The Usual Suspects

Since my CSA ended last week, I decided to stop at the farmers' market on my way home from work this week. Thinking all I would find would be carving pumpkins and apple cider, I was surprised to find some wonderful foods! Don't count those farmers' markets out just yet!

Apples: I bought two 1/2 peck bags at a buy one, get one free price. These were Empire apples from Pease Orchard. These are nice, crisp, white-fleshed apples created at Cornell University, and perfect for packing in a lunch box. I also bought 4 Baldwin apples for $1. Baldwin apples originated in 1740 as a chance seedling on a farm in Wilmington, Massachusetts. The woman I bought these from said she has only one Baldwin that grows on her property in our town.

Peppers: Much to my surprise, I thought pepper season in New England was over due to the cool nights we've been having. But, I picked up six of these red and green signs of summer, and plan to dice and freeze for some pots of chili during the winter freeze.

Onions: Since onions will stay good for a while as long as they're stored in a cool dry place, I bought all of the onions left from one farmer. I start almost every dinner dish I prepare with garlic and onions. And for about 10 onions, I only spent $2.

Tomatillos: For $4, I bought tomatillos from two different farmers selling them ($2 a piece). I plan on making some salsa verde with these late season nightshades.

Sunchokes: Also known as a Jerusalem artichokes, these are the tubers from a particular type of sunflower. They are high in inulin, a type of polysaccharide. Inulin is considered a prebiotic, or a "food" for the good bacteria in your gut. I've never eaten sunchokes before, but they are supposed to be eaten like potatoes. Any other tasty ideas?

Low-fat milk: This milk was being sold by the Templeton Developmental Center. They have their folks working at a local farm to milk the cows, and then the milk is processed and sold at the farmers' market.

Local chicken: I bought a frozen chicken, born and raised in our town, and processed in Westminster, VT. The farmer said the closest facility where he could bring his poultry to be processed was in VT. There are ones closer, but this one allows for processing and sale at the farmers' market.

I'll definitely have some recipes to post with some of these great, local ingredients!

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Someone asked me recently what the topic of my blog was. I was having a hard time putting into words what I write about. I'm an RD, but I don't write this blog to inform others about nutrition on a professional basis, although many of the philosophies I have on food and eating come through in each post. It's not really a recipe blog either, as I only post recipes 1-2 times per month. It's not really an exercise blog, although I do share my exercise experiences and race results on here from time to time. Originally, I had started it as a way to document my experience eating local foods; it's turned into a sort of personal journal, and I'd like to get back to the food aspect as much as possible. I want it to be about connecting the local food I eat to the place I live (or visit), while maintaining a life balance and sharing related experiences and anecdotes along the way.

In that same vein, I visited Salem, MA this weekend for some pre-Halloween fun and partook in the local food scene and rich history that Salem has to offer. Salem is the city famously known for the witch trials. And here's some other facts I bet you didn't know about Salem:

1. Salem was originally called Naumkeag, but renamed "salem" meaning "peaceful" in Hebrew.
2. Salem is considered the third most haunted city in the United States.
3. During the Salem Witch Trials, one hundred and forty people were accused, 19 were hanged, and one was pressed to death for witchcraft.
4. Old Bet, the first elephant to come to America arrived first in Salem.

And while I forgot to bring my camera to document this, I want to offer you this instead:

While I may be trying to refocus my blog, at least I haven't lost my sense of humor.

Question of the Day: How do you eat local this time of year?

Nike Women's Marathon Recap, Part II

Seventeen minutes after the race clock began did I finally stumble across the start line. I immediately set my own watch, and slowly began jogging. There were SO MANY women, and many of them were walking the first mile. Unfortunately, to my frustration, many women did not follow the instructions to line up in a corral that corresponded with their average minute per mile pace. I respectfully lined up in the 10:00-11:59 corral, and was frustrated as I jogged past literally thousands of people who were walking and clearly did not follow the instructions.

At mile 1, I stopped for a bathroom break and to shed the first layer. Goodbye Hawaiian pajama pants!

The next couple miles were spent dodging walkers and weaving in and out. At one point, I hopped onto the sidewalk where there was less of a crowd. From the 5K distance to about the 8 or 9 mile point, the hills were fierce. There were some steep uphills where 95% of folks walked (I didn't want to, so I ended up weaving, in frustration), but there were some nice downhills as well. This was a beautiful part of the course that trailed along Crissy Field with panoramic views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the bay. Participants were actually stopping and posing to take photos along the way.

Around mile 10 we rounded the corner and headed into the Golden Gate Park. We passed behind the finish. Seeing the finish but being 16 miles away was mentally difficult.

Then it started to rain.

I didn't train at all in the rain. Thanks to a dry summer in the Northeast, I did not do one run in the rain, so this was an added challenge. But at this point my body was feeling great and spirits were relatively stable.

Mile 12 was a mental and physical challenge. The folks who ran the 1/2 distance were one mile away and I could hear fans cheering at the finish line. I reluctantly turned left and kept on for another round of 13.1. At this point, I got a cramp in my neck. I have never had this before, and quickly became concerned that it was something much more serious than a cramp. For the next 6 miles, I suffered. I couldn't move my head to the side, and I almost stopped at an aid station for help. I hurt. It was raining. More than 75% of the runners, who only ran the half, were gone. I wanted to cry.

At mile 18 I saw my parents and Tim. This was a huge relief, and the pain in my neck subsided. My cheering section (Mom, Dad, Tim) had stood in the rain for a couple hours, and I was so thrilled and thankful to see them, even for a second. I can't thank them enough, and it got me through the last 8 miles.

Tim ran the last 8 miles with me. This part of the race was also mentally challenging, as I was clearly running away from the Finish line at that point, as the course looped around a large lake and meandered back. Mile 21 rolled around. This is also known as the Chocolate Mile, and I expected and extravagant display with lots of happy people frolicking about handing out chocolate with smiles on their faces. Not so much. The poor volunteers had been out there for 4 hours already and were probably sick of being cold.

Even though I told myself not to take the chocolate, that I didn't train with it, I did it anyway. And it was so delicious. My only mistake at this point was stopping to walk and eat. When my legs started up again, it was a slow and painful process. This was the only time I stopped to walk the entire race, which was a huge improvement from the Boston Marathon.

After the chocolate, I was feeling good, rounding my way around the lake and back toward the finish line. The last 1.2 miles seemed to drag on forever.

And, I crossed the line in 4:43:00! Ten minutes faster than my Boston Marathon time! I was thrilled!

I was greeted not by a hunky San Francisco fire fighter, but rather a Red Cross volunteer who said I didn't look so good and I better sit down. I was determined to get that necklace, so I smiled, said I was fine, and made my way over to the guys with the trays of little blue Tiffany boxes.

At that point, I was in dire need of some hydration. I made a B-line for the Gatorade table and inhaled half a bagel within seconds. I was quickly reunited with my family, and we were all thrilled that it was over!

All in all, running a second marathon was much easier. I knew what to expect from my body at certain points, and had all of my Boston marathon training plus the SF marathon training miles under my belt. This 900 or so miles run this year helped immensely. In fact, my soreness is completely gone! Mentally, I was able to expect certain things at certain points in the race as well. I also learned from Boston to focus on drinking the water, not the Gatorade at every stop. During Boston I was feeling completely Gatorade-logged by mile 20 which slowed down my progress. This time around I focused on drinking water through most of the water stops and Gatorade probably 2 or 3 times. I ate two Gu gels, and one piece of Ghiradelli chocolate. This was a perfect amount for me.

And so now the question is: will I run another?

Honestly, I felt like I'd be so ready to be done running for the year after this race, but the next few days I had the itch for a 3-miler. Since I did have improvement in my time, and I feel like I could do even better if I tried the marathon distance again, I'm not so sure I want to go into marathon retirement just yet. Of course, I won't be running Boston this year because I didn't qualify, and even if I did, it sold out in one day. Kind of unbelievable.

I'm considering starting up the 90 day P90X challenge, or doing some yoga at a new studio that opened up near my office.

I'm just happy I finished two marathons this year and am still healthy and have not lost the joy that I have for running.

I've talked to a few women recently about running a marathon. The idea of it can be intimidating; the decision to even sign up for Boston last November took me quite a bit of consideration before I took the plunge (there was also the added level of challenge of raising $3250). If you're considering it, what you need to have is dedication, motivation, and heart.

Some people say they won't have enough time. I've worked a full-time job and some through all of my training this year, and I still managed my time to do it. Granted, I do not have kids, but I saw lots of moms out there on the course in San Francisco. It can be done.

Some say they don't look like a runner. I don't have the typical runner's physique, but I followed my training plan, listened to my body, and fueled it properly so that my body could take me through 26.2. If you put one foot in front of the other, you're a runner.

And the last thing I hear is that they could just never do it. Period. I believed in myself. I was blessed to stay healthy through the whole thing, but I attribute that partly to my decisions to make training a priority and stay committed.

So if, in the back of your mind, you'd like to do a marathon by the time you turn 30, 40, 50, or 100, I believe in you. If your goal is not to run a marathon but maybe just start running, lose weight, be active, be happy, enjoy life, or be healthy, I believe in you. The power of putting your mind to something and believing in yourself to see it through to fruition is powerful. And you may not get there on the first try. Or even the second. That's okay.

As long as you stick to your path, and continue to be a warrior, you'll have success.

Thanks for all of the good vibes sent to me via my blog, Facebook, and Twitter!

Question of the Day: What are your personal goals? How do you reach your goals?

Nike Women's Marathon Recap, Part I

This past weekend, I traveled to my favorite city, San Francisco, to run in the Nike Women's Marathon.

I knew it was a sign that things would go well when we ended up parking on this level at the airport:

We arrived late Thursday night, and first thing Friday morning, we headed to my favorite brunch spot, Crepes on Cole. (In fact, the owner actually remembered me, that's how often I frequented his fine establishment when I lived there!)

Another highlight of the trip was a visit to the farmers market!

No trip to the Ferry Building would be complete without a Blue Bottle Coffee.

And a view of a trolley.

Between meals, we hit up the Nike Expo. Most marathons have an expo where you pick up your number, get some free goodies, and buy stuff you don't really need but really want. The Nike Expotique was no different.

POMx Tea, Luna Bar, and the folks from Safeway were there, making smoothies. But not just any smoothies. These were powered by runners, for runners!

(See that blender on the front of the bike??)

And if anyone follows me on Facebook, you know my status updated along the way. This is how:

How cool?!

After getting everything I needed at the expo, I began focusing on getting ready for the race. My pre-race dinner consisted of a giant Pluto's salad. If you're ever in the Bay Area, check this place out! They have 10 or so locations.

And it's even better with great company!

After carbo-loading on multiple large Rice Krispie treats that Pluto's sells, I got a good night of sleep before heading to the race start line for the 7 a.m. start.

Let me explain this outfit. I wore some "throwaways" over my running clothes. My ratty Hawaiian pajama pants got some wild looks, but I was way warmer those first few miles than those that didn't fashion the sleepwear.

Seven o'clock rolled around, and off I (and 23,000 others) went!

To be continued...

(Only because Blogger's photo upload feature just stopped working. Sorry to keep you in suspense.)

Question of the Day: What's your favorite city to visit?

A Rumination on Running

And so it begins. Shortly, I'll be on my way to San Francisco for the Nike Womens Marathon!

(source)

This year I've seen a lot of success, but also failure; I've experienced jubilance and tragedy. I've faced challenges but also found my way to solutions. I'd say I've grown.

Running has provided the backdrop for a lot of the experiences of the past year, and this marathon is sort of the culmination of "growing up."

Running the Boston Marathon this year was an amazing experience in that it was my inaugural marathon, but it was also an experience in which I had tremendous support. I raised over $3,300 and had the support of each and every person in that journey. I was able to share the experience with my circle of fans/supporters, and it felt like I was running with everyone who supported me along the way.

This is not to say I had no support during the training of this marathon; I had lots. But it was more of a personal experience this time around. Many of the miles were run solo outdoors, versus the Boston training which included runs with running buddies and treadmill runs. Right around the time of Boston, I changed jobs, and so my day-to-day routine and circle of people changed as well.

Training for San Francisco has been therapeutic, and in the process I've gotten to know my running buddies better, but also myself. In the past few weeks, there have been some tremendous stressors happening around me, and I've turned to running and the strong support system that I've built over the last 9 months of training for support.

Training has been a stress reliever, but also a spiritual experience. After all, twenty miles on a trail with nothing but your own voice in your head can create some interesting internal dialogue. And earlier this week, through news of tragedy, my faith in God and my faith in self were refreshed. I was completely overcome with the presence of the love, support and strength that are present in my life. I had to stop and thank God for everything and everyone for this sense of being I've come to find in this world.

Thank you for all the support and love. Thank you. To you. And you. And you.

See you in San Francisco!

Question of the Day: Have you ever experienced a moment of true clarity? When did it happen, and what happened?

If you're interested in following me, "friend" me on Facebook (or on Twitter @eatittweetit). I think there's a way to track runners via Facebook. I'll keep you updated...

Salad for the Season

Once I can no longer get lettuce from my CSA or the farmers' markets, salads seem to become a distant thing of the past. I love the fresh, uninhibited taste that accompanies a fresh head of green leaf lettuce, freshly picked by my local farmer. Salad in a bag is great in a pinch, but once salad season (for me, June - October) passes, my 5-9-a-days come in the form of soup or stir-fry.

But this weekend I perfected an end-of-the-season autumn salad that I'll probably recreate (even if I have to buy store-bought lettuce) from now until Christmas.

Enter Leaf Peeper Salad. This salad, with its burst of green, red, orange and browns remind me of the color-changing foliage currently happening in central Massachusetts. Here's some culinary leaf-peeping for your gastronomic pleasure:

Leaf-Peeper Salad (for two)

1 head of green leaf lettuce

1/4 of a medium butternut squash, cooked and diced

1 medium pear, sliced

1/3 cup walnuts, toasted

1/4 cup poppyseed dressing

Not pictured are the squash seeds I baked up and sprinkled on top. These really made the dish.

This salad was SO delicious that I brought another batch of it to a party today!

This batch was accompanied with a simple balsamic vinaigrette instead of poppyseed. Making your own salad dressing is easy. It's a 3:1 ratio of oil:vinegar. I used Ariston balsamic vinegar and it was a rich, sweet dressing. I infused some freshly-picked herbs from my CSA. The dressing complimented the pears and butternut squash in an incredible way.

And what a great party it was!

Scenes from the last lake hurrah of 2010:

Question of the Day: Are you a year round salad eater or do you find enjoyment in salad eating exclusively during the summer months?

And the countdown continues! Less than seven days until the marathon!

A Virtual Run

Ten days left until the Nike Womens Marathon!

In celebration of this upcoming race, I thought it would be nice to take you on a run with me. Let's go!

I'm in taper-mode, so today's run was a 5K distance.

Let's start here:

We head up a quick hill and along some beautiful back country New England roads.

Some neighbors are so festive.

And some amazing foliage. It's still not peak season, but the trees are still beautiful.

You might even see some turkeys!

And here's the apple tree I gleaned from!

Mt. Wachusett

We'll loop around, finish our 5K distance and enjoy the scenery while we cool down.

Happy fall and thanks for running with me!

Question of the Day: Where do you love to exercise?