Happy Patriot's Day!

Great races yesterday and today in the Women's Olympic Marathon Trials, and the Boston Marathon.

Now, don't forget to vote tomorrow, all you Pennsylvanians, and help yet another strong woman kick some azzhat!

Recipe of the Week: Salmon Chowder

2 turnips, peeled and cubed
1 onion
1 stalk celery
1tsp dill
1 bay leaf
1C veggie broth
12 oz salmon (canned or cooked fresh) - my sister who I got the recipe from uses fresh. I used 2 Whole Foods lemon dill salmon burgers and didn't add any more salt, pepper, or dill.
1C buttermilk
1C fat free plain yogurt
2t tabasco
1/4t salt
1/2t pepper

Cook the vegetables in the broth until tender, add seasonings. Turn down to low, add salmon, buttermilk and yogurt. Heat through until hot.

Makes 4 generous servings.

210 calories, 8 g. fat, 2 g fiber (4 WW points each)

RE-Starting, AGAIN.

What can I say, I'm not quitting, and I have to remember the mantra I've clipped from Tri-DRS member CathyM: "relentless progress forward."

So I haven't been relentless, nor have I moved forward, but I'm taking it on again. Balancing work and life and food and training and sleep and eczema has been very difficult, but I've got no excuses left. I also have a window coming up -- a chance to try out the PLAN (deets below) with less stress than typical. And to remind myself of the GOAL (jeans + fitness).

I'm sleeping so much better now, getting to bed at a sane hour, sleeping through the night most nights, and awake around 6. I finally feel like I've caught up on some of that lost sleep, so at 6, I can get out of bed and MOVE.

I have not been doing well with trigger foods, either. Thus, I'm doing something I don't like to do, but its necessary for a short time. I'm de-toxing: focussing on eating only lean protein, fruits and veggies, a little skim milk or FF yogurt in the morning, and a little good fat. To drink, water and de-caff or green tea. No sugars, No flour, No grains, No cheese, No coffee (not even de-caff). In two weeks I'll see how its going, and how I'm feeling. I have to admit, I had a serious jones for some baked goods this afternoon, but I worked through it, and dinner comes shortly, so I'll be fine.

I ran yesterday, for the first time in almost 2 weeks. I spent some time on core/strength training today. Tomorrow my lovely "long" run or a bike ride if I can get out early enough to beat the traffic.

Wow, more thunder. So the day began, so it ends. Today has been rainy, sunny, cool and foggy. Welcome to spring in New England.

Eat Food. Mostly Plants. Not Too Much.

from Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food:

1. Eat Food.

• Avoid food products containing ingredients that are unfamilar, unpronounceable, more than five in number, and include high-fructose corn syrup or transfats.
• Avoid food products that make health claims.
• Shop the periphery of the supermarket - stay out of the middle.
• Get out of the supermarket where ever possible. (buy from farmers markets, CSA, local stands)

2. Mostly Plants.

• Eat mostly plants, especially leaves.
• You are what you eat eats too.
• If you have the space buy a freezer.
• Eat well-grown food from healthy soils.
• Eat like an omnivore.
• Eat wild foods when you can.
• Be the kind of person who takes supplements.
• Eat more like the french, or the italians or the japanese, or the indians or the greek. (i.e., eat traditional, non western, diets).
• Regard nontraditional foods with skepticism. (Soy isoflavones are a good example).
• Don't look for the magic bullet in traditional diets. (its not one thing, its the whole way of approaching eating)
• Have a glass of wine with dinner.

3. Not Too Much.

• Pay more, eat less. (quality is better than quantity)
• Eat meals.
• Eat at a table. (A desk or a couch is not a table).
• Don't get your fuel from the same place your car does.
• Try not to eat alone.
• Consult your gut.
• Eat slowly.
• Cook, and plant a garden if you can.

Slow and steady progress.

I've finally seen some progress in the scale, just a little but my body is starting to feel better, so hopefully it will start letting go of this excess weight. I really am trying -- although I can do more and make better choices. It *is* getting easier, and importantly, portion control is coming along well. Friday night at dinner and again this morning at breakfast (both times out in restaurants), I was unable to finish my meal (veggie pad thai, and multigrain blueberry pancakes). Good news for me, as I can, honestly, be a bottomless pit when it comes to good food. Friday I left the remnants on my plate and walked away. This morning, I packed up the left-overs for a breakfast one day this week.

Also today I had a pretty good "long" wog, on my "hilly" loop route (as hilly as it gets here on the beach). Over a 3.75-3.9 mile route (depending on how the footpod measures it that day), I was 1 minute/mile faster than last week. Definitely feeling like its easier to string together the running portions of the wog, and I feel like those running portions are actually a little bit faster than in the past. Still a long way to go, but I'm planning that my next event will be more of an actual race than Hyannis was.

Hyannis 10K RR

Well I have my first race of the year under my belt, and the best I can say is that I perservered!

My first 5K went beautifully and as planned, but the second 5K the lack of training and miles showed. I was pretty footsore and tired by 5 miles, and felt every extra pound I'm dragging.
The second 5K ended up 10 minutes slower than the first 5K which is not the kind of split to put up. I ended up DFL for the 10K, first time that has ever happened to me in a race -- but it was no doubt deserved.

Still, it was a fun, lovely day. We had breeze and sun and around 30 degrees when we took off -- hard to tell what to wear and I had clothes coming off and going back on throughout the race. I'm happy its done, and ready to actually train for the next race -- probably a 5K, maybe even Groton in April. I'm also hoping to get my sister to join me for this race next year.

Recipe of the Week - Chickpea Hot Pot

(as modified from 101cookbooks.com)

1 large yellow onion, chopped
a splash of olive oil
a couple pinches of salt
2/3 cup uncooked bulgur
1 14-ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cup cauliflower, trimmed into small trees
2 cup fresh baby spinach, chopped
1 1/2 cup fresh chopped asparagus
zest of one orange
salt and pepper to taste
1T bouquet garni
1 cup water (if necessary to thin)

In a large pot over medium-high heat saute the onion in the olive oil along with the salt - for a minute or until the onion begins to soften a bit. Stir in the bulgur. Stir in the chickpeas and the stock. Bring the ingredients to a simmer. Cook for another few minutes, it should start to thicken. Taste to see if the bulgur is cooked through, if so add the orange juice. If not, simmer for a couple more minutes before adding the juice. Stir in the cauliflower and the kale as well - simmer another few minutes, until the cauliflower is just tender. If the stew is on the thick side, thin with a bit more water or stock. Taste, and add salt if necessary. Serve garnished with a drizzle of olive oil and red onions.
Serves 4 - 6.

(Serving 6 = 3 points/serving)

Just enjoying a bowl now, after shoveling 8 inches of snow. I need to pack and then I'm off to Hyannis for my 10K. I'll be back tomorrow with a report!

Foot cramps

I have always gotten them, mostly when swimming, but occasionally other times. I eat well balanced meals, with lots of fruits and veggies, so I feel like I get all the essential vitamins and minerals. I rarely wear heels. So why on Monday afternoon did I get such intense foot cramps in the pool that I had to quit my swim after only 900 yards? They came in *waves* which is a recent development in the word of my foot cramps. Any thoughts on what I need to add into my routine/do differently?

Welcome to the Grand Illusion (with apologies to Styx)

I've been fooling myself. I cannot ignore the WW program and expect to lose weight. I cannot eat with impunity because I still cannot eat *properly.* I still have -- and will always have -- an eating disorder. For the rest of my life I will always have to weigh and measure. For the rest of my life I will have to think about every bite. For the rest of my life I will have to be accountable for what I put into my body.

It's not all bad though. I know that the program *works* and that if I keep doing it properly, I will have success. I also know that I can do the program properly. So instead of fooling myself, I have to do what I know. Some days are going to be painful. Some days I'll be faced with choices I don't want to make. But in the end, I'll be healthier, fitter, faster, and more content with myself.

The plan is simple, really:

1. Back to veggie eating, with fish mixed in. I feel healthier doing this, for some reason.
2. Journal, journal, journal.
3. Don't give in to cravings -- grit my teeth, say no, and they will eventually be banished.
4. Figure out the balance between work/life/training. Know it may require constant adjustment as well as constant vigilance.
5. MOVE. I have a 10K next Sunday which I am walking -- but I will be out there moving. Once I get past that event, I need another goal, and a training plan I can live with.
5a. Become one with my bike. Its time to really put cycling in the forefront of my training, especially if I want to race at Pumpkinman in October.
6. Have Faith in myself.
7. Don't forget my various support networks.
8. Use visualization and mediation more.
9. Remember the skinny jeans!

Recipe of the Week: Chana Masala with Spinach

1TB curry paste (Indian)
1 TB chopped garlic
1 sliced onion
2T tomato paste or 3T sauce
1 15oz can chickpeas with some of the liquid reserved (1/4C)
1T lemon juice
1t red pepper flakes
4C fresh baby spinach

Heat the curry paste with a little oil in a hot pan. Add the garlic and onion. Cook until onion is clear. Add tomato paste/sauce and stir. Add chickpeas, lemon, pepper and cook until heated through. Add spinach and slowly stir through the chickpeas until wilted and cooked.

Serve over rice, bulgar or plain.

Recipe of the Week: Middle Eastern Lamb Stew

Middle Eastern Lamb Stew
Makes 8 servings, about 1 cup each
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds boneless lamb stew meat (shoulder cut)
1 tablespoon olive oil or canola oil
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 large or 2 medium onions, chopped
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
¾ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth (I used veggie)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 15- or 19-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
6 ounces baby spinach
Optional (my additions):
3/4C chopped, pitted, cured black (moroccan) olives
3/4C golden raisins

Place lamb in a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Mix oil, cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Coat the lamb with the spice paste and toss to coat well. Top with onion. Pour tomatoes, broth and garlic over the lamb and onion. Cover and cook until the lamb is very tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours on high or 5 1/2 to 6 hours on low. Skim or blot any visible fat from the surface of the stew. Mash 1/2 cup chickpeas with a fork in a small bowl. Stir the mashed and whole chickpeas into the stew, along with spinach.

Per serving: 319 calories; 15 g fat (5 g sat, 6 g mono); 92 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrate; 30 g protein; 5 g fiber; 494 mg sodium; 238 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (30% daily value), Vitamin A (25% dv), Iron (20% dv).

Had this for dinner tonight over a cup of cooked bulgar and it was fabulous, warm, hearty and filling. I coooked it in the slow cooker overnight, and then stashed it in the fridge until dinner time. The flavors are delicious, and it was really quite simple to make.

Oh, and I finally made a morning swim today, and was rewarded with total KLN eye candy in the next lane. A hot male swimmer I've never seen before. Wow, see what you miss when you sleep through pool time. I *will* be back. Is tomorrow too soon?