Running Gear

This post pertains to the "gear" I use associated with my running. Not so you can see all the awesome stuff I have, but because sometimes it helps to know what other people use in case it'll work for yourself.

• Socks
  
  
  
  
  Probably the most important part of my running. Well, one might argue that it's the shoes, but the wrong socks can make your running a complete pain in the @ss.
  
  In case you can't tell, these are the socks I received from the Iron Girl gift pact, and I like that they tell you to "do more with grace". These socks are thin with a blend of nylon, coolmax, and lycra. The webinar panel stated that a synthetic blend is great for running, basically anything that isn't entirely cotton and wicks moisture to prevent blisters. It's the friction between the skin and socks, which is also brought on by excess moisture, that leads to blisters.
  
  Personally, I've found that I cannot run in thin socks. In fact, I prefer socks with some cotton and synthetic fabrics so that my feet are more protected and I still get the benefit of moisture-wicking. Currently, I bought some runnings socks from Target that have been great because they're a bit thicker and provide more cushioning, and they're cheap. I was using some bamboo-blend from the Wal-Mart that I really liked, too. I'd like to try out a pair of Injinji socks because the concept sounds great (the concept being that these are toe socks, so each toe is separated from one another, further preventing friction from rubbing together inside a traditional "mitten" sock).



• Blister Treatment
  
  
  
  
  If you decide to deviate from what you know works with disastrous results (*cough*), you're going to need to do something about those blisters. I swear by Spenco 2nd Skin Blister Pads. You remove the cover and simply cover the blister with the hydrocolloid pad, which lasts for up to five days to help the blister disappear without scarring. I sometimes have trouble keeping them on for five days due to taking a shower, small toes, etc., but they really do work.

Sun Protection

Yeah, sunscreen is important. Prevents skin cancer, rapid aging, all that stuff. But I'm talking about ways to avoid the sun beaming directly into your eyes, which I found has the unwelcome tendency of seriously draining me of energy during a run. When I don't squint constantly during a run lasting longer than an hour, I save a lot of energy. So. Sunglasses, hats, anything to keep the sun from your eyes. You don't have to spend a lot of money here. These sunglasses I bought from Target from their Ironman line since they were the most snazzy. They offer complete eye cover for me, so when I look down I don't see a line between the end of my lenses and the ground (this annoys me). The edges of the... uh, handles? They have this rubbery grip on it. Basically, they don't move or jostle when I run. They offer 100% UVA protection, which you should look for when you go to purchase a pair of shades.

The interesting part about me and sunglasses is that I refuse to race wearing them. I'm not sure why, it's just that I've never done it and don't care to start. I feel like I can't "see" people when I wear them, so I keep them off. I will, however, race wearing a hat. Like a Colts hat.

Running Clothes

Much like socks, you will probably feel better if what you wore wasn't soaked with sweat that clings to your skin. Cotton absorbs moisture, but doesn't release it (like a sponge). I used to run in cotton shirts so I have nothing against it; however, as I bought more running shirts with synthetic fabrics, I feel much more comfortable during my run than before (also because I seem to sweat more than I used to).

Another article of clothing we don't often consider until it's too late is underwear. Yeah. It can bunch up and make for THE MOST uncomfortable run of your life. This is not that big of a deal if you run in a completely secluded area where you don't have to wait until you're out of eyeshot of houses to deal with it, but if you run in a neighborhood or city you're pretty much screwed. I've found that seamless underwear with a synthetic blend to be the most comfortable, and actually, some of the underwear that Victoria's Secret sells has been the most comfortable for me to run in because it just stays in place and doesn't move. It's so thin that it's like a second skin that you don't notice.

Which leads me to a discovery I found on a blog called Rundurance for a brand of Brazilian-inspired underclothing called Vivvos. I haven't tried these at all, so if you click on the Rundurance link it'll take you to a review on her site. What I like about them, besides the fact that they look hot, is that they're a very thin, microfiber underwear designed to stay in place without bunching up. Much like the Victoria's Secret pair I have, the review says they seem smaller than you'd expect, but that's exactly why they stay in place.

Misc Gear

You all probably know by now how much I love my Moeben running sleeves. Literally the best discovery I've ever had for my running. They keep you warm in a different way that a long sleeve shirt does, and they are very comfortable. And eye-catching. The offer UV protection and also come in an eco-friendly line. They keep you warm in the cold, and cool in the heat (the fleece-lined sleeves can be dipped in water).

Watch

Garmin, regular watch with a stop-watch, anything that can help you gauge your time and pace is very beneficial to your training. Sure, you can go to the extreme with it and find yourself needed to back off, but for the most part it's a good tool to have. I have a Timex Ironman watch that is really good. There are two models, I believe, one (the 50-lap model) that includes more features, such as the ability to store workouts and recall them to figure out your average pace, fastest lap, etc., an interval setting, and a countdown timer as well as three different alarm settings. I have the 30-lap model, and I miss those extra features, but I still get along fine. You obviously have to manually press the lap button yourself (which you don't have to do with a Garmin) and know where the mile splits are, but it fits your wrist nicely. Both models are water resistant and has an "indiglo" light, plus two time zone settings.

Hydration

As the temperatures warm up, you'll need to pay more attention to hydration during your run. I bought a Amphipod hand held water bottle that carries 22 ounces of liquid. There is also a pouch to stuff some gels into, as well. It took a little bit of time to get used to, and I still don't particularly like running with it because during the end of my run I start fiddling with it because my hand begins to sweat underneath the strap. However, the times I have intentionally left it behind, I end up regretting it. I try to keep the bottle in the freezer for at least an hour before heading out so the stuff stays cooler longer.

That's all I can think of for now, and I'm getting bored. I'd like to know what you guys use, so let me know in the comments!

Macadamia-Lime Crusted Ocean Perch & Oh Nuts! Product Review

I was contacted by Sam from Oh Nuts!, who generously offered me some products to review on here. I took up the offer, and in a few days I received a bag of raw macadamia nuts and dried red sour cherries. Of course I couldn't wait to try them, so I opened the bag and tested a few of each. Macadamias have a rich, round flavor that's rather neutral whilst imparting a subtle nuttiness to recipes. The cherries were delicious and slightly tart, though I will need to plump them if I use it in baking since they weren't really plump to begin with (I'll be using these in a different recipe later).

For now, I decided to use a portion of the macadamias as a coating for fish. When ground, the macadamias resemble panko bread crumbs, which is great considering that's what mixed with them, along with a few herbs, spices, and lime zest.

The process went like this: Fish dipped in flour, beaten eggs, then the macadamia coating. Afterwards, the coated fillets took a rest on a baking sheet with a cooling rack on top to dry out a bit. This makes it easier to pan fry the fish as the coating will remain intact.

The coating crisped up nicely and the subtle heat from the cayenne pepper contrasted nicely with the flavor of the lime zest. Ocean perch is a good fish to cook with since it's a bit heartier than many other white fishes with a neutral flavor that won't overpower the rest of the meal.

Since I made these for sandwiches, I made a lime aioli (omitting the sweeteners, subbing lime juice for lemon, and tripling the garlic). For the greenery, I wanted a simple slaw and used up napa cabbage I had with jalapenos and red onion, which was drizzled and tossed with some of the aioli, additional olive oil, and white vinegar, plus a sprinkling of salt. Delicious on its own, but even better as a sandwich topping.

Thanks again to Sam for sending me these products. Oh Nuts! has a great variety of nuts, dried fruit, and loads of other goodies to check out. Head on over to see what they have that you might need!

Recipe after the jump.

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Print this recipe

macadamia-lime crusted ocean perch
Recipe by Christina Provo

ingredients ~

1 cup raw macadamia nuts, ground to the consistency of panko bread crumbs
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
grated zest of two limes
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
8 frozen ocean perch fillets, thawed
3 cups thinly shredded napa cabbage
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 recipe lime aioli
Olive oil
White vinegar
Coarse salt
Oil for frying

directions ~

1. In a wide, shallow dish (such as a pie plate) mix together ground macadamia nuts, panko, oregano, salt, cayenne pepper, and lime zest. Place the flour in a separate pie plate, and the beaten eggs in a bowl wide and deep enough to dip the fish in.


2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a cooling rack and place next to where you'll prep the fish. To coat the fish, coat lightly in flour. Dip in beaten eggs, then coat completely in the nut-panko mixture. Place on lined baking sheet; repeat with remaining fish. Set aside to dry for 15-20 minutes.


3. Toss cabbage with jalapenos and red onion in a medium sized bowl. Coat with 1/4 cup aioli and a drizzle of olive oil and white vinegar, tossing to mix thoroughly. Season with salt if needed.


4. Preheat an oven to 200 degrees. Heat a skillet over medium heat with enough oil to lightly coat the bottom. When hot, add 3 fish fillets and cook until the coating is crispy and golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip over and continue to cook for another 3 minutes; remove to another sheet baking sheet lined with a cooling rack and place in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining fish, adding more oil as needed.


5. Serve with salad and additional aioli sauce between hamburger buns.

Holy Grail Granola

So I've been on a bit of a granola kick. I don't enjoy a steaming hot bowl of oats during the summer (when it's hot), especially after running, and since I have been lackluster when it comes to breakfast ideas (waffles everyday is a fun idea that I get sick of) my best option is to bake a batch of granola that'll last me for long enough to not have to think about breakfast until it's gone.

And this is it. The best granola of 2010. I finally bought the proper ingredients and I mixed this and that together to come up with a granola that turned out exactly how I wanted. Granola clusters mixed with two nuts and one seed, plus some dried cranberries. All this is coated with a sweet honey-brown sugar mixture that transforms the mixture from dried to candied. Yeah, definitely not the healthiest granola on the block, but that wasn't my aim.

What I did differently with this recipe was make a sugared coating with the pecans, pepita seeds, and almonds consisting of a lightly beaten egg white, and sugar mixed with grated orange zest. I debated between baking it separately and mixing it into the oat mixture after it baked, but I wanted everything to be combined so I added the nuts to the oats after I mixed the oats with the oil, honey, brown sugar, and salt. I chose not to use orange juice in the syrup because it makes the oats soggy and requires longer baking time to dry out. I also used a mixture of whole oats and quick oats since I read that the quick oats makes better clumps.

Oh yeah. Whilst heating the syrup up in a saucepan I started thinking of caramel corn, and how you add baking soda to the caramel syrup after it reaches the correct temperature. I don't know why, but perhaps it aids in a harder coating without soggifying the popcorn. I decided to add a bit, about a 1/4 teaspoon, just for the sake of experimentation. Although I'm not sure if it helped, the consistency of the finished granola turned out exactly how I wanted and in the future I will not leave out the baking soda.

Because I finally made a successful granola recipe, I'm naming this "Holy Grail Granola", because it's entirely worthy of such a name. The oaty clusters are delicious with the dried cranberries, and it's still not so sweet that I'd only want to eat it with ice cream. This remains my favorite summer breakfast with fresh fruit and protein powder mixed into the milk.

Recipe after the jump.

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Print this recipe

Holy Grail Granola
Recipe by Christina Provo

Makes a ton

ingredients ~

3 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups quick oats
1/2 cup wheat bran
1 cup pecans
1/2 cup raw pepita seeds
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 eggs white
1/4 cup granulated sugar
grated zest of two oranges
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp unsalted butte
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
12 ounce bag dried, sweetened cranberries

directions ~

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees; spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside. Mix oats and wheat bran together in a large bowl. Whisk egg white in a medium bowl until just frothy, then stir in pecans, pepita seeds, and almonds to coat. Mix sugar together with orange zest in a small bowl, pressing with a fork to release oils and tint the sugar. Sprinkle over nuts-egg white mixture and stir to coat thoroughly; set aside.


2. Place oil, honey, brown sugar, butter, and salt in a small saucepan. Over medium heat, heat until brown sugar has dissolved and butter has melted. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Stir in baking soda and whisk until completely mixed (it will resemble liquidy brain matter until it blends together to form a tan, foamy mixture).


3. Pour over oats and stir until evenly saturated with oil-sugar syrup. Stir in nut mixture until mixed. Spread on baking sheet and place in oven. Lower heat to 325ª and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Lower oven to 300ª and cook for another 15 minutes until a deep golden brown. Remove from heat and place baking sheet on cooling rack. Stir once more, then let cool completely. Once cooled, break up granola, leaving many small clumps, and mix with dried cranberries. Store in a covered container or a zip-loc bag.