A Successful Run....A Not So Successful Green Smoothie

Finally!  After countless crap runs, I finally got a good one in.  My schedule called for a tempo run today of 6 miles at 7.4 (8:06 pace).  I have to admit, I was expecting to get maybe 5 in at that pace since I've had zero luck finishing a run these days.  But holy hot freaking dog, I finally felt good.  I ran a half mile warm up then 6 at 7.4 and at each mile, ran at 7.6 (7:54) for one minute.  I actually had no problems with this run at all and have to say, I really needed that to happen.  I've been feeling like I'm back - although back from what, I still have no idea - but I shall try not to get to puffed up since I have a 16 - 17 miler coming up on Sunday and according to the weather man, it's going to be hot and humid...again.

I was no so lucky in the green smoothie department.  In my effort to expand on my greens, I pulled out the Vitamix cookbook and decided to give the "Sweet Lettuce Smoothie" a try.  Here is the recipe:
1 cup green grapes
1 cup romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 medium apple
1 cup ice

Verdict:  Um.....yuck.  I really, really, really wanted to like this.  And I tried, I did.  I kept sipping on it for a good 15 minutes but I just didn't dig it.  And if possible, it got worse the more I sipped.  It almost had a bitter taste to it, if that makes sense.  And it wasn't sweet at all.  I may try it again though but use 1/2 cup of romaine and the whole apple.  Maybe.  It's pretty though!

After that debacle, I ran up to the grocery store to pick up beer for tonigh'ts free concert in my neighborhood (Gonzo's Nose, an 80s band - yay!).  There is a Starbucks in there so I decided to give the new (actually, I have no idea if it's new at all, but it's new to me) Vivanno a try.  Have you heard of these?  It's an alternative to the Frappuccino which are oh so good but oh so bad for you.  I have Drink This, Not That and was intrigued by the idea.  The quote from the book is, "The Vivannos trump any other frozen drinks on Starbucks' menu. Each one is sweetened with one full banana and fortified with  protein and fiber. That makes it a legitimate snack, not just a high-energy treat. And with an espresso shot, you get your breakfast and your morning buzz in a single vessel."  Added espresso?  Ok!  Is it clean?  I seriously doubt it but I had to give it a try.  Yum!  It was really good!  Not sweet at all which tells me the sweetness comes from the banana.  They only come in a grande size which will set you back 270 calories.  I like the idea of the banana and the scoop of whey protein, especially after my run.

Last night for dinner, I finally gave Quiona a try.  I feel like every time I turn around, I'm reading about this super food.  Sometimes it's referred to as "the mother grain", other times it's all about how it is a complete protein - meaning it stands alone - no need to make sure you have a grain with it as with beans.  It is super high in protein and is a good source of iron and potassium.  It's also high in B vitamins!  I bought Trader Joe's brand and searched for recipes online.  I finally decided to give this Quiona Tabbouleh from All Recipes.  I saw that some reviewers had suggested the addition of feta and I took their advice.

2 cups of water
1 cup of Quinoa
pinch of salt
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tomatoes, diced
1 cucumber, diced
3 bunches green onions, diced
2 carrots, grated
1 cup parsley, chopped

Cook Quinoa per package directions.  Let come to room temp.
Combine olive oil, lemon juice, salt, tomatoes, cucumbers, green onions, carrots and parsley.  Stir in cooled Quinoa.

Modifications: I used cherry tomatoes that I halved simply because that's what I had on hand.  Also, I added some chopped kalamata olives, a bit of feta and of course some crushed red pepper!
This was excellent!  The Quinoa really doesn't have much of a flavor on it's own, I'm assuming that it takes on whatever you mix with it which makes for a versatile grain!  Prepping the Quinoa is a bit of a pain though, you have to rinse it really well and being that it's super tiny, that is an interesting job.  I put a coffee filter in a small colander and that seemed to work ok.  This recipe made a ton of food.  I had a side dish worth and a big 'ol sweet potato.  Yum.