Half Marathon Training: Week 8 Complete

Last week's workouts:

Sun: 7 miles easy
Mon: Rest Power Yoga class (1 hr)
Tues: 3 2.05 mi easy
Wed: Yoga 2.4 mi easy
Thurs: 3 mi easy Yoga for Runners podcast (25 min)
Fri: 3 mi easy Fine, 2.9 but I feel bad doing all these strike-throughs.
Sat: Oktoberfest 5K! 26:17! A new PR, I am still surprised that I managed to knock 2.5 minutes off my previous PR!

So last week I didn't stick to my plan that well, but at least it ended on a good note! Saturday's race was so fun, I have done the Oktoberfest 5K for the last 3 years. This year a group of our friends decided to join us. Two of them are training for the White Rock half marathon in December (and doing awesome!) and we decided it would be a healthy way for us to kick off the weekend. Even Michael ran, his first 5K since high school. He did very well, finishing in 32:09.
Afterwards, there is a great party with beer and lots of food. This year was soft pretzels, pizza and croissants. A great post-race meal if you ask me! And of course we came back to Oktoberfest for more fun later in the day.

This week's plans:
Sun: Rest
Mon: 3 mi easy run
Tues: Yoga
Wed: 3 mi easy run
Thurs: 2 mi intervals
Fri: Yoga
Sat: 8 mi easy

I'm also hoping to fit in a strength training session at least one of those days.

Have a happy and healthy week!

Garlicky Spinach and Goat Cheese Pizza

My friend Stacey gave me this recipe several months ago and it is so quick and easy to put together. I normally add a little crushed red pepper to the garlic for some heat.

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 to 3 cloves garlic
5oz baby spinach
Salt and pepper
2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
Tomatoes
Oregano
1 prepared thin crust pizza dough

Preheat oven 450
Heat olive oil in skillet on medium high heat
Sautee garlic until lightly brown
Add spinach and salt and pepper to taste
Cook until spinach is wilted
Spread mixture onto pizza crust
Add slices/chopped tomatoes
Cover with goat cheese and oregano
Cook in oven for 10 minutes

Half Marathon Training: Week 7 Complete

Last week's workouts:
Sun: Celebrate Yoga! (~2 hrs)
Mon: 3 mi easy
Tues: Yoga (Yoga for Runners Podcast)
Wed: 3 2.4 mi easy
Thurs: 2-3 mi with intervals 3.3 mi bike ride in the morning; upper body strength training in the evening
Fri: Rest
Sat: Run Proud 5K. 28:51, missed a PR by 4 seconds! I ended up running to the race and walking back, for a total of 5.1 miles

Great week! I decided to take my "poor, neglected bike" (Michael's words) out for a spin. I asked for this bike for my birthday last year and have not used it nearly as much as I thought I would.

Saturday's race went pretty well, except for a horrible side stitch at the halfway point. I think it was because I accidently inhaled some of the water I grabbed at the water stop. The afterparty was so fun, lots of sweet treats: cupcakes, Tasti D-Lite froyo, Panera, plus more that I can't remember. Yum!

I ended up deciding to do my long-ish run on Sunday morning. I hit the Katy Trail a little big after 8:00 and it was another beautiful morning! Lots of people out and about and even though my legs were sore from the day before, I felt strong for all seven miles.

This week's plan:
Sun: 7 miles easy (check!)
Mon: Rest
Tues: 3 mi easy
Wed: Yoga
Thurs: 3 mi easy
Fri: 3 mi easy
Sat: Oktoberfest 5K! One of my favorite races, always a fun time!

Half Marathon Training: Week 6 Complete

Long time, no post!

I feel like this time around it's been much easier to get back into running after a short break. During the few weeks I took off, I still made sure to get in one good run a week. Also, once I started training for a fall half marathon, I started making myself get up early to run before work. This has worked much better than waiting until after work to run, when it is too hot to run outside and I'm stuck with the treadmill.

I am already signed up for the Dallas White Rock Half Marathon in December, but I think I want to do one more as well. I have not officially registered yet, but I think it is going to be the DRC Half Marathon on November 6. That is only one month before the White Rock half, but I think I am up to the challenge!

Last week's workouts:
Sun: Power Yoga podcast
Mon: 2 mi easy
Tues: Yoga Sculpt
Wed: 2.9 mi easy
Thurs: 2 mi
Fri: Rest
Sat: 6 mi easy

Saturday's run was tough, I had been fighting a migraine all week. Friday felt a lto better, but Saturday morning I woke up in pain again. I took Excedrin Migraine and drank some coffee and lots of water which seemed to help calm things down. However, my stomach was still upset and even though I stopped for water as often as possible, my head was pounding again by about mile 4. I thought about stopping after 5 miles (at which point I was back where I parked) but decided to just push myself through the last mile. My reward when I got home was a dose of my good medicine and a nap.

Sunday I participated in a workshop at the Y called Celebrate Yoga. They had a few different styles of yoga classes as well as t-shirts, goodie bags and drawings for prizes. I had a great time! I took a Power Yoga class outdoors (some cooler weather has finally rolled in), then came inside for a Gentle Flow class. It was a great way to start out the week and a nice healthy activity for the long weekend! My muscles are still feeling it today.

This week:
Sun: Celebrate Yoga! (~2 hrs)
Mon: 3 mi easy
Tues: Yoga
Wed: 3 mi easy
Thurs: 2-3 mi with intervals
Fri: Rest
Sat: Run Proud 5K. My first race of the season!

I need to get a longer run in (I am hoping 6-7 miles) and the 5K is only a little over a mile away. So I'm wondering if I should do a few extra miles before the race (I don't really like splitting up my runs like that) or just try to do the longer run on Sunday instead of Saturday. Thoughts? If nothing else, I'll at least jog over there and back, seems silly to drive just a mile for a race, right?

Hope everyone is enjoying their Labor Day weekend!

Review: Gaia Flow Yoga

Since I decided to cut back on running over the summer, I redeemed a Groupon I bought a while back for a month of classes at Gaia Flow Yoga. I had heard of Gaia because they were a featured studio at Lululemon's weekly free yoga and I really enjoyed the instructors that came to teach. I actually did not realize until I showed up at the studio that all of the classes are hot yoga classes. Gulp! I was skeered and very glad that I'd brought a towel.

The staff at Gaia is super friendly, all of the instructors I encountered took the time to learn my name. Every class starts out with core work to prepare for practice. I really am bad about not doing any core strengthening exercises on my own because I figure most of the yoga I do works my abs. At the end of the month, I feel like my abs are a lot stronger and since you use those core muscles so much to hold yourself in poses, it makes sense to spend extra time on them.

After abs, the instructor introduces themselves and often asks new people to introduce themselves. They also ask people to share any "good news" and then talk about the weekly sadhana, or theme. The theme is a yoga principle that you are to focus on for the week, such as purity or responsibility. The instructors tie that idea into your yoga practice and your daily life.

Then comes the flow part of class. I attended a few different types of classes, focusing mostly on beginner levels (Gentle Flow and Desert). Although I'm not a "beginner" yogi, I felt like I needed time to get used to the heat. The studio is usually somewhere between 92 and 96 degrees and you will sweat! I have never sweat so much doing any other workout. It is absolutely necessary to bring a towel and most people have a yoga towel that they put over their mat. I thought about getting one and ultimately decided not to spend the money, but it would be helpful to keep your hands from sliding. Gaia has towels available for rent, but I just brought my own.

I did take one more advanced level class called Mountain that focused on balance postures and the instructor put us all against the wall to do handstands and standing splits. It was definitely the most challenging yoga class I've ever taken! My muscles felt like Jell-O afterwards. In a good way. :)

Overall I had a great experience at Gaia and I wish that my budget would allow for me to be a regular member. I might do some drop-in classes and I will definitely keep an eye out for any good deals they might have in the future.

White bean, Spinach and Goat cheese Lasagna

One of my favorite blogs that I follow is The Fitnessista. I have found so much great info on her blog, from training programs to fashion tips and yummy (healthy) recipes. She follows more diet restrictions than I do, but the recipes she shares are easily adaptable.

When I saw "white beans", "spinach" and "goat cheese" together in the same sentence, I knew immediately this was a recipe I needed to try! And it did not disappoint, even Michael loved this meatless recipe.

I made note of the changes I made, it can easily be made vegan or gluten-free if that's how you roll.

Ingredients:
Lasgna noodles I used oven-ready whole wheat noodles
1 med white onion
2 cloves minced garlic
Olive oil
1/2 container organic baby spinach (I ended up using the whole container)
1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans
1 jar tomato basil pasta sauce
2 servings of soft goat cheese
3/4 C shredded goat gouda (Vegan? Use Daiya instead of both goat cheeses) I used shredded 2% mozzarella cheese
Juice of half a lemon
Cayenne, sea salt, pepper, garlic I used red pepper instead of cayenne

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 and boil 8 lasagna noodles so that they’re slightly undercooked. Pat dry.

2. In a pan on medium heat, sauté the chopped shallot and 2 cloves of minced garlic in olive oil and a little butter until soft. As I noted, I used onion instead of shallot and I left out the butter

Wilt in the spinach, add the beans (drained and rinsed) and season well with sea salt, pepper, the lemon juice and a pinch of cayenne.

3. Next, layer the lasagna!

Sauce on the bottom, covered by 3 noodles. Then 1 serving of crumbled goat cheese, 1/2 of the bean mixture. 2 noodles, sauce and shredded goat cheese. Top with the other half of bean mixture, crumbled goat cheese, 3 noodles, sauce and shredded goat cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes covered in foil, 15 minutes uncovered.

This turned out great and was so easy to put together! It made really good leftovers, too. The goat cheese was so good (and definitely a different twist on traditional lasagna), but you could also substitute ricotta cheese and I think it would still taste great.

Sauteed Chickpeas with Broccoli and Parmesan

I've been in the mood for beans and rice lately. Beans are inexpensive plus a great source of protein. I love pretty much all beans but my far-and-away favorite is chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), yum! I love them in soups, pasta, hummus, falafel, or even just roasted and nommed like popcorn.

So when I came across this recipe I couldn't wait to try it! It's an easy recipe to play around with, you could easily use different kinds of beans, different vegetables and even different seasonings. It turned out great and took very little time to prep or cook. Since we usually have so many of these ingredients on hand, it's a great meal to throw together on a busy night.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced I used about 1/4 of a large white onion
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 heads broccoli, including stalks, trimmed and chopped (2 cups) I used a bag of frozen broccoli
1 (10.5 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed I used 2 cans. Mmmm...chickpeas
1/3 cup chicken or vegetable broth Instead of broth, I added a can of diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/3 cup Parmesan shavings

Preparation
In a large skillet (preferably one with a lid), warm olive oil over medium heat until hot. Carefully add onion, garlic and salt, and sauté, stirring often, until onion becomes transparent and garlic just begins to turn golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
Toss in broccoli; sauté for 3 minutes. Add chickpeas, broth and red pepper. Stir once, cover and cook for 3 minutes more, just to heat through and finish cooking broccoli.
Uncover, season with pepper, sprinkle with Parmesan and serve. I served over brown rice

Enjoy!