Five Miles of Redemption

October 12, 2015October 12, 2015Leave a comment

I’ve been in a personal running rut lately. I’ve been running, but not at my normal pace and not with any regularity. Aside from the 10K mentoring I’ve been doing, I haven’t gotten any runs in purely for myself.

Until today.

I ran five glorious miles in the 90 degree heat and all by my lonesome. It was amazing.

Once I settled into the first mile, it was golden. My brain shut off. It was heaven.

Until the fourth mile. There is always one mile, usually in the middle, that plays mind games with you. And for me, it’s happens after my comfort zone of 3 and before I settle back in at 5. So mile 4 was a tough one.

But I finished strong, and under an 11 minute mile average pace. Not quite as good as my former race pace. But it felt good to push it today. There were times when I felt absolutely alive and aware of my body and my breathing.

Plus I’ve been doing a lot of running with other people, which is always nice. Sometimes I just need to go out alone and run. And today was one of those days. I craved the solidarity. So glorious.

And my dinner wasn’t too shabby either.

Apple chicken sausage with pepper and onions, a baked sweet potato and a huge side salad with avocado and tomatoes. Day one of meal planing was a huge success.

I just wish I had some chocolate milk for dessert.

Stir Fry Sunday

October 11, 2015Leave a comment

I’ve had a hankering for Asian food. Specifically sushi. But I’m not even going to attempt making my own sushi. I figure that’s one thing I should just leave to the pros.

But I do make a pretty tasty stir fry. And this batch from today is quite delicious.

What you need:

Broccoli
Yellow bell pepper
Shallot
2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup of brown rice
Teriyaki sauce
Ginger garlic stir fry oil (optional)
1 tablespoon chia seeds

Boil some water to cook the brown rice. Brown rice takes longer to cook than white rice so give yourself at least 45 minutes. You can prep everything else while that cooks.

Heat up a skillet on medium high with the ginger garlic stir fry oil. If you don’t have any of that, just use olive oil.

Slice up the shallots and bell pepper into thin strips. Mince up the garlic. Throw all of that into the ginger oil. Steam your broccoli. (I cheated today and used broccoli you steam in the microwave because it cuts down on the cooking time and it doesn’t dirty another dish.)

Chop up the steamed broccoli florets and add the the veggies. Add teriyaki sauce to taste. I like to have enough so it cooks down and creates a sauce. Just be careful because teriyaki is salty.

When the rice is cooked, add it to the teriyaki vegetables. Combine and let cook a few minutes if you aren’t overcome with the delicious smell.

I’m trying a new thing this week with meal planning. Usually I just make whatever sounds good. But I’ve been wasting a lot of ingredients, and without a plan, I’ve been eating out more. So I’m excited to see how this week goes with creating a loose menu.

Saturday Escapades in Life and in Running

October 10, 2015October 10, 2015Leave a comment

While Sundays are my favorite day, I adore Saturdays.

I’m in a pretty set routine for Saturdays right now. I am mentoring two amazing ladies through a 10K training program. So every Saturday I’ve been getting up well before the sun to run with them. And it has been the most wonderful experience.

I’ve trained people for 5Ks before, but never a 10K. It’s completely different. I’ve found myself less focused on myself during long runs, and more focused on them working through any issues. Or just reminding them they have ran 45 minutes without stopping or complaining or death.

This morning after our four mile run they both looked at me and said they have finally experienced the feeling of losing themselves during the run. Being in the zone. Shutting their minds off. I have told them about this moment many times, but to be there when they experience, it is the most fulfilling feeling.

Because that’s why I run.

To shut off my thoughts. To experience what my body can do that day. To push myself. To feel truly alive.

It is hedonic.

And now they know.

I’ve finally mentored them to the place I try to take myself every time I go on a run. And that is truly something special. And it couldn’t have been a better morning to do so. Arkansas is a pure place to run and experience nature. An outdoor enthusiast’s dream. Miles and miles of paved and unpaved trails at your leisure. I’m lucky to call this my backyard.

After my Saturday morning run, I always make breakfast. But this morning I got a little overzealous. My eyes were a little bigger than my stomach.

Coffee and a huge egg scramble full of Black Forest ham, eggs, Parmesan cheese, yellow bell pepper, shallots and topped with more cheese, fresh tomatoes and ripe avocado. I also had a side of chocolate milk to aid in muscle recovery.

And now I sit at my favorite coffee shop with a The Head and The Heart playlist in my ears, a pot of green tea and my Series 7 study materials, and I feel utterly content.

The first day in the past month where I’ve felt completely at ease.

Present.

It’s a good feeling.