. I hit my Garmin and stepped over the sensor. And I never heard my Garmin beep, so I hit it again…saw Cathy…waved…and kept on trekking with the group I was with. I glanced down once at my Garmin and noticed it wasn’t even counting my time…so I restarted it and was now a bit off for the rest of the race. But…I wasn’t going to utilize the Garmin. I just wore it because…I always do.
And so, we wennt down Third Street, where Churchill Downs was visible in the early morning light. The first mile had us winding through neighborhoods and down the streets toward Iroquois Park. A water stop came up very early and I think most runners chose to bypass it and keep on trekking. The first three miles of this race are relatively flat, except for a few minor inclines in the road. Nothing too taxing. But after you wind down Southern Parkway and over on to New Cut Road…Iroquois Park is straight ahead. And that means…it’s time to run for the hills.
The route through Iroquois Park was winding and hilly. We enter the park near a small playground and immediately hit the path that will take us by the beautiful amphitheater and into the wilderness. Don’t get me wrong, I find Iroquois Park stunning and beautiful. The races I run there are always challenging and push me to the very brink of my ability. And I always tell myself to dig deep and find my strong. But today…I was being zen…this race was just about getting to that finish line. And that seemed daunting when my legs got their first taste of the hills that awaited me. Not only did my legs feel the burn, but so did my lungs. For the first time since starting the run, I was no longer breathing easy. I had that lingering phlegm in my throat, that no matter how often I cleared it…would come right back. The lungs were definitely not happy with the additional effort. But, when I signed up for the Triple Crown of Running, I didn’t count on having bronchitis either. You just do what you can and hope for the best.
Somehow, I managed those hills and fought the burn in my chest and throat and rocked out those three miles through the park. I pushed myself just enough to feel the effort on the uphills, and I coasted on the downhills. I grabbed a water bottle just after Mile 4 and took a sip just to get something wet in my throat. I tossed the rest of it and continued on. And that was all it took. With a great deal of determination, I made the turn out of Iroquois Park and back onto Southern Parkway. That meant that I was down to the final four miles. I knew I could do this. I was suddenly feeling a lot better about the race now that I was through the most challenging part.
There is one thing that I will always applaud this race for, and it is the scattered entertainment along the way. The various DJs that spun out tunes as we ran past were very much appreciated. I no longer run with an iPod in races, finding that it is more of a hindrance than a help. I run better without a pace being set for me. I know, I used to whine and complain about not being able to wear my headphones…now, I’m happy to leave them behind. The evolution of a runner. Anyway, the music was great and some runners, like Fleet Feet Louisville’s very own Jeff Wells, hopped out of the course to go and boogie to Love Shack. It made me smile and I was having a blast.
Before I knew it, I was coming up on Mile 9, right at the corner of the Starbucks…the very one we started near. I could see Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium and knew I just had to get up that hill and from there, it was straight on down, into the stadium, and across that finish line. It was hard. My legs were not feeling the last hill here…but I was so close. I pushed, and I fought my way up that hill and when I crested it, I coasted down with other runners and pressed on toward the turn that would take us toward the stadium.
I remembered how difficult it was to go from asphalt to AstroTurf from the previous run, but I still hit that softer surface and had to regather my footing a bit. That is NOT an easy transition. That being said, the finish line was a short spin around the football field. I rounded that first corner…and could hear Cathy yelling at me. I rounded the next corner and the finish line was ahead. I attempted to give some kick to my step…whether that worked or not, I don’t know. I’m still working on that final kick at the end of the race. And with bronchitis…I wasn’t pushing it.
Me after finishing the Papa John’s 10 Miler with a new PR. Feeling good even if I felt off that morning!
And I finished. I finished strong. And smiling. And I felt great. The Brightroom photographer up on the ladder leaned down and said, “Congratulations, Karen!” No, my name is not on my bib…he notices my sign at every race. Does that mean you’re famous when the race photographers recognize you and can call you by name? LOL!
Anyway…the official results of the 2013 Papa John’s 10 Miler were that I finished in 1:18:52 seconds, shaving over 10 minutes off my time from last year. I couldn’t believe it. Especially since I felt I ran Iroquois much better last year. Shaving 10 minutes off of a finishing time is awesome. And that happened when I was having gluten issues, retaining water, and fighting bronchitis. ROCK ON!! I was 525/6108 overall, the 91/3466 female to cross the finish line, and I was 20/600 in my division. I couldn’t be more proud of myself.
After the race, I made my way out to the recovery area and spotted Cathy with the sign. I ran up a hill and we celebrated with much screaming and jumping over my new PR for a 10 mile race. I enjoyed a banana and my Arbonne protein shake. And then…we made our way out to attempt to get to our car.
If I haven’t said it enough, I am going to say it again…the Louisville Triple Crown of Running is such a great race series. This is the second year I have participated in all three races and I am very much looking forward to doing it again next year. Maybe even getting a little faster…a little stronger…and a little bit better on those hills. But of all the races, I’ve always loved the 10 Miler the most. Why? I love distance races so much better than 5Ks and the like. Which makes this race so ideal for me…not a sprinter…but one who is in it for the long run.
One thing I did notice, though…last year I stated in my blog that at each of the Triple Crown races, I set a new PR. The same held true this year. How awesome is that? Oh yeah, I’m already gearing up for next year!
Tomorrow marks the last race in the Louisville Triple Crown of Running, and it all comes to an end with the Papa John’s 10 Miler. I absolutely loved this race last year. We had rather perfect weather for it. Low 60s and no sun. Cloudy the entire time. I remember my race photos have my sunglasses on top of my head for the entire race. Never needed them once.
It’s going to be a little cooler this year…and there are a few things I’m working through in order to have a good race. Most of these are beyond my control. I can only say a prayer to the Goddess of Running (that would be Atalanta, FYI) and hope for the best. And, while I’m not 100% okay with that, I’ve come to terms with it. I’ve had to ever since the Rodes City Run 10K and my epic battle to race with bronchitis. No one said running was easy. If it was…everyone would be doing it.
While my bronchitis is in remission, finally (all it took was a lot of running inside on the dreaded treadmill…which is boring…especially on longer distance days), I’m still coughing and I am still a but snuffly from it. Breathing is coming easier, but I still wheeze and have to clear phlegm from my throat on occasion (is this TMI?). I’ve gotten back into running outside, though normally not in the mornings now. I do hit the dark sidewalks on Monday morning, in case I can’t make it to my group run that evening, but mostly I’ve been running home from my office. I’ve been doing okay with that, finding my easy pace to be faster than it has been…but maybe it’s because I can actually see where I’m going. Being able to see your running path makes all the difference, trust me!
For some reason, unknown to me, ever since going off my medication for bronchitis, I have been retaining water. Badly. And it sucks. I don’t know how to remedy this problem…but it’s been with me all week and I’m really tired of it.
On Easter, the stepdaughter of my friend Amanda gave me some bits of candy from her Easter basket. Normally I would just set this aside…but she was watching and waiting for me to eat the offered sweets that she was willing to part with. So, I ate it. And discovered quickly that this was a huge mistake. You see, being a Celiac means I have to be very careful about the things I eat. And not all candy is gluten-free…especially holiday candy because it is usually processed in a plant that isn’t set to deal with cross-contamination. Or…that brand just doesn’t do gluten-free in the first place. I am usually so good about this…but for some reason, on Easter, I got careless. And my intestines have been dealing me fits ever since. Lesson learned…but not the week I needed to learn such a lesson. UGH. I’m smarter than that…I don’t know why I reacted like that…but my stomach has not been happy with me all week and it has made my runs home…interesting. Thank goodness for Kroger and their public restroom along the way. (Again…is this TMI?).
So, with all of that in mind…I’ve made a pact with myself. On Saturday morning, I am running 10 miles…for me. Not to better my time. Not to chase down friends or compete with others there. No. I’m not doing that here. This race is my redemption race. This race is to prove to myself that despite obstacles…and challenges…and the cards that life has dealt to me…I can run with my heart and be happy with whatever result comes from it. I know this is a tough course. Three miles of it go through the extremely hilly Iroquois Park. Three miles of it right in the middle of the race. That means legs could be feeling strong…or feeling tired. Lungs could be doing well, or fighting for each breath. The point is…I’m not running this for the sake of running it. I’m running this race because I need to run this race…for myself. Not for time. Not for glory. Not for a new PR. I just need to do it because every iota of my body is trying to shut me down…and I am stronger than that. I can overcome bronchitis, gluten, and water retention and have an amazing run. Forget the race part. This is truly just for me.
I know quite a few people are using this race as their build up to the Derby Festival Mini Marathon…a race I have yet to run. I know, that’s strange being that it is right here in my backyard…but I’m always racing the following weekend in a different half marathon. Therefore…I haven’t done this one. I have no doubt I could churn out back-to-back weekends of half marathons…but…I want to be ready for the one I am doing in Minnesota. It means a lot more to me than running in the Derby Festival Mini. But…I’ll get into that in a different post.
So, if you see me on Saturday out there, battling my lungs, my stomach, and the hills…give me some words of encouragement. I’ll need them and appreciate them.
On lunch today, I went down to Louisville to pick up my race packet. I’m as ready as I’m going to be. And…except for the few niggling issues with my body…I’m feeling good about it. I’m okay with where I am for this race on Saturday, and that’s the most important part.
The Celiathlete 