Before you pour the coffee, pour some water and squeeze a lemon!

With the change of seasons and transition into spring, I have been waking up feeling my body's need for cleanse and transition. Every yoga class I have done in the past week or so, I have set the intention of moving stuck energy through my body as we transition to spring. Some of it seems to be from all the training, but some of it is from winter stiffness that has accumulated. Each morning I have been craving drinking water with lemon in it. I have known the benefits of drinking lemon water for quite some time now, but I have rarely practiced it. Until now. I have been waking up every morning and squeezing 1/2 lemon into a room temperature glass of water. It has been an easy and great way to start the morning feeling cleansed and energized.

Benefits of lemon water:

-stimulate the liver, loosen toxins in the body and cleanse the body of impurities

-helps dissolve uric acid which can be cause of pain and inflammation in joints

-assists in digestion and elimination by stimulating the GI tract

-balances the body's pH- it is an alkalizing food that balances out an acidic environment creating a  strong, healthy body more resistant to disease, flu, sickness, viruses and bacteria

-antibacterial properties which control unhealthy bacteria

For a quick, easy way to improve your health and energy, start your day by drinking a fresh squeezed glass of lemon water. Then reach for the cup of coffee... if you must :). 

French Lentils with Beets and Beet Greens

I Instagram-ed a picture of my french lentils with beets and beet greens last week, so I thought I would post the easy recipe! It is a great way to use the whole beet to get the full powerful nutrient content of the vegetable. It is also an easy way to incorporate a different leafy green into your diet, that you might not typically eat. Don't throw out those beet greens and all their wonderful nutrients- eat them!

French Lentils with Beets and Beet Greens

Ingredients:

1 cup French Lentils

3 large beets or 4 small-medium beets (I used golden beets, but red beets would be great too!)

3 cloves garlic

1 yellow onion

1/2 lemon 

2 tbsp olive oil

Sea Salt to taste

1. Soak the lentils in water for 8 hours. If you don't have the time to soak for that long, soak for as long as possible since you will greatly increase the nutrient benefits. Soaking lentils increases the digestibility and increases the absorption of the vitamins and minerals. The soaking deactivates the enzyme inhibitors and the phytic acid found in the lentils. 

2. Cut off the beet greens and add the beets to a large pot. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the beets. Add some lemon juice to the water to prevent the beets from bleeding. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 40- 45 minutes.

3. Fill another saucepan with 2 cups of water and 1 cup of the drained and rinsed lentils. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer until tender, but not too soft. This is about 20 minutes.

4. In a skillet, add a tbsp of olive oil and sautee the chopped onion and garlic on medium heat until soft- bout 3 minutes. 

5. Chop the beet greens and add to the skillet with the onion and garlic. Cook for a about 2 minutes. 

6. Drain the lentils and add to the skillet with the onion, garlic and beet greens. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook on a low heat stirring occasionally. 

7. Drain beets and rinse with cold water. Use your hands to peel the skin off. It should come off pretty easily.

8. Chop beets and serve on top of lentil mixture. Stir in the other tbsp of olive oil and taste to see if more salt or pepper is needed.

If using golden beets, they will absorb the brown color of the french lentils if they sit too long, so serve immediately.
However, if you use red beets or don't mind the color change- this dish was fabulous left overs. I put some in my salad for lunch the next day.

Nutritional Benefits of Beets and Beet Greens:

I'm a full believer that foods work synergistically and the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts. So together the beets and the beet greens are a powerhouse that fully nourishes your body. 

-The beet root is rich in Betalains that have shown to have very powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and  detoxification properties. Betalains trigger activity of the enzymes that hook toxins up with the compound that neutralizes them and excretes them from the body, thus aiding in the body's detox process. 

-High in Vitamin A and C: Both these vitamins are important for a healthy immune system. This is especially important to bolster up that immune system as your training volume and intensity increases this spring.

-Rich in: 

      -Folate

      -Iron

      -Calcium

      -Manganese

Disney Marathon Race Recap

I'm I flew down to Florida on Thursday night. I spent a couple of days resting and relaxing with the feet up as the family played golf and enjoyed the Florida sun.

I went for a 2 mile tune-up run on Friday, which felt like 10 miles. My mind wouldn't stop- Can I really do this? What was I thinking? Was my training enough? If 2 miles feels long how am I ever going to run 26.2 in a couple of days? I reassured myself that I felt this way on my last run before Boston last year and I PR-ed there. As I mentioned in an earlier post, when I decided to run Disney, I only had enough time for an 8 week training plan. Doable, but I would have felt more confident with a typical 16 week plan. I was lucky enough to have running partners who were running Mississippi Blues Marathon on the same day, so I had company on all of those long runs through the holiday season. I had always envisioned that I would run Disney when I was older with kids. It wasn't one of the top races on my bucket list, but due to timing, location and the flat course, I embarked on the Wonderful World of Disney sooner than anticipated. 

As my brother Michael, sister Meghan and her boyfriend Ian tackled the parks,  I headed to the expo with my parents and Joe to pick up my race packet and number. 

  

We had an early dinner at Shula's Steakhouse located at the hotel. There weren't too many marathoners there- I assumed most were at the Italian restaurant carb-ing up on pasta. A bit weird to be eating at a steakhouse, but since I don't eat gluten, this seemed to be the best option for everyone.  The family was happy since they were able to eat a nice hearty meal with steak and chocolate lava cakes and souffles and I was able to have a simple dinner of a baked potato sprinkled with some salt. I topped it off with some hemp seeds that smuggled into the restaurant in my bag. 

Sunday morning came early- the alarm went off at 3 am. Joe was wonderful enough to take the shuttle at 3:30 am with me. My parents were able to"sleep in" and took the 4:30 shuttle. So early! Seriously, spectating is tiring. Spectators had to leave that early if they wanted to watch anywhere but the finish if their marathon ran under a 4 hour marathon.

 I was so happy I had packed sufficient "throw away clothes" and a trash bag to wear over my clothes since it was a chilly morning.

Staying warm and getting amped to run- sipping on some Mate tea pre race.

 I couldn't believe some of the people were in shorts and a tank top. After I checked my bag, gave my goodbye hugs and kisses,  the walk to the start line was about 15-20 minutes and only participants were allowed beyond that point. I was rushing to get to my corral and realized that I had completely missed the last set of port-a-potties. I spotted a good stretch of woods where many other people were peeing, so I quickly jumped out of my corral and went in the woods. Mickey, Donald Duck and Goofy all came to say hello and the announcer babbled on. I don't remember too much from that point on. I stripped my clothes with about 4 minutes before the start. I had to go again. shoot. ok well at least it is dark, but I was wishing I was standing in the water for the start of a triathlon rather than just standing on land in wet shorts. Oh well, I was on a mission. I had to run a PR to qualify for Boston 2013 since qualification times decreased by 5 minutes (note for non runners- that is a lot!!).  Fireworks went off from the start line and we were off. I was able to run right from the start, the crowds were fine, but maybe that is because I was near the front of the corral. It was pitch black, so looking at my pace on the garmin was not too easy. I wanted to run 8:20s at the beginning. I know that I blow up if I go too fast. The problem was that 8:20s felt fast- how was I ever going to hold an 8:08 pace later on in the race? The first two miles went by slowly. I was having trouble settling into a steady pace. We ran through a toll booth, which was weird. I saw my family at what I think was mile 2.5. The course wasn't too spectator friendly, there were only certain spots where spectators could watch.   The next couple of miles were all a blur. We ran through some parks, it was still dark out. Runners stopped to take pictures with Disney characters on the side of the course. I couldn't even tell you which characters I saw- I didn't see many though I know they were located throughout the whole course. I saw a 3:35 pace group ahead. The website only listed a 3:30 and 3:40 pace groups. I had no idea I could have started myself with the 3:35 group. Oh well, it was probably for the best, so that I would go out slowly and run my own race. Ok I will run with them for a while, I thought to myself. I saw my family at Magic Kingdom round mile 10- I was so impressed they spotted me twice now before I spotted them.  Usually it is the other way around. 

Depicts the race for me- most of it was a blur. 

I knew I wasn't going to see them again to the finish. Whenever I see them I instantly get a rush of adrenaline, renewed energy to keep me going strong. I was hoping that surge of energy could last me to the end. I had settled into my pace running about 50 yards back from the 3:35 pace leaders. Running with the group definitely helped, and kept me on pace. I didn't feel so alone and the miles started to fly by. Those pace leaders were my carrot. 

1	8:16
2	8:21
3	8:16
4	8:22
5	8:29
6	8:09
7	7:55
8	8:01
9	7:51
10	8:04
11	8:02
12	8:00
13	8:01
14	7:52
15	7:53
16	7:55

Then around miles 16/17 I felt like I was pushing too hard. My heart rate was creeping up and knew that if it got any higher, I would be flirting with a blow up. It is about balancing on that fine line of pushing hard, but not pushing beyond your limits. Those 4 seconds gained per mile now could turn into 13 minute miles later on in the race. And yes, that has happened to me before. not fun. not pretty. I decided to pull back and let the pace group go ahead. I was able to stay calm and do my thing since the last couple of miles I ran with them were sub 8:00- too fast, I just needed to run my own race. I backed off. Around mile 21 I realized I needed to step it up just a little bit. 5 miles left of pain. "Sweet Caroline" was playing on repeat as I passed the 21 mile mark. Was that intentional? I don't know, but I took it as a sign to pick it up because nothing was going to stop me from getting to Boston. The pace group was completely out of sight.  I started to pick up the pace and reel in the 3:35 group that had severely dwindled to about 4 runners. I caught up to them and passed them. My legs hurt. My body hurt. I was nervous about cramping. I tried not to let my mind wander about the effects of drinking the on course Powerade with limited sodium and artificial sweeteners. I just took some more of my electrolytes and kept going. I knew if I kept this pace I was golden. Just hold on body, hold on. I had run behind a guy wearing a shirt  that said "You vs. You" for pretty much the whole race. It was all up to me. It didn't matter who else was on the course, I didn't have to beat anyone else, all I had to do was keep my legs moving and shut down any negative thoughts that my mind conjured up about slowing down. Keep my mind going and body going that is it. You vs. You.  I passed mile 26 and rounded the corner and saw my family in the crowd. They started cheering "PUSH IT KATE PUSH IT- GOOO!!" - the anxiety in their voices made me nervous that I wasn't going to make it. It wasn't a normal cheer, it was a very anxious cheer. I looked at the finish line clock and realized I had 30 seconds to make it. I ran as fast as I possibly could. 

17	8:00
18	8:05
19	8:03
20	8:14
21	8:19
22	8:08
23	8:00
24	7:49
25	8:16
26	8:06
27	7:26

3:34:42. I made it. Mission Accomplished. Qualified for Boston again and ran a Personal Best. One hour and 2 minutes faster than my first marathon 6 years ago. Thank you Disney.

Chip Time	3:34:42
Overall Place	674 / 13478
Gender Place	113 / 6315
Division Place	23 / 1114

You can watch the video of me finishing here. I am in the green tank top and finish right near the end of the video clip under the clock on the left. 

To top it all off, nothing was better than to cross the line and see my beautiful family. Nothing is better than to be surrounded by the people that you love most in this world. 

Post race (and post comfy t-shirt change) with my parents. 

The whole support crew sleeping post race. Spectating is hard work!

I've been enjoying some recovery time, sleeping a lot and resting. I've done some swimming and some yoga, but I have been respecting the recovery and don't intend on running for another week.

Onwards and upwards- I'm so excited for Ironman Mont Tremblant training to start in a little over a week! 

Hearty Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash, Kale and Red Rice/Lou Ristaino Workout

As I sit here in the Florida sun with my feet up and resting up for Disney marathon on Sunday, it is hard to imagine that just 3 days ago I was running around a track in the cold, windy, frigid Boston weather. 

The 3 lil pugs sunbathing

Somerville Road Runners  are quite familiar with the "Lou Ristaino workout" that is traditionally run the tuesday before a marathon. It consists of a continuous 4800 on the track running the first 800 at your goal marathon pace. Each successive 800 is run 4 seconds faster than the previous one. The start should feel very easy and by the end you should be working somewhat hard. 
Since I was the only one running a marathon this weekend (at least in my pace group), I would be all alone doing the workout. I decided to stay home and go to my town's high school track and be done with the workout 2 hours earlier than if I would have waited to go to SRR. I am so grateful that my sister Meghan was willing to do the workout with me, it made it so much easier to get through. The workout wasn't bad, but the howling wind, the creaking trees, the pitch dark track and my completely numb feet made me grateful that I was hopping on a plane to run in warmer weather this weekend. 
Meghan and I cooked up this delicious Hearty Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash and Quinoa from Cookin Canuck's blog when we got home. Let me tell you it tasted so good on a cold night.

I made some slight adjustments:
-I cooked the onions and garlic in a separate pan while the chicken was cooking to speed up the prep time. 
-I added Kale for some extra greens: I used 4 large kale leaves, stripped them from the stem and  into the stew at the same time as when I added the shredded chicken
-Substituted Red Rice for the Quinoa. I really only did this because I had just bought this Heirloom Bhutan Red Rice at Whole Foods and wanted to try it.

Verdict on the Bhutan Red Rice: Delicious! Very quick cooking- only 20 minutes! Nutritious and mineral rich. The anthocyanins present in the rice are antioxidant nutrients and give the rice its deep color and support health. I will add red rice to my list of great gluten-free whole grains and definitely make it again! 

Salmon with Dijon Lentils and Kale and Seeking the Magic of Disney

Happy New Year! I like to think of each day as an opportunity to start fresh, set goals and set intentions. But there is nothing like the new year to reflect on what progress has been made in the past year and what has and has not been accomplished. The new year marks a great time to revisit your goals and intentions. I have been inspired and excited these past couple of days by the conversations I have had with people about their goals and by reading all the 2012 goals on twitter and FB.
I am excited about 2012 and all the opportunities that lie ahead. My first immediate goal of 2012 is on Sunday. I made somewhat of a haste decision about 8 weeks ago to not run Boston even though I was extremely excited to qualify and register with the more selective qualifying requirements this year. My decision was made when I realized that my goal "A" race this year is Ironman Mont Tremblant (I will write more on my race schedule soon) and I would be taking away too much precious training time if I were to run Boston. I would be doing 2 things poorly instead of one thing well. Not to mention that I would probably have a slim to none chance of qualifying for 2013 without a proper taper with the 5 minutes faster requirement this year. Without running Boston, I needed another marathon to run to qualify for Boston 2013 before Ironman training starts. Within a day of ruminating about the different options, I had signed up for Disney Marathon based on the date of the race, the flat course and the opportunity to visit my mama in FLO- RIDA! :)

So, in the words of my sister, I am heading to "Mickey Mouse's House" to attempt a 2013 BQ of 3:34 this weekend.  My PR is a 3:36, so I am a bit apprehensive about hitting a 3:34 with such a short training plan. Hopefully the magic of Disney will bring me some good luck.

On the food front, I made this dish last week. It is a quick and easy meal. The lentil portion can be easily doubled to eat for leftovers.

Salmon with Dijon Lentils and Kale
Serves 4
4 pieces of wild caught salmon
1 yellow onion
1 shallot
2 cups of lentils (french, green or a trio blend is fine. Buy sprouted or soak before cooking)
1 bunch of kale (I used curly green kale, but lacinato or red kale is fine too)
2 TBSP olive oil
3 TBSP dijon mustard (if eating gluten-free, make sure you buy a gluten-free brand)*
salt and pepper to taste

Soak lentils in water for about 8 hours**. If you buy sprouted lentils, this step is unnecessary. Rinse lentils and cook the 2 cups of lentils according to package in 3 cups of water or broth in sauce pan. After cooking, drain any extra liquid.  
Heat olive oil in large skillet. Cook chopped onion and shallot in pan (about 5 minutes). Strip washed kale off stems and rip into small pieces. Add to skillet. After about 2 minutes, stir in lentils to skillet and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in salt, pepper and dijon mustard. You can add more or less mustard depending on taste.
Add olive oil to another large skillet and sear salmon in pan for about 4 minutes per side on medium high heat. Serve the salmon over lentils.

Enjoy!

*Many mustards contain gluten because of the vinegar used, so if you are eating gluten-free, make sure you chose a mustard that is certified GF. I use Organicville Dijon Mustard.

***Why soak the lentils? Soaking the lentils will remove enzyme inhibitors and provide better digestion of the lentils and better absorption of the vitamins and minerals present in the lentils. If you don't plan the the lentil soaking beforehand, you can soak for even a short amount of time for some of the benefit. You also can also buy already sprouted lentils for a bit more money:

Meghan's Morgan Hill Marathon and Sunflower Seed and Pumpkin Butter Brown Rice Tortilla wraps

3 weeks ago, my parents, Joe and I headed out to California to watch my sister Meghan run her first marathon. We stayed in Palo Alto, but the marathon was in Morgan Hill, which is located about 40 minutes south. The morning started off cool and in the 50s. Meghan was cold when she took off her jacket, so it was good we brought a trash bag to keep her warm until the 7:30am start.

We left Meghan at the start and drove out to Mile 3 to cheer her on as she passed. Our company included a dead deer on the side of the road and some very loud turkeys. I couldn't believe how desolate it was and that was the moment I realized it was going to be a quiet, lonely marathon for all the runners.

When we cheered, the turkeys squabbled loudly!

Meghan is in the purple tank top (for lululemon fans- Run:Swiftly in Royalty). Note the dead deer!

We had a couple of hours to kill before meeting Meghan at miles 18-19. We had quite an interesting breakfast experience to say the least, which left me with nothing to eat and starving. Let's just say Morgan Hill is not the place to go if you have food allergies or sensitivities. I fortunately found a Trader Joe's and was able to make a great on the go breakfast. I picked up bananas, brown rice tortillas, sunflower seed butter and pumpkin butter. I spread the sunflower seed butter and the pumpkin butter on the brown rice tortilla, topped with sliced banana and rolled it up and made a delicious wrap!

It was a great on the go breakfast, but it would be perfect for a recovery snack after a long ride or run. The pumpkin butter is a great seasonal treat that comes out in the fall. To be honest, I really bought it since I can't seem to get enough pumpkin in the fall and I was reminded by Averie's post at Love Veggies and Yoga that pumpkin butter was back.  Any other time of year, you can leave it out or substitute with jam or raw honey.

  

Why I love Sunflower Seed Butter:

One of the main reasons I love sunflower seed butter is that I can digest it much better than nut butters. It is also full of nutritional benefits.

-Excellent source of Vitamin E  - anti-inflammatory antioxidant that protects the body against free radicals

-Great source of Phytosterols- you know those labels on fake butter/margarine that claim to "lower cholesterol"? That is because the food manufacturers extract these phytosterols and insert in the processed foods. Sunflower seeds contain phytosterols in their natural state, which is more powerful since the whole food is working synergistically to provide your body with the cholesterol lowering benefits.

-Good source of Magnesium- lowers severity of asthma, migraine headaches. Magnesium counterbalances calcium and relaxes nerves and muscles. It is important to get a healthy balance of the both. Deficiency in magnesium can lead to muscle spasms, high blood pressure, muscle soreness and fatigue. 

And of course, I had to get my greens in, so I found Trader Joe's Essential Greens Juice which consisted of celery, spinach, parsley, kale, romaine and sprouts. It was a great convenient on the go green juice.

After the power breakfast, we parked ourselves between mile 18 and 19 and cheered for all the runners. It was so much fun cheering since we could see it in the runners' faces that they truly appreciated it especially since we were some of the only people out on the course supporting the runners. Meghan came by and Joe and I jumped in to run with her. 

She was looking strong and ready at a steady pace. We were running with the 4:00 pacer for a while who didn't have any runners with him. We chatted with him for a bit and then at mile 23 he stopped running all together! We kept going at a steady pace, the sun was beating down, the temperature was now in the 80s and Meghan was doing a great job battling the hills that kept coming up on us. 

It was weird to be the one not running the full distance. I have never jumped in as support for anyone and it was hard to know just what to do to be the best companion possible as you battle through the most grueling miles of your life. Even though she continued to look strong and run strong, I could just feel her pain as we ran miles 24-26. 

Mile 26! Meghan finishing strong as I amp up the crowd and get them cheering!

Meghan crossed the line with a time of 4:03. I am so happy for her and proud of her for finishing with not only a great time, but doing it on a desolate, lonely, hot and hilly course. I'm impressed she made it through the training which she did all by herself and while in college with all the studying (and partying!) pressures. To top things off, we found out a couple of days ago that she placed 2nd in her age group. Congratulations Meghan! We love you!

Butternut Squash and Rosemary Leek Soup

I love autumn. I love the cool crisp air, the vibrant colors of leaves changing, and most of all- the food that comes with the season. I love all of the apples, pumpkin and winter squashes. I was honored when I was contacted about creating a recipe for the Home Grown Challenge 2.0. I was especially thrilled that I was going to get to be able to create it with local autumn ingredients. The Home Grown Challenge 2.0 is something that Luke from Antler Agency set out to do for the second year in a row. He is only eating food that he grew on his farm in Western Massachusetts for the month of October. To learn more about Luke's challenge, you can visit here.
 As I looked over the list of food that Luke grew on his farm, I immediately knew that I had to create something with butternut squash. With the fall in full swing, I wanted to create something warm and with a creamy texture, but without using dairy. This soup satisfied that need! Check out Luke's write up on my recipe and other local food bloggers' recipes- here.


Butternut Squash and Rosemary Leek Soup:

1 generous serving- or 2 appetizer sized servings (you can easily double if you want more)

INGREDIENTS:

3 Cups Butternut Squash

1/3 Cup Leeks

1 tsp Fresh Rosemary (extra sprig for garnish)

2/3 Cup Water

1/2 tsp Sea Salt (optional since not harvested from the farm!)

METHOD:

Preheat 425 degrees. 

Peel and roughly chop butternut squash. 

Chop Leek

Place butternut squash and leek on cookie sheet and roast for 30 minutes.

After roasted, place roasted butternut squash, leek and rosemary (and optional salt) in blender. If using a Vitamix, the 2/3 Cup water can be warm water, (if regular blender, use boiling water). For Vitamix, blend on "hot soup" setting. For other blenders, blend for about 2 minutes. 

Pour out of blender (should be creamy consistency), garnish with extra rosemary sprig and ENJOY!!

Nutritional Benefits:
Butternut Squash:

-High in Vitamin B6: important for protein, fat and carbohydrate metabolism. Important for manufacturing muscle and hemoglobin- both critical for improved athletic performance.
-high fiber
-Great source of folate.
-abundance of carotenoids
-antioxidant rich
-boosts the immune system
- high in vitamin C
-studies show it is anti-inflammatory 
-source of omega 3s (though not as high as fish/flax or walnuts- it is a decent source)
-high in potassium
-insulin regulating properties that help control blood sugar


Leeks:

-Part of the Allium family. Contains many of the same potent benefits as onions and garlic
-High concentration of folate- very important for cardiovascular health,  for DNA synthesis and cell division. Important for everyone, but especially for athletes who have rapid cell turnover due to the intense work and pounding that they body goes through.
-Anti-oxidant rich- protect body against pro-inflammatory free radicals
-Contains compounds that convert to allicin which has been shown to lower cholesterol, reduce blood pressure as well as protects the body against blood clot formation.


Rosemary:

-increase circulation to improve brain function and transport blood to muscles
-powerful stimulant for improving digestion, and helps to soothe upset stomachs, stomach cramps and bloating
-anti-inflammatory and been shown to reduce severity of asthma, as well as anti-cancer properties
-High level of anti-oxidant agents to reduce free radical activity
-stimulates the liver to work more efficiently to feel more healthy and energetic, stimulates liver to flush out toxins.
-anti-septic and anti-bacterial - kills harmful bacteria without wiping out good bacteria in the gut
-relieves aching joints and overall muscle pain, headaches and tension in the body