Future thoughts of running...and how I do my meals :)

Today is a very special day...I put my name into the lottery for the Chicago Marathon.

This is something that I really wanted to do for a little while now. Monday was the day I could've put my name in for New York, but due to scheduling problems on that marathon weekend I decided to forego that one. I'll know about Chicago towards the middle of April.

I know it's a long shot but I'm really hoping that I'll run my first marathon there this fall! It would be perfect because it's over fall break and isn't too hard to get to from Oxford. Timing-wise, the majority of my training could be over the summer, with a few long runs and then tapering down in the fall. Alex is already into this race because he qualified in previous marathons and hopefully we could go together (though I think he'd run his own race at this big marathon rather than sticking with me). 

If I don't get a spot there... c'est la vie! I may do the same half-marathon that I did last fall break (or the full-version, though it's a small marathon which means not a lot of crowds to pull you through the 26.2 miles!) or run for charity at Chicago.

This is the type of thing I usually wouldn't bother mentioning until I knew for sure that I got it but I'm just excited to have registered, for the time being. Having a potential race to look forward to is a great motivator when it comes to running. I get very excited about races and having goals. Running here can be a little monotonous (the same out-and-back trails every run) so getting to think about even having a glimmer of a chance at Chicago is great :)

My running here hasn't changed much from at home. I'm not doing as many miles as over winter break, but that's okay because I was probably doing too many miles at that time. Now, it all balances out. Since October, I've graduated into doing more miles in each run rather than 7 small runs per week, and I pretty much keep up with that here. I wish I could be outside more, but that's okay. Even though I am keeping up with my running here, it's strange not to have rigorous practices every day. This is the longest I've gone in 6 years without any sort of rowing in my life. For 6 years, I trained very hard and maintained peak strength and fitness. Right now I feel like I still have the fitness but not the strength (I'm referring to back and arms here). I know it'll come back quickly, but it's a sort of odd phenomenon. 6 years is a long time for a lot of hard work. I suppose at this point, my body probably really needed a sort of break from that. Focusing on enjoying my runs right now is probably for the best; no scheduled practices, erg tests, lifting regimens, etc. That's a lot for a body.

Recently I've been trying to think of new ideas of simple things to cook at home...mostly I eat a lot of salad and eggs. The other night I actually combined both of these components into something very similar to my kale-egg favorite. I added a tortilla and some salsa and yum!

I also usually get a lot of veggies in my lunch at the Chateau, which I only have twice a week. They have a salad bar, and my favorite lunch recently is to get their soup with lots of fresh, crunchy veggies.

Typical Chateau lunch for me

Another fave food of mine lately has been broccoli. This is so much the case that I made Alex take a picture of me with my favorite food when I found it in the supermarket in Amsterdam.

He was very ashamed/embarrassed of me posing with iron-rich green veggies in public...sorry about it! I am appreciative of him dealing with my weirdness.

Last night I made a very yummy and inventive dinner. I really wanted to pack in the vitamins, so I had some broccoli and a "sweet potato panini." I boiled and mashed a tiny sweet potato onto a tortilla, and I also sprinkled on some beans and a tiny bit of cheese (cheese is tough for me to digest so I used it sparingly). I cooked this all as one might cook a quesadilla - in a pan with a spoonful of olive oil.

Sweet potato selfies

Beans take a long time to cook so while that was going on I munched on some chunky applesauce and half of a banana with some Luxembourg pb. 

The finished product! Should've made more broccoli.

I've often been asked how I get all of my nutrients since I don't eat a lot of dairy (calcium) or meats (protein and iron). This meal ^^ is a great example of that! Broccoli, sweet potatoes, and beans all are extremely rich in iron, protein, fiber, B12s, AND even calcium. Aside from cooking the beans, this meal was really quick and easy to make as well.

Today marks the half-way point in our program...this half felt half but the next one will feel even more speedy fast. We've just about scheduled each of our remaining weekends in Europe...we have about 6 more trips left and at least as many countries! This weekend is going to be Paris with my PARENTS! We will spend Friday afternoon/evening, Saturday, and Sunday together and then they will come into Luxembourg on Tuesday night and stay until Thursday. 

Heading off a little bit early this Wednesday morning...because I'm going to get my Luxembourgish citizen card! WAHOOO! I guess they're going to keep me after all :)