Runners Love Chili

BECAUSE

• it has lots of protein.
• includes plenty of minerals like Iron.
• has plenty of fiber!
• goes well with cornbread, corn chips or garlic bread.
• and (if you make enough) you can have seconds

DIY

RECIPE
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Chunky Veggie Chili

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 can Kidney beans
- 1 can Black beans
- 1 tablespoon oil, Olive
- 1 Garlic clove, Minced
- 1 Onion, Chopped
- 2 stalks Celery, Chopped
- 1/2 cup Carrot, Sliced
- 10 Mushrooms, Quartered
- 1 Green or Red Pepper, Chopped
- 1 Zucchini, Chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon Basil, Dill, Oregano
- 1 tablespoon Cumin
- 1/4 tsp Tabasco
- 1 tablespoon Chili powder, To taste
- 1 can 28 oz Plum Tomatoes, Diced
- 1 1/2 cups V-8 Juice, Low sodium
- 1 tablespoon Tomato paste

METHOD:

In large pot, heat oil add onion, celery, carrots, peppers and garlic. Sauté for about 15 minutes.(Don't scorch the garlic!)
Add mushrooms and zucchini and cook for another 5 minutes.
Sprinkle in spices, stir for a few minutes.
Rinse canned beans – discard liquid. (This gets rid of the extra salt and reduces gas forming issues...)
Then stir in V-8 juice, tomatoes, beans, tomato paste and Tabasco sauce.
Simmer for at least 1 hour. The longer the better!

NOTES:

May use a variety of beans, and add ingredients like crumbled Veggie burgers, sausage, baked tofu, tvp, pre-cooked bulger wheat.
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Really Old Pulse Monitor

1881 direct sphymograph
Apparently invented by E.J.Marey



No, I’m not running with that on my arm!
In fact this weekend – I will be running my race [Eugene Half-marathon] sans the Garmin. But I will be wearing a watch!

Advantages

• I can set my own pace. (Occasionally sneaking a peak at the mile markers.)
• Frees up my left hand. (It’s too big to wear on my wrist.) So I can give by-standers the High five.
• Won’t be distracted by scrolling through screens.
• Don’t have to worry about negative splits. (Well might do some math along the way.) “Most athletes perform better if they run the second half of a race slightly faster than the first half.”
• Less chance of getting mugged and robbed. Though I will still have valuables on me, such as a cell phone and mp3 player. And my lucky dollar.

Disadvantages

• Have no idea how fast I'm starting. (Must start slow…)
• Have no idea how far I’ve gone – if I miss a mile marker.
• Won’t be able to map my memorable run in Google Earth.
• No handy compass. Never know - might get lost along the way.
• No one will ask me, “Just how fast are we going?”

Trivia

• We owe the second hand on watches to physician Sir John Floyer (1649-1734), who used it to time his patients' pulse.

Above image - Wellcome Images - 2000 Years of Human Culture

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Earth Day 2009

Looking at this map, you can appreciate just how big the surface of Mother Earth is! Unfortunately, through my lifetime, I’ve only experienced a small part of her grand territory. But of what I have seen, I’ve made note of.
I never ignore a fresh breeze or the tiny hum of a bumblebee. Events like these make my day special.
So take a moment today - get in touch with the planet and appreciate just how lucky we are to be here. Keep on running.

“Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.”
-- Kahlil Gibran

Top Earth Day Activities and Tips
5 Healthy Ways to Celebrate

Above image: Wiki

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11 Days To Go!

Starting to get a little nervous - not really worried, as I was able to complete a 10 mile race with plenty of steam, just nervous... I suspect these pre-race jitters are part of the overall excitement.
11 days to go!
Today's paper said there was a 10% increase in registered runners. So far, 7000 have registered for all the events. Race director predicts there will be 3,000 finishers in the half-marathon and over 2,000 in the full marathon.
It seems the half-marathon is steadily becoming a favorite race for all runners.
Tomorrow will be my last long training run before the event. My challenge is to beat last years time – even if only by 30 seconds... Wish me luck!

Above Logo - from the inaugural Eugene Marathon in 2007

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No Goal Today

Something we need to strive for – if we want to live in the moment. Running for the pure joy of running. Feeling your legs take you along for the ride. Imagine a place where it’s always sunny and warm…

And I was doing OK till I noticed the track was EMPTY. As I stepped onto the giving surface, I had to struggle with the desire to time the laps. Instead, I just felt the softness of the surface and the warmth of the heat rising from the black.

Yeah I had a great run. No goal - no disappointment.

And cyktrussell – you don’t need an excuse to slow down and enjoy your run. Just Do It.!

Above quotes:
"The goal is not to have a goal." - John Cage
"Just Do It" - Nike

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Running Blogs – How and Why? TiaRT

This week’s theme at Runner's Lounge TIaRT is.... Running Blogs - How and Why? Share your tips for how you use your blog to help your running. Talk about how/why you started, what keeps you blogging and how you use it to keep you running.

How



You can keep track of your runs on various sites (like MapMyRun) but if you want to explore your own reasons for running (and living) I recommend keeping a personal blog also.
I’ve been using the Blogger platform since 2/17/03. It was choppy in the beginning and you had to host your own images. But now, I highly recommend them. (Despite the Google involvement.)
They have evolved into a very friendly user mechanism for blogging. There are lots of layouts to choose from plus you can easily personalize them with your own style. They use Picasa to store your images which can be directly posted in your blog. And all of this is FREE!
Two other components I like about Blogger is the search bar – great for recollecting moments like this. The other is their tag system - they call Labels. A very easy system to file your data. Links to any tags you list can be included in your post - giving readers the option to explore.

Why



I started this Blog – Between the Miles to keep track of my progress while training for my first half marathon. It not only helped me stay on course : ) but the comments I received spurred me onward.
Being able to write down problems enables me to collaborate with runners who have more expertise than I. This rich pool of resources is not only helpful but reveals – "you are not alone!"
But I’d have to say, the number one reason I continue to blog is the gift of encouragement I receive from all my readers. (Thank-you!)

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The Good, the Sad, and the Ugly

Race Recap - 10 mile Pear Blossom race

The Good

• Was able to connect with other runners in the race using Twitter. Extra fun - a local news station reporter set up a time to interview me via a tweet. (No, I didn’t get my 30 seconds of fame.)
• Maintained my half-marathon race pace to discover I had lots of steam at the end.
• I was dressed just right! The weather was perfect for running!
• Lots of police on motorcycles controlling traffic.
• Enjoyed seeing old buildings in the city.
• A young girl was handing out Twizzlers at the 9 mile mark.

The Sad

• The race organizers did not time the 5k entries. There were over a thousand runners.
• I did not sleep much the night before – despite bringing my own pillow.
• Discovered the lotion I used at the hotel, to massage my feet with, was hair conditioner.
• Witnessed an expensive iPod skip across the asphalt. I wonder if the guy had to run the rest of the race in silence.
• Spotting the halfway mark in the far distance, after climbing up and over the hill.
• The post race raisin bread – had no raisins just cinnamon chips. (But still tasted pretty good.)

The Ugly

• Despite maintaining my half-marathon pace and coming in sooner than expected, I felt deflated when seeing the final race results. I wasn’t even in the top half...

Swag

• Bright orange hand towel.

Fav T-shirt Words

“Paris Rome Frankfurt” For that international flavor.
“That’s How I Roll” Possibilities - roller derby gal, a pastry chef or a pot smoker?

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Easy Race Registration

Received a race reminder from active.com
I like how the registration process for races is evolving. It’s almost too easy now… Not only can you register online – but you can confirm your entry by looking up a name or number.
Some of the sites also send out friendly reminders like this one:



A few places let you dig into their data base and look at all the runners registered so far. I love this option as you can check out where everyone is from and MOST importantly – how many are in your age group.


Links:
Active.com
SignMeUp.com
GetMeRegistered.com

Good Luck to all the runners competing in races this weekend.
Tip: Save the chocolate bunnies for after the race.

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On Mindfulness

Today I got up at 6:45 despite an eyeball headache and lack of sleep. It's Monday - my morning to walk the dog.
As I walked along the trail with the sun just glazing the Coburg Hills,
I realized instead of taking this all in, I was busily planning my day – where to run, what to wear, shopping list add-ons, etc...



I glanced down at my dog. She was truly IN THE MOMEMT – sniffing the wind, head up, looking at the path.
In that moment, I came back.
It is not an easy task - for me anyways - to be in the moment.
I believe the term coined for this is mindfulness.
It grounds us in the present.
So during today’s run - I spent 20 minutes – unplugged, just listening to my breath, my heartbeat, the rhythm of my footsteps. Reconnecting with the pleasure of running.

Life is not a someday thing
or a one day thing.
It is a right now,
everyday thing.
Life is in the living,
every hour of every day.
- source unknown

Other Things We Can Learn from Dogs

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Jogger - not a Runner?

Just finished off an informative article in this month's Runner’s World on Kara Goucher, my namesake. And, after going over her daily routines, I feel totally unqualified to call myself a runner.

Comparisons:

Kara G is 30 years old.

Kara R is older!

Sometimes runs twice a day.

Feels lucky to run once a day.

Runs everyday when training.

Runs 3-4 times a week -> 52 weeks year.

Has been known to wear a 10 pound vest running.

Owns a fleecy vest she wears in the winter.

Has a fancy treadmill.

Has a sturdy elliptical in her bedroom.

Listens to Nickelback.

Listens to Nickelback.

Strength training nearly every day.

Goes to the gym once a week – Swings the Kettlebell twice a week.

Wears bun shorts.

Wears shorts with 3 inch inseam.

Has a massage therapist.

Gets a daily massage from FS : )

Has a sports psychologists.

Reads twitter updates by other runners.

Eats eggs and cheese, or oatmeal for breakfast.

Eats oatmeal, Cream of Wheat with raisins and toast!

Takes Ice baths.

Soaks in Hot baths with a LUSH soap presence.

Takes easy runs on Sundays.

Never runs on Sundays. (Unless it's a race day!)

Maybe I should change my handle from runnerkara to joggerkara?

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Good Luck Kara Goucher at The Boston Marathon.

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