Chicken Shawarma Recipe, H1N1 Shot, + 14 Miles Manana

The past few days have been depressing running wise. Early this week I got the H1N1 flu shot with my son because we're going to Disneyworld over the holidays. (I don't like getting those sorts of things, but because of all the traveling we're doing in December, I finally decided to do it.) I already had sort of a cold, and the combination of that and the shot, I think, have just made me down in the dumps and lethargic. On Wednesday I was supposed to do an 8 mile run with 4 miles at LT pace, but I only ran 3.5 miles with 1 mile at LT pace. The next day I ran 4 miles with 2 at LT pace to catch up on mileage. Major bummer. I was thinking that my LT pace was going to to be faster this week. I'm trying to take care of myself though, while still getting in the miles. Hopefully my 14 mile run tomorrow goes well. I still have this itch in my throat that won't go away and I hope it doesn't get worse.

On another note, I made Chicken Shawarma this week and it was really good. I think I mentioned before that I love Eastern European food because of my Armenian heritage. I've had Chicken Shawarma before, but found this recipe on CookingLight and decided to try it. The esposo told me to not put the yogurt mixture on his, but I didn't anyways, and he liked it. (He doesn't always thank me when I ignore is picky food wishes, but he did this time.) Anyways, this recipe is healthy and good. It also tasted great with whole wheat pita. Try it, it won't disappoint.

Armenian Rice Pilaf, Yoga, Miles

Tonight I'm going to my second yoga class of the week. I took a yoga class like 5 years ago in college, and enjoyed it, but after the class on Tuesday, I really felt like a new person. Perhaps it's because I'm the world's worst stretcher, or maybe I just needed a mental and physical break, but I felt like my body was telling me, "please do this more often, Laura." So, I'm gonna go ahead and listen to myself.

I wore my REALLY worn out Brooks Ghost shoes last night to do my 9 mile run and I came back with new pains that I usually don't feel when I run so slow. I'm getting a new pair of shoes for Christmas, so I was just trying to get the last wear out of a few of my older pairs of shoes. Runner's World has given rave reviews to the new Brooks Ghost 2 shoes, and those are really tempting to me, but I think I'm just going go with my Mizuno Waverider 12's again.

On to the recipe...

I'm a quarter Armenian and really, the only thing I have to show for it, is olive skin and knowing how to cook some dang good food. I thought I'd share a good Armenian Rice Pilaf recipe that my husband loves because everyone can use another way to cook rice.

Armenian Rice Pilaf

-2 T. butter
-1/2 cup vermicelli; broken in little pieces
-1 cup rice
-1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1. Heat butter in saucepan until frothy.
2. Add vermicelli; saute until golden. (Watch this carefully or it will burn.)
3. Add rice, stir.
4. Add chicken broth, stir to mix.
5. Bring to boil.
5. Lower hear and cover and cook for 18 minutes on simmer.

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!

A remake of Mark Bittman's Spinach, Bacon, and Sweet Potatoe Salad

I've decided to care about my blog more. Consequently, I've made the goal to post 3 times a week. One of those days, I'll devote to a nutrient dense recipe I've recently made.

After coming across Mark Bittman in the October 2009 issue of Runner's World, I decided he's definitely my new culinary crush. I first tried his Cassoulet with Lots of Vegetables with great success, and then I made his Spinach, Bacon, and Sweet Potato Salad. I LOVED both of these recipes and have now added them to my food rotation.

Bittman's Culinary philosophy is a lot like Michael Pollan's, in that he believes in eating less meat, more plants, and in keeping food as close to it's natural state as possible. That mindset sounds logical to me. I don't always eat this way, but I'm constantly on the look out for tasty recipes that at least loosely follow this culinary viewpoint.

I decided to try Bittman's Sweet Potato Salad because a)I loved his Cassoulet and b) I heard the fastest man in the world, Hussein Bolt, grew up on sweet potatoes.



I think it's very logical to deduct that Bolt's amazing speed and muscular physique have almost everything to do with his consumption of sweet potatoes and only a small part to do with genetics and training. In fact, in preparation for LA I may stop running all together and just start eating sweet potatoes in large quantities.

Anyways, today I made Bittman's Sweet Potato Salad for the 2nd time, but instead of adding cumin to the potatoes I drizzled them with honey and used my own salad dressing. (Two parts balsamic to every one part olive oil + oregano to taste.) Sometimes I add sugar to my dressing, but I didn't today because I had already added honey to the recipe. Bittman's citrus dressing is also great; just don't feel like you need the exact ingredients in order to try this salad because it's very versatile. My results were DIVINE!



PS: If you're interested in trying more Mark Bittman recipes, How to Cook Everything and Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express are on my wish list. I'm currently reading Food Matters, which is a great book, but there aren't a ton of recipes.

Good Running Food and Training

I saw this recipe in Runner's World last week and I finally made it last night. Loved, loved, loved it. I used Italian Sausage and only used parsley for herbs because I didn't have the other stuff. I'm always on a search for recipes that have a ton of nutrients and taste and this definitely fit the bill.

I'm a little sore from all the weight lifting I've done this week, but it feels really good. I had posted "before" marathon pics but the esposo thought it was funny I did that, so I felt stupid and took them down. I'll make a new post about my running and health goals soon.

Before I sign off, one of my favorite running bloggers is Jess. She's a speedster for sure. She has a triggerpoint giveaway on her blog that you all should check out. It's for one of those foam things to roll out your legs that so many people swear by. I totally want one! Enter the giveaway here.

Below are a few pics of me and my family from a hike we went on this week. Aren't my boys cute?! Enjoy!

Resting and My Favorite Summer Salad

Today's Workout: Rest

Tomorrow's Workout: 6-7 miles, hills with Baby J in stroller

Thought: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” - Charles Darwin

Since the esposo is out of town and I had a cruddy workout yesterday, I decided to take the day off. I realized today while menu planning, that I have one more week than I thought I did before my next half. That is a very good thing! Since my 10 mile run didn't go so well this week, I'm excited to have a 12 mile run, then 8, and the following weekend is the half. My best half-marathon experience happened when I ran a half marathon 2 weeks before the actual race, so I'm glad that I have that 12 on the schedule 2 weeks before this one.

Anyways, I thought I'd start sharing more recipes on rest days. Here is the recipe for my favorite summer salad. I never measure the ingredients, but you don't really have to. The recipe is self-explanatory. The esposo and my brother love this recipe as well. It's a great side to a lot of things. On www.foodpyramid.gov, I evaluated my diet and realized I need to eat more vegetables. So, this is a great way to get those greens in. If I was going to create my own world, it would definitely have a lot of strawberries and balsamic vinegar in it. They are the perfect pair.

Strawberry, Walnut, and Balsamic Salad

Mixture of Baby Spinach and mixed greens
strawberries, sliced
raw walnuts, chopped

Dressing:
Two parts balsamic vinegar to every one part olive oil
Oregano to taste
sugar to taste (optional)

(Make the dressing a few hours beforehand so the flavors meld together.)

Rest and Recipe

Workout Today: Rest

Workout Tomorrow: Spinning for 45 minutes

Thought: "Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future." -John F. Kennedy

It has been nice to have a rest day today. I've found in my training that sometimes rest days are just as important to me as an intense workout days. Our bodies need to repair. I love cooking almost as much as I love running. My husband and I have been gradually overhauling our diet in the hopes of living a healthier lifestyle. I've always thought food was a good thing, and therefore, "diet" has been sort of a cuss word to me. I can make healthy changes in the right direction, though. That sounds so much more positive. Usually, I have a smoothie for breakfast, but in an effort to diversify my diet and be more cost effective, I've decided to eat oatmeal every other day.

I found this recipe by Ellie Krieger, one of my favorite Food Network chefs, who makes great, healthy food. She knows how to use spices so things still taste good. I thought her oatmeal was simple and fulfilling. I used to not like nuts but they're growing on me, and are so healthful too.

Vanilla Spice Oatmeal


* 3 1/2 cups water
* 1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
* 2 cups old-fashioned oats
* 1/2 cup raisins
* 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped, optional
* 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
* Pinch nutmeg
* 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, plus more, to taste
* 1 cup lowfat milk, divided
* 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon


In a medium saucepan, bring the water and salt to a boil. Stir in the oats and raisins, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, place nuts, if using, in a dry skillet over a medium-high flame, and toast, stirring frequently, until golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

When the oats are cooked remove pan from the flame and stir in the vanilla and nutmeg. Swirl in the brown sugar and place the oatmeal in serving bowls. Pour 1/4 cup of milk on top of each bowl, and top with toasted nuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Note: For a quicker version using quick cooking or plain instant oatmeal: Cook the oatmeal according to the directions on the package. Stir raisins, brown sugar, and nutmeg into the cooked oatmeal. Top with milk, nuts (toasted or un-toasted) and cinnamon.