Week in Review 4/25/10 - 5-1/10

Monday:  5 mile run
Tuesday:  30 minutes yoga, 4 mile run with Jerry
Wednesday:  30 minutes yoga
Thursday:  10 mile run
Friday:  4 mile run
Saturday:  4 mile run with Abby

Total Running Miles:  27 miles

People always ask me what I think about while I run since I normally run by myself and I do not use an ipod unless I am on the treadmill.  Well, my good friend, Veronica, lost her mom this week and that thought swirled around my head through most of my runs. Thursday's ten miles were spent remembering the Charlottesville Marathon which Veronica and I both ran in 2006.  It was my third marathon and her first.  It was incredibly hot, hilly and humbling.  I always think back to that as the toughest race I've ever done - I mean I hit the wall at mile 11 and never recovered.  It was a LONG day!  But the highlight of the day was watching Veronica finish her first marathon.  Her Mom and Dad had made the trip from Cleveland to support her and they had a great time witnessing what transpires during a marathon - especially a tough one like C'ville.  At the finish line, Veronica looked strong and her Mom was waiting to join her in crossing the finish line.  It was a moment we all really treasured and now even more so with her passing. 

The funeral was Saturday morning and Jerry and I returned home around 2 in the afternoon.  I went immediately to Abby's room and asked her if she wanted to run with me.  She said yes!  We discussed where to go and decided on the Buckeye Trail in Bedford.  We changed and got into the car.  It was one of those cathartic runs that took me from feeling sad to feeling near bliss.  Abby pulled away as soon as we got on the trail but I had her in sight and just locked in on how awesome she is.  It was a quiet run.  We stopped by the overlook to enjoy a quick view of Tinkers Creek and the valley extending out before us.  Twenty minutes out, twenty minutes back.  Forty minutes of the best therapy out there and we both needed it badly.

I'm still learning vegetarian ways and still struggling with meal timing.  Track meets, swim practice, evening runs - it is making life so hectic (just like everyone else), but I am getting through day by day and still getting lots of compliments from the crew on our meals.  We returned home from NY last Sunday and whipped up Huevos Rancheros (eggs, rice and hot sauce).  That is always a crowd pleaser, especially on a tired Sunday night.  Monday I tried a new way to make tofu - I drained it and pressed it and cut it into triangles then marinated it in teriyaki sauce.  When I returned home from work I took the triangles and put them in a ziploc baggie with panko bread crumbs and shook it gently.  Then I baked it for half an hour or so.  It was SOOOOOOO good!  As a matter of fact, by the time Abby and I returned from track there was barely enough to go around.  I will repeat that at the end of this week with two packs of tofu!   We also had very simple french bread pizzas and roasted asparagus; tuna noodle casserole; stuffed shells and salad, and quickie quesadillas on Saturday night.   I think very soon Jerry will sneak out on his lunch hour and gorge himself on meat.   Yesterday after his 20 mile run I thought he was going to eat the kitchen chairs.  I need to address that issue next I guess - how to feed someone training for a 100-mile race without resorting to meat for protein.