that's all, folks.

Well, turns out that I injured myself. I seem to have strained my soleus on the left leg. My foot still hurts, too. Unfortunately, this means Pittsburgh is out, which I'm pretty bummed (har har) about because I really thought I could do well. My hope is that my leg will heal in a few weeks and I might be able to salvage the Sunburst half. I'll cycle and do yoga (when it's okay to stretch again) in the meantime.

Why did this happen? I have a few reasons.

- I probably should have given myself a solid six months of just running before training for anything more than a 5k.

- Maybe the yoga isn't enough and I should find a way to work with weights.

- I should stretch more.

- Perhaps I should be wearing a more cushioned shoe, especially one for slight pronation problems.

I'm sure I can think of more reasons why I failed. But, I'm not too upset because it could have been worse. I can still bear weight on my leg and walk normally. Sometimes when I press too hard on my forefoot pain shoots up my leg, so depending on how it feels that day I don't flex my foot completely when walking. Currently, I'm icing, and wearing a compression sleeve for a few hours a day.

So, that's about all. I'm still going to Pittsburgh because the room and everything is already set up, though it's going to pain me not to be able to run it. A part of me thinks I still can, but I know that's dumb.

Week 7 - Training Recap

My foot didn't feel too bad this week. It still flared up a bit, but on Monday's run it was barely noticeable. Perhaps all the icing and exercises have helped, though it's nowhere near healed.

Because my foot held up, I had a decent week of running.

Monday -
6 miles. This was the run where my foot felt pretty good. Usually, it takes about a mile for my foot to feel okay, but it felt fine from the first step here. I figured it was either healing, or trolling me.

Wednesday -
6 miles, 4 at tempo. For the last two weeks, I haven't successfully been able to complete a tempo. I ended up cutting all of them short, or just ending the run. Apparently it took me two weeks to recover from the 10k. Granted, I did get sick, so it's probably a combination of the two, and the cold delayed my recovery.

Splits:

8:56.64 - w/u
7:47.19 - T
7:43.31 - T
7:34.23 - T
7:39.47 - T
8:57.72 - c/d
3.44.88 - c/d

I didn't feel too bad at the end, either, so that gives me more confidence maintaining an 8:18 pace for the half.

Thursday -
7 miles. I ran this a little too fast. My overall pace was 8:49, but I did that for a reason. I would be flying to Jersey on Friday and figured my long run would suffer because of the heat and tiredness. That meant an actual long, slow run instead of a progression, right?

Saturday -
10 miles at 8:40. Oops, wrong. But, I did get a taste of running in the heat. I got out around 8:00-8:30 am, though it was quickly warming up despite the cool breeze. I ran 4 miles before stopping for a water and GU break - boy did I need it. During the final 6 mile out-and-back, I could feel the air shift, sort of how Frodo and Sam must have felt the closer they got to Mordor. Okay, not that bad. I did feel tired still. However, on race day I will be waking up a few hours earlier to eat a full breakfast, topping off my energy stores. I'll also take an energy shot and eat some Honey Stingers shortly before the race, so I'll have more energy.

Total - 29.64

Not a bad week at all. This week will be the beginning of a cutback week, though really I'm just going to shorten the long run. Next week will be semi-easy, then the final week before the half will be a coasting week. I'll just run easy, do strides on Thursday, then a short run on Saturday and do my thing on Sunday. That's the plan for now. I'm hoping the weather cooperates; if not, I'll put up with it.

On another note, I bought a pair of Pearl Izumi Women's Split Infinity shorts from Running Warehouse. I had been eying them for a while, but at $38 I put them on the back burner. You see, I normally buy a pair of Nike Tempos from the girl's section (size large). They're just so hideous that the women's sizing fits terribly. They're relatively inexpensive that I put up with it, and if you roll the waistband down it cinches the excess material.

THEN...

The Izumis from Running Warehouse were on sale for $22! No way was I passing that opportunity up, so I ordered a pair. They fit wonderfully, are semi-form fitting if you buy true to size, and feel so lightweight that you won't notice you're wearing shorts. They're shorter in length than the tempos, but that's okay for me. The design is pretty sweet, as well. As with all Izumi wear, the pocket is on the back. That's okay for keys and things you don't need until you're done running, but for GUs or anything like that it's a bit awkward. I've been told that it's a cycling thing. Oh well.

I just checked RW again and saw that they're marked down even more, if you're interested. I bought another pair because it's a deal I just can't pass up. (Is anyone else spoiled by RW's free shipping? I wish more companies offered this for every purchase, not just when you spend more than $75.)

Anyway, I just thought I'd talk about this because I've been having trouble finding new running shorts. I end up stalking race pictures to find women built similarly to myself to see what they wear, and even then I have questions. I know I'm not the only one who has trouble finding different styles of gear, so I hope this helps.

Mashed Parsnips with Country Crock Spread

This post is sponsored by Country Crock. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Let's talk about mashed potatoes. I make them all the time and I'm pretty damn good at it. The only problem is that I don't particularly like eating them all that much, but I make it because others do. I've seen recipes for mashed cauliflower and other root vegetables floating around, though I've never bothered to try any until now.

The requirement for this promotion was to make a vegetable dish from the Clare Crespo cookbook, which is a collection of family-friendly vegetable dishes made with Country Crock spread. The recipes are on the whimsical side, and since I have no reason to play with my food I didn't follow those steps. If you like to engage your kids in what they're eating, though, this is the e-book for you. There are a few other recipes from the e-book that I'd like to try, like the zucchini boats.

Cooking with Country Crock is a good alternative to butter. The flavor might be a little different, but I've always liked the taste of spreads (I know...) and it works well with vegetables. This spread is free from hydrogenated oils and trans fat and there is a selection of spreads from which to choose, like the calcium+vitamin D spread I am using today. One aspect of this spread that I like is that it's spreadable straight from the fridge.

As for the recipe, all you have to do is boil the parsnips with onions until tender, which takes about ten to fifteen minutes. Near the end, stir in some frozen peas.

I changed the recipe a little since I don't have to worry about picky eaters. The additions and substitutions I made were to add a little parsley and fresh garlic, and replacing the heavy cream with Greek yogurt.

The mixture is pureed until smooth in the food processor along with two tablespoons of Country Crock spread. It comes together quickly and would be perfect for a busy weekend night.

However, and this is my personal opinion, I don't think this would make a good recipe for picky kids. The parsnips on their own have a rather sweet taste and might not be suitable for the palate of a small kid. I also felt that this recipe was a little bland, even with the changes I made. I guess more salt would have helped. Roasting parsnips would probably be better if you're introducing parsnips to your children for the first time.

Other than that, I liked it. It was different from mashed potatoes, but I liked the lighter consistency. I have to admit that even I was not used to the sweetness, so I would make sure to pair it with the right entree. (I served it with fish and rice pilaf.)

Recipe after jump.

Are you looking for quick and simple tips and recipes to make serving veggies more fun? Download the free Clare Crespo Cookbook here for fun and whimsical recipes your family is sure to love!

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Pureed Parsnips with Parsley and Peas
Recipe adapted from the Clare Crespo Cookbook by Christina Provo

Serves 4-6

Ingredients -

4 parsnips, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup lightly packed parsley, rinsed
1 clove garlic, smashed
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons Country Crock spread
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions -

1. Place parsnips and onion in a medium pot with enough water to just cover the parsnips. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to maintain a rolling simmer and cook until parsnips are just tender, 10-15 minutes. Add frozen peas once parsnips are barely tender and cook another 3-5 minutes.


2. Reserve 1/2 cup liquid; drain the parsnips and place in the bowl of a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth, adding tablespoons of reserved water if needed if the puree is to thick.