Hey friends! I was up early this morning for the first time in awhile to meet up with my track group! Yay for it starting to get slightly brighter in the mornings again – the end of winter is (kind of) in sight!
The track looks clear of snow, right? Well, it was, finally, and we were excited – but then we realized it was covered in a sheet of ice – guess the rain yesterday can be blamed for that. Womp, womp.
So instead, we took our workout to the parking garage next door and used the covered lower level as our track. Not my favorite – it’s loud and kind of gross in there – but we made it work. There’s a loop that’s almost exactly 0.25 miles, although it has the added challenge of multiple on/off ramps (hills). The coaches had us do six 800’s (a half mile, or two laps) with a minute or two of rest in between each. 3 miles later, we were done. It felt really tough today – not sure if it was because of the surroundings, or the added ramp hills, or the fact that I have been slacking on the running since the Charleston Half Marathon – but either way it was good to get out there and see my track buddies.
My track buddy Diane and I did a cool down jog out in the nearby neighborhoods after we were done in the garage. We had to keep it slow because of ice/snow, but it felt good to be back outside. 🙂
I’m honored to be continuing my Run Happy Blogger Ambassadorship with Brooks this year, and on today’s run, I tested out a new jacket that they sent me this month to try – the Run-Thru Jacket. (My friend said my pose on the left was too boring and that I needed to spice it up – so the one on the right is her doing. 😉 )
The Run-Thru Jacket is inspired by the old school jersey – it has a fun 80’s feel to it (in a good way). The jacket has water-resistant panels on the shoulders and an open mesh body to provide nice ventilation. It was about 30 degrees this morning when I ran, and I had a tech t-shirt underneath. I wore a neck warmer and an ear warmer for the start of the workout but ended up taking them off half way through. The jacket was great – kept me warm but ventilated so I didn’t overheat. It has nice reflectivity and zip hand pockets, too. Thumbs up! Brooks also sent me the Run-Thru Pant to test out this month, which I am OBSESSED with. I’ve run in them and they are really comfortable (they are not pictured above – they are also kind of 80’s so I think they look best with a less 80’s style/more fitted top) but I also really love them as warm up pants to/from other workouts (like hot yoga) and around the house pants (I’m actually wearing them right now)! They are insanely comfortable – made with DriLayer on the inside and with a nice wide and flat waist, plus the same breathable mesh. And on my feet, I’m wearing my trusty old PureConnect 4’s. Best shoes ever, and still going strong after many many months of track workouts and short runs!
Good times. 4 miles, done! My watch included our super slow cool down run/walk so the pace isn’t reflective of my “track” workout, and I forgot to turn my watch on for one of our 800’s, so it’s a half mile short. But whatever. 🙂
As for food, I fueled up last night with some tacos!
Matt and I are back on the Blue Apron train this week as usual, and this was the Steak Tacos with Mole Verde, radishes, and avocado. The radishes were such a unique addition – we’ll definitely do that again!
What really made these tacos, though, were the toasted pepitas that went into the sauce! They were SO flavorful – you literally just sautéed the pepitas in some oil for a couple minutes until they were lightly browned. Delicious! Remembering that next time we make tacos on our own, too. They would also be amazing as a salad topper!
Speaking of – I made us side salads to get in some greens and veggie volume – just a simple mix of greens, chopped carrots and green pepper. Topped with a homemade vinaigrette (olive oil + red wine vinegar + lime juice + dijon mustard) and a little salt and pepper.
I’ll leave you with a random tip: while cooking, snack on veggies! This is an easy way to get in some extra veggie power. Matt and I will often snack on raw carrots and peppers while cooking, but we also love slicing a cucumber and drizzling it with some balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper! Surprisingly delicious. Try it! Great way to use up random produce in the fridge. 🙂
What’s your favorite veggie to eat raw? Mine is probably peppers – I love the crunch!
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