Taste Of Freeport

Last night I got to go to a super fun event, A Taste or Freeport, thanks to the ever fantastic Groupon. There was an offer for 1/2 price tickets a few weeks ago and it looked like a blast, so I snapped them right up.

The first hour was a cocktail hour outside, complete with ice sculptures and an ice bar.

Breezy and I naturally got the blueberry martinis because they were served via an ice luge. They dumped the drink in the top of the ice lighthouse and it came out the bottom nicely chilled!

After our cocktails we headed inside to the ballroom for the food tasting part of the evening. Most of the restaurants in town participated and they brought their A game. No skimpy portions or cheap ingredients. Nope, there was tons of food and lots of lobster. I was too busy stuffing my face enjoying the food to take many pictures.

 I had a three way tie for my favorite savory dish: The crostini blurrily pictured above that had beef tenderloin topped with a chuck of lobster and a garlicky sauce from Azure Cafe; an amazing grilled cheese with sliced butternut squash, caramelized onions, a little chili sauce, and cheddar on foccacia from the Freeport Cafe; and lobster chunks on top of a jicma slaw all on a piece of endive from Linda Bean's Lobster Roll.

We transitioned from savory to sweet with a flight of chocolate wine. I was highly skeptical because I couldn't imagine red wine and chocolate together. You didn't even taste the wine. It just tasted like Bailey's. I especially liked the espresso and whipped cream flavors.

Then it was dessert time. The beer truffles from Wilbur's sounded better than they were. But their almond brittle was amazing!

The espresso, pecan baclava from one of the bed and breakfast's was also great! But at the top of my list was the combination of sombrero gelato and whoopie pies from the Fresh Batch.

It was a great event and fun to try so many different restaurants in one place. There are a bunch of places I definitely want to try now (and it gives me a good excuse to hit up the outlets as well!)

Out of control

I struggled with whether or not I wanted to share this on my my blog. But, I've been reading some new blogs lately, Losing Weight in the City and Ali on the Run, in particular and I love the honesty and candor that both Theodora and Ali bring to their blogging. And if I only share the good parts of my life then I am being a little dishonest.

Did you ever have one of those weeks where you couldn't stop eating? Like so badly that you made yourself sick and felt like everything was spiraling out of control? It was one of those weeks. It started innocently enough on Monday night when I was watching House and wanted a snack. So I poured a little bowl of Special K pecan to fulfill both my crunch and sweet cravings. And then I poured another bowl, and another, and another. I couldn't stop eating cereal. Only when the box was empty did I stop. Then Tuesday, V day. Ugg. So I allowed myself to make a small batch of chocolate chip pecan cookies in the afternoon to cheer myself up. They were great. And then I wanted instant gratification so I ate 3 bowls of chocolate chips, peanut butter, marshmellows and Rice Krispies microwaved until it was a big messy blob. Then when I went to meet a friend in the city for a drink I got gelato on my way back to my car. Wednesday on my way back from skiing I stopped at a grocery store to get some ingredients for the Birthday treat I'm making my Mom, and then ate 3/4 of the can of candied peanuts on the way home. And then when I got home, cracked open the Whitman's sampler that a neighbor gave me for Christmas and I had been hiding from myself.

Seriously?? I know this is not okay. When I eat like this, I don't even enjoy what I'm eating, but I just can't stop. And then I kill myself the next morning working out to compensate, but then the same thing happens again at night. I am tired of it. I don't want food to control me anymore.

Race Photos

I got the link to my race photos from the 26.2 with Donna, and for once they aren't terrible.

I love this shot of the start. Supposedly I'm in it somewhere??

At the finish they told me to do the hang ten sign, but my fingers were so cold and numb I couldn't really do it. And then I guess I changed into a man as I warmed up? Because this guy was included in the shots of me. Gave me a good laugh at least.

 These pictures are helping me to keep riding the high of the race. I went out for a run this morning and I had planned for it to just be an easy hour, but I felt so good I threw in some speed intervals and ended up with an average of sub 9 minute miles. After feeling so unmotivated last month, I'm totally loving that I have my mojo back. Hopefully I can ride it all the way to finish line of Rome.

Valentine's Day Crabbiness

Even when I am in a relationship, I'm not a big fan of Valentine's Day. I think it is an overly commercial holiday. Affection should not be forced by Hallmark. But this year I am especially not in the mood for Valentine's Day. I won't get into the details because I've already wasted enough time and energy feeling bad about it. So rather than fight it, I decided to just go with it and give myself permission to be crabby all day. I started to have some fun actually with the idea of a crabby day, and decided it was meant to be when fresh Maine crab meat was on sale at the grocery store for only $1.99 (it's usually like $10!).

So for lunch I made a delicious citrus avocado crab salad. I ripped this recipe for pan seared scallops with citrus avocado salsa out of Fitness this month and decided to adapt it slightly into an awesome salad.

First step was to dice a grapefruit, an orange, and an avocado.

 Then I made a dressing with equal parts of oil, white vinegar, mango puree, and lime juice and zest.

Then toss the dressing with the fruit and avocado mixture, some sort of greens (I used romaine and kale), and fresh crabmeat.

And then because I don't have a Valentine to give me chocolate, I made myself some cookies for an afternoon snack. I used a recipe from one of my favorite bloggers, Tina of Carrots N' Cake. Salted Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip Cookies. 

Since I have plenty of crab meat left, I'll probably make a crab meat quesadilla for dinner to complete my crabby day.

The only thing I'm not crabby about today is how I feel after the 26.2 With Donna half marathon Sunday. I feel amazing! Maybe Jeff Galloway can be my Valentine, because thanks to his run walk method, I have no soreness or fatigue from the race. This was the first half that I've used the run walk method for, and I can't believe the difference. Yesterday morning I went to kickboxing and expected to have to take it easy. But my legs had plenty of pop and I was on fire! Good thing, because I went to yoga last night to give myself a good stretch, but it turned out to be a killer class. Then this morning I headed to the Y for 30 minutes on the elliptical and 40 minutes in the pool.

26.2 with Donna: National Marathon to End Breast Cancer

I am totally on a post race high after a great race and race weekend. Yesterday I hit up the race expo to pick up my race number and check out the vendors. The race schwag was awesome: we got super cute tie-dye bags and a long sleeve technical t-shirt. Best of all, everything was pink. Yeah!

Even the KT tape was pink. I love this stuff. It makes a huge difference. I have a couple rolls at home, but it's just not the same when I do it myself. So I was excited to see they were offering free expert taping. I had my right IT band taped since it's been bothering me lately.

After I had thoroughly exhausted the expo, both my feet and my wallet I headed to my hotel- the Springhill Suites. I used my points from work travel so it was free. Can't get better than free. I sorted out all my stuff from the expo, and then got all my stuff ready for the morning. At 4 am, having everything ready to go makes a huge difference.

Then it was back to the convention center for the pasta dinner. I waffled on whether or not I wanted to go, since I'm flying solo this trip, but I'm so glad I did. I should now by now that I can sit down at any table of stranger, and still have a blast if they're runners. I sat with these 2 sisters who were in their late sixties. One has been running for years, and she convinced her sister run this as her first half marathon. Another woman at the table just turned 70 and has done 24 marathons in the past 3 years. Talk about inspirational!

The panel at the dinner was also fantastic, all my running idols: Jeff Galloway, Bart Yasso, Bill Rodgers, Joan Benoit, and Donna Deegan. I didn't know much about Donna before the race

Other than that the race is named after her. Her story is pretty inspirational, she has had cancer 3 times but has managed to live a normal life and enjoy every minute of it. That was the over-all theme that came from all the speakers. Seize the day, enjoy life. We are incredibly lucky to be healthy enough to run for recreation. After being a bit of a running funk lately, this was just the message I needed.

I woke up early, early this morning to freezing cold. It was 28! At home I’d be good with that, but this is Florida! I am glad I packed my capri tights and not just shorts. And I went with the long sleeve race shirt instead of my tank top. Even with that it was freezing waiting for the shuttle bus in the cold and dark. The Floridians were dying!

But once the race started, the cold was forgotten. What an awesome race. We ran up the bridge and over the inland waterway just as the sun was rising. Then we got to run down on the hard pack sand on the beach for a couple miles. The time flew by than any race I've ever done.

I didn’t want to go too fast since my focus is still on training for Rome so I stuck with the 2:10 pace group. I felt fantastic. At mile 10 I just couldn’t help myself and forged ahead. The last mile was pretty tough, as we had to go back up and over the bridge. It was a good incline and there was a wicked headwind. But the crowd got me up and over and soon I was coasting into the finish in 2:04. 

And then I thoroughly enjoyed the after party. I got a free massage, some hot soup to warm up my hands, and then hit up the pink champagne booth twice. I don’t think I’ve ever had champagne at 8:30 am before, but hey why not? I LOVED this race and can’t wait to sign up for next year.

And I am so cheesy I can't resist taking pictures of myself in the mirror back at the hotel.

Down South

I am in Florida for the weekend, visiting family and running the 26.2 with Donna. I am staying with family in Palatka, and was anxious to go for a run this morning after a long day of flying yesterday. Even though, I travel to California frequently for work, there is just something so wonderful about heading out on a run wearing shorts and tank-top in February. A far cry from my runs at home. I had planned to run in Ravine Gardens, a state park, but when I got there I found there is now a $2 admission, and I had no money on me. So, I headed down by the river instead, which was equally nice. There was a nice boardwalk that ran along the waterfront for quite awhile. I alternated looking at the water and at the cool old river houses across the street. It amazes me how fresh water just has such a different personality than the ocean.

 When I got back I was determined to go swimming. That enthusiasm quickly faded. Even for a Maine girl, that water was COLD. So I made it up to my waist and then walked around for awhile to cool down my legs. I was so excited to pick a fresh grapefruit off the tree for breakfast. But when I went to do it, I realized I had no idea how to tell if they were ripe! Were they yellow grapefruit that were ripe, or pink ones that weren't ripe? The one I got was pretty good, but a little on the tart side. Then I put on my bathing suit and drank my coffee by the pool while I read a book. It was not very warm at all, and the Floridians thought I was crazy. But it's Florida darn it, I am going to get a little sun and sit by the pool!

This afternoon we went out to a great little seafood place on the water Corky Bell's. It was so cheesy it was fantastic. We sat out on the patio, over-looking the river.

When I looked at the menu, I got so excited. We used to come down South at least a few times a year to see my step-grandparents, and so I harbor a secret love for Southern Food. Hushpuppies most of all. 

I mean it's like a donut, that you get to eat for lunch a dinner! So I indulged my desire for a few hushpuppies, but also was mindful of the fact that I have to run a race this weekend and don't want to be weighed down with tons of fried food, so I balanced them out with some boiled shrimp. My attempt to go healthy with a side of broccoli was a fair, the dish had more cheese and cream sauce than broccoli!

Despite the awesome lunch, I'm already looking forward to some BBQ for dinner!

Time Changes and Night Shifts

One of the biggest changes, and challenges, I've faced in the last year with my new job is the disruption of my very regular schedule. My life used to run like clock-work, up at 6, running at 6:15, in the shower at 7:30, eating my pre-prepared breakfast at 8..... you get the idea. But with my new job, that's impossible. First of all, there is a 3 hour time difference between Maine and in California. Add in super early morning flights, flight delays that mean I don't arrive until late at night, and the need to occasionally work the night shift, and I am totally out of wack. At first my poor body was a wreck, I was exhausted and sick all the time. But I've developed some strategies that seem to be working.

-For short trips, stay on your home time. I am usually only in CA Monday to Thursday, so I try to stay on Eastern Time. I am up by 4:30 or 5 in the morning California time, and try to be in bed by 8:30 at the latest. It is good because I can get in a long (albeit dark) workout and still be at work early. It isn't so good for the social life though, I'm usually the loser falling asleep at the dinner table.

-If you have to adjust to a new time zone, do it slowly over several days. I do this if I know I'm going to have to work the night shift. I try to stay up later by an hour or 2 and then sleep an hour or 2 later in the morning each night for several nights.

-Get in a workout. This is seriously the best way for me to reset my clock. My body is used to working out in the morning. So if I sleep and then immediately hit the gym it reprograms my body into thinking it is morning. And it is an instant energy boost.

-Eat cleanly. I, like most people, have the tendency to  start craving salty, fatty, junky foods when I'm really tired, especially when it's the middle of the night. But while the quick hit of caffeine and sugar helps for a little bit, you ultimately and crash and feel worse. Monday night for example I was working 10 pm to 7 am, and had no time to turn my sleep schedule around, so I was dragging. When I got to work, there were mint chocolate covered espresso beans. So I downed a few handfuls, washed down by coffee. I was super jittery for a couple hours, and then I just felt sick to my stomach and exhausted. I find that high protein, low carb helps me last longer and feel more alert.

-Take a sleeping pill if you have to. This may be controversial, but sometimes I just need to sleep. I try to use a straight sleeping pill, such as unisom, and not anything with unnecessary other ingredients, such as tylenol pm. I try not to do this more than once a week, and never mix with alcohol.

Any other road warriors or night shifters out there have any suggestions?

Healthier Airport Treats

When I was little we flew once or twice a year and it was usually for vacation so my parents would buy us all kinds of treats in the airport that we wouldn’t usually get to eat.  So I associate airports with treats. This is fine if you only fly a few times a year, but problematic for me since I fly almost every week. I have a few weaknesses in particular: the mix of cheddar and caramel pecan popcorn in Chicago (the perfect combination of salty and sweet);  Crumb’s Cupcakes in Newark (giant frosting filled and covered cupcakes in a million amazing flavors); and Cinnabon (I totally blame my Mom for this since she used to get me one for breakfast whenever we flew). All are complete calorie bombs. My pants start to feel snug mighty quick when I have these once or twice a week. So I’ve tried come up with some healthier airport options for those times (ie. every time I fly) when you just need a treat to help you handle the hassles of flying.

Sweet

Frozen Yogurt: A 4 oz serving of the chocolate yogurt only has 110 calories! Add chocolate jimmies for only 63.9 calories. Just stay away from the extra large sizes and the caloric mix-ins. The shivers, which are a mix of yogurt and candy have 530 – 1850 calories!

Smoothies: Jamba Juice and Smoothie King both have light smoothies that are less than 200 calories. I like the Mango Mantra at Jamba Juice. Only 160 for a 16oz.  When getting a smoothie try to aim for one that is only fruit, vegetables and yogurt.  Many smoothies contain juice, extra sugars, and even ice cream which can really jack the calorie count up. The Peanut Butter Moo’d at Jamba Juice for example has 770 calories.

McDonalds: Apple dippers with caramel sauce. These only have 100 calories and you get in a serving of fruit.

Starbucks: A fat free cappuccino with sugar free hazelnut syrup, or some other light drink, The mix of caffeine, sugar, and a little dairy is a great pick me up.

Savory

Pretzels: A salted pretzel always satisfies my craving for something hot and salty. A plain pretzel is 280 calories, but I usually upgrade to the salt and butter version for 310 calories.Watch out for high cal dipping sauces, the cream cheese dipper has 200 calories just for the sauce. 

Hummus: In the San Francisco airport there is a Greek place in the United terminal that has great home-made hummus and baked pita chips. This is obviously ideal, but premade hummus and pretzels thins or pita chips from the little markets also aren’t bad.

Baked Fries: U-Food Grill  (I know they are in Boston and Dallas) has baked fries that, like pretzels, really hit the spot when I want something hot and salty. I like to ask for a side of honey mustard for dipping. 230 calories for the fries.

What are your favorite, and healthy, airport snacks?