13.1 miles

That is how many miles equal to the half marathon. So let the strength and endurance take me to this feat.

When I began my life as a ‘runner’, just a little over two years ago the 5 k seemed impossible. Once I claimed that victory on the second time out at less than 38 minutes, I knew that I could go further if I assigned the same discipline to my training.

Last year, I sneaked up on the 10 k. It was amazing!

This year, for ’13 I plan to run 13 miles and do it in less than 2 hours. This is a  bold request, but in all honesty, I just want to finish the race. I started the year off by working on building up the cardiovascular base of 15 miles. The advocates claim 20 miles is the true ½ marathon base. I will not be greedy. I will start with 15, and keep pushing towards 20 mile marker.

Lung capacity and leg strength are the cornerstones to achieving this goal. I am throwing myself into a crazy world of cardiovascular and leg training. I am building slow and working hard to avoid injury. The H.I.I.T. has been amazing during this training. Sure, it is only January, but I will likely run several 10 k this spring before the summer heat pushes me back into early dawn outdoor runs and treadmill training sessions. It is all good. The fall has been my traditional season to race the ‘new’ race and I plan to continue that tradition.

meatless meatloaf

Meat-less Meatloaf

Ingredients:

2 celery ribs

2 green onions

½ cup chopped carrots

¼ cup green pepper

8 oz. pkg. mushrooms

3 garlic cloves

1 ¼ c quick oats

2-3 cups of dry TVP

4 beef bouillon cubes

2-3 cups warm water

3 T soy sauce

3 T ketchup + 2 T ketchup for glaze

2 T Dijon mustard

Salt, pepper, basil, etc.

2-3 large eggs (or the equivalent in egg replacement)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Dissolve bouillon in water set aside to cool. Dehydrate TVP in bouillon broth.  Chop veggies and sauté in veg. oil. Allow to cool. Combine all other ingredients until well incorporated. Line a loaf pan with parchment or foil. Brush lightly with olive or veg. oil. Press loaf into pan. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Brush ketchup on top. Cook uncovered for 10-15 additional minutes.

*Make meatballs or burgers with any leftover ingredients. I always do!

Enjoy!

Meatless Meatloaf

Re-mixed Meatless Meatballs

vegetable quiche

Ingredients:

9 inch deep dish pie shell

3 large eggs

¾ c Dream Blends Almond, Cashew, and Hazelnut Drink Original unsweetened enriched

4-6 c spinach

½ c chopped red onion

2 MorningStar Farms Veg Sausage Patties chopped

½ c zucchini squash chopped

1 c cherry tomatoes sliced

¾ sliced carrots

1/2 cup grated cheese

Olive Oil, salt, pepper, pkg. of raw stevia, basil, thyme, and vegetable seasoning.

Preparation: 

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Prick pie shell with a fork, cover the edges with foil, pre-bake in oven 10-15 minutes.

Cool shell. Steam/sauté veggies and sausage in a sauce pan in olive oil over medium to low heat. Allow to cool.

Combine eggs, milk, and 1/3 c of cheese. Fold veggies into the egg mixture. Pour into cooled pie shell. Bake covered at 350 for 40 minutes or until center is solid. Turn oven to broil. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Return to oven for 1-3 minutes, or until cheese bubbles and browns. Remove. Cool on rack. Serve.

sweet potato pie

Baked Sweet Potato

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter (half stick), softened

2 eggs, separated

1 cup Baking Splenda

3/4 cup Dream Blends Almond, Cashew, & Hazelnut drink, unsweetened enriched

1 1/2 cups baked sweet potatoes

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon all-spice

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prick pie crust with a fork and cover edges with foil. Bake 5-10 minutes until lightly browned. Remove. Cool.

2. Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Beat until blended then add egg yolks and beat.

3. Scoop potatoes out of skin; combine with vanilla, milk, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger.

4. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites. When foamy, slowly add 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff. Fold into the sweet potato mixture.

5. Place in pie crust and bake about 40 minutes until firm.

Happy New Year!