Life Lately and Weekly Workouts (January 19)

Hi everyone! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! 

The weather warmed up here this weekend and I could not be more excited! The snow has significantly melted, which means that the roads and sidewalks will probably be covered in sheets of ice once it cools down again, but it was so wonderful to be able to get outside and enjoy some fresh air! I finally got a run outside on Friday and it was just amazing (more on that later in this post!). 

Ryan and I both decided to read more in 2015, and I finished reading my first book of the year this week! Ryan got me a bunch of interesting books on cooking science and baking chemistry (my favorite book topics=running science, food science, recipe books, because I’m a total geek), and this one was titled Culinary Reactions: The Everyday Chemistry of Cooking. I really enjoyed this book—chemistry was one of my favorite subjects in high school, and even though I don’t remember all the concepts now, this book taught me a lot about cooking and baking. 

Speaking of books, I’m excited to announce that I’m going to soon incorporate a new tab onto This Runner’s Recipes called “This Runner’s Library.” I want to share with all of you some useful books on recipes, running, training plans, and nutrition. 

I’m currently working through a couple of marketing and freelance writing books, but also through this essential book for runners: The Lore of Running. Some of it is pretty heavy on the science, but it offers invaluable information to runners new and experienced. Charlie also loves to snuggle up with a good book. 

This week we had some really delicious dinners. I experimented with making bean-based meatballs, which tasted great in both pasta and in wraps/sandwiches. Once I do another trial run and share the recipe, I’ll share it with you this week! We also roasted a turkey (yes, a whole 20 pound bird) to stretch throughout the week with spaghetti squash, sweet potatoes, roasted vegetables, and eventually make into soup. It’s the easiest way to eat healthy protein-rich and veggie-filled meals throughout the week and so delicious! (Sorry for the poor quality photo, our apartment doesn’t have the best lighting at night!)

Speaking of delicious, what’s better than creamy oatmeal in winter? I like to make mine with an egg whisked in (it gives it a rich texture!), some unsweetened applesauce for volume, and almonds and bananas. 

On Friday I gave the YakTrax Ryan got me for Christmas a try! The loop I was running on was somewhat cleared but had lots of long icy patches, so I decided to play it safe. The YakTrax are uncomfortable on any clear pavement portions, but work wonders on icy and snowy paths! I realized though that a long run was not the best time to try them, and cut my planned 10 miles down to 7 miles. 

My view on my run:

Charlie also enjoyed the warmer weather (it got up well into the 20s during the week and into the 30s over the weekend!):

Here’s a recap of my weekly workouts:
Monday: 7 miles easy on the treadmill, 1-2% incline, 59:59 (8:33/mile pace), plus a bit of yoga
Tuesday: 7 miles on the treadmill, 1% incline, with 3 miles at tempo pace (7:37/mile), followed by squats and planks
Wednesday: 5 miles easy on the treadmill, 1%-5% incline, 46:10 (9:14/mile), plus core work and strength training
Thursday: 4 miles easy on the treadmill, 1% incline, 35:04 (8:45/mile)
Friday: 7 miles easy outside, 59:12 (8:28/mile pace)
Weekly total: 30 miles 

I’m really ready to start upping my mileage over the next several weeks. This week the 7 mile runs felt so good and I really wanted to go longer on the other days. I’m also really hoping this week can include several outdoor runs!

Questions of the Day:
How was your weekend?
What books are you reading currently?