Upcoming Races and a Roasted Salad

I really hope that yesterday was our last cold day of the season! I worked at noon so I did my long run starting around 7:30 and I froze. It was about 9F when I woke up and was 17 or so when I finished. Luckily it wasn’t windy but I definitely did not dress warm enough because I actually started getting really cold halfway through my run. You’d think that I would know exactly how to dress since I work at a running store but I thought that it would warm up a little more along my route.

Why am I doing long runs? I have decided that I’m definitely going to run a marathon in May. I think I’m going to run Madison this time but haven’t actually signed up yet. I tend to procrastinate on those things. Has anyone run it before? OR, do you have any other great spring marathons that I should do? I’m open to suggestions.

I did, however, sign up to run the Get Lucky triple 7K on St. Patty’s Day. Runs themed around a holiday are always fun and exciting because you never know what people are going to wear! I don’t know what I’m going to wear! I really don’t own a whole lot of green clothing and don’t think that it would be comfortable running 13.1 with a shamrock headband on…. Maybe I’ll make a shirt. I wish that Elysia could run it with me but I guess I’m flying solo this time around. Are any of you signed up?

All of this spring training has me thinking of warmer weather, which usually means that I tend to eat quick and lighter meals. In fact, sometimes I just crave a giant salad and because both of us are incapable of making something without adding a gazillion little touches to it, my salads are usually never plain. I love to mix in raw and cooked veggies for a little variety, and roasting veggies is usually my favorite way to prepare the because they turn out to have so much flavor!

If you don’t usually like beets, I encourage you to try them roasted. Adding a sprinkle of salt and pepper to them brings out their flavor, and truffle oil is always my favorite addition. Slicing these beets thinly turn them into crispy chips, but you could always cut them into chunks as well if you want them roasted (they will just take a little longer).

Spinach Salad with Roasted Veggies and Truffled Beet Chips

• 2-3 cups Baby Spinach
• 1 Medium Carrot
• 1 cup Cauliflower (cut into large pieces)
• 1 medium Beet
• 1 medium Tomato
• 1/2 cup Beans of Choice
• Garlic Salt, Pepper, Nutritional Yeast, Italian Spice Blend
• 1 tsp. Canola Oil
• 1 tsp. Truffle Oil (black or white)
• 1-2 tsp. Balsamic Vinegar (I used Raspberry-flavored)

– Preheat oven to 415° F.

– Slice the tomato and beet into thin slices. I used a veggie peeler for the beet and a sharp knife for the tomato. Cut the carrot in half width-wise and then cut it into smaller pieces lengthwise (2-3 times depending on the size of your carrot).

– Spray a foil-lined baking sheet with cooking spray and then spread the tomato slices across it. Sprinkle with a mixture of garlic salt, nutritional yeast, and the Italian Spices.

– In a bowl, add the carrot and cauliflower and toss with the canola oil and salt and pepper to taste. Then arrange these on the baking sheet as well.

– Toss the thinly-sliced beet with truffle oil and a sprinkle of salt and then add them to the baking sheet (you may need more than one). Alternatively, I have a bottle of spray truffle-oil that works well too.

– Roast the veggies in the oven for 20-30 minutes, flipping them halfway through. The beets should become slightly crispy.

– Meanwhile, toss the spinach with the Balsamic Vinegar and salt and pepper, to taste. When the veggies are cooked, add them to the spinach and throw the beans on top, mixing everything together. If you like, enjoy the beet chips by themselves! Also, adding a serving of millet or other grain would make a perfect full meal for dinner.

Thinly-Sliced beets. I may have gotten a little carried away with the veggie peeler...

I topped my salad with pinto beans to add a little protein.

Do you have any races coming up??

On Running While Sick

No recipe today! I figure you won’t want one while reading this post anyways 😉

I rarely get sick, so when I saw/felt a rash on my ribcage I thought it was just a heat rash. We have new shirts that we’re required to wear while waitressing and they are extremely hot! I’ve never really had a heat rash, I just randomly assumed that that’s what the cause of the painful and itchy rash was. Wrong;

Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus — the same virus that causes chickenpox. After you’ve had chickenpox, the virus lies inactive in nerve tissue near your spinal cord and brain. Years later, the virus may reactivate as shingles.

While it isn’t a life-threatening condition, shingles can be very painful. Vaccines can help reduce the risk of shingles, while early treatment can help shorten a shingles infection and lessen the chance of complications.

– Mayo Clinic

Shingles? What?! I’ll spare you the pictures in this post because they are not at all pretty and if you are dying to see what they look like, Google is only a click away.

If I were to go back and guess which one of us would get shingles, I would probably say Elysia.  She’s had mono a gazillion times (which isn’t supposed to be possible) and it seems like that girl is always getting sick. Then there’s shingles in general.  As my Grandma said to me; “Don’t you know only old people are supposed to get Shingles?”. Well Grandma, tell that to my body.

I really didn’t know what Shingles was up until a few days ago and wish that I still didn’t. Since I thought that it was a heat rash I didn’t go to the doctor until a few days after the blisters appeared. Frustrating enough, this meant that it was too late to get the medication to ‘shorten the infection’. So right now I’m waiting.. and thinking about taking up the advice of my mom’s coworker by hitting up the local liquor store.

Because this has been painful, I haven’t gone to work all week, I’m not sure if I could handle the movement of carrying trays and working in a stifling hot shirt.  However, I feel like a hypocrite because I have gone for a couple of runs.. On the other hand, when I run I don’t feel the pain or the itchiness so it is a time of release from it all. Therein is my justification; that’s a legit reason right? I just know that if I need to stop running, I can, whereas I would feel bad leaving the restaurant one waitress short if I felt ill there.

As far as running with other sicknesses goes, I’ve heard that if your symptoms are above the neck, you’re good to go as long as you feel up to it and aren’t running a fever. I know that for those of you who are runners or exercise enthusiasts, you probably understand the drive to continue running, even when ill. I’m certainly not a doctor so obviously you should decide for yourself what is right for you and do as your body tells you. It’s definitely important to listen to your body and back off when you feel fatigue or pain. Don’t push it too hard, even though it may be tempting!

What about you? Do you run when you’re ill? Has anyone had Shingles and want to give me advice on how to ease the itching and pain? I wish that I could just keep running and running until they go away..