speed work and a dark run

Monday: met my group at the track, brought the girls. They had so much fun. This is what we did -
800 m warm up, 1600m around 7:40mm, 800m recovery (8:30ish), 1600m 7:35mm , 800m cool down
3.5 miles - M ran her first 1600m! She ran with my fellow runners son who is the same age and they totally were pushing each other - good competition.

Tuesday - the girls and I got home late from my last Summer activity I was directing for our church (phew) and the weather was just so perfect for running I could not pass it up...so I left the house around 8:40 and came back in the pitch dark...I know not super smart but I stayed on the main roads and they were lit up for the most part...I could have pushed faster but didn't want to fall on my face!
3 miles 25:52 8:36

2.25 and 3

I wasn't able to do a long run this weekend since C was out of town. I was getting crabby not running since my running group on Wednesday. Beer can only allow so much sanity - runs are a must for this momma.

So I took the girls in the double BOB on Saturday and ran a few miles with the running group, actually ran with one of my friends and it was hot and humid but felt good to run at least a few miles.

Today I got up a little later than I wanted to I just did 3 miles since it was pretty warm out. I kept a 8:29 mm pace, negative splits, ending with 8:15 which is always nice.

sweet potato veggie burgers

I know this may sound and look gross....but truly these were very good and we will be making them again! True they are not the same as biting into a thick, sirloin burger...but it was so nice to have a burger with no little fatty balls of gross! The kids and C loved them.

Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers
makes 7-8 large patties

2 cans cannellini white beans, drained
3-4 small or two large sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled and mashed
2 Tbsp tahini
2 tsp maple or agave syrup
1-2 squeeze of fresh lemon
1/4 cup wheat flour
salt and pepper to taste

plentiful Panko crumbs
grapeseed or olive oil


Directions:

1. Place potatoes in large bowl and mash
2. Add drained beans to mixing bowl. Mash beans and potato together.
3. Mash in seasoning, flour and any additional seasoning. Your mixture will be quite soft and moist. But you should be able to form a patty. Add more flour or a scoop of breadcrumbs - or dry rice to thicken the mixture if needed.
4. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a pan over high heat. (make sure this is hot before you add the burger)
5. Form a patty from mixture and coat in Panko crumbs. Thick coating. Then drop the patty in the pan. Repeat until the pan is filled. Cook until browned on both sides. Use more panko as you form the burgers and they will stay together nicely
6. Transfer cooked patties to paper towel. Cool for a few minutes.
7. Serve with whatever toppings...we used avocados, dijon mustard and ketchup

it's been awhile...

since I posted any recipes or food items! It's just been really busy and I can name two reasons why...A and M.

So today we stocked up at Trader Joe's and I am inspired to go meatless this week.....not sure why just so many yummy recipes out there that need no meat!

Tonight I'm making an oldie but goodie....black bean tostadas with corn relish...the kiddos love it!

So I bought Grapeseed Oil today too and will try it out on salads and with cooking this week :)

12.64 miler on the lake...and with an old friend

I did manage two 5 milers last week, one on Wednesday and one on Thursday. They were great, felt strong, like that distance.

Saturday since we were in the city for the weekend I get in touch with a grammar school friend that I know lives in the city and is a runner too. I have been wanting to run with her and it just so happened to work out. We met on Irving and Western (near my mom's house) and we ran down to the lake, south to about Oak Street Beach then headed back north and said good-bye at the YMCA (my old gym, her current one). It was a great run, slower pace than I'm used to but it was nice to talk the entire run and just enjoy the day and beautiful lakefront. Chicago is such a pretty city and sometimes I forget how pretty it is.

4.5 gurgle gurgle

I can always run after I eat dinner with no issues...but for some reason tonight the spaghetti squash and no cook tomato sauce that was so good did not sit well during my run.

Our group met tonight instead of Wednesday since the Fourth of July is coming up and most everyone is our group is running the 4th of July race on Thursday (I won't be since we will be out of town at our summer house, but I plan to run the local 5K on Saturday).

M and I were the only girls (there was another girl but I didn't know her and I think she runs a little slower than us). We kept a good pace and just opted for the 4 mile loop although we ended up doing 4.5 miles

4.5 miles 8:23 pace 3rd mile was 8:00 mm....sweaty run on a beautiful breezy night!