Thursday morning started off with a quick 4.5 miles up the Promenade. I really noticed the difference between the Park and the river run – WIND! Even though I was dressed appropriately, the wind really made the run challenging. I refused to let myself quit though and was so proud of myself by the time I’d finished.
I’ve been honing in on the negative thoughts I’m prone to having while running lately. A few weeks ago, I headed to Central Park for an 8 miler and, when I got to the beginning of the big hill at the top of the Park, I just refused to let myself give up. Sure, I slowed my pace a bit. But I ran that entire hill! I felt like Rocky at the top of the stairs in Philly when I finished and it was fantastic.
Thursday’s run presented similar challenges. Between the wind and the sparse population (thus adding to the sketch factor), I wasn’t really feeling it. Instead of giving up, I told myself to just go a little further, to the next lamp post or garbage can or wandering vagrant guy. Well, I told myself to keep running past them, actually, no stopping!
When I reached the turnaround spot, I was pretty tired. I’d pushed my pace, the wind was whipping across my face, and I couldn’t find any good music on my iPod. Again, though, I told myself not to quit. I’d run a marathon for crying out loud, and I could handle another 2+ miles. Sure enough, as I sprinted up the incline by Gracie Mansion, I knew I’d won. I’d beaten the mental demons and could tack this run onto my list of successes.
How do you break through negative thoughts in your life?
The only downside of my run was that I was running late for work so I had to speed walk the 2 miles to the office. Somehow, I made it to my desk with email open and reviewed by 8:56am. Another success!
My meals for the workday included:
For breakfast, I tried the Iced Pumpkin Pie Clif bar. Meh, I was not so impressed with this. It had a strange smell before biting into it, and didn’t really taste like much of anything. Certainly not pumpkin pie, that’s for sure.
Since I’d worked out in the morning and raced through a pretty light breakfast, I was famished by noon and happily heated up another big mug of sweet corn soup. There’s something so comforting about eating soup out of a mug!
Served with two portions of soy crisp rafts, my stomach was warm and happy by 12:30. Success!
Sadly, since I’d never eaten one before, I didn’t know my little persimmon wasn’t quite ripe yet so it was the most tannic, unpleasant bite of food I’ve ever had. Honestly, one small bite sucked all the moisture out of my mouth. Bizarre! Since I didn’t have my afternoon snack, I was starved on my walk home. I stopped at a cart and bought a baggie of mixed roasted nuts and ate it in about 5 seconds. I also picked at some food once I got home, but I knew I needed to save room for the dinner festivities. Lindsay is a VEGAN GODDESS! She and her beloved invited us over to sample some of her cookbook recipes and we were so impressed with everything. 4 recipes tested, 4 delicious, delectable successes!
1. Enchilada casserole made with sprouted corn tortilla
2. “Cheeze” dip – Lindsay informed me this was her FIFTH attempt at this recipe. So glad I was around for this one and not the previous four. It was smooth, a touch salty and fabulous with some blue corn chips!
3. Unpictured desserts (I’m a bad blogger) included fresh gingerbread and a mexican flourless chocolate cake. Yum and double yum! Lindsay wished the gingerbread was more moist, but I thought it was perfect just the way it was. Spongey and spicy!
I wish I could eat at their place every night and I can’t wait to do some recipe testing this weekend (and, most of all, for the cookbook to hit the shelves next Fall!). I love knowing that Lindsay’s recipes aren’t full of obscure or processed vegan ingredients. They’re accessible and delicious!
Not only did she fill my belly and provide great conversation, but she also sent me home with one of the first vegetarian cookbooks she and her husband ever used – Entertaining for a Veggie Planet, by Didi Emmons. I’ve only gotten to flip through the book for a few minutes, but I can’t wait to try some of these recipes!!
Even though I wasn’t vegan for the day, I was vegetarian and almost entirely organic. Still a success, right?
Okay, off to work I go! TGIF!!
Filed under: Daily Meals, Info from the Blogosphere, Uncategorized, Workouts | Tagged: Daily Meals, other blogs, running, vegan, vegetarian |
A Runner Wife's Life 
Hey – I run on the East River all the time! For some reason, I call it the Esplanade, I don’t know why. How far up do you run? I usually go up to almost where it ends under that bridge and then turn around quickly and sprint back b/c it’s so sketchy.
The enchilada casserole looks amazing! Thank goodness it’s Friday!!
Haha I do the same. I get to the last foot bridge, sprint to the end of the main path and then sprint back. Funny how some parts of that path are so nice and others definitely are NOT!
Scary story the led to me sprinting there: My husband and I were running together on the Esplanade/Promenade (whatever you call it) about 3 years ago and we got just past the last foot bridge and a man jumped out from behind the bridge and starting running after us!! He tried to trip my husband and was screaming strange things at us. I’m very wary around that area now and literally sprint the entire time. Thank goodness my husband was with me.
And I’m sorry, I just realized this probably isn’t a good story to tell b/c it will scare you. But I just had to share and second the “run fast in that area” idea.
OMG that’s terrifying!! Perhaps I’ll just double up another part of the run and skip that last portion from now on!
That’s a sensible answer to a chglelnaing question
WANT THAT CASSEROLE! Coincidentally, it’s my family’s tradition to have enchiladas on xmas eve. Maybe time for a slightly revised (aka less poisonous) tradition…? 😉
You should also check out Supernatural Cooking. Heidi Swanson’s recipes are the bomb! 🙂
Love your blog!
Thanks for the suggestion, Jamie! And thanks for visiting my blog!!
Saw a book at Powell’s today that I think you should check out. It’s called “The Ethical Gourmet”. All about eating in a way that protects the environment and is kind to animals, but not vegetarian. Has good info on sources for grass-fed beef, free range chickens, ethically run fish farms , sustainable methods throughout the food industry,etc. Check it out.
:)Mom
Oooh thanks Mom! I might have to add it to my Christmas list! I’m also hoping to read The Omnivore’s Dilemma soon – hopefully it’s at the library 🙂
It is not kind to eat animals in any way. Just saying.
Congratulations on the successful run, by the way.
Lindsay truly does now how to work wonders with food!
TOTALLY still a success – i say any strides towards eating healthier and more organic is a winner.
wind + running = pain. that is my least fave weather condition – way to stick it out though and kick those negative thoughts to the curb!!!
I thank you humbly for shanrig your wisdom JJWY
I do the same thing as you….break the run up into smaller goals…just get past that tree…then past that bridge, etc. Helps a lot! I use this tactic all the time at the gym. If I have to do 50 reps of something, I break it down into 5 sets of 10 reps. 🙂
love the clif and z bars!
you should try running on the west side (i know its not convenient for you since youre an east sider, but still). riverside drive is a BEAUTIFUL run minus the sketch factors that ive been reading about above 🙂
it was our pleasure having you!! and why do your photos look 100x better than mine?
mm. i used to eat at didi emmons restaurant in harvard sq called “veggie planet”. the romesco sauce and the pizza dough (make a bunch, freeze them, top them and stick them in the oven for a few minutes… instant pizza dinner!) are so worth making!
Such a great idea! I was so intimidated by her recipe b/c it makes so much pizza dough!