New Years Goals

It seems like now is the time to hop on the bandwagon and establish my goals for the new year. I don't really want to say "resolutions", because I don't feel I have much to resolve. I feel like I'm finally on a path that I'm truly happy about and proud of, as I should be. I have accomplished and grown so much in the last year. Looking back, 2013 has been a really life changing year.

1. I Changed my major and decided to become a registered dietitian.
2. I Ran my first 10k
3. I Ran my first half marathon
4. I Ran my first MARATHON (yes, all three happened in the same year!)
5. I switched to a whole foods plant based diet

If you would have told me at this time last year that I would have accomplished all of these things, I probably would have look at you like you were on some kind of drugs. It's absolutely amazing to me what you can accomplish in a year. So, that being said, I would like to lay out some new goals to work towards and strive for in 2014. Some may be more realistic than others, but there's no satisfaction in accomplishing goals that are easy. So, here we go:

Goal 1- To run a sub 2 hour half. This one shouldn't be too difficult, seeing as I was injured during my first half... not to mention it was a trail run. Plus, I signed up for a new years day half marathon, so this should be easily met before the year even gets going.

Goal 2- To run a sub 4:00 marathon. Now, this one is going to be more of a reach for me considering I finished my last marathon in 4:54:04. That's nearly a full hour to shave off! However, I plan on running one in the spring and one in the fall. I hope to run a sub 4:30 for the spring marathon, and a sub 4:00 for the fall. I know this is a stretch, but I need a few goals to strive for. Plus, I was injured for my last marathon, and feel as long as I can avoid injury, these should be fairly reasonable goals.

Goal 3- To log 2014 miles in 2014. Now, before you go crazy, let me explain. I will be counting ALL miles logged, not just miles ran. Meaning that my cross training miles from the elliptical/bike each week will also count towards this goal. I'm going to finish this year with about 1,200 miles logged, but I didn't start tracking my mileage until about March. Plus, I have built my mileage up from around 15 miles a week to about 35 miles a week. Considering I eventually get up to my goal (50 miles a week) this is actually a pretty reasonable goal.

Well, I think that's all of them. Long term goals will be completing an ultra and eventually qualifying for a Boston marathon. However, neither of those seem like thing I need to be striving for in the coming year. I can't wait to see what 2014 brings, and am excited for another year to to push my limits and reach new heights!

Easy vegan "cheese" sauce

This recipe is really simple and delicious! The best part is, it's made with all natural ingredients. I've never purchased packaged vegan cheese or butter products because I never really felt they were all that healthy. This recipe however just mainly uses unsweetened almond milk, tahini, and nutritional yeast as it's base. Plus, you can make one serving size just for yourself, or you can make a larger batch for a group of people! I used it to top off my broccoli stuffed baked potato, and it did not disappoint!

1 serving- about 1/4 cup of sauce

3 TBSP unsweetened almond milk
1 TBSP tahini
1 TBSP nutritional yeast
salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to taste

Just mix together in a small bowl and microwave for about 30 seconds or until warm. Then drizzle over your favorite foods for a little extra flavor and enjoy!

Edamame Stir Fry

Today I was feeling a little creative, so I figured I would clean out my freezer a little bit and attempt to create a new recipe. I always seem to stock pile multiple bags of frozen vegetables in my freezer, so stir fry seemed like a pretty logical route.

Ingredients:
1 Bag frozen mixed stir fry vegetables(about 3 cups)
2 Cups shelled edamame
2 Cups frozen broccoli
2 Cups whole grain pasta (I used gluten free corn pasta)
4 TBSP Braggs liquid aminos
2 TBSP Red wine vinegar
1 tsp Garlic powder
1 tsp Onion powder
2 TBSP Nutritional yeast
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 TBSP sesame seeds

Directions:

Start by boiling pasta noodles in a small boiler pan. In a stir fry pan on med-high, combine vegetables, edamame, liquid aminos, and red wine vinegar. Continue to stir and mix vegetables until the are evenly cooked to a light brown, then remove from heat. Drain pasta and mix into stir fry pan. Add in seasoning and then serve. Sprinkle with sesame seeds for garnish, then enjoy!

Cranberry Oat Breakfast Cookies

I'm using the term "cookies" very loosely here, because these really don't taste like cookies at all. They are, however, a healthy and easy breakfast option you can make the night before and eat on the go. They only take about 5 minutes to make, and you don't even need to heat up your oven!

Ingredients:
1 Small very ripe banana
2 TBSP vegan protein powder
3 TBSP Chia Seeds
1/2 Cup oats
small handful of fresh raw cranberries
1-2 tsp cinnamon

*1 tsp of stevia or sugar to sweeten- optional

Directions-
Simply mash the banana up in a bowl until it is in a liquid-like state. Then mix in protein powder, chia seeds, oats, cranberries, and what ever other ingredients you want to add for flavor. Then just use your hands to mold the mixture into small balls, and press out on a small glass or ceramic plate (if the mixture seems gooey or they start to fall apart, slowly add more oats until they stick together better). Microwave for about 3-4 minutes until the cookies can be picked up off the plate without falling apart. (Be careful not to cook too long, or they will turn into rocks!)

Then just let cool for a minute or two and enjoy! I will note that the cookies aren't very sweet to begin with since I don't typically use any kind of sugar when baking, so with the tart cranberries they might seem bitter to some. This doesn't bother me since I'm not accustomed to eating very much sugar, but If you would prefer for them to be sweeter, you could always add stevia or whatever sugar you like to sweeten them up (I added in this option above).

I have experimented with this recipe and made it a variety of different ways. You can also use raisins, cocoa nibs, nuts, or any kind of dried fruit instead of the cranberries if they are too tart. I always like to add about a teaspoon or two of cinnamon to mine, but you can also add cocoa powder, vanilla, or any other spices you like!

Veterans Day 11K

About a week ago I got a text from my Dad asking me if I wanted to do a veterans day memorial run with him. He said it was for a good cause, and that he would pay for my race entry fee if I wanted to do it... how could I even say no!? A free race plus the chance to run with my Father? Um, yes please!

So, after pulling myself out of bed this morning at 5:00, gulping down a gluten-free English muffin, and gathering my GPS watch and Ipod, I headed out into the cold to meet up with my family. We stood around for about 45 minutes before we lined up for the race, and I took my place next to my Father. The next thing we knew we were off! My dad quickly darted around a bunch of people, eager to make his way to the open space at the front of the pack. I followed, and met up with him around mile 2. I ran with him for about a mile, and then he took his exit for the 5K while I ventured out for another loop along the 11K path.

Miles 3-6 were really nice. I talked with a few other runners that worked with my Dad, and slowly kept increasing my pace. I was right on track to finish with my goal time, and I could tell I still had a lot of energy left in the tank, so I decided to let loose for the last mile. This was when things started to go wrong. When I came to a fork in the road, I asked one of the volunteers which way I was supposed to go. He told me right, so I headed right and ran until another runner stopped me and told me I was going the wrong way. Confused, I turned around and headed back in the other direction. I was frustrated about the mix up in directions, but I just tried to focus on keeping my pace.

I was feeling good again until I came to another fork in the road. This time there was no one there, and I still had no clue which way to go. For fear of running the wrong way yet again, I stopped and waited for another runner behind me to catch up and tell me which way we need to go. He wasn't completely sure either, but I followed him anyhow not wanting to waste any more time. Finally, we made it to the finish line. My time was 1:01:02. I was so frustrated. I was only a minute and 2 seconds short of my goal, and I knew that I would have made my time had the course been better marked.

Despite a slightly crummy ending, the race went pretty well. I got to catch up with my parents, and naturally acquired a new PR since it was my first 11K.

My father and I before the race


Here's to another race bib to pin on the wall, and a new PR to break!