Pray, Teach, and Run Free

New ideas, and freedom from the box I created for myself.  I'm open to more topics and passions. Please visit and enjoy!

Pray, Teach, and Run Free

70 miles of Livestrong P-hilly Challenge and A Glimpse at Greatness

70 miles.  Driving 70 miles is hard to do, but on a bike?   This kind of organic, Godincident opportunity arose and it's funny the way things work out.  Now I have a new challenge in front of me and it's as exciting as the running opportunities that have come my way.

It all started a few years ago when a friend (Rob Duffield) posted about the Livestrong Philly Challenge that he was going to ride in.  He wanted to celebrate his victory over cancer, but also fight cancer through the research and other services that the Lance Armstrong Foundation supports.  He decided this was the best way and, though the idea piqued my interest, I wasn't much of a cyclist so I just kept running.

Not long ago, I decided that I wanted to cycle more as cross-training, so I bought a new bike and started riding.  I build up my distance to 40 miles and there was that post on Facebook again.  I started thinking that I would like to join him and was considering how I would breach (sp?) the subject, about a second later there was a notification that someone had posted on my wall.  To my surprise it was Rob inviting me to join his team (Team Fish).  Um, God?  Can I have SOME sort of sign that I should join Rob on his team?  I accepted the challenge, but with one month from the event the 100 miler seamed a bit daunting, so I decided that I would decide how far to go as the day progressed.

During this month, I was able to get two 50 mile rides in- along with some longer runs to build endurance and strength.

Finally, the day came- that would be today- and I met Team Fish.  Rob, his brother, Pat, and me.  There was another, but he got ill and was unable to join us.  We raised over $3400 for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which is pretty awesome!

Once we gathered and I got my bibs, we had an opening ceremony which included an encouraging word from Lance Armstrong and the Star Spangled Banner, then we were off.  Everything was going fine, even through the first few hills.  At some point there was a turn for people who wanted to go 20 miles and stop, but we kept on.  I got to hear all about Rob's story of surviving cancer and doing these rides, we caught up on other areas of life, then at around the 20th mile, there was a split for those who wanted to go 45 miles and those who wanted to go 100 miles.  Rob and I went the 100 mile way and his brother went the 45.

At some point in the ride we got our glimpse of greatness as Lance Armstrong rode the course in the opposite direction, which gave us all the opportunity to cheer him on and thank him for his work.  It probably sounded something like this, "thweio"... but he looked pretty cool and now I can say that I passed Lance Armstrong On his left!

It's hard to describe the hills we were working through, but I can tell you that I used every gear on my bike, a lot.  I learned a lot about shifting, safety, and riding etiquette.  Our legs were really feeling the hills, but it wasn't anything that I hadn't done before... until Rob and I split for the 100 miles.

At some point, and I don't remember when, I started to envy Pat and his 45 mile journey.  I was having some minor cramping issues and my right knee bothered me a lot, but it wasn't anything that I was suffering through alone... poor Rob got to hear me complain about my knee a lot, but everyone was suffering, just all in different ways, and there is something comforting to know you are not suffering alone- and that's what keeps you going.

The hills after the 45 mile split started increasing in grade and length.  There were sharp curvy uphills which turned into sharp curvy downhills, which turned into long steep straightaways.  Sharp, long ups that turned into longer, less steep hills then some fast, joyous downhills.  But wherever there is a downhill, there is always an uphill and wherever there is an uphill is always a down.  The longer we rode, the more this course consumed me.  I have never experienced such challenging hills for such a long duration.

Somewhere in the middle of all this, the obvious struck me like another blow to the right knee or cramp in the groin...  this is what cancer is like.  I made the comment to Rob and he told me about one of the times that he didn't quite finish the race and really down on himself.  He said that he had some comfort in knowing that it was a shared suffering among the cancer/survivor community.  For some people, Rob said, they mentally want to win the fight and fight hard, but the body just gives out, and that's what happened to him when he didn't finish the race.

That's happened to me in marathons, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.  We were fighting those hills, which is both a mental and physical.  People with cancer and those who love them fight these fights every day.  Some days it's an uphill fight, twisting and turning through mountains fighting physical and mental strain and fighting to keep their eyes on the finish line.  Other days it's a smooth downhill when they can coast and rest their weary legs, but even on those days, sometimes, those downhills can be quite scary and dangerous as they twist and turn down around blind curves.

At some point at the top of a really long hill, there was a sign that read "Tired?  Take a 30 mile shortcut".  We took the shortcut and covered 70 miles.  Neither of us were trained nor prepared for 100 miles.  This whole event was not about racing, it was about challenging oneself to push beyond one's limits and to fight.  In fact, the motto is "Pick a Fight". Fight cancer, which is a fight that used to end in death, but now, because of money raised through events like this one, and the American Cancer Society, and the Susan G. Komen foundation, etc. victory against this horrible disease is more achievable now than it ever has been.

The best thing you can do to fight cancer is to live a healthy, active lifestyle and keep control of your weight.  This alone drastically reduces your chances of getting a myriad of cancers.  I thank everyone who supported this effort by their prayers and financial support.  God bless you all!

"Call Me Maybe", The Badminton Scar of the Olympics, and the FUTURE OF OUR NATION!

Nation, we have a problem.  I think you all know what the problem is, just no one wants to talk about it.  I'm finally going to break the seal and talk about the elephant in the room... or should I say, the shuttlecock in the room.

That's right, the problem is Batmitton or Badminton... you see?  I can't even spell it right!  And neither can our badminton team... or should I say, the United States of America!

We rained gold swimming, we got track, we do really well in many other sports, but, as a national power, we rank... well, we don't even rank in badminton.  If you've watched the Olympics, you've noticed that the Americans seem to do well, except for the fact that we are still in second place in the medal count... Huh?  How is that possible, you say?  It's because of badminton.

China has won 5, yes 5 gold medals in badminton, 2 silvers, and 1 bronze.  Seriously, I had no idea how many different ways you could win in badminton, but China found 8!  8!  How many ways have the United States?  Anyone?  Anyone?  0.

We suck!  Seriously people, it's a backyard game you play at cookouts...  cookouts!  Really, we own cookouts, and we can't even medal in the sport that makes cookouts cool?  And oh yeah, we have to hit a shuttlecock!  Shuttlecock!   OK, I mean that make cookouts... um... awesome?  Whatever!  The fact is, we should be about badminton.  It should be raining GOLD as it has with the Chinese.  Instead, we stank up the court!

It rained gold in swimming for us.  16 Gold medals, 8 silvers, and 6 bronzes.  Why?  Because we rocked it baby... perhaps our problem is as simple as this.  Maybe our USA Badminton teams should take note of what our USA Swimming team did and follow suit.

Click here to see "Call Me Maybe" as performed by our USA Olympic Swim Team


The only other solution I can possibly imagine is to start standardized testing in badminton and to blame schools and teachers when our students don't perform well.  Come on people!  China shouldn't beat us in gold medals just because they're better at backyard BBQ games... let's get on this!

Thanks for reading, and please support me in the Livestrong Philly Challenge in less than 2 weeks! Click here to help!

God bless, and GO USA BADMINTON!

Shepherd's Pie A La Paul

I had never heard of shepherd's pie until a friend of mine made it for me years ago.  I fell in love with this dish right away- it almost defines comfort food.  In fact, this same friend made me her version of shepherd's pie as my meal the night before my first marathon attempt.  Since I have been cooking fairly healthy meals for a while, I have avoided the meat and potato culture.  It has been a long time since I've had one.

The other day, I decided that I wanted to try something new and prepare my own version of shepherds pie.  Now, there will be many who might criticize my use of butter in this recipe, but what are mashed potatoes without butter?

If you even hint a suggestion of margarine, I will quote to you something I found on Trepho's Facebook page just earlier today:  "As for butter versus margarine, I trust cows more than chemists." -Joan Dye Gussow

So, without further ado, here goes Shepherd's Pie A La Paul

MEAT

1 pound organic, grass fed ground beef

1/2 onion diced

2-3 banana or other mildly spicy pepper diced (seeds are no seeds is entirely your choice)

Frozen Peas

Salt

Pepper

Chili Powder

Cumin

Garlic Powder

Cayenne Pepper

Coriander

Brown the meat, as the meat is finishing, add the onion and peppers and saute until done.  Then add the other spiced to your taste.  Finally add the frozen peas and cover the pan, turning off the heat.  Set aside. 

POTATOES

Several red skinned potatoes

Butter... about 1/2 stick

Milk (I used 1%, for creamier consistency you can use cream or whole milk)

Salt

Pepper

Garlic powder

Basil

Cut up the potatoes (leaving the skin on) and put them in water.  Bring to boil.  When potatoes are done drain the water.  Add some of the butter, salt, pepper, garlic powder and basil to your taste, then add some milk.  Finally, mash the potatoes until desired consistency is achieved (I like it a bit lumpy).  Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees

In a large bowl, put the meat mixture on the bottom, then spread the potatoes on top.  Add more butter to the top by cutting it into squares and placing it around.  You're not covering the top, you're dotting the top with butter.  Place the bowl in the oven and set a timer for 10-15 minutes.  Check when the timer beeps.  You may have to add 10 minutes.  The dish is finished when the potatoes are browning on the top.  You're looking for a golden brown in several spots, not necessarily covering the top.  Here's a picture:

This just screams COMFORT!

The little spice, plus the other flavors in the dish will tingle your taste buds and fill your belly with warm comfort.  Enjoy!

Please support me in the Livestrong Philly Challenge.  Less than two weeks away!  I am short on my fundraising goal by $100 and appreciate any amount you can donate.  Click here to help!

Thanks for reading!

My Own "Transcendent" Half-Marathon and My New Training Toy

Saturday I had the opportunity to do my long run around a lake as a result of a reunion event with some of my wife's high school friends (in case you need an excuse to run).  Turns out one lap around the lake was just over a mile.  Somewhere around mile 4, I realized the beauty of the transcendent marathon.  A self-transcendent marathon is a marathon that is essentially run in a loop that is about a mile in length which you run 26 times.

On the surface, it seems pretty simple, but anyone who has ever run long distances knows the mental challenge such distances are.  Add to the mental challenge of a long distance run that you are doing the same loop over and over again and something strange starts to happen.  A friend of mine who has done a marathon like this before said that, at some point, you know which mile you're on by the time on the clock.

You get lost in the run and stop counting.  You pass the same point so many times that you don't think about how long it has been since the last time you passed the point.  Miles seem shorter and, once the run becomes rote and your body is in cruise control, the possibility of losing yourself in the physical challenge of the run, your mind goes blank(ish).

I've heard of runs that last 24 hours or ones that go several days.  Some are extremely high mileage races and go beyond the standard ultra-marathon distances.  Some sects of Buddhist Monks do these as a way to meditate and find enlightenment.

All that being said, I did a self-made-self-transcendent- half marathon and can say I only half-understand the beauty and the challenge of such marathons.  I lost track of counting somewhere around 8 miles, but at the same time I knew exactly where I was in distance.  I was able to work a few things out in my mind, more than usual on my runs and even forgot that I needed to look out for cars from time to time.  I can only imagine what one of these races would be like in the longer distances, but I think it might be worth it to try it.

On Sunday, having full intentions of cross-training on my bike at least 50-60 miles to continue to train for the Philly Livestrong Challenge (please support me by clicking here), I ran into a few snags and found a good solution.  First, I needed to have my bike worked on.  A spoke was broken on the back tire, which also needed to be trued.  In addition, I needed to have the gear shifting mechanisms tweaked.  I was informed that it wouldn't be finished for a week :-/

Fortunately, when I bought my bike, I also got my wife a new bike.  Newer bikes are almost indiscernible by gender.  In fact, beyond her frame being a bit shorter than mine, there really is no difference, so I had resolved to take her new bike on its maiden long-haul.  Thunder and lightning offered a new problem.

I don't mind running in rain, but I get a little hinky about running or riding in lightning.  I get a little nervous about riding in heavy rain, but draw the line at lightning and thunder storms.  Fortunately, I had just bought this new magnetic bike trainer.  These devices are pretty cool, you hook your back tire to this contraption and press a spindle onto the back wheel setting the tension to your desired level.

You know I don't like the idea of exercise bikes or treadmills, but this was a little different.  I set it up outside in the heat and humidity, but under the covered deck- so I could at least feel like I was riding outside.  Then for two hours, I gave myself a spin-class.  I adjusted the gears for hard/easy and recovery intervals.  I went fast, hard, slow.  My heart raced and the sweat poured from my body.  The main difference between doing what I did yesterday versus a real ride was that I didn't give my legs any of the breaks you can give your legs on a regular ride.  If I stopped pedaling, the wheel stopped turning.  I can honestly say that the workout was similar to a real ride, but I left a puddle in my wake.

That puddle is the result of my body's lame attempt to cool itself.

Annoying things that runners say and what they mean

1.        PR = Personal Record

(I’ll never win anything of any significance nor will I make any money running, but if I focus on “beating my previous best time” it’ll somehow impress you and that will be enough)

2.       I’m just going to get my run in, then I’ll meet you there

(What’s wrong with you?!  Can’t you schedule stuff around my running schedule?  Why don’t you get my running schedule by now?!  Seriously, it’s run, then run, then run, then run.  How ‘bout next time you want to schedule us to meet somewhere, you start by asking me what time I’ll be finished running!  Jerk!)

3.       You want to get together on Saturday?  Oh… um… what time?  I think that might give me enough time to get a 15 miler in

(Let’s get this straight… you want to do something on Saturday, which has always been reserved for runs longer than you can ever imagine running in your life.  For years now, Saturdays have been reserved and build around these runs, yet you think that drinking bad beer and eating hot dogs should preclude this epic event.  OK then, fine, I’ll reduce my mileage on Saturday- probably getting fat as a result- just to accommodate your lack of respect for my running needs)

4.       Miler

(While I could just say 5 miles, I sound a lot more like a professional runner throwing down significant training miles if I call the whole event a miler)

5.       barefoot “shoes”

(This is just me showing you that I’m hip to the latest trend.  No, I’m not really running sans shoes, but I want to believe I am, so I put on shoes and say that I am.  Really they’re called minimalist shoes.  In all honesty, though, these type of shoes have been around for a long time called Racing Flats, which are just light-weight flat shoes that make you go faster.)

6.       Have you read Born to Run?

(You probably haven’t.  If you say “no” your best bet is to immediately follow up with this line, “But I plan to, so please don’t give away any of the story”- this very line will save you at least an hour of your life.  If you confess you’ve never heard of the book, you might as well grab a snack and camp out for a while- you will learn all about the Tarahumara and Caballo Blanco and Barefoot Ted and all sorts of stuff you never knew you cared about.)

7.       Can’t wait for track in the Olympics!

(When I run, I imagine myself as one of these athletes… if a sub-8 minute mile was impressive to anyone but me.  My speed work is done at a pace that these people walk.  I will never be like them.  I may act like I’m analyzing their form, but their form is irrelevant to me.  If I watch them enough, I think that I might become one of them, but we all know that will never happen.)

8.       Speed Work

(Which brings us to the phrase Speed Work.  It just means that we try to run really fast for short periods of time in order to get below an 8 minute mile.  We’ve read or heard somewhere that this will increase quick-snap muscles and increase our VO2 max… but seriously, we don’t know what any of that means.  Please don’t challenge us on it, because we’ll just make up stuff that sounds like we know what we’re talking about.  In other words, don’t encourage it, just nod and smile.)

9.       Tempo Run

(Sounds like we’re tearing up the road at a rock and roll tempo.  All it really means is that we are practicing a pace that will help us PR at our next running event.  It’s best not to ask what that goal will be unless you really want to hear a lot about it)

10.   BQ = Boston Qualifying Time

(This is the finishing time in a previous marathon that a runner must beat in order to even be allowed to try to register and pay to participate in the next Boston Marathon.  The time is based on your age and gender and is therefore different for each group of people.  For me, I’d have to be able to run sub-7 minute miles for the entirety of the marathon, which isn’t happening anytime soon)

11.   You know that part in “Chariots of Fire” when the…

(This actually applies to any question about a movie that tells the story of a famous runner or running event.  Believe me, your best response is, “Oh yes, I remember that” OR “Don’t spoil it for me, I’m planning to watch that movie soon”)

12.   If I can run this distance, anyone can!

(Not entirely true.  You know it and I know it, but if I’m saying it, it’s probably because I’m on a runner’s high and not thinking about the people who really can’t run.  A smart, intuitive runner will simply encourage people to challenge themselves in ways that interest them and continually push their own boundaries.  This doesn’t have to be in running, it can be with anything.  What a runner is really saying is, you can do anything you work hard to accomplish.)

13.   I lost ____ pounds running

(This isn’t really a true statement.  Exercise is one, relatively small, part in the equation for weight loss.  What you eat is significantly more important than exercising.  In fact, exercising increases your caloric burn which makes you want to eat more, so it’s best to get your eating under control and build up strength before starting to run.  It’s not so important that you run- which does burn calories faster-  but it is more important that you get some exercise.  Again, though, you won’t lose the weight running or exercising, so to speak, but by eating and resting well in addition to an exercise program that you enjoy.)

14.   Body Glide and Chafing

(It’s best not to ask about this, because you don’t want to know.  Body Glide is just one of many products to reduce skin chafing which can happen anywhere, anywhere that skin rubs up against skin or fabric.  Just don’t ask the runner to go on about it- get him or her vasoline or something like it if they tell you they left their Body Glide at home.)

15.   Carbs

(You’ll hear more about this when the runner is in the final training stages before a marathon.  Carbohydrates are quick energy and your body can store enough to carry you through about 20 miles, but then you’ll need more.  Carbs are generally considered bad in simple or large quantities, but before a big race, they are considered golden and runners are encouraged to indulge.  In general though, these are better in more complex varieties and in moderation.)


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Arborio Rice

Simple, yet delicious.  Arborio Rice is a high starch food, is a good source of carbohydrates.  The above nutritional information is just the rice with water, but you can increase the health value by which liquids you choose to cook it in.

(NOTE:   In my original post, I listed nutritional facts from a few sources that, because of a good friend correcting my information, I discovered were not true.  The rest is accurate to my knowledge.  Thanks Tom!)

Here's what I mean.  To cook it to the right, you will need 4 1/2 Cups of liquid to 1 Cup of the rice.

It starts by boiling one cup rice and 1 1/2 cups water, stirring constantly until the liquid is absorbed in the rice, then you add 3 additional cups of liquid.  You add the liquid 1 cup at a time and continuously stir until the liquid is absorbed into the rice (this requires some patience and and creative use of the stove top), after the first cup, you add the second and repeat the same process.  Once all the liquid is in and absorbed you will notice that the rice will have a thick, almost gravy-like consistency.  You can add any spices, vegetables, meat or cheeses to the rice as you wish.

In what I cooked the other night, I used 3 cups of homemade chicken stock.  Homemade chicken stock already has many nutrients, protein and fat which increased the nutritional value.  However, liquid is a relative term.  You can add chicken/vegetable/beef stock, white or red wine, more water, milk or anything that sounds interesting to you.  It's a great opportunity for some creativity that just adds to the flavor or nutritional value of the dish.

In my recipe, I added chopped onions, chopped garlic, and diced tomatoes which I sauteed in a skillet and put on top of the rice.  I finished it with shredded, smoked Gouda cheese.

Please support me in the Livestrong Philly Challenge.  I am $150 away from my fund raising commitment... that's just a mere 15 people donating $10 each, or 10 people donating $15, 3 people donating $50, you get the point.  Click here.

The Lesson in a Child's Frustration and My New Toy Wish List!

My 5 year old was riding his bike while I was repairing some of my bike inter-tubes.  He was having trouble getting up the hill and despite my encouragement to "push it out" and to not give up, he was getting frustrated.  I finally gave the advice to go to the street and "go as fast as you can" to get up the driveway with momentum.  This worked for a little while.  This worked to the point that he was overshooting  and hitting the grass... Another problem, daddy!

Once his confidence grew, he decided to try the neighbor's driveway, which is a little steeper than ours.  He failed several times, and despite my encouragement and advice, he finally got frustrated and gave up... but this was no ordinary fail.

He got off his bike, walked it back to our house, then walked it out to the middle of our backyard, left the bike in the middle of the yard, stormed back to where I was, hit my car with his hand, threw his helmet on the ground, stomped into the house, hid in the corner with a pillow over his body and made several bursts of "humph!".

I tried several times to get him to discuss his feelings, but it wasn't until I brought out some "square cheese" that he finally got out from under the pillow.  After he calmed down eating his cheese, we talked about his frustration with not being able to get up the driveway.  He explained that his bike wasn't strong enough, I explained that maybe he just needed to keeping working at it so that he could get stronger.  He agreed to try again tomorrow, then I told him he needed to go get his bike and put it away.

Isn't that what we all need to do when we experience failure?  We need to be able to experience failure so that we know from where we need to build.  How else can we possible learn how to challenge ourselves?  If you've never challenged yourself, especially in failure, I encourage you to try again.  It's overcoming adversity that makes us who we are.

After this whole incident, my son and I went to Rita's Italian Ice.  He had his mango ice and I had some mint-chocolate-chip... as an added bonus, one of the teens from our church happened upon us.  This set up an excellent opportunity for my son to challenge us to a race.  We raced several times around the parking area, and, since he is the only one who knew the course, he won each race.  Afterward we went to Tractor Supply Company.

If you've never been to Tractor Supply Company with my son, it is an experience.  He loves the toy cars and tractors as well as all the equipment.  And it brought me to one of my wish-list items.  The pedal go-cart.  It reminded me of a rule my wife and I have had regarding my child's toys... especially the outdoor toys.  Namely, no motor powered toys.  In other words, all toys must be child-powered, with legs or arms.

Which brought to mind a couple of wish list items, you may or may not have ever heard of.


Elliptigo

This is an elliptical machine that is also a bicycle.  So, if you are a runner or a cyclist and have been told not to do your sport.  You can still get outside and away from the gym and get an amazing workout in the real world!

Pedal Go Cart

For those stingy parents who won't drop $200+ on a motorized child's toy which does nothing to develop their motor skills or muscles, you can drop $200 on something just as fun, but that requires leg-power to make it move.









One of these days, I plan to own and use these machines, but until then... I will continue riding my bike and running.  If you want to support me in fighting cancer in the Livestrong Philly Challenge, please click here.  We are almost half-way there!

Grilled Pizza, Veggies Delivered to Your Car, and a Surprise Blueberry Picking Event

Pizza on the grill, fresh vegetables delivered to your car (which you didn't lock), a surprise blueberry picking adventure, crisp mountain air, and one of my fastest 10 mile runs into a different state and back.

This is what I've been doing these last two days that I haven't been posting.  It's been a long time since I've really run these roads in Knoxville, PA and I have never really run this far on them.  The first time I ran on them was almost 10 years ago and probably 90 pounds heavier.

That was the time that I wanted to attempt a marathon for the second time (Wineglass Marathon from Bath, NY to Corning, NY).  It was my second failed attempt... but that was my fault- lack of proper training and motivation- we had all the roads, the hills, the food (mostly fresh from gardens),   and I almost forgot that.

We were visiting our former church, which was celebrating its 150th anniversary.  We had dinner at the house of our friends (the originator of C O R N night).  And, believe me on this one, once I perfect it, I will post it, we had individual pizzas that were cooked on the grill.  We went to the next door neighbors and my 5 year old immediately started playing fetch with the neighbor's dog.  At the "fetch break", the neighbor took my son to the chicken coop(sp?) and he came back with an egg... as it turns out, most of the neighbors get their eggs from them.  In addition to all this, our friend asked which veggies we liked and that they would bring them by on their way out of town.

The next morning, I woke up and get ready for my run.  I was told where the 4th mile would be and then took off.  It was cold!  I haven't been this cold in a long time.  Instead of looking for the shade of the trees, I was bolting for the sun.  I had no idea what pace I was going, but it felt great.  I hit the 4 mile mark in 32 minutes (a little faster than I was going for).  I kept the pace for another mile, crossing the New York State line and turned around.  I ran out 42 minutes, but returned in 35 minutes, which means the second half of my run was significantly faster than the first.  It was hard to keep my pace, but it felt great, crisp, right.

Later, when we went out to get in our car, there was a bag of vegetables on the driver's seat with peppers, onions, tomatoes, etc.  It was at this point I was reminded even more about the difference between this place and many other communities in which I have lived.  Years ago when we lived here, it was not unusual for us to come home to bags of various vegetables, baked goods, etc.  It was also fairly common to be invited over for lunch, supper, etc.  Very few people lock their doors and it's normal to just knock and walk in to the house.  Like everyone was just a huge family.

We went to another gathering in a place where I remember an apple orchard.  We got to meet and see some great people.  I wanted to take my 5 year old to see the apple trees, but was informed that the frost had destroyed the apple crop that year.  I was then taken to a blueberry patch, where we got to pick blueberries for however long we wanted.  We left with a gallon of fresh blueberries and you wouldn't have known we were even there as the blueberry bushes were full.

Several people still don't recognize me because I was much heavier then, once they realize who I am, it's always a great reunion.  When we moved to a a suburban area, it was easier to eat out than to cook for ourselves, it was important to lock your doors, and you never come over unannounced or just walk in.  Forget about someone just swinging by to drop off some fresh eggs or veggies.  I gained a lot more weight there.

I guess you can say that I took for granted the open rural roads and crisp air.  I took for granted the regular opportunities for fresh vegetables, meat and eggs.  I have decided since I have recommitted my life to healthier living and fresh foods to not pass up opportunity when it exists.  Never waste fresh air or fresh food.

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Spirit of the Olympics

The nice thing about blogging about eating and running is that when you successfully experiment with then blog about dishes, you have a readily available cookbook so that you can recreate the meal or something like the meal.

Tonight, I have decided to make a pizza with a provolone, gouda, and muenster cheese combination.  I couldn't quite remember my dough recipe, so I looked it up.  Pretty simple.

Another thing you get to do is to share information and encouragement.  The 2012 Olympics start tonight with the opening ceremonies.  I have been reading a bit about the 1972 Munich Olympics when the games were overshadowed by a horrific hostage crisis when eleven Israeli athletes and coaches, a West German police officer, and five terrorists were killed.  I've also been reading a little bit about when the United States boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics to protest the U.S.S.R.'s invasion of Afghanistan.


What's beautiful about the spirit of the Olympic games and of sport is the comaraderie of the athletes.  It wasn't the athletes who caused the massacre of the 1972 Olympics and it wasn't the athletes who boycotted the games in 1980- that was world politics at its worst.  Somehow the Olympics embody the spirit that is both above and deeply entwined in the politics.  The games are symbolic of peaceful competition and a glimpse of how things could be if we all just recognized the pure beauty of sport.


While many of these athletes have lucrative endorsement contracts, they still have to perform at their peak as they compete against the best athletes in the world.  At the opening ceremonies tonight, expect to see all the athletes huddled together with their own countrymen.  But in the closing ceremonies, it is a hodgepodge of athletes, all from different countries, mingling and celebrating together.  Expect to see enemies become friends.  Expect to see what the world would look like if we would all just come together in peace.

Whether you like sport or not, please enjoy the games, and pray for peace in the world, because there are already too many politics at play.

London 2012 for more about the schedule and the games

Livestrong Philly Challenge to support me and Team Fish in our fight against cancer on August 19

C O R N

I learned this from some friends a few years back and have practiced it ever since.

"What are we having for dinner tonight?"
"CORN!"

C O R N stands for Clean Out Refrigerator Night.  You know all those well intentioned leftovers that you were going to have on some other night or for lunch the next day?  CORN!  You know that if you leave it in the refrigerator one more day it will be a science experiment gone bad?  CORN!

CORN is the perfect way to, yes even sometimes, combine several night's leftovers into one healthy and hearty meal.  Perhaps several separate dishes, reinvigorated with new spices, or a simple combination of two or three dishes in a stir fry pan.

For example, this morning, I took some rice from earlier in the week and some of the meat/bean/veggie combination from last night.  I put them together in my cast iron pan and stirred them around, then broke a couple eggs over it and made beef and egg fried rice... bam!  CORN for breakfast!

Another one.  Left over spaghetti in one container from one night along with some chopped up veggies (perhaps leftover, perhaps just before the point where you need to toss it), thrown together in a pan with some olive oil and perhaps soy sauce and/or other seasonings... bam!  CORN stir fry!

You can put just about anything between two pieces of bread... like a left over salad!  bam!  CORN sandwich!

Also, you can put cheese or bacon on just about anything and make it taste good.  (Whoops, these are supposed to be healthy meal ideas... um... err... turkey bacon?)

Talk about being simple and quick, possibly even really healthy AND your refrigerator doesn't have to house a bunch of petri dishes and mold experiments.  As an added bonus, no more wasted food!

My advice- have CORN once a week and you have a night off from cooking, plus everyone gets a quick meal that tastes similar to what you had on Tuesday, and you loved Tuesday's meal!

Please consider supporting me and Team Fish in the Livestrong Philly Challenge by clicking on this link.

Thanks and God Bless!

CORN is how THIS

Becomes THIS

The Devil's Angel Hair

Go to the Amish/Mennonite package store and buy some "The Devil's Angel Hair" pasta... what's this?  Well, it "has a bite.  Fills a need for hot red pepper without serious injury." or so says the package.  The ingredients are as follows:  Hard unbleached red spring wheat flour, natural spring water, eggs, cayenne pepper, paprika, and extra virgin olive oil."

It packs a punch, so the rest of this meal did NOT require any more hot spices.

I boiled the water and added the pasta.  I used cooked, refrigerated, leftover corn from a couple days ago which I cut off the cob.  I also used a three "sprouted" bean mix with organic sprouted mung beans, organic sprouted green lentils, and organic sprouted adzuki beans, finally, add the cut corn from 2 cobs.  In addition, I used pressed garlic, diced tomatoes, and diced onion.  I also used organic, grass fed ground beef.

Here's the process.

*Obviously boil the water and add the desired pasta

1.)  3 cups water to 1 cup sprouted bean mix (covered 20-30 minutes- boil to simmer)

2.)  Brown the ground beef, add the onion, add the garlic, add the tomatoes, add the corn, add salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, and cilantro- once everything is done, remove from heat, cover and set aside.

3.)  Drain the bean mixture then add it to the mixture above.

4.)  Serve with pasta on bottom and the rest on top.  Portions are up to you, but it's nice to finish it with some shredded cheese on top.

Here are some pictures

The whole mixture in the pan

The finished product.

Please support me through prayer and financial donations for the Livestrong Philly Challenge by clicking this link.

That Roadside Amish Food Stand Just Might Have the Best Food You've Ever Had

This is the season for fresh local produce.  So, get out of the supermarkets and start heading for farmers' markets.  They are all over the place in roadside stands, brick and mortar buildings, weekly markets happen all the time in cities, and even sometimes your next door neighbors are growing and selling.

By shopping locally, you'll be sure that the produce you are buying and eating is fresh and in season.  You are also sure that the produce didn't have to be chemically altered in order for it to be transported by a refrigerated truck over thousands of miles.  As a result of all this travel, the food loses its nutrients and isn't nearly as good for you and the local varieties.

Non-local food has become a staple in the modern diet as we have grown accustomed to eating what we want, when we want it.  To some extent, that is OK when the item is something that we cannot grow.  For example, I've yet to see a banana or avocado farm in Pennsylvania.  I don't believe our soil or our climate is suited for such food, but they are good for you and are readily available.  Pennsylvania does grow apples, peaches, plums, blueberries, strawberries, green beans, broccoli, asparagus... you get the idea.  My general rule is that if you can get it locally, then buy it locally.  I don't need to buy apples from Washington state, if I can get them here... unless of course, I live in Washington.

So, take this as my pitch to buy as local as you can.  Your local farmers will thank you and your body will thank you, too.

Don't forget the Livestrong Philly Challenge.  Click here to support me and Team Fish.

An, "Oh my gosh this is too spicy" solution

I'll make this somewhat short.  This evening, I made a little bean, rice and vegetable medley for dinner.  I made some red beans, brown rice and squash/onion/tomato mixture, then combined them.  I will leave out the watermelon and sweet corn from the description, only because how can you mess that up!


For spices, I used salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, coriander, pressed garlic, and cilantro.  I used the spices on the beans and the vegetables.  Unfortunately, I was a little heavy handed with the cayenne.  As I started eating it, before my wife, I realized it was too spicy and I wanted to make sure she would enjoy the dish.

Immediately, I made a quick decision... one that would alter the course of history as we all know it. 

I told my wife that, while it was spicy to my liking, it was spicier (ie, more spicy than she would have enjoyed) than I originally wanted.  It needed a diary-based sauce to temper the spiciness.

I quickly made a yogurt based sauce using about a cup of plain yogurt, salt, pepper, garlic powder, dill, and sugar.  I quickly mixed it together, tasted it and spooned it out onto the final dish.  It greatly enhanced the flavor and cut down significantly on the spiciness.

Lesson learned and now shared.  Good day.

Please consider supporting me through prayer and finances in the Livestrong Philly Challenge by clicking this link.

No Fingers, but Someone Did Offer Me Beer...

I went to the Susquehanna River today in Millersburg, and when I got there, all I could think was, Dude!  Where's my car!?  It was at home... in Tower City... 25 miles away.  I had just ridden my bike 25 miles and the only way back home, save from calling my wife to come a pick me up, was to ride it back.  A total ride of 50 miles, my longest ride ever.

Somewhere around 20 miles at the top of a hill, some guy shouts, "You look like you could use a beer!"  I put my hand out, but he couldn't get to me with the beer fast enough.  That's probably a good thing, because I'm not sure that chugging a beer would help me go the other 30 miles that I was planning to go today... who knows?

I have a new respect for the longer distances on bicycles.  In previous posts I've tried to quantify the differences in running and biking.  I've said that to get the same workout from riding that you do from running you need to ride four times as long and the work out time is at least twice.  I based that on calorie burning calculators, but today I've changed my tune a little bit.

I've been trying to find that wall on the bike, that moment of exhaustion that you have to work through mentally and physically to attain your goal.  My longest previous distance was 40 miles and that was a lot of work, but today I can attest to a sort of riders wall(?)  That was around 40 miles.  The total time it took was 3 hours and 42 minutes with my average speed 14 mph.

The reason why my previous effort "formula" comparing running to riding would mean that today's ride was equivalent to a 12-13 mile run and a 1h 51m workout.  While that is a good workout, it is not one that I have really hit a wall quite like this one.  While my legs are recovering nicely, only time will tell how I will feel tomorrow.  It's hard to equivocate the two workouts because you really are using different muscle groups at different intensities.

On a caloric level, you burn more calories faster while running versus biking, but the a comparison of the effort levels is not as simple as I once thought.  This has enhanced my new plan of attack.  To simultaneously train for long bike rides and marathons might just help me become a better, more balanced athletic type... and save me from burn out.

My upcoming races are as follows, just in case you were wondering.

August 19- Livestrong Philly Challenge (bike)- click to support (first riding event)
September 9- Harrisburg Half Marathon (Half #4)
September 22- Movie Madness Half Marathon (pacing my wife in her first half!) (Half #5)
November 11- Harrisburg Marathon (Marathon #5)

I'm still looking for a 10K to try and I would love to try for a century on a bicycle.  In addition, I'm starting to look at a 50K (31 miles running) in the future.

Please consider supporting me in my fundraising goal with the Livestrong Philly Challenge.  At the very least, please pray for me and the rest of Team Fish, but most of all, please pray for those who are fighting cancer and their families and for the families of those who lost their fight.

Thanks!

Isn't it Funny How Some Things Just Work Out

A few days ago I read an article and saw a CNN interview with Ryan Hall (one of the USA Olympians for the marathon).  He has switched coaches... now, the way Runner's World magazine put it a little while ago was that he was switching to being "self coached" rather than taking on a traditional running coach.  However, when he was going through a mandatory drug screening, he listed as his coach, "God".

Woah!  You mean the creator of all things is your running coach?

The way he puts it is that he is using scripture and prayer to determine what kind of workout he's going to do that day.  When pressed whether or not he'd blame God if he doesn't win, he said that while it is tempting to do so, he recognizes his own frailty as a human being.  He is a great competitor, but winning isn't his only goal.  He also understands that there are times that he trains against God's plan by doing too little or too much and it is at those times that he fails.  He says he is going from being a "runner who is a Christian" to a "Christian who runs".

I like it.  No more following such a crazy, strict plan, no more traditional training plans... if one day the Spirit says, "Go fast!", you go fast, if another day the Spirit says to "Rest!"  you rest, etc.  It takes a lot of time, patience, and practice to try to tune your life to God's plan.  When we say "just pray and everything will be alright", we're kind of missing the point.  Just "praying" really isn't enough.

We need to be completely willing to let God take over our schedules, our checkbooks, our plans, and our lives.  We need to be immersed in the Spirit's direction in our lives.  Sometimes that means that maybe we just let things happen and go with it for a while.  It's amazing how some things just work out.  Sometimes we just need to say "yes" when presented with opportunity and stop worrying.  Sometimes our schedule gets messed up because something happened out of our control, but maybe that's just something God is doing so that another opportunity might arise- maybe just to help another person... who knows?

Today, I wanted to run 12 miles.  I wanted to go early, but my wife needed to do a 5 mile tempo run, so she went first.  She had an appointment afterwards and needed to do some errands at the church.  While I originally thought I'd be out the door by 10:30, I didn't get out until after 12... just around the time the rain started to come down.  I was originally upset... but the rain was cool, and after all these 99/100 degree days it was nice for a change, so I got over it.

Close to mile 3, I noticed a library card on the shoulder of US 209 where I was running.  I thought that was a little odd, but then noticed a wallet size picture album, shortly followed by a wallet.  At first I was going to just leave it there, but I thought about it and realized that if I had lost my wallet on a highway, I would rather someone honest pick it up and get it back to me.  So, I gathered all the stuff together and ran, with it soaking wet in my hand back home.  I dropped it off and ran my second 6 mile loop to complete the 12 miles.

When I got home, drenched, I brought the wallet inside, dried off as best I could and looked in the wallet.  Wow, this guy had everything in there!  Social Security card, driver's license, old pictures, his draft card, etc... was I ever glad I picked it up!  It was easy to find him in the phone book and I called his house.  He was incredibly grateful that I picked it up.  I returned the wallet, in tact.

I can't help but think God was in that.  Had I ran when I wanted to, that wallet wouldn't have been there.  He hadn't left yet, he hadn't lost it yet.  There was apparently $100 inside... anyone else could have picked it up, many, I'd like to think, would have done the same thing, but there are those who would have just taken the cash and ditched the wallet... all those memories inside.  Someone could have used his information to steal his identity.

God knew what was going to happen and it was at His urging that I did what I did.  Maybe Ryan Hall is on to something we're all missing.  Maybe in order to run and eat simply, we need to tune our bodies with the One who designed them- listen, pray, soak in His goodness and obey His urgings.  We might be surprised by the opportunities that come to us and the courage we have at following through.

Thank you for reading and God bless you on your journey.

PS.  please remember to pray for me and cheer me on as I have joined Team Fish in the Livestrong Philly Challenge.  And, if you are so moved, please donate by clicking here to help fight cancer.

Team Fish? A New Challenge!

My post will be short tonight.  Put simply, I am going to ask you for money.  I hate asking for money, but I hate cancer more, and I was invited to participate in the Livestrong Philly Challenge... and... well... you know I like a challenge.  So, I accepted.

I am no hero, and I have not done anything all that incredible.  All I have done is lost a lot of weight, run a few marathons, and that's about it.  The people who have really done something incredible are those who have battled cancer and won.  The people who have really done something incredible are those who have lost their battle to this terrible disease.  Their families and friends have triumphed and mourned.  I think of what they have done and I am humbled.  They have all suffered through challenges I never want to suffer through.

I pray for them, and, while I have given money to various organizations to support them, I have never really done much else.  Now I can, and you can, too.

This is a challenge I have never attempted and have no idea what will happen.  On August 19, I am going to fight for them.  Please join me, pray for me, and support me through this.  Most of all, please pray and support those who have done so much more than I can ever really imagine, and hope that I never have to live through it.

Click here to read more and to help

Decisions, Decisions... LiveSTRONG Philly Challenge.

I'm in sort-of training mode for a half-marathon (for a PR) in September and another half-marathon  (pacing my wife in her first half-marathon) in September.  I'm aiming to use all this training as a way to prepare for a marathon in November.  My last marathon was in March and I PRed a 5K in May.  So, I've never really stopped training, just taken some down time between training regimens.

A friend of mine, who is a cancer survivor now for 6 years, has done a number of Team LiveSTRONG Philly Challenges in the past few years and posted on Facebook about him doing this year's ride.  As I was investigating the possibility of joining in, I received a message from him in my inbox, "You should get a bike and join us one of these years"... I messaged back, "I have a bike, and I'm listening."

As you might remember, I have some desire to try a 100 mile ride.  There are a lot of choices for distances and the ride is August 19... about a month away.  But 100 miles is daunting in August with only a few weeks to train and I can choose 15-20 miles, 45-65 miles, 85-100 miles.

I'm torn on a few things.  Some of you who read this know more about biking than I do, and some of you actually have run long distances and even have biked 100 miles.  And some of you just have a thought or two on this.

The other part of the challenge is that, by signing up, I am committing to raising $250.  I would want to have a goal to raise $500 or more.  I hate asking for money, but I hate cancer more and anything I can do to help fight it, it's worth it.

I ran 7 miles today in 99 degree heat... it was all a mental effort, but I'm glad to be running again.  I understand the mental challenge it takes to run a marathon and the fatigue involved in all of it, but I want to make the right decision in all of this.  I'm pretty excited and pretty nervous, so it must be a good thing.

Here's the site for more information.  If you would be willing to support me in this effort, I'll let you know how if and when I register.  Thanks for reading and helping me make this exciting decision.

Yes! I Can Run Again!

I got to run today!  10 miles in what felt like a swimming pool the humidity was so high.  When I took my shirt off I wrung it out and a lot of sweat poured out of it.  But I refuse to complain about it, because I got to run... relatively pain free.

If you haven't been following lately, sometime last week, I somehow pulled something in my lower left calf.  I would characterize this as a precursor to an injury, this was last Saturday after I had run 10 miles.  Sunday, I did my usual bike ride, about 32 miles (equivalent to about 8 miles running).  Monday, with full intention to do 10-12 miles, I got about 5 miles in when it felt like something moved in the muscle and I essentially limped home.  Tuesday and Wednesday I concentrated on riding the bike rather than running, then attempted, somewhat successfully, another run on Thursday.  It was a painful 10 miler, but I made it through (I probably shouldn't have).  I took Friday off, rode 40 miles on Saturday and 20 miles on Sunday.  

What I did right.  I took some time off, I found an equally challenging activity that I enjoyed, and I was honest about my pain versus my soreness.  I tested my strained muscle, I gently stretched it and rehabbed it with wobble board exercises, a foam roller, and a roller stick.  I probably pushed it too hard on Thursday, but the ultimate result is three days off with some at-home physical therapy and it seems as though it's healing well.

I would say I am at about 90% right now and the run wasn't completely pain free, but the pain was obviously different than what I was feeling this past week and a lot less worse.  I'm also walking normally with just a little twinge from time to time in the lower calf.  Nothing serious, so I'm still calling it a non-injury.

What's important about injury prevention is to know when to take things down a notch.  Only you know your body, you know when it's a pain that will become an injury if left untreated.  You also know when it's just a pain that you can push through.  Yes, you can push through some pain and come out on the other side OK, but it's not a bad idea to err on the side of caution some of the time.  It's much better, for example, to focus on cycling for a week than to have to take 6-8 weeks off from doing anything because that strain became a tear.

Yes, there are people who run 100+ mile races through torn fill in the blanks and broken you know whats, but that's not most of us.  Remember, this really is just something we do for exercise and enjoyment.  Sometimes, I think God can use these little pains, injuries, etc to help us see that there are other things that can be just as enjoyable.  Keep your eyes and ears open for all that is out there, you might just be surprised!

Pineapple and Peach Spaghetti with Watermelon and Honeydew Sauce

Pineapple and Peach Spaghetti with Watermelon and Honeydew Sauce

You'll feel like you're eating dessert for lunch

Another risk that paid off today was this pineapple and peach spaghetti with watermelon and honeydew sauce.  I had a terrible realization today when I got home from church.  I was out of fresh vegetables.

I brainstormed with what I did have while I was boiling spaghetti for my son's lunch.  I realized that I could do something with the pineapple and left-over watermelon, peaches, and honeydew.  I started cutting them up into small chunks as I brainstormed what I was going to do... then it hit me.

I put small chunks of pineapple with small chunks of peaches on top of the spaghetti, and decided to make a sauce out of the watermelon and honeydew.  Pineapple and peaches are a rather tart fruit while watermelon and honeydew are more neutral, sweet and watery... the sweet cuts down on the tart and a flavor hoedown ensues on your senses.

I placed chunks of watermelon and honeydew in a blender and blended it.  The texture is very similar to that of spaghetti sauce, but very watery.  I added a few tablespoons of honey to add to the sweetness and a few tablespoons of chia seed as a thickener and re-blended.  The thickening worked (remember, you need to wait a little before it really takes effect).

I placed a serving of spaghetti in a shallow bowl, with some small chunks of pineapple and peaches on top, then spooned out the watermelon/honeydew sauce on the top.  This meal is full of nutrients and vitamins as well as water.  You are practically hydrating while you are eating and it feels like you're eating dessert for lunch.

Talk about some serious yum!  Enjoy!

Some People See You on a Bicycle and Just Assume You're a Doctor

As my strained calf muscle continues to heal, I am finding a way, through cycling, to mimic my long runs so that my training doesn't suffer.  What's also nice is that I've found new ways to challenge myself and a way to build untapped muscles.  I've also learned that certain motorists entrust their medical care to cyclists... unfortunately, cyclists are often too preoccupied with their ride, rather than healing ailments of others (sorry guys!).

Case in point.  I was challenging myself to a 40 mile ride today which was a simple out and back on US 209.  Generally this road has nice, wide shoulders and I can spend the majority of my ride out of motorists' way- the only exception being when I ride through towns and the shoulders disappear.  Now, I can generally stay as far to the right as possible and even at times go the town speed limit (which is pretty cool).

As I was on this ride, a motorist all the way on the other side of the road (the left side) decided that I was the person he needed to show his injured finger to.  Now, I can't say that it was broken because I clearly kept on my ride, but he looked pretty surly, and I know that when I'm injured I get pretty surly, too.  This is the only explanation I can think of for him showing me his finger.

After all, I was on the right side of the road, which is the correct side, so there's no reason why he would need to point me in any other direction.  There was nothing interesting in the sky or on the ground to look at.  There's no way he was proud of his car or his appearance so I can't imagine why he would be pointing at either of those.  It's kind of a weird way to wave or cheer for someone (if I'm making a cultural faux pas, please forgive me).  The only reasonable explanation for his showing his finger to me is to highlight something wrong with that body part.

I've known other cyclists who take offense to drivers showing off their fingers.  I mean, come on!  WE'RE NOT DOCTORS!  Stop trying to get free medical care from us!  Some of these cyclists get really offended and gesture back that they won't see them without at least a $1 co-pay.  The drivers, apparently, get really offended at the $1 medical fee and will pull their cars over and "have words" with the cyclist.

I, however, take a different tact... I simply ignore and move on.  In life we need to realize that some people want medical care from random people on US highways free of charge.  We need to be OK with that and let it go.

Other things I've noticed while riding more.  People in cars do not wave to anyone.  People on motorcycles only wave to people on motorcycles.  Runners wave to runners and often cyclists, but only if the cyclists are decked out in cycling gear and looking like they're making an effort.  Cyclists wave to other cyclists who are decked out and making an effort and they will wave to runners.  Walkers wave AND talk to anyone who passes by, which makes you a real jerk if you don't say something in return- so cyclists and runners should always have something nice to say- the weather is usually a safe topic.  People on scooters... this is a new one that happened today... will wave at cyclists (this happened twice, with the same scooterist).

In any case, remember while you're out there driving- stay off the phone, keep your eyes open and watch for children, cyclists, runners, and walkers.  Go slower as you pass and give them a reasonable berth... and wave, they might wave back and, if they don't, that's OK, just remember they're not all doctors and they don't really care about your ailing finger.

Thanks and God bless!

Lentil and Rice Tacos

Lentil mixture with brown rice, fresh veggies, and homemade corn tortillas

Lentil and rice soft corn taco

Lentil Mixture

1/3 cup brown lentils

1/3 cup red lentils

1/3 cup split peas

2 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock

Several cloves of minced garlic

Several leaves of fresh basil ripped up

Fresh cilantro

4 TBS chia seed

Salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper to taste

Start by boiling then simmering the lentils and split peas in the chicken stock.  As the lentils soften begin adding the garlic, basil, and cilantro.  Next, add the salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper.  When you have the seasonings to your liking and the mixture has reduced some, add the chia (not only will it enhance the health of the dish, but it will act as a thickener).  Let simmer, uncovered stirring occasionally until the mixture is fairly thick.

Homemade Corn Tortillas

The neat thing about authentic corn tortillas is that it only requires 3 ingredients... masa harina, water, and salt.  The recipe I used had 2 cups of masa harina to 1 1/2 cups hot water to 1/2 tsp sea salt.  You basically mix it together until it's moist and firm (not sticky), then let it sit for an hour.  Then make them into approx 12 balls and press them with a greased tortilla press.  Put them on a hot skillet then flip.  Immediately put them in a tortilla warmer (this step is important because it helps the tortilla regain its moisture after cooking it).

Brown Rice- basic brown rice following the directions

Fresh Veggies- diced tomatoes, diced cucumber, and spinach

Layer a small spoonful of rice on the tortilla, then spread a small amount of the lentil mixture, top it off with some veggies and enjoy!

S'mores

They are called S'mores because once you eat one you want some more.  And for good reason.

In all seriousness, though, they are easy to make and you can make it part of something to do as a family.  It's very simple... marshmallow, graham crackers, and 2 squares of a bar of chocolate.

Now, honestly, it's very easy.  Just start a fire, not with one of those fire-starter-logs, but with leaves and small, dry branches.  Then let the fire get bigger and add bigger logs until you have a low flame with hot coals.  Break the graham cracker in half, and place two rectangles of chocolate on one of the crackers... roast the marshmallow (some like it blackened- like me, and others like it toasted and browned).  Place the marshmallow onto the chocolate and take the marshmallow off by squeezing the sandwich together.

While this is a rite of passage for many, it seems to be a lost art.  The art of making S'mores requires scavenging to find the right pieces of wood (from kindling to logs) and knowing how to make a proper fire.  There are many "helper" products in stores, but seriously what's the point.  S'mores might take a little bit of work, but if you can include the family in the making, you'll only have to deal with minimal effort... you might even get the joy of poison oak, which really isn't all that bad.

Remember, you should enjoy your food, not dread it... so get out there and make some S'mores!

Following Good Advice Pays Off

This strained(?) calf muscle is obnoxious, but I am thankful for the wisdom of learning to love and push myself with cycling.  I don't know much about cycling, but I do know it is excellent cross-training and tends to work the quads in a different way than running... which is good, because it was those good-for-nothing quads that betrayed me in my last marathon so I figure if I work them in as many different ways as possible, I might overcome such a problem in my next 26.2.

About a month or so back, I had posted on this blog about an experience of having a blowout a mile in to a 12 miler.  I walked the bike home and wrote about the experience.  Then a friend commented about getting a kit with a CO2 cartridge since having a blowout, a slow leak, or running over some sharp something that embeds itself into your tire are just a part of the sport.  I went out a few days later and picked up a CO2 kit and a spare tube and placed them all in my saddle-bag which hangs under my seat.

I didn't think much of it until today.  I have been going regularly 30+ miles 1 day a week and about 15+ on another day.  These are my cross training days.  I've been running longer runs twice a week and speed/tempo runs twice a week.  Then this whole calf thing happened, and while I'm not yet classifying it as an injury, it can be a precursor to one if I'm not careful.  So, while today was supposed to be a speed workout, I turned it into a 16 mile bike ride, instead (time constraints as they are).  

I went out about 8ish miles and turned around to come back.  This is when I started to notice that my front tire felt a little low and sluggish, eventually I pulled over next to a guardrail and took the little pump that is attached to my bike and pumped up the tire.  I realized that there was probably a slow leak, but that I might have enough air in the tire to get home.  In about another mile, the slow leak turned out to be a fast leak and a flat tire.  I pulled off to another guard rail and knew what needed to be done.

I thanked God for the advice of my friend, Amy, who suggested me buying this kit and that I had the wisdom to follow the advice.  I simply took off the front tire, removed the tire and tube (quickly finding a small metal wire stuck in the tire), pulled out the new tube and gave it a little shot of air with the CO2 kit, put the tire back on and shot more CO2 into the tire (it took less than a second and the tire was completely full), and I rode home.  The whole episode with the tire took less than 15 minutes off my anticipated finish time.

So, thank you Amy :-)

I really hope this calf thing heals itself soon, but I am beginning to like cycling, too... all I need is to get into some open water and start swimming and I'd be ready for a triathlon.

Thanks for reading, and God Bless!

Among the Things that Suck

What the heck is that?!

I've had what I have been describing as a knot in my calf muscle for a week or so... I've been running on it fine for my last couple of runs, but today it just got crazy.

I wasn't even half way into my 12 miler when POW!  It felt like something moved in there and the pain made me stop and walk the last quarter mile (5.75 miles out of 12 miles).  I was (and am) pretty upset to say the least.  This does not go well with my goal of an injury-free, personal record year!  I hobbled home, stretched it out, rolled it with the foam roller, the stick, and the wobble board.  I then put ice on it and took some vitamin I (ibuprofen).  At this point, I'm glad I have warmed up really well to my new cross-training activity of cycling... but what the heck?!

Seriously, I've run much harder weeks have had much harder workouts.  I even decided that I needed to mix things up a bit and not work so dang hard and yet, here I limp.  I refuse to call this an injury yet.  But, again, I'm glad I have already decided, and am doing well at, a cross training activity... but I'm still really mad.

I'll keep you updated... I've got 2 half marathons and a full marathon coming in the fall and this is NOT in my training plan.  I guess no matter what you do right, the possibilities of little hick-ups along the way are always there.

The Pampered Chef People Are Jealous of this Cold, Cream Cheese, Veggie Pizza

This one is meant to be eaten cold, and it's a flavorful, refreshing summer dinner.  Oh, and yeah, I know that Pampered Chef does some "cream cheese pizza" thing, but this is nothing like it and shouldn't even be considered together in the same breath.  Thanks!

1.) First, make homemade pizza crust:
2-3 Cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp yeast
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 1/4 cup warm water
Olive oil

Dissolve 1 tsp yeast in the warm water, then add 1 cup of the flour and stir together.  Add the remaining yeast, salt and sugar and mix.  Add the second cup of flour slowly mixing together until the dough is hard to stir.  Dump out another 1/2 cup flour on the counter and turn the dough onto it.  Fill the bowl with water and let soak.  Knead the dough adding flour until it doesn't stick anymore but is pliable and still a little moist.  Keep kneading, lightly dusting remaining flour until the dough is springy and not too sticky (5-10 minutes).  Rinse out and scrape the bowl and dry.  Pour some olive oil into the bowl and place the dough ball into the bowl coating it with the olive oil.  Cover with damp, lint-free, cloth for about 2 hours.

When the dough has risen (approx. 2 hours), preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Dust a pizza pan with some flour then work the dough onto the pizza pan until you have what resembles pizza crust.

2.) Crust coating:
Coat the pizza crust with a mixture of olive oil, oregano, onion powder, salt and pepper.  Finely chop 2-3 cloves of garlic and sprinkle all over the uncooked pizza crust.

3.)  Baking:
Place in preheated oven for approximately 15 minutes, but check after about 12 minutes and allow it to stay in for 20 if necessary.  You're looking for a golden brown crust.  Remove from oven and let cool.

4.)  Cream cheese, veggie topping:
Put about 8 oz softened cream cheese in a bowl add to it salt, pepper, oregano, onion powder, dill, and garlic powder.  Stir until the completely combined.  Spread out onto the cooling pizza crust.

5.)  The toppings:
You can do whatever you want with this one, but here's what I did.  Tomato, cucumber, spinach (which I ripped into small pieces), fresh basil (just a few leaves, which I ripped into tiny pieces), diced avocado (this was a risk that paid off in flavor and texture), topped off with some grated Parmesan cheese.

Try this and enjoy!  Here are some pictures.

Bon Appetite- the paper plate just classed it up

My 5 year old does not like topping, hence the triangular void- He loved the pizza though

The Crust

5 Word Phrase to Make Any Trail Runner Freeze

"There's a rattlesnake over there"

Today was 100+ degrees and I needed to do a long run.  My goal was 12 miles, I stopped at 10- and I only made it to 10 miles because I had a revelation right before I was going out the door.  I realized that it was the perfect time to hit the Stony Valley Rail-trail- a flat, straight, and easy trail that was created when they picked up the old rail tracks.  The beauty of this trail is that it is located in between two mountains and is lined by tall, shade-bearing, trees.

I was right about this choice, there was even a breeze- but a slight breeze on a shaded trail when the temperature is over 100 degrees is still a very difficult workout.  I had strategically mapped my route so that I came back to my car every 5 miles for a reload of sport drink and re-evaluation of my plan based on the weather.

During my first out-and-back loop two bicyclists rode by, within a mile I looked ahead and noticed they were stopped... perhaps just looking out over the reservoir, I thought.  Then the man shouted back to me, "There's a rattlesnake over there."  At first I didn't quite make out what he was saying, but it sounded like the word rattlesnake, so I stopped and had him repeat it.

Surprising myself, I didn't freak out, I didn't turn around, my heart didn't even skip a beat.  I just asked a few questions, (1) Where is the snake? (2) Is it coiled or just laying there? (3) Is it rattling?

He told me it was coiled, the woman who was with the man said she could see it rattling.  They also informed me of its position, which was on the same side of the trail that I was running, so I walked to the other side and moved slowly forward.  They then informed me that it was gone, it had slithered away back toward the water.  I walked slowly down the side of the trail until I passed the point where the snake was, there was nothing.  The man told me he was a little surprised because he had just rode passed it, but as I approached it took off.

Once I started running again, I evaluated the situation.  Was it still safe to run this trail as there was just a rattlesnake spotted?  It is extremely rare for a runner to come across a rattlesnake on a run, but it does happen.  I've been reading up on this for a little while and decided that it was still safe, so I decided to continue, but to keep even more vigilant about snakes... of course that meant that everything looked like a snake after that.


One thing that's really important to note about rattlesnakes is that they have no intention of eating you, so it's not to their benefit to bite you.  Even if they were to kill you, they wouldn't eat you, so the only reason why a rattlesnake will bite you is if you startle it or threaten it in any way.


Snakes don't hear with ears, but they feel with the vibrations in the ground, this is why they are rare for a runner to come across one.  The snakes can feel the pounding footfalls from a pretty good distance and they will take off the moment they think you're close.  This is why the cyclist rode right by it, and I think it only coiled when he stopped and got off his bike- the cyclists had come upon the snake suddenly, so the snake was preparing for defense... my footfalls, plus the man not getting too close, gave the snake the impetus to bolt in the other direction.  Had we cornered the snake or gotten too close, it would have struck.  Also, had the man said nothing to me or I just ignored him and ran up to the snake, it would have struck in defense.  However, if I had been in front of the cyclists, it is more likely that my footfalls would have cleared the way.  At least that's how I read it.


If you encounter a snake on the trail, stop.  Give it a lot of space and move slowly away from it.  Don't make any threatening motions, don't hit it with a stick or a rock, just slowly move away from it or stand completely still and wait for it to leave.  It doesn't want to have anything to do with you, either.


If, by some small chance, you get bit, call 911 as soon as possible (in other words, carry a cell phone) and move slowly and calmly to a place where the ambulance can get you.  Most initial bites are "dry" bites to warn you, but assume it was a wet bite.

Here's a good resource.  Click Here

Be safe and have fun!  Thanks for reading!