February 12, 2012

Real Foods Challenge: Day 12 (Trying lots of new snacks)

Almost always, after two days off of running, I start to get the urge to run. I don't think my body likes having more than two rest days in a row. Today was technically a rest day, but I really felt like running, so I decided to give the Garmin foot pod another try.

I dressed in my running clothes and took out the foot pod. I crossed my fingers as I turned on the Garmin watch, hoping that it would pick up the signal from the foot pod. No such luck. I had the watch scan for it over and over, and nothing. I changed the battery. Nada.

As a last resort before I put it back in the package, I thought, "What if I need to move around with it for the watch to sense that the foot pod is moving?" Makes no sense, but I was desperate. I gave the foot pod a shake for a second or two in my hand, and viola! The watch picked up the signal.

I decided to set the treadmill at an easy pace and leave it for three miles to see what the discrepancy was between the foot pod and the treadmill readings. I set the treadmill at 5.7 mph (10:31/mi pace) and ran the three miles according to my Garmin, which said I was going faster than the treadmill.

I have NOT calibrated the foot pod, so I'm not going to question the accuracy until I calibrate the foot pod on a track. But I've always wondered how accurate my treadmill is, because I always feel like I'm working much harder than what it reads. A 10:31/mi pace today felt more like a 10:00/mi pace. According to my Garmin, I was running a 9:38/mi pace. I don't think I was going THAT fast. Anyway, here were the results:


2.76 miles; 10:31/mi pace
It will be interesting to see the difference after I calibrate the foot pod. I'll do the same "test run" and compare the numbers then. I'm guessing it'll be somewhere in-between the two... more like a 10:00/mi pace.

I'm glad I ended up running because I had forgotten that I signed up to run three miles as part of Lori's Healthy Heart Weekend. I didn't have anyone around to take my picture, so I'll just have to make do with the Garmin picture.



My food log was all over the place today. I snacked a lot. I tried out a couple of dessert recipes made with "real" foods. One was terrible. The other was good--not great, but definitely better than the first. The first one I made was called Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge. Sounds awesome, right? You all know how much I LOVE the chocolate/peanut butter combo. However, it ended up tasting like banana with the texture of refried beans. Everyone in the family tasted it and agreed to throw it in the trash.


The second one was called Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies--which was basically just a Larabar-like recipe, only it uses raisins instead of dates. I rolled them into balls instead of making them in cookie shapes.


I liked these, but Jerry and the kids did not. I think they would be good for a post-run snack. I used my mini food processor and made half the recipe so that I wouldn't be a pig again and eat them all. (Well, I *did* eat them all, but it only made the four small balls you see above). I don't think I could ever make dough-like balls of anything and not eat it all at once.

I made shrimp for dinner, and it was really good! I sauteed it in a little butter, then added a touch of cream and garlic and parmesan cheese--so it was kind of like an alfredo sauce. But only enough sauce to lightly coat the shrimp. Then I had sauteed Brussels sprouts on the side. You'll be seeing the sprouts a lot, because I bought a huge bag of them at Sam's Club :)


Food log for today:
Breakfast--usual oats cooked in milk with dates, walnuts, and pure maple syrup
Lunch--leftover fajita
Dinner--shrimp with alfredo sauce, sautéed Brussels sprouts
Snacks--dates, pistachios, spoonful of peanut butter, a bite of "fudge", peanut butter/raisin balls shown above

I feel like I've been blogging way too much about food lately--it's only because of this challenge I'm doing. Next month I'll go back to normal stuff.



My mood is definitely starting to improve, and I actually shared a few belly laughs with Jerry today. However, I'm filled with dread (but maybe a little excitement!) about tomorrow... I have my first double-digit run of marathon training! Ten miles, and it's supposed to be a low of 12 degrees and a high of 34 degrees. Jessica and I decided to wait until noon to run so that it's a little warmer, and it's supposed to be around 30 degrees then.


We got dumped on with snow a couple of days ago, so I hope that the trails are clear. I'm not sure if I should wear my Icespike'd shoes or my regular ones. Oh, and speaking of my running shoes... yesterday, when I was working on my FAQ page, I was going to include a link to my running shoes on Amazon (a lot of people ask what shoes I wear).

So I went to Amazon to include the link, and I noticed that there was only one left in stock of my size. They were only $80 (because they were the 2011 model), so I ended up ordering them instead of linking them ;)  I don't need shoes right now, but I know I'm going to in about a month or two, so I figured I'd just do it and save $20. The 2012 model is even more expensive, at about $110. 

So anyway, with a 10-miler tomorrow, I definitely am going to lay off the wine tonight! I still haven't touched the stuff since last Sunday. I don't even know that I'll be ready to drink wine again at Winers this month! ;) Definitely going to stick to less than 10 ounces from here on out.


21 comments:

  1. I'm interested to see how it goes with your Garmin once you calibrate it. I have the Nike+ thing, and it's always really different from my treadmill.

    And, I'm sorry, but those no-bake cookies look like turds...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hahahahahaha. this comment made me absolutely laugh out loud!

      Delete
  2. I'm also looking forward to reading about your dreadmill vs. your Garmin. Like you, I always feel like the dreadmill is so much harder (faster?).

    And your brussel sprouts look amazing! How did you cook them?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Brussels sprouts are super easy--I just heat a skillet with a little bit of oil (I use safflower, but any will do) and quarter the sprouts. Saute them until they turn a little brown and crispy :)

      Delete
  3. So what shoes DO you wear? :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wear Brooks Adrenaline. I've tried other shoes, but I always go back to these ones. They have a nice wide toe box so my toes don't get squished (I haven't lost a toenail yet!). And they come in wide sizes, which I need.

      Delete
  4. I also have the Nike foot pod thing and yes, you have to move to activate it.
    How about rice pudding as an easy family dessert?

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am the polar opposite of someone who does not read your FAQ's, because I think I have them memorized. I must be part stalker! LOL.

    Note to Paula - Katie wears Brooks Adrenaline. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Omg your shrimp looks so good! Your cooking always looks so good! Can I have dinner at your house? haha Preferably on fajita night!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm so glad you were able to figure out the Foot Pod! I'm going to buy myself a Garmin this week and I really wanted the foot pod to go with it, but you had me worried...glad you found the "trick"!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Those balls look so yummy! If I had the ingredients I would get out of bed and make them right now, at 1:30 in the morning! Can't wait to try those!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I can't believe that it doesn't say the foot pod will activate with motion anywhere in the manual. And with all of that fiddling with it, it didn't go on!

    ReplyDelete
  10. You know I never thought about my treadmill being wrong.....I am not sure why but I always assume my nike+ is wrong and not the treadmill. They never seem to match even after I calibrate, it seems like if you calibrate at one speed and then run at a different one it doesn't read it correctly. I wonder how we can find out how accurate our treadmills are....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know! I am such a nerd that I might try and figure out a way to see how accurate my treadmill is. Somehow measuring the belt, and then counting the number of times it rotates. Did I mention I'm a total numbers nerd?! lol

      Delete
  11. I also would love to know what shoes you wear...I have been wanting to ask :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi! I've been reading your blog for about a month and half now as I am on my journey to a healthier weight and you are such an inspiration! I always chuckle though whenever you mention the weather or a landmark. I live in Michigan too and I think we might not be too far. I cracked up when you mentioned that you were at the mall in Dearborn not long ago... I work at the University across the street!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I had the nike+ and I would have to walk around for the sensor to work with my nano. I much prefer having something that is tracking my steps than a treadmill. To me, there really is no way for a treadmill to know exactly what your doing.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I never get bored reading about the food you eat, even when it's not a natural food month! I guess I just like reading about and seeing pictures of food. What an addict I am! SAD.

    We have had substantial snow here, with more last night and more predicted today and tomorrow. Isn't winter over yet? Unlike you, I do not go out for my exercise, which is just walking, when there's snow/ice on the ground. When I was reading about your Icespike'd shoes, I remembered reading that blog back when you got them. And I was thinking, I would FALL. Sure as Hell, I would fall and break my hip. See---that's the kind of things us old folks worry about. Hope the 10 miles went well.

    I made some sweet balls a while back, it was just raisins, almonds and cinnamon, in the blender, then you could make them into bars or balls. Unfortunately, I too ate them all. I don't know if anybody else would have liked them, but this sweet deprived woman sure did! I don't think I even told anybody else about them! The shrimp looks yummy too, I might try that tonite, I have a bag of shrimp in my freezer that calls to me everytime I open the door. And I have got to get some Brussels sprouts--those look delicious. Thanks for the easy instructions on how to cook them!

    ReplyDelete
  15. You're doing great with the whole foods challenge! I would say that 90% of our food is whole foods, but that 10% that isn't is probably what keeps me from becoming a crazy lunatic woman who needs her frozen yogurt and occasional cupcake.

    I've been eating roasted brussel sprouts like crazy, can't get enough right now. I just made a warm butternut squash and garbanzo bean salad with a tahini dressing. So flippin' good. Let me know if you want the recipe, I'll email it to you.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I love following your blog! I just wanted to make a comment about posting your shoes on your FAQ page... everyone's feet are different. Different lengths, width, and so much more. I went to a local running shoe store a few years back (Road Runner Sports) and had them do a complete evaluation of my feet. They measured the length, width, arch, even the distance between my toes, etc... they even had me run barefoot on a treadmill while they recorded my movements to see how I ran. Part of me thought it was all a bit ridiculous but I was so glad I did. They recommended the best type of running shoe based on my foot... I ended up trying several pairs of shoes and found the one most comfortable for my feet. I wear a size 8 when I'm overweight but they told me I needed to wear a size 9 running shoe, at minimum, to allow plenty of room for my toes (I actually went in with black toenails on both feet because my previous shoes were just too small, even though they were "my size" - in addition to getting achilles tendinitis from the poor fitting shoes). Ok, so my very long comment is leading to this point - you may want to recommend others to search for a shoe based on their own feet, because the shoe that works great for you is probably a great shoe - but it's not necessarily ideal for everything. (My apologies if you already had intended to do this - it's just I know how expensive quality running shoes are - and it would be shame for someone to order your shoes only to discover they aren't the best fit for them). Although, I am a bit curious as to which running shoe you like best. Personally, I was torn between the Asics Gel Nimbus and the Nike Vomero (they both felt amazing). I ultimately went with the Nike Vomero after a short "test run" in each shoe on the treadmill at the store. :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're absolutely right, and I ALWAYS recommend that people get fitted for the right shoe. I used to get tendonitis from wearing ill-fitting shoes, and it was solved by getting fitted for shoes at a running store.

      Delete

I used to publish ALL comments (even the mean ones) but I recently chose not to publish those. I always welcome constructive comments/criticism, but there is no need for unnecessary rudeness/hate. But please--I love reading what you have to say! (This comment form is super finicky, so I apologize if you're unable to comment)

Featured Posts

Blog Archive