October 2012 – Adele Josephine

Yes, I can walk!

So it is two days post half marathon and the question from everyone is how are you feeling? Are you recovering well? Well all I have to say is the Central PA Team in Training Run Coach Mike Thompson trained us WELL! There were days during the dog days of summer that the team (well mostly ME) was literally screaming expletives at him because of the crazy hill runs that he had us complete, BUT when it came time for the actual race in Hershey…we were praising Coach Mike because the course was not too bad.

And two days post race, I can walk! I actually feel amazing. I thought about going for a run tonight, but I remember the rules, giving your body rest…time to repair and heal is just as important as pre race prep. So I will continue to rest and relax…YOGA tomorrow night. And the Zombie race on Saturday!!!! Yes, I will be sure to write all about that one. I am sure I will have some interesting stories.

I just wanted to take a moment to thank Coach Mike (and all of the TNT Coaches and Mentors) for taking me from walker to a “turtle (ie. slow runner) in 41/2 months. Turtles rule you know. We start slow, we end slow, but we have endurance to finish the race.

Run Happy!

My Twist on Pumpkin Pasta

I love Fall especially Halloween, and I thought that this creamy pasta dish sounded marvelous for a chilly October evening evening….

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pasta

6 ounces of gluten free pasta

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

3/4 cup natural chicken broth

1/4 cup almond or coconut milk

1 teaspoon butter

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 pinch ground cloves

1 pinch ground nutmeg

1 pinch ground cinnamon

1 pinch ground ginger

1/4 grated Parmesan cheese

Directions for cooking:

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the penne, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.

Heat the pumpkin puree, chicken broth, milk, margarine, onion powder, black pepper, salt, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger in a large skillet over low heat until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the drained pasta, and toss with the Parmesan cheese.

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes…the Daily Dish

Completion of My First Half Marathon…13.1 – Only half Crazy!

Hershey Half Marathon – Sunday, October 21, 2012

So there I am holding my finishers medal at aproximately 11:08 Sunday morning…smiling and proud of my accomplishment. I enjoyed some post race time with my family and friends and then off to lunch for some gluten free food (Piazza Sorrento in Hershey, PA, for all of you who are looking for gluten free, pasta appetizers and decent BREAD) Yes, I continued to drink water and choose a gluten free turkey sub with garlic mayo. After lunch it was time to go home to stretch while taking a hot hot shower – my after run ritual).

I didn’t know what to expect post-race as I have never done anything like this in my life. I was very tired, a “little” sore and just wanted to sleep. Nap time came at 2 PM and it was a three hour nap. Up at 5 PM and very nauseous. I decided to cook dinner – maybe that would help…I had no gumption to head to the grocer, so I looked around the kitchen and began to create a heatlhy dinner. Chicken breast, tomatoes, basil, mozzarella cheese, and sweet potatoes made the cut. I whipped up a balsamic vinegar reduction with a tiny bit of light brown sugar, marinated some chicken in an organic Italian Marinade and made some whipped sweet potatoes with almond milk, butter, and again some light brown sugar – baked with walnuts on top. It was delicious….my body started to feel better! The rest of the night was spent relaxing and watching the television until it was time to sleep. Wondering if I would be able to walk in the morning?!