Chai Brussels Sprouts

I couldn’t decide what I wanted to eat tonight.  So I ate a little bit of everything.  Problem solved.

I’ve been seriously lacking in the fruits and veggies department lately.  This is highly unusual for me, so I was craving all kinds of produce at dinner.

An apple with peanut butter.

Kale Chips.

Chai Tea Brussels Sprouts. Yes, you read that right.  Chai. Tea. Brussels. Sprouts. It sounds weird, but give it a shot.

• Ingredients: Brussels sprouts, olive oil, 1 chai tea bag
• Instructions: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Wash and cut the brussels sprouts.  Toss with olive oil.  Cut open the tea bag and sprinkle some of the tea leaves over the brussels sprouts (I only used about half the bag).  Roast for 15 minutes.

It is super easy, and gives the brussels sprouts a sweet and spicy flavor.  I’m sure it would work with other teas, as well.  Try it!

And a little bit of mac ‘n’ cheese.

All together now:

I love having a bunch of mini dishes instead of one big main dish!

I’m going to go crack open our bottle of Hallowine from yesterday, and enjoy a glass with one of the pumpkin brownies that just came out of the oven.  Recipe to come tomorrow. Bonus:  they could be made vegan very easily!

How did you spend your Sunday?

PS:  Giveaway!  Eating Bird Food is hosting a eggcellent giveaway from Cookware.com for Rachael Ray Cookware! Giveaway ends 10/30.  Go now to enter!

My First 15K!!

I finished my first 15K!  😀

Pre-race fuel:

Almond butter + pumpkin butter + sandwich thins. And some water, of course. During the race, I also ate about 2 Sports Beans at mile 4, and another 2 at mile 6.

I had just left my apartment when I heard a horn behind me.  Kelley and Jenny just happened to be following me to the race. Of course, a parking lot picture was necessary!

Jenny, Kelley and their dad did the relay option for the 15K, with each of them running a 5K.  The “baton” that they were supposed to hand off was a hair “scrunchie.”  It was cute. 🙂

The First Leg

If you follow me on Twitter, you know that it was supposed to rain this morning.  The forecast also called for sub-40 degree weather.  Despite our worries about the weather, it ended up being a perfect day.  Sunny, dry, and mid-40s.  Running through crunchy yellow and red leaves.  Beautiful.

The first 5K was a breeze.  At the mile mark, I was astonished to hear that I was running a 10:15 pace!  I finished the 3.1 miles in about 32:25…not too shabby!

The hand-off location after both the first and second legs of the race were in the same spot, so I saw Jenny and her parents cheering me on at the end of the first 5K.  Jenny was nice enough to take my headband from me, because it was too warm.  Thanks, Jenny 🙂

The Second Leg

I was not a fan of the second 5K.  It was full of some huge hills.  As Kelley put it, “I think we were running up or down the entire time!”

Around mile 4.5, my IT band started acting up.  I felt like my leg was going to go out from under me, so I stopped once or twice for a quick stretch.  Once I hit the 6-mile mark, I was grateful that my knee felt normal again.  Otherwise, I don’t think I would have made it the last three miles!

Because the route loops backwards on itself, Kelley and I passed each other going in opposite directions.  It was fun to cheer each other on. 🙂

My time for the second 5K was approximately 35:20.  I blame it on the hills. 🙂

The Third Leg

The third leg was almost identical to the first leg, which was nice.  It was easier to judge how much distance I had left.

Kelley, Jenny, and their dad finished well before I did.  Kelley & Jenny were sweet enough to hang around the finish line to cheer me on.  Since my camera was in their car, Kelley even took pictures for me.  Thanks, dear. 🙂

1:42:30!!! That’s an 11:01-pace!

I’m so proud of this race!!  Back in January, I couldn’t even run one mile.  In June, I was running 15:00 miles.  Look how far I’ve come.  😀

My half-marathon is in 19 weeks.  I’m pretty sure I can work my way up to 13.1 miles by then!

I needed some serious hydration and protein after my run, so I broke out half a bagel and a Renew Glo Bar:

I adore this Glo Bar. It was creamy and smooth, nutty and just slightly sweet.  Exactly what I needed after a long, tiring run.  These bars will definitely be reappearing after my longer training runs, and the half marathon itself.

Thank you, Kelley and Jenny, for sticking around after you were done.  Your team did awesome (1:28 ?!!), and it was so nice to see friendly faces after my big accomplishment!

When I got home, I mixed up a cup of skim milk with half a packet of Tera’s Whey Wolfberry.  Mmmm…. protein and carbs = recovery.

To celebrate my new PDR (my second PDR this week!), I mixed up some Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pancakes:

While they cooked, I did some serious stretching.  I especially focused on my hamstrings, so my lower back is only moderately tight.  Thanks for the tip, Jessica!  You’re such a good blogger-friend. 😉

For the rest of the day, I’ll be rehydrating, icing, and getting some homework done.  Back later for a dinner post!

What’s your proudest fitness accomplishment? This race is definitely mine!