A little Boston talk, some organic stuff...

So we are coming to the end of the first official training week for Boston and here is where I am:

31 days of zero running! :)

I can hardly believe I haven't run in 31 days, but only have 11 more days until the MRI (which it may happen sooner than that since the scheduled day falls on the MLK holiday.)

I am excited and nervous to find out what is happening with the knee.

It is the first time I have had this extensive of an injury, so I am hoping and praying that I will be able to start running again sometime the week of January 19th.

My heart starts thumping extra fast when I think about having just 12 weeks to train for a marathon. At the same time I feel good that I have a marathon under my belt from 4 months ago and some pretty okay running after that.

I ran in the pool for 60 minutes today and added in some interval work (3 X 7 min hard with 5 min easy recovery + warm up and cool down) during the session. I know that cross training has been good for me because my legs genuinely feel fatigued after biking for 90 minutes or running for an hour in the pool.

Here is what my life reminds me of lately:

Dory: Hey there, Mr. Grumpy Gills. When life gets you down do you wanna know what you've gotta do? 
Marlin: No I don't wanna know. 
Dory: [singing] Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We swim, swim. 
Marlin: Dory, no singing. 
Dory: [continuing] Ha, ha, ha, ha, ho. I love to swim. When you want to swim you want to swim. 
Marlin: Now I'm stuck with that song... Now it's in my head. 
Dory: Sorry

Anyway... about the organic stuff!

I went to the grocery store today and as I was walking in the produce section, I thought a lot about organic foods. Which ones can we really get away with buying non-organic?

Let's face it, buying everything organic is NOT CHEAP.

Balance is definitely the key. So even if we don't buy ALL organic foods, here are a list of foods that we should always buy organic:

1. Apples

2. Strawberries

3. Grapes

4. Celery

5. Peaches

6. Spinach

7. Sweet Bell Pepper

8. Nectarines (Imported)

9. Cucumbers

10. Cherry Tomatoes

11. Potatoes

12. Hot Peppers

13. Kale

14. Collard Greens

15. Zucchini

16. Lettuce

17. Blueberries

18. Fatty Meats

19. Milk

20.Coffee

21. Wine

22. Chocolate

Wine and chocolate I don't normally buy organic. I will now have to re-think that and check prices for the organic options. I honestly can't imagine buying organic chocolate.

Also, I have found that it's hard to buy organic blueberries in the winter! The market had a huge sale on blueberries today, but they were conventional so I didn't buy them even though I wanted to :(

Good news for our pockets - here are a list of of foods you can buy even if they are not organic, because they are typically low in pesticide residue:

Onions

Sweet Potatoes

Pineapple

Avocado

Asparagus

Mango

Frozen sweet peas

Papayas

Eggplant

Cantaloupe

Kiwi

Cabbage

Watermelon

Sweet corn

Grapefruit 

Mushrooms

I also buy our bananas conventional.

You can read the entire article HERE.

I made a super delicious dish for dinner tonight:

Chicken Chili from Barefoot Contessa.

I am IN LOVE with the Barefoot Contessa. I love her show, her recipes and her cookbooks.

She didn't disappoint with this easy and wonderful tasting chili.  The kiddos were in heaven and we have enough for leftovers tomorrow  - yay!

Ingredients
4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 onions)
1/8 cup good olive oil, plus extra for chicken
1/8 cup minced garlic (2 cloves)
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
2 yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for chicken
2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled plum tomatoes in puree, undrained
1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves
4 split chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
Freshly ground black pepper
For serving:
Chopped onions, corn chips, grated cheddar, sour cream
Directions
Cook the onions in the oil over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and salt. Cook for 1 minute. Crush the tomatoes by hand or in batches in a food processor fitted with a steel blade (pulse 6 to 8 times). Add to the pot with the basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 35 to 40 minutes, until just cooked. Let cool slightly. Separate the meat from the bones and skin and cut it into 3/4-inch chunks. Add to the chili and simmer, uncovered, for another 20 minutes. Serve with the toppings, or refrigerate and reheat gently before serving.

Don't we all just love Meb?! I had to share this...

Check out his latest interview on CTolleRun

What foods do you typically buy organic?

I am pretty good about going by the list above, but I couldn't find organic grapes today and bought conventional  (although later when I read about the exposure to pesticides, I won't buy them again).

Are you planning a long run this weekend? How many miles?

Last time you got a massage?

 I am way overdue and have a gift certificate that I need to use!

Happiness Is Running Life!

xo,

Natalie