This Weeks *delayed* Training Plan

I would have run eight miles yesterday. I truly would have. But I was on the road, coming back from a beautiful family wedding down in Milwaukee. It was in Mitchell Park, right behind the Domes. Absolutely gorgeous at night--the shot I took above hardly does it justice. And no snide comments about they might look like. Sometimes an apple is just an apple.

I would have run this morning, but my kitties were all curled up on my bed and we were comfy. One bundled up by my hip, the other by my shoulder. It was surround sound purring.

Coulda, woulda. Full of excuses, I am.

But I do not think this warrants any retribution, yet. In my defense, I had no training schedule for last week, figuring I would take a breather after the half marathon but still going out for a short run and a stint at the gym. But starting tomorrow, all bets are off. So here is my very public plan for the week:

Monday - Off
Tuesday - 4 mile run in the A.M.
Wednesday - Strength training (upper body and abs)
Thursday - 4 mile run with Vero
Friday - Strength training (lower body and back)
Saturday - 5 mile run
Sunday - Cross training - 45 min swimming

A bit of a step back in mileage, but I only have short races in October, and build up for a 10K and 15K in November. I am also excited to switch things up for the winter and work on some cross training to start some spring dualatholons, and maybe even a sprint triathlon.

Blog, I am depending on you to help keep me accountable.

*****

On a side note, tonight I am going to make some pesto, because I have been craving it and the store bought version is so expensive. *drooling* Can hardly wait.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Roll

Another recipe I hocked, this one from With a Side of Sneakers. I saw it and knew it would be a challenge because I do not bake a lot of bread-like recipes. And I rarely back down from a challenge. *putting on game face* Bring it on recipe, bring it on. And if I can take on this recipe, anyone can do it.

The Cast:

Dough
1 cup almond milk
1 packet instant yeast
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup bread flour (and a little extra for kneading)
1/4 cup granulated sugar.
2 tbsp. baking powder
1/8 cup salt
2 tbsp. cinnamon
4Tbs. apple sauce

Filling
2 Tbs. margarine
5 Tbs brown sugar
3 tbsp. cinnamon

Icing
Powdered sugar
Almond milk (aprox. 1/8 cup)
Vanilla 1 tbsp.

The Method:

Heat almond milk on the stove with low-medium heat and lightly stir in yeast. It should not take long to bake, and mine started to bubble on the top, this was when I knew it was done.

While the almond milk is heating, I started in with the dry mix. In a mixing bowl, add in the wheat flour, bread flour, and sugar. Stir vigorously, and add in a bonus workout for the day.

Next add in the baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Now stir with the other arm, it feels a little left out, not to mention it needs a workout too.

Once the almond milk is heated (this should only take a few minutes), add it into the dry mix. In comes the applesauce, or your egg replacement material. Stir that bad boy up again, but with a little less vigor then before. Think of this as your cool down. My mixture was not very doughie yet, and I had to work a bit to get it to accept all of the flour.

Sprinkle some bread flour over your flat surface and smooth it out. Also feel free to coat your hands a bit. This will help the dough from sticking to you. Knead that little dough until it makes a nice little ball.

Now comes in the rolling pin. Except if you get to this part in the recipe and realize that after all this time in your life, you still do not have a rolling pin.

Voila! A whine bottle. Sprinkle some flour over this little bugger and start rolling out the dough into a rectangle. (Random side note: this little rolling pin is a local whine from up in Door County called Plum Loco, and it is light, sweet and fantastic. Also pretty economical, two thumbs and a big toe up from me).

Once the dough is rolled out, melt a little margarine in a pan, I used the same one as the almond milk because extra dishes are no fun. Then spread it over the dough. And yes, even though I do not have a rolling pin, I do have one of those fancy pastry brushes--the hypocrisy of it all.

Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon over top, then start rolling up the dough. Make sure it is nice and tight at the beginning. Once it is rolled up, begin slicing, I stuck with the original and went with about 1 inch spacing. (Another side note, I tried the dental floss trick the original recipe suggested, and it flopped. Not sure if my technique was up to par, so I went back to a knife.)

Earlier when I melted the margarine, I was at the end of a stick, so I saved the wrapper. I used this wrapper to grease the inside of my baking pan. Otherwise, good ol' spray will do.

Cover up the pan and set in the fridge overnight.

Then eventually go to sleep. And wake up. Good morning!

Preheat the oven for about 350 degrees. While this is happening, melt a little bit of margarine and spread it over the top of the rolls. Sprinkle a dash of granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon on.

Slip the pan in for about 20-25 minutes (time will vary depending on the type of pan used (glass or metal) and how awesome your stove is (mine is not exactly top of the line and it takes a bit to start kicking in).

While this is going on, time to start in on the icing. I used a measuring cup so that it would be easier to pour after everything was mixed up. I added the almond milk first as well as the vanilla and gave them a little swirl. Then I slowly started adding in the powdered sugar. This is where it took a bit of experimentation. You want the icing to be firm, but also able to be poured.

After the cinnamon buns are baked, pull them out and let them cool for a bit before applying the icing. I was a bit impatient, so some of my icing melted and slide off into the bottom of the pan, but I think of that as a mini-treat for later. *shrugs shoulders* It happens.

Fin. I brought mine into the office and they were a big hit. I had two batches. The first with the recommended amount of salt, and the second with half the amount. The second batch did not look quiet as fluffy, but folks noticed immediately the difference in salt and preferred the ones with less NaCl inside. There was also an overwhelming amount of support to bring these in again, so I call that a group consensus hit.

Zucchini Pasta Salad

The original version of this salad came from Dietitian on the Run. I made a couple of slight modifications thanks to the less then hearty selection at the super market, but am actually pleased with the result. I doubled up on the servings as well so I could have some at dinner last night, and save some for lunch today.

The Ingredient Line Up:

2 cups uncooked whole wheat pasta
1 organic zucchini, sliced
1/2 sweet red onion, finely diced
1 tsp rosemary,
1 tsp thyme
A dash of pepper
A dash of salt
1 cup Tomato, chopped
2 tbsp Olive Oil
Grated Parmesan Cheese

The Method:

Boil the water and add a tablespoon of olive oil to the top of water. Throw in wheat pasta and stir for 30-40 seconds before letting boil. This lets the pieces get coated in the olive oil and allows them less of a chance to stick together. Cook until al dente so it has a little bit when mixed in with the veggies.

While this is going on, throw the other tablespoon of oil into a saute pan an medium heat. Add the chopped zucchini and onion. Stir in the rosemary, thyme, and then add pepper and salt to taste.

Once the noodles are cooked, drain in cold water and then throw them into a mixing bowl. Add in the veggie mix, as well as the chopped tomatoes. Mix it all up.

Finish up with the grated parmeasan cheese, and then it is ready to serve warm, which is what I did last night--or as recommended, toss it in the refrigerator and eat it cool.

Then taunt your coworkers with your delicious lunch while they contemplate the freezer burn frozen meal in the fridge or another can of soup. Not that I would ever do that :-D