6 Thumbs Up Curry

Last week I traveled to NH for work. Sometimes it's a little boring but one of my habits from my last few trips is to not turn on the TV in my hotel room. I found an old issue of Runners World in my laptop bag. I forgot I packed on my last trip. There was an average article about one pot wonder meals. It also boasted that certain foods can impact things like recovery, stress, inflammation. I believe it may be true but can't be bothered to commit to it fully. I dog eared the page for later.
When I returned I sat down with my grocery list and the recipes. Sunday nights are usually stressful as we prepare for the upcoming week.  According to some scientists salmon is high in DHA and EPA, omega 3s that can reduce stress levels. Indian food has been a surprising hit with the other people in the house so I picked the salmon coconut curry for Sunday night dinner. I had a can of coconut milk hanging around, and why not spend $20 on other ingredients. (As suggested in the article, I splurged on wild Alaskan salmon because it is more sustainable than farmed.)

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a pot
Add 2 chopped shallots and 2 minced garlic cloves
Heat 2 minutes
Add 2 cups chicken broth, one 14 oz can light coconut milk, 2 cubed sweet potatoes, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoons minced ginger, 1 tablespoon curry powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, salt, and pepper.
Boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add 1 pound skinless cubed raw salmon, 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, and juice of 1 lime.
Simmer 5 minutes.

*1 tablespoon minced ginger = 1 teaspoon ground ginger

I served it with whole grain flat bread the first night. The second night (leftovers are the best) I served it with rice. Adrian left it and would like it added to the regular rotation. Note, he hates sweet potatoes and peas normally.  Travis loved it and wants it everyday! But he loves everything and isn't a harsh critic about food. As anticipitated Nick could barely make it through one bite.
Sorry I don't have a picture of it. Most Indian food is earth toned, chunky mushy slop, and fairly unphotogenic.
Next up is chicken quinoa soup. I have a huge amount of quinoa from Costco. It seems a little bit goes a long way. And supposedly this dish will help us recover faster.

Yeah, I did that

Sometimes you have to be your own cheerleader. Toot your own horn. You can't count on other people to do it for you. A lot of people know all that I accomplished last year. I want to write it down so I can look back it later and be like, "wow, I did all that."
I tried really, really hard to break two hours in the half marathon. It was a lofty goal. My coach helped me with a training plan that was very specific. His wife paced me in my first attempt. Too bad we live in a swamp called NC. It was early spring and I wasn't ready for the humidity. I came close, frustratingly close. In the end it was a huge PR (personal record), so that is worth the recognition.
At work I interviewed for a new position while completely burned out on the job role I was in. I waited patiently forever until that magical and fateful day. I got the new job in a new organization and even better, my BFF got it too. The transition period stretched on but it was worth it. A slight pay raise, new team, less stress, and work I like doing.
At the beginning of the summer I planned my fall races. I knew I wanted another ultramarathon and I didn't want to race on the roads anymore, ever. The world of trail races is awesome. Runners are low key, volunteers rock, and the scenery of a good trail can't be beat. I set out to train for Triple Lakes 40. It was going to be hours and hours of solo training. Luckily I convinced a friend, see above coach's wife, to join me. She twisted the arm of two other friends. Yes, it took a long time to finish (I will post the full report soon.). Would I do it again? Definitely. The trail was beautiful that day and I really pushed myself beyond what I thought was possible.
Feeling strong and confident about my career and my running makes me feel capable to take on the rest of my life.

How is it 2013?

Where have I been?  Living life.  Trying to savor each day as its own.  I end up rarely sitting down at my home computer. (I've already been called away fifteen times just to write this post.) 2011 was the last time I posted and it is almost a distant memory.  2012 had its highlights with only a few lowlights, at least that I can remember, so I'll just go from there.  Then we'll see if I can keep posting on a more regular basis.

• Drove my mom up to MD to meet my sister's newest baby Sloane.  I can't remember the last time I shared a hotel room with one of my parents.
• Ran the Uwharrie Mountain 20 miler for the second time.  Took almost an hour off my finishing time in 2011.  Plus I ran the whole course solo.
• Adrian had back surgery to resolve a herniated disk and bone spurs in his lower back.
• Nick turned 7 and all he wanted was his two front teeth.  And a baseball theme birthday party.  He watched "Sandlot" and had pizza and ice cream cake.
• Attempted (and failed) to break 2 hours in the half marathon, twice.  Stupid heat and humidity in the South.
• Said good bye to the Age 30-34 age bracket by running around the hideous campus of UNC with some of my greatest running friends.  (Go Pack!)
• Went to Central NY to see Adrian's family.  Day trips to the Syracuse Zoo, lower Adirondacks, National Baseball Hall of Fame.
• Celebrated Adrian's 40th birthday.  My attempts to throw a huge celebration were completely shot down.  Instead we went to Adventure Landing as a family to play laser tag and miniature golf.  We let him win at everything.
• Ran the Blue Ridge Relay again.  With the hangover, sleep deprivation, and constantly biting my tongue, I don't think I'll run it again.  It's hard for this wallflower to be "on" for 4 days.
• Travis turned 5.  GranDebbie came to visit.  He scored some action figures, a new guitar with a case and picks.  It was his "best birthday ever".
• Ran the Triple Lakes 40 miler, my second ultramarathon.  It took forever.  And I would definitely run that course again.  It's a beautiful set of trails in Bur Mil Park outside Greensboro.
• Ran about half of the Shut In Ridge trail race.  I was not fully recovered from my ultra and didn't fuel adequately for the mountains.  It was still a great trip to Asheville and I will attempt it again.
• Went to Central NY for Thanksgiving.  We explored for a day in Ithaca, saw family, crashed the local run club's turkey trot.  Took an alternate way back to also visit W-S before returning home.
• Christmas Eve tradition is at home with a big dinner of chicken, mashed potatoes, and crescent rolls.  Santa was good to everyone.
• Our friend Jared got married in Chapel Hill.  The boys had a blast dancing with the flower girls all night long.
• New Year's Eve was done at home.  Travis made it to 9 pm.  Nick had a bet that he could stay awake.  He was snoring at 11:30 so I let him sleep until 11:55 so he wouldn't miss the countdown.  Then we all slept until after 10 am on New Year's Day.

I think that comes as close as we can get to caught up.  If I get a chance (ha!) I will come back with more details and photos on some of the bullet points.