First Training Run complete with Sound Effects

Yesterday was the first day of training for Team In Training held at Benicia State Recreation Area.  It was a beautiful Saturday morning, perfect for measuring our baseline running pace and cadence (foot stikes per minute~mine was 152, an exceptional athlete is 180+, I've got some work to do).  I completed my first mile in 8:20 minutes and my second mile in 9 minutes.  Not too bad for having been stuck on the treadmill for months.  I guess the incline and sprints have been paying off thanks Iowa Girl).

We also learned a few tips about conserving our energy by keeping out feet close to the ground and hips as level as possible.  Not that it matters a whole lot for a 2 mile run, but multiply that 2 mile run 13 times and every movement will count for or against you.  But it was still something one of my teammates might have wanted to pay attention to before we set out on this short run. 


Yes, he went balls to the wall and every stride he moved forward was matched by an equally impressive, yet unnecessary, vertical movement.  I quickly, as in about 100 yards, caught up to him only to be greeted by his running farts (imagine the "let me introduce you to my little friend" scene from Scarface).  Yes, it was flight or flight, duck and cover, as I quickly found the motivation to pass him.  With a burst of fresh air, I was able to comfortably complete my run with no other distractions save for my confusion on exactly how far that first mile seemed (this is what was going through my head, "surely this must be a mile by now...okay maybe now...seriously, where is the turn around point??  Did I pass it??  What the hell, did they not mark the course??  Oh wait, is that it up there?  This seems WAY more then a mile!").  As for the guy, he was lapped by several other {female} runners and finally crossed the 'finish line about 4 minutes later.

I've been working on eating "clean", vegetarian (sometimes vegan), heart healthy, and gluten-free foods this past week.  The gluten-free part came from a suggestion from Lauren Brooks in her February Fat 
Loss Challenge she set up on Facebook.  It's kind of a test to see if we will feel better and less bloated if we cut out gluten.  So far, so good!


Now I absolutely LOVE Thai Food, it's my number one favorite, followed closely by Cuban and Indian food.  So, when I came across this EASY recipe in the Engine 2 Diet book I had to try it...and it did not disappoint.  I made a few modifications to utilize the ingredients I had on hand and I also doubled (okay, maybe tripled) the red curry sauce because I like it spicy!  Here you go...

Red Curry Tofu & Brown Rice (from The Engine 2 Diet)

1# extra firm tofu frozen, thawed and pressed (cubed into 1" pieces)

Bragg Liquid Amino

2 TBS red curry paste (this is different then curry powder)

24-32 oz Veggie broth

1 onion, diced

2 cups sliced carrots

*1/2 cup potato (cooked, peeled and cut into chunks)

*1/2 cup sweet potato (cooked, peeled and cut into chunks)

2 TBS tamiri (low-sodium)

1 TBS molasses

1 Cup Almond Milk

*1 TBS cornstarch mixed with 1 TBS cold water (for thicker sauce)

juice of 1 lime

3 cups cooked brown rice

sliced green onion

1 cup cilanto leaves (fresh)

(*my add modifications)

1- Toss or spray tofu with Braggs and broil on oiled baking sheet for 20 minutes, turning once to brown both sides.

2- Preheat large skillet or wok until smoking. Stir-fry curry paste in 4 TBS stock, stirring continuously until combined.

3- Add onion and stir to coat.  Add carrots, both types of potatoes (and any other veggies such as snow peas) and cook one minute.

4- Add remaining stock and tofu.

5- Combine tamiri and molasses in small bowl and then stir into skillet.

6- Add almond milk and lime juice.

7- Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro and green onion.