Thursday, November 5, 2009

Run, Dine And Dash

No time for breakfast before the gym this morning.  I had a date with the treadmill for another 3 mile run.  I decided to try out the pre-5K training schedule from Cool Running in an effort to get my legs and body used to the mileage.  After replaying my race in my head, I realized that my legs weren’t quite ready.  I needed more training than I ended up doing.  So, basically, the schedule goes like this:

Monday –  Off
Tuesday –   3 M
Wednesday -3M
Thursday -   3M
Friday -   Off
Saturday – 2 M
Sunday - 3M

A total of 14 miles per week.  That’s a lot of running for me, but I’m looking forward to trying it out!

The date went well.  The treadmill and I hit it off right away!  I was able to get in a  groove right away and hammered out the 3 miles.  I decided that good tunes are a must for running;  it really spurs me on!

I was starved after the run and thankfully had remembered to bring my dashboard breakfast – Banana Walnut Breakfast Cookie(recipe to be featured in Jen’s e-cookbook for charity-details soon)…

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As I was heading home, I veered off for another dashboard treat…

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I think it’s official – I like DD’s Pumpkin Latte Lite better than the ‘Bucks!  Mainly because the small is only $.99!  I know!!!!

Once home, I showered and headed out to Gram’s apartment.  We had a nice lunch together and did lots of chatting.  Gram’s fridge is always stocked, so I was able to put together a  great ham and swiss sandwich on whole wheat with lettuce and fat-free ranch dressing.  I was happy to see Gram had my frequent lunch side of carrots!  She also had some leftover squash, so I snuck a bit of that, too…

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Before I left, we went for a long walk throughout her complex.  I was so confused and had no idea where I was within that building, but Gram knew the lay of the land well!  Not too shabby for an 81 year old!

Later, I was ready for a snack.  I got this free sample in the mail and thought it would make a great topping for yogurt…

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I liked the banana chips!

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The dinner plan was Philly cheesesteaks (Go Phillies!) and sweet potato fries.  I wasn’t feeling the cheesesteaks, so I decided on some baked bbq tofu for myself.  Weird, right?  Who swaps out cheesesteaks for tofu?!!!  I’m glad I did, though;  it was just what I wanted! I rounded out the meal with some roasted zucchini…

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Very Philling! <------corny.

Gotta dash!  The “to-do” list is back!!!!

Have a great day everyone:)

ONE GOOD THING:  Enjoying my coffee again without heartburn!  I am so old :]

Questions of the Day:  Have you ever tried tofu?  If so, what did you think of it?

22 comments:

Diane, Fit to the Finish said...

Great training plan. One thing I recently found was that once you can do the 3M pretty easy then some people recommend increasing your distance. Then a 5K is a piece of cake. Is that what the Cool Running recommends? Just curious because I'm not really a real runner!

Pumpkin latte though? YUM!!

Joanna Sutter (Fitness & Spice) said...

I can't get over the price of that pumpkin latte! CHEAP!

I'm glad to see you're able to run again! I know how much you enjoy it!

Manderz said...

Be careful with 5 days of running especially with your bum hip. Doing too much can increase your chances of getting injured (and thats the last thing we want!!).

I got the DD pumpkin spice latte a few days ago and it didnt taste like pumpkin at all, bummer!

Tofu over cheesesteak - you're amazing!

Diana said...

I've eaten tofu many times. I do think it has to be made with THE right recipe or else it's just boring and plain.

:)

fittingbackin said...

Great plan! I hear you - I have to have music if i'm going to think about running! :)

I've only had tofu once and I just didn't care for it. The texture just threw me off - i dunno!

Graze With Me said...

Your meals all look great and well rounded. Nothing wrong with subbing tofu for cheesesteak!

Good luck on your 14 miles.

Di said...

We went through a few months of going vegan ( was a terrible cho9ice for our bodies) but in the process I learned to experiment with seitan and tofu. My favorite way to eat it was brushed with oriental type ingredients ( soy, ginger, sesame oil) and baked . It was also quite tasty as an egg substitute in egg salad and as a base for sauce in a macaroni and cheese type dish ( nutritious yeast gave the cheesy taste). I have seen it used in smoothies as well, and I think it would be pretty good served that way- tofu kind of sponges up any other flavors it is coked with. It would also be good in a veggie lasagna as a substitute for the cheese.

Marisa @Loser for Life said...

Diane - I think the actual 5K training schedule involves more hill training and speed intervals. It really is greek to me right now! Check out the link and there are many programs to choose from. I picked the beginner program where I found the pre-5K training. I figured I'm past the Couch to 5K training, but not quite up to a normal 5K training schedule. I'm not really a real runner, either - I just "play" one on my blog -LOL!

Joanna - Gotta love cheap!

Manderz - I know, I was thinking the same! I really respect your opinion, so any recommendations would be great! You know my goal is to strengthen and get used to the mileage. Do you think I should try this schedule out, say on one week and off the next? That would give me 2 weeks a month of running, but with a week break in between. Let me know what you think. You can comment here (I'm sure others may want to know, too) or email me! TIA!!

Diana and fittingbackin - I agree! I have never been a big fan until I baked it. It changes the texture - more chewy and crisp on the outside. My other fave is tofu scramble- crumbled tofu mixed with lots of veg and cheese! So good! Seriously!!

Marisa @Loser for Life said...

Graze with me - haha 14 miles just jumped out at me! I think I must be crazy!! Maybe one day I could do it all at once...a girl can dream :)

Incredible Shrinking Family - those all sound delicious!! I want to eat now!

Anonymous said...

that breakfast cookie looks chewy and delicious. i should go make some. aren't teh banana chips in the cereal the BEST!?

tofu- i eat it all the time. love it.

Unknown said...

I wanna try that baked tofu! Do you press out the water first? It looks so crispy in your picture-is it? :)

You are a running fool! I mean that in a good way! :)

Unknown said...

The first time I had tofu was when I was in college and my sister made fried tofu. It actually tasted like chicken. Nowadays my mom has been cooking with tofu more for my vegetarian brother. It's all in how it's cooked.

Yum Yucky said...

You GO! on that mileage. But umm, the Dunkin Donuts logo just sparked a greedy-hungry thought. I shall repent.

Amanda said...

Marisa - I know with running, they recommend doing a few days of other traning (maybe involving your core muscles). It really helps strengthen your midsection which helps in running.

I just starting getting "women's running" magazine and there is an article and schedule that I thought sounded pretty interesting. I think I have your email address (unless it's changed in the last year), so tomorrow, I'll scan it and send it to you. See what you think.

I can't run more than 2x a week b/c of my knees and feet. You don't want to injure yourself, you know!

I've never tried tofu b/c I'm scared! You always make it sound so yummy but I haven't managed to buy it yet. I look at it and walk away. Is there a specific brand that is better?

Anonymous said...

i looove tofu! i wanna try bbq tofu & tofu pudding. that's next on my "to do" list! :o)

Marisa @Loser for Life said...

Amanda - That would be great - thank you!! I planned on just doing weights on the off days, but I'm open to all suggestions because, you're right, I definitely don't want to injure myself. I also planned on saving outdoor runs for the weekend and the other 3 days on the treadmill to keep the impact on my hip to a minimum. What do you think?

Andrea@WellnessNotes said...

I can only run twice per week because of my weak ankle; anything more and the ankle acts up. My recommendation would be to really listen to your body and to make sure you don't push through pain so that you won't cause any damage.

I still haven't had a pumpkin spice latte. It's about time! :)

Anonymous said...

I love little samples in the mail to pour over my morning yogurts and oats. Makes my meals so much more enjoyable. They are perfect for travel too.

Great training plan. Keep up your amazing work.

thewwchick said...

You can do it, M!!!!!!

I start the half marathon training next week. I'm NOT looking forward to it. lol I know I can knock out 2 to 3 mile runs every day, but the 5 & 6 miles multiple times a week is gonna kill me. So far, I've only been able to do 5 to 6 mile runs twice a week, and they wipe me out. Adding in smaller runs to go with what I'm already doing freaks me out a bit. Anyway, I'll let you know how it goes. Keep me posted on your training as well.

Jenn said...

I see that the hot topic is the tofu, but I had my eyes on the sweet potatoes! Mine never turn out right. They're either burnt to a crisp or they're all soggy. Can you tell/show how you cook yours cause I'm definitely doing something wrong! :)

Glad to hear that you're not dizzy and are able to get back to running again! Yay!

carla said...

(now you have me reflecting on my one true IN COLLEGE experience of dining and dashing. and wanting to send that restaurant in ohio some money. ahhh youth and inebriation :))

karen@fitnessjourney said...

Wow, I'm impressed with your training schedule. Don't you feel great after an intense workout?