Tofu Spinach Pizza

This recipe takes a little more time, but is TOTALLY worth it. I made this after a long run, and ate more than half of the whole pizza... it was so good! I know that a lot of stores now sell vegan cheese and vegan pepperoni, but I"m not really a fan of fake animal products that have artificial flavorings and dyes. Trying to make something that's not an animal product look and taste like it is just doesn't make sense to me. I would much rather just be creative and do something new... and thus, this recipe was born.

Pizza crust- I made my own pizza crust because I couldn't find any pre-made crusts that were whole wheat. (I am very picky about all of my bread being whole grain, none of that processed bleached refined junk!)

Pizza Crust Recipe-
-2 1/2 Cups 100% whole wheat flour
-3 teaspoons baking powder
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 Tablespoon oil (I used extra virgin olive oil)
-3/4 to 1 cup water (add water as needed)

Sauce-
-1/2 small can of 100% hunts tomato paste and equal parts water
-1 Tablespoon onion powder
-1 Tablespoon garlic powder
-1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
dash of salt and pepper

Toppings
-1 block of firm tofu, scrambled and lightly browned in a skillet (I use fortified tofu because it has essential b vitamins, especially b12)
-2 cups chopped spinach
-2 Tablespoon diced garlic (I mixed this in with the tofu when I scrambled it)
salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning to taste

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, and then enjoy some delicious pizza!

Black Bean Burritos

I love these! They are so easy to make, and perfect to eat for dinner the night before a run. Just mix a can of rinsed black beans, a half of cup of corn, a diced tomato, and a diced onion in a skillet and cook on low until the beans are done and the corn is thawed(I used frozen corn). Sprinkle with Mexican/taco seasoning and any other spices you want to use. Put mixture on a whole wheat tortilla and add lettuce, avocado, salsa, etc. and there you go, delicious vegan burritos!

Easy Vegan Pancakes

What better way to start a Saturday morning than with some delicious pancakes... and what goes better with pancakes that fresh blueberries? These pancakes were really easy to make, and they came out super fluffy and delicious! All you need is a few ingredients and about 10 minutes! Plus, you can really change this recipe to make any kind of pancakes you want!

Pancakes-
1/2 Cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt to taste
1 tsp of stevia
1/2 Cup vanilla Unsweetened Almond Milk (or any non-dairy milk)

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and mix together, then add in milk and your batter is done! For the topping, all I did was take about a cup of blueberries and mash them up with a fork until they made a nice fruit compote topping for the pancakes, and that's it! (I also added chi seeds on top of my blueberry topping for a little extra Omega 3)

Cheesy Vegan Quinoa and Potato Dinner

Quinoa is a super grain! It is packed with protein, gluten free, and is a good source of complex carbohydrates. I like to fill up on quinoa the night before a long run, and this recipe is perfect for easy delicious carbo-loading. Plus, the nutritional yeast provides a delicious cheesy flavor along with essential vitamins and minerals.

Ingredients:
1 Cup Organic Quinoa
2 Cups Water
4 Cups of Diced Summer Squash
1 Large White Onion Diced
1-2 Medium Sized White Potatoes Diced
1 TBSP Garlic Powder
1/2 Cup Nutritional Yeast
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Combine water and quinoa in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Then turn sown heat, cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes. Throw diced squash, potatoes, and onion all into a skillet and cook until onions are caramelized and squash is slightly browned. Add salt, pepper, garlic, and any other seasonings you would like to add to the potatoes and squash. Remove lid from boiler pan and add the grilled vegetables to the quinoa. Add nutritional yeast and mix completely... then enjoy!

The Marshall Laws

I love reading inspiring books about amazing runners and their incredible journeys. I was first intrigued by a book called Born to Run, which talked about the Tarahumara tribe, also know as the running people. Then I wanted more, so I purchased Scott Jurek 's book Eat and Run. His book discussed his whole life story, from his childhood of constantly doing work, to competitive skiing, to the beginning of his running career, and his transition from the standard American diet to becoming a healthy vegan. His book inspired me to become vegan for my running, and my health. Reading his book was life changing for me.

Now, I am am currently working my way through a book called Running on Empty, which is an amazing story about a man named Marshall Ulrich, who at 57 years old ran 3,063 miles across America in only 52 days. This man is amazing, and has taught me that running is without a doubt 95% mental. His journey and story are so inspiring, and I would recommend his book to any runner who loves reading amazing stories about how people overcome great life challenges.

In one of the chapters of his book, Marshall list the Ten Commandments of Running, or as some like to call them, "Marshall Laws". I found them to be very helpful, and figured I would share them.

The Marshall Laws

1. Expect a journey and a battle
2. Focus on the present and set intermediate goals
3. Don't dwell on the negative
4. Transcend the physical
5. Accept your fate
6. Have confidence that you will sucede
7. Know that there will be an end
8. suffering is okay
9. Be kind to yourself
10. Quitting is not an option

I have adopted a lot of these rules in my last few months of running, and try to read these often to keep them in my mind. I feel that it takes time to mentally train yourself as a runner to be tough. Toughness doesn't just come naturally to everyone. And although it comes easier to some more than others, anyone can build up enough mental toughness to finish a marathon if they want to.

One of the things I read in Running on Empty that I found to be the most interesting, is that Marshall was scientifically tested, and his pain thresh hold and physical abilities weren't any greater then most people's... he actually was rated as physically average. What does however make his stand out, is his ability to distract himself mentally, and his ability to control his thoughts. Scientists measured his brain waves, and concluded that he scored off the charts for his imagination. Marshall admits in his book that often times on long runs, he becomes completely distracted with his thoughts about anything and everything, and running just becomes a natural motion while his mind drifts off somewhere else. I have experienced this before, but only for a few minutes or so, and it really is incredible. When you get so wrapped up in your thoughts that you go somewhere else for a while, and by the time you come back you realize you have just ran almost another half of a mile without even realizing it or thinking about it.

I suppose that is the key to running, not only being able to focus on positive things, or other things and let your mind drift, but to have mental toughness as well. On almost every run I have done, whether it be 3 miles or 12, ideas of slowing down, walking, and even quitting have entered my mind. However, whenever these ideas pop up, i never really consider them, I just kind of think about what it would be like if I did actually throw in the towel and go home... then I keep on running.