11 miles + Ellie Krieger Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Today I ran 11 miles at about an average 9:20 pace. Sometimes it feels great to run slow. The hardest thing about my run was choking down my GU Roctane. I barely ate half of it. I don't know what to do. I've tried the shot blocks, but I had a problem with their consistency too. I've always disliked GU, but for some reason it's become less manageable. I guess I'll stop complaining and just deal with it.

This week I was supposed to run 30 miles, but I only ran 28. Oh well, at least I didn't short change my longer runs. Next week is the first week of my marathon schedule. I'm so excited to finally start! I've been talking about it forever now...Here's what my first week looks like:

Monday-8 miles with 4 at LT pace (7:47)
Tuesday- Rest
Wednesday- 9 general aerobic
Thursday- Rest
Friday- 4 miles
Saturday- 12 miles

Oh, and before I forget, I was gonna share a healthy mashed potatoes recipe. I know a lot of runners like pasta, and I think it's okay, but I'm not in love with it. Consequently, I need others sources of food to carb load. Ellie Krieger is one of my favorite Food Network chefs, and I recently tried her Parmesan Mashed Potatoes. This recipe's secret is two ingredients: Yukon potatoes and buttermilk. The combination of these ingredients makes for really creamy potatoes without using all the butter. The esposo said these were good enough for Thanksgiving, and while I think they're definitely great, I probably wouldn't serve them then. I'm usually the one who makes healthier food choices, but when it comes to Thanksgiving, I prefer foods that would give me coronary problems if eaten regularly. If you're looking for another source of carbs though, these taters' are a good bet!