Around The Lake

Oh boy, I just can’t believe how HOT it was today, 80°F at 10:30 am! People say you’ll get used to the heat after a while, but I’m still waiting for that to happen.

Today we slightly adjusted our usual Lunch Break running route to add a loop around a small nearby lake. Originally I had planned to run a little longer, but after three miles I started to feel dizzy, so I decided to walk the rest.

The Stats:

• Distance: 3.1 miles (5 km)
• Time: 35:00 minutes
• Average pace: 11:17 min/mile
• Feeling: Dizzy

Honestly, I’m starting to worry about my upcoming 6 mile race. At the moment I can barely run three miles until I feel like passing out. Plus, the race will start at 11 am, which means that we will run right through the midday heat! Ok, let’s just wait and see. Maybe I will get used to the heat by the end of July.

By the way, my trainer appointment did happen yesterday! In short, it was fabulous! I’m going to write a separate post about my brand new strength training routine.

See you!

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On And Off

I can’t deny that I haven‘t run outdoors in over a week. What?! Now I might talk about the lousy weather or the faint discomfort in my knees,  but they’re all just excuses. Fact is, I have been lazy.

Now wait a second! I did workout last week, on Tuesday I went to the gym, and on Friday I did a DVD workout. So the situation isn’t all that bad. I just didn’t run. That by itself wouldn’t be a problem, but I have a 6 mile race in less than 5 weeks, so I’d better increase my mileage again!

So today I went on another Lunch Break Run, this time all by myself. It was freaking hot, after two miles I felt like my head was going to explode, but somehow I still enjoyed that run.

The Stats:

• Distance: 3.2 miles (5,1 km)
• Time: 34:40 minutes
• Average pace: 10:50 min/mile
• Feeling: Proud

In short, it feels so great to be back!

Oh, and that trainer appointment at my gym was rescheduled, again! Let’s see when/if it will happen.

See you!

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Mix It Up!

Guess what, last week I returned to the gym! I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with the gym, with a strong emphasis on the ‘hate’ part. Last December I joined my current gym, a rather cheap one close to my work place. But I only used their treadmills, nothing else. When spring arrived, I completely stopped going, as I prefer outdoor runs.

I’m currently struggling with my motivation to workout, or rather with the lack of motivation. So I’m trying to mix things up, which includes going back to the gym. Last Friday after work I finally went, I rode on one of their stationary bikes for about 20 minutes, and even liked it!

Yesterday I went again, this time I first ran on the treadmill, then I did some abs moves (holy planks!), followed by another bike ride. I was a total sweaty mess, but also happy about getting a great workout.

The Stats:

• Distance: 2 miles (3,2 km)
• Time: 21:45 minutes
• Average pace: 10:56 min/mile
• Feeling: Sweaty

This Friday I have a date with one of the gym’s trainers. Let’s see what she has in store for me.

See you!

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Recipe: Carrot Zucchini Pancakes

Oh my, it’s been ages since I posted a recipe here! Lately I haven’t been very creative with my meals, instead I’ve kept coming back to my old favorites. These savory pancakes clearly belong to those favorites, especially when I’m invited to potluck parties.

Savory carrot zucchini pancakes

Carrot Zucchini Pancakes

Serves 4

• 2 medium-sized zucchini
• 2 medium-sized carrots
• 2 green onions
• 1 garlic glove
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup or 100 g all-purpose flour or potato starch
• 1/2 cup or 100 ml water
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp roasted sesame seeds
• salt and pepper
• vegetable oil for frying

Wash and coarsely grate zucchini, mix with one teaspoon of salt and set aside. Peel and grate carrots into a separate bowl. Trim and chop green onions, peel and finely mince garlic.

Thoroughly squeeze out excess water from the zucchini, then mix them with carrots, onions and garlic. Add flour, egg, and water and stir to form a thick batter. If the batter is too thin and runny, add more flour. Mix in sesame seeds and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat up some vegetable oil in a large pan, scoop batter into pan, about one heaping tablespoon per pancake. Fry pancakes for a few minutes on medium high heat until they are slightly browned. Put them onto a kitchen towel, to get rid of some of the frying oil.

These pancakes can be served hot or cold, either plain or with a dip.

Spicy Soy Sauce Dip

• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp dark sesame oil
• 2 tsp honey or agave syrup
• 2 tsp lemon juice or vinegar
• 1 tsp ginger, powdered or fresh
• 1 garlic glove
• 1/2 tsp red hot pepper flakes
• salt and pepper

Mix all the ingredients together and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

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Party Of Four

This week we got a new team-mate! Naturally, we gently convinced him to join our running group, which now has four members, including myself. Isn’t that awesome?! I’d love to say that we’re the fittest team in our company, but we’re probably not.

It was so hot out there today, I think I was sweating more than ever. The heat plus my slightly tired legs made this run really challenging, but I made it through! When the going gets tough, the tough get tougher. Ha!

The Stats:

• Distance: 3.6 miles (5,8 km)
• Time: 40:00 minutes
• Average pace: 11:06 min/mile
• Feeling: Melting

I think I’m finally back on track, and I really love it.

See you!

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