Running in circles

There is something about running in a loop that has always appealed to me.  It could be not having to see the same thing twice on a run.  Maybe it's because you never have that feeling of just trying to get to the halfway point so you can turn around and be heading back home.  Or perhaps you can just cover the most varied amount of terrain that way.  Whatever the reason, I have spent countless hours pouring over maps and guidebooks trying to find new places to run where I can connect trails together to create some form of a circular path.  And so this is how I found myself last Saturday trudging through 3 feet of snow on a northerly slope at 8500 ft, on a run that was supposed to be a nice dry trail run in 60 degree sunny weather.

Rewind a few hours and I am at my friend Bekah's kitchen table Saturday morning looking at a very basic trail map of the trail system in the foothills of the Sandia Mountains East of Albuquerque .  I was taking advantage of a trip to visit my wife's friend at her new place and scheming to get in a 17+ mile training run entirely on dry trails.  Living in the San Juans of Southern Colorado, you have to take advantage of any chance to get on a dry trail in the winter.  From thanksgiving on, it is usually 4 to 5 months of running on packed snow, pavement, and treadmills.

There were easily 75 miles of trails in the foothills system, and a trail head was 2 blocks from the front door.  With nearly all of the trails running along the base of the mountains at around 5000 feet,  I had plenty to choose from. It would have been very easy for me to pick a trail and run for 9 miles, turn around and run back home.  But my eyes kept going back to where the embudo trail connected with the embudito trail.  This junction was about 6 miles east of all the other trails (this was not a topo map, but basic logic should have told me east meant uphill, and uphill meant snow).  The embudito trail wound around to the north and connected back with one of the lower trails.  It looked like roughly the right distance and formed a near perfect circle.  I had a plan.

Bekah and Tracy ran with me for several miles to the beginning of the embudo trail.  I bid them happy trails, and told my wife I'd be back in 2 hours.  Within 10 minutes, it was clear I would be gaining some elevation.  I was scrambling on all fours up boulders and washed out stream beds.  My dog, Alpe, occasionally looking back as if to say "really, are you sure about this?".  But we continued up, up, up until almost an hour later, I had only gone another 4 miles.  I contemplated turning around.  Those thoughts fluttered away though as every twist in the trail looked like it may start heading downhill.  Another mile and I reached the junction with the embudito trail.  We were in the snow now.  It was well packed on the embudo trail, but looked as if there was significantly less traffic traveling forward down the embudito trail.   I looked at my meager map, looked at the gps, shivered a bit, ate some food, took 5 steps forward, then 10 steps back, only to return to my original position at the junction and look at the map again.  Alpe curiously watched this dance, eagerly waiting for the running to resume.  I put the map away, thought to myself "why not?" and took off down the embudito trail.

There had been little traffic the next mile or so and I often sank down to my thighs.  Chilly in shorts, to say the least.  I was initially relieved to see a better packed trail lower down, but that faded rapidly as I began to feel how slippery and uneven the packed snow was.  After almost 4 miles, I finally rounded a bend and was greeted by a blanket of sunshine and a blast of warm air.  Smooth sailing!  It wound up taking 3 and a half hours to cover the 16 miles and over 3000 feet of climbing, but I made it back, gloriously completing the loop.  Maybe next time I'll wait till spring to try this one again...

Moab Red Hot

Last weekend, my friend and training partner Justin, competed in the Moab Red Hot 50k.  I tagged along to cheer him on, find some dry trails to run on, and spend some time amongst the red rocks.  My end of the bargain involved cooking a post-race meal for Justin and company.  I'm pretty used to this, it seems like I am always being coerced into the kitchen during family gatherings, ski trips and the like and cooking for everyone.  Justin is a bit of a challenge however.  You see, his taste buds apparently stopped developing somewhere around age 13 and he has spent the last 18 years sustaining himself on hot dogs, macaroni and cheese and quesadillas.  To illustrate my point, on the way to Moab, we stopped at a Subway. Justin got a footlong sub with turkey, american cheese, and mayo on white.  That's it.  So that was my challenge for the weekend, produce a meal that Justin could eat that had plenty of nutrients and proper balance of fat, protein, and carbs needed after the draining effects running 33 miles has on the body.

The most important thing after expelling that much energy is simply to refuel.  This is easier said than done.  Running for 5-6 hours can reek havoc on anybody's digestive system and make eating anything seem like a monumental task.  Justin has a very sensitive stomach and is prone to poor post-activity eating habits (I have seen him complete a 40 mile mountain bike ride, have 2 beers and pass out till morning).  Given all of this, I decided to give flavor a higher priority than nutrition when selecting the menu.  I wound up using some rosemary pomegranate marinade leftover from valentines day to marinate some top sirloin steaks.  The steaks were pan seared and accompanied by a broccoli mac and cheese casserole and a salad.  I used whole grain shells for the pasta and Amy's Organic butternut squash soup to counterbalance the mountain of cheddar cheese. 


It should be noted that Justin did amazingly well in the race.  He blew away his goals finishing 32nd in his age group in 5 hours 50 minutes. (He also ate all of his dinner)



Rosemary Pomegranate Marinade
2/3 cup 100% pomegranate juice
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 sprigs fresh rosemary (stems removed)

Puree all ingredients in blender.  Marinate meat overnight reserving a little bit of marinade for brushing on while coooking.  This marinade would be delicious for a number of meats- pork tenderloin, lamb chops, steak, chicken breast...

Whole Wheat Shells and Cheese Casserole
 

16oz box whole wheat shells (you could substite penne or macaroni)
8oz shredded cheddar cheese
12oz can organic butternut squash soup
1 crown of broccoli (16oz bag of frozen)
salt and pepper to taste




1.  Bring large pot of water to a boil, add 1 tlbsp salt to water and put in pasta. Cook for 10 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 375
2.  While pasta is cooking, rinse and chop broccoli.
3.  Add broccoli to pot and cook for an additional 2 minutes. 
4.  Drain shells and broccoli in a colander and dump in a 9x13 baking pan.
5.  Add can of soup and half of cheese to pan and stir it around so everything is coated. Season with salt and pepper.
6.  Top with remaining cheese and bake uncovered for 12 minutes.
7.  It is done when cheese is melted and turning golden brown on the edges.


*There was no baking pan at our rental condo, so the picture shows the mac and cheese being baked in a large frying pan. This works too if you don't have a baking pan.

luck of the irish

I've always been a fan of a challenge, especially in the kitchen.  So I wasn't scared when my wife informed me that for her upcoming birthday, we would be having some friends over for a "country of origin" potluck.  This means that everyone brings a dish and a drink that pairs with it from whatever country their ancestral lineage began. 

Okay, I was a little frightened.  See, I'm Irish, and it's pretty obvious from the countless freckles and curly reddish hair and beard, so there was no getting around this one. As the husband of the host, and a restaurant owner, I have some expectations to live up to, and Irish food isn't exactly renowned in the culinary world.  To make things even more difficult, it's an unspoken rule in our home that the food prepared in our kitchen meet a certain level of healthiness, so bangers and mash or fish n chips were out of the question.


I began opening up recipe books and scouring the internet for some traditional Irish fare that would stand up to most discerning health nut out there.  The internet proved that for most people, "Irish" food consisted of adding Guinness or whiskey to whatever they're cooking and slapping the word Irish in front of the title.  Not only is that far from traditional Irish cuisine, but anyone hailing from the emerald isle wouldn't dare waste good drinkable liquor on cooking. 

In my quest for healthy Irish food, I stumbled upon a recipe for colcannon.  I initially disregarded the possibility of it because it was too simple.  It sounded like mashed potatoes with some cabbage added.  But then saw that some more modern Irish chefs were substituting kale for the traditional cabbage.  Jackpot.  I know from reading countless articles and books on diet and nutrition that kale is one of those "super foods".  In its raw state, kale is amazingly high in antioxidants, dietary fiber, and vitamins A,  C, B6, manganese, calcium, copper, and potassium!  


So I experimented around a little and found that not only could kale be used to make colcannon, but it was actually really tasty! This is a great way to sneak in a super healthy vegetable for someone who generally doesn't like their greens.  The kale doesn't even need to be cooked, so it retains virtually all of the nutrients and minerals.  Here's the details...


Colcannon 
makes 4 large servings

Ingredients:

6 good sized yukon gold potatoes
1 bunch kale
1 bunch leeks
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk
crumbled bacon (if desired)

Directions-

1. Rinse the potatoes and place them in a pot of salted water so they are completely covered.  Put on high heat and boil for about 45 minutes until they are soft.  (I leave the skins on because they contain extra nutrients and minerals, you can remove them if you don't like them)

2. While the spuds are boiling, rinse the kale and onions.

3. Chop the leeks.  (for leeks, you only use the white and light green portion)

4. Shred the kale.  As you are doing this, remove the ribs from the center of the leaf.  You can also use a food processor for this step if you have a big one or don't mind doing it in lots of small batches.  I prefer to use the knife.  Set kale aside, it will be added to the potatoes last.

 

5. Melt the butter in a medium sized sauce pan over low heat.  Add the leeks, turn the heat up to medium and saute for 3 or so minutes till the leeks are soft.  Add the milk, season with 1/2 tablespoon sea salt and a pinch of black pepper, bring to a simmer and then turn off the heat.  You will add this to the potatoes when you mash them.

6.  When potatoes are done, drain water, place potatoes back in the pot and place the entire pot in a hot oven for 10 minutes.  (this is a secret for making light and fluffy mashed potatoes, so the only liquid in them is the milk and butter, not heavy water!)

7. Remove pan from oven (careful, it's hot!) and add milk mixture and kale and mash by hand until there are no lumps, unless you like lumps, then stop mashing when the colcannon reaches your desired consistency.

8. Garnish with bacon if desired (I used green onions and didn't feel it was lacking anything)


*Tip- If you are pressed for time, you can cut the potatoes into 1" cubes prior to boiling and it should only take 10-15 minutes to cook them.

sign me up!

While it may not be the first race I've ever signed up for, it is the longest.  Also, the only one I ever had to set my alarm just to register.  Even 15 minutes before registration "officially" opened at 7am today, there were 52 people signed up for the 200 person field in the San Juan Solstice 50.  That's five zero, as in fifty miles! When asked to enter my expected finish time, I hastily calculated about 11 hours based on previous races without fully realizing that meant I would actually be on my feet and running for over 600 minutes.  And that was optimistically assuming that I could maintain at least 80% of my pace in similar trail marathons.  So, giving little consideration to the full ramifications of my actions, I became number 53 and promptly went back to bed.

Who could blame me?  I was going to need my rest if I expected to put forth all the effort needed to prepare myself physically (and mentally) for half a day of suffering up and down the San Juan mountains surrounding Lake City, CO.  Truth be told, I began the training process already and was drained from the 14 mile training run yesterday.  

An early start on training is essential to work up to 50 miles over the next five months.  A large amount of calories will also be necessary.  Not just any calories either, it has got to be the correct ratio of carbs to proteins to fats, and the right kind of fats too, and at the right time, and consumed with the proper amount of water, and oh don't forget salt and electrolytes.  But don't forget taste! It's hard to remember with all the tidbits of nutrition and diet advice we are barraged with daily that food is actually supposed to taste good! My purpose here is provide some direction for anyone looking for ways to make the food we eat taste good!

So enough long-winded introduction and onto the food.  This is a recipe for a well rounded dinner that is suited for the day after a race or a long training effort when getting the proper nutrients, carbs, proteins and fats to starved muscles is essential for quick recovery (so you can run again tomorrow).  Salmon is a good choice because it contains both protein and healthy fats (a five ounce filet will contain about 25 grams protein and 15 grams of fat).  The olive oil used in the salsa helps even out your fats and proteins.  A good basic rule to follow while training is to balance your meals with 4 parts carbs, 1 part protein and 1 part fat.  Many people try to avoid fat altogether, but this is a mistake.  Fat provides the most concentrated form of energy from food.  In order to take in enough calories to endure long training bouts, fat is essential. It is also what makes food satisfying, sends signals to our brains that the stomach is full, and keeps you full longer.  Fish is an excellent source of fat as it contains essential fatty acids.  Polenta is made almost entirely of corn which is an excellent choice for a whole grain carbohydrate.  Adding some steamed vegetables rounds out this meal with simple carbohydrates.  Don't be afraid of adding a little salt to the veggies since extended training runs exhaust your sodium supplies.

Salmon with Roasted Tomato Salsa and Grilled Polenta

Serves 4

Ingredients
4 five ounce salmon filets (skin on)
2 tablespoons olive oil (plus extra for brushing salmon and polenta)
1 teaspoon blackening spice
1 teaspoon sea salt 
5 roma tomatoes
1 onion sliced 
1 oz fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Polenta (see following recipe or buy a tube of pre-made polenta in your grocery store)

1. Pre-heat your grill to 400

2. Cut the tomatoes in half and toss in a mixing bowl with onion slices, olive oil, blackening spice and sea salt.

3. Allow mixture to set for 5 minutes so the tomatoes can soak up the olive oil the dump entire mixture on hot grill.  Use tongs to flip tomatoes and onions after 3 minutes and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.  Use tongs to remove tomatoes and onions and place back in bowl.  

4. Add basil leaves and garlic, mix ingredients together and pulse in a food processor or blender.
Salsa is now done, set aside while you finish the rest

5. If using store bought polenta in a tube, slice into 4 equal parts and pack down into 1/2 inch thick patties.  If using the homemade recipe, slice the loaf into 1/2 inch thick patties.

6. Brush flesh side of salmon and both sides of polenta cakes with olive oil and place on hot grill (flesh side first for salmon).  Season salmon with a little blackening spice.

7. Cook polenta and salmon filets for 5 minutes and flip.
Cook an additional 5 minutes and remove from grill.
**Cooking time can vary depending on how thick your salmon is.  When the inside of the flesh turns from ruby red to light pink, the fish is done.  The polenta just needs to be heated up, it's really good to get the outside a little bit crispy.

8. Top the salmon and polenta with the roasted tomato salsa and serve with steamed vegetables.

Polenta

Ingredients

4 cups water
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup polenta flour (you can use cornmeal or masa harina, but the coarser, the better)


1. Bring water, oil, and salt to a boil

2. Slowly pour in polenta flour while stirring

3. Lower heat to medium, if polenta gets "angry" take off heat and slowly stir in the same direction until it calms down

4. Continue stirring over medium-low heat, it will get very thick. The polenta is done when it begins to peel away from the sides of the pan and a thin crust forms on the bottom.  this entire process takes about 20 minutes.  Don't try to rush it as higher heat just angers the polenta.

5. Scoop thick mix into a greased loaf pan and put in fridge to cool for 30 minutes

6. Once cooled, you can slice into patties and polenta is ready to be brushed with olive oil and grilled!