Yesterday I woke up at 8 feeling fully rested. While I love sleeping in, I also like to be awake relatively early on weekend mornings without feeling a sense of pressure to do anything. Relaxation is such a gift! I did some things around the house for a little (including watching a little of Excess Baggage on TV… when it came out in the 90s, I had no idea who Benicio del Toro was!), then made breakfast. A reader recently submitted on Ask Me Anything:
Lilveggiepatch is my favorite food blog. Hands down. I love your breakfast concoctions! What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? What seems to be the most satiable for a hard days work (I’m a college student stuck in a rut!) Thanks =)
First of all, thanks for the compliment! A little flattery is nice every once in a while 
In terms of breakfasts with staying powder, I find oatmeal to be the most satisfying. A good balance of grains, fruit, protein and fat is a safe bet when trying to find something to hold you over, and recently this has been my #1 combo:
- 1/2 cup oats cooked with 1/2 cup water
- 1 banana
- 1/2- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 T peanut butter
- lemon curd
- pumpkin butter
- cinnamon
- stevia
I used to only use 1/2 a banana, but using a whole one keeps me full so much longer. Plus, it helps me meet my daily fruit & vegetable requirement! (Not that that’s usually a problem….)
This breakfast held me through an 8 mile run with Danielle in Central Park yesterday morning. It may not look like it here, but I can tell Spring is just around the corner! I can’t wait to stroll outside, drink iced coffee, have picnics…
I haven’t really run in that park except during races, but I loved being out there with so many other runners on a beautiful Sunday morning! It’s also a LOT easier (and more fun) to run with a buddy. Central Park is great for hill training, something I really haven’t focused on at all but definitely should. The 15K I ran in December had practically vertical inclines, and the half-marathon is going to be in Central Park as well. So, time to get better about that! Our knees were both aching a bit- my right knee started hurting around mile 4- so we took a couple walking breaks to soothe them. Danielle went home around mile 5.5 (she’d already run 1 mile to meet me) and I continued on, running myself right to Starbucks to use the bathroom.
I ended up running 8.17 miles in 1:23:23. I tried to get the splits for this, but for some reason my computer (Mac OS 10.5.8) won’t accept the Garmin disc. Has anyone else had trouble with this?
Risking my cool cred I stretched on the subway ride home, displaying impressive feats of balance I made myself a quick lunch when I got home:
In the mix:
- baby spinach
- 1/2 avocado
- dulse
- 2 slices tempeh bacon
- hemp seeds
- Everything-flavored pretzel thins <— so addicting!
- macadamia nut oil/rice wine vinegar dressing
I iced my knees in bed for a while and took a little Aleve. After long runs I occasionally get what I think is Runner’s Knee; it doesn’t happen all of the time (didn’t happen during either of my last two 7 milers), but it usually goes away after a day or two. Right now it feels fine!
A couple hours later I had a snack to get me through a little work and hold me until dinner: Fage 0% yogurt with 1 orange, chia gel (1 tsp chia seeds soaked in water), and Cocoa Spice Kaia Sunflower Seeds. Good combination!
We hadn’t had sushi for a while, so Ari and I went to one of our favorite Japanese restaurants. We had green tea and shared some hot sake…
… had bowls of miso soup…
….and ordered the Sushi & Sashimi combination for two.
It was a lot of food. We didn’t finish it all, so I’m bringing the leftovers to work for lunch today. Sushi isn’t great the second day, but we’ll see! When we got home, we each had a Peanut Butter Bar from The Lite Choice. I scraped mine off the stick and covered it with cocoa powder and stevia. Yummy!
Off I go to start the week. Have a great Monday!
Wow–very impressive that you had such a full and interesting weekend and still felt relaxed! I think you’re getting the hang of stress-reduction.
You’re right about running outside–much more fun than a treadmill. The best is running with a friend. Do you and Danielle have a regular weekend running date?
Sounds like a great run! I had so much fun running in Central Park when I was in NYC for a week last fall. When is your half marathon?
Lite Choice sounds amazing! Too bad they don’t carry vegan frozen desserts. I wish there was someplace around here that did. We’ve got Dairy Queen, though….hahaha…sarcasm.
Congratulations on your run! I haven’t ever had problems with my Garmin + Mac OS, but I have a 4th generation… google it, though. I’ve found that Garmin nerds love to help.
It really WAS gorgeous yesterday… I’m so excited that spring is finally almost here!! I hope your knees fare better than mine… I’m starting to think it’s more trouble than they’re worth.
<3 <3
sounds like a great 8 miles! hope your knee feels better and you can figure out the garmin issue with your computer.
Good job on the 8-miler! I’ve actually never ran with a buddy but it sounds a lot more fun. (And I agree about oatmeal’s staying-power)
Have a good day
I love feeling completely relaxed coming off a weekend – makes the start of the week so much easier! Great job on the run in CP.
What a good looking breakfast! Sounds like you had a great run
Great breakfast, it looks like it would be very filling!
Love the pictures of Central Park…I hope Spring comes fast for you!
central park looks beautiful! spring, come faster.
I love those little signs that spring is on its way. If only if would come faster!
I love waking up early on the weekends because I apprecciate my chilling out time so much more! Otherwise, it flys by and before I know it, it’s Monday again.
Great run! I think Central Park is so stnning in winter (and fall…and come to think of it, summer!) I would stretch on the subway home too- I used to after my dance classes and got some funny looks. I figure people in NY see a lot of crazy stuff on the subway and a stretching athlete is the least of it
i am SO intrigued by your chia gel!! what does it taste like?!?! hmmm!
everything looks great tho-LOVE sushi! ahh!
great run girl!
I went on my first outdoor run in what felt like forever this past weekend, too! The weather was just too perfect not to!
What an amazing run!!! I give you so much credit, I can not run that many miles, I just never have been a runner, i always give so much credit to people that do!!!
Love sushi!! Mike and I get 4 rolls and share them, we cram sushi like its going out of style!! There is never leftovers, lol!!!
Im glad you had a great weekend and yay for spring to get here soon!!!
xoxo
Way to go on the run! I know it sucks running in the cold and I hope that spring comes soon….seriously!
Love all the gorgeous photos! I’m curious as well, what does the chia gel taste like??
Yumm.. so much good food!
One, I am crazily craving some sushi
And two, you have encouraged me to try adding pumpkin puree to my oats 
Wow, awesome job on the run! Eight miles is no easy feat;) I know this is short notice, but would you be around to grab dinner at Peacefood (or anywhere else) tomorrow night?
Hey girl! Thanks for the blog comment. Am super envious of your central park run – congrats! So glad to have found a fellow heroes fan – I am a huge fan! xx
Sounds like a fabulous run! And I must agree with your commenter- your breakfasts always do look delicious. Miso soup! Makes me want to run out and get some. Hope you’re having a good Monday
I’ve actually never run in Central Park, despite the fact I’ve spent a pretty good amount of time in NYC. It’s definitely on the to-do list the next time I’m in town! I’ve always always wanted to run the Brooklyn Bridge, have you ever done it?
there may be a garmin blog or help-site where you can ask about mac compatibiity, or perhaps customer service would help you out–great run–great sushi–back bends on the subway?