Greatest Hits... So Far

Going into meal planning, I envisioned myself making a wide variety of exciting meals. In reality, however, this week's menu planning conversation went a little like this:

Me: "What do you want for meals this week?"

Noodle Cups Prepped for the Week

Josh: "Noodle cups. And spicy taco quinoa bowls."
Me: "So you just want me to repeat last week's menu?"
Josh: "Yes."

On the plus side, this makes things easy. Menu, grocery lists and notes are as follows:

Monday:
Lunch: Noodle Cups
Note: I bought fresh rice noodles this week because the grocery store didn't have ramen, and doing so made prepping these extra fast- I'll do that again!
Dinner: Tempeh Stir Fry
Note: I buy fresh, pre-cut veggies for stir fries. I have acknowledged that I don't like chopping veggies after work and that's okay.

Tuesday:
Lunch: Noodle Cups
Dinner: Spicy Taco Quinoa Bowls

Wednesday:
Lunch: Leftover Spicy Taco Quinoa Bowls
Dinner: Thai Stir Fry with Tofu
Note: This is cabbage, brown rice and baked tofu with peanut sauce, a knock off of a dish that one of my favorite restaurants stopped serving.

Thursday:
Lunch: Leftover Stir Fry
Dinner: Sushi Bowl
Note: This is brown rice, nori, whatever appropriate sushi fillings I have on hand and a sauce of soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin and a bit of hot mustard.

Friday:
Lunch: Leftover Sushi Bowl
Dinner: Pizza
Note: This is a lazy, homemade pizza comprised of pre-made Trader Joe's pizza dough, pizza sauce and homemade cashew ricotta, plus veggies on hand.

Grocery List
Greens
Fresh Rice Noodles
Tofu (3)
Bread
Tempeh
Bread
Stir Fry Veggies
Cherry Tomatoes
Avocados (2)
Bell Peppers
Cereal
Almond Milk
Peanut Butter
Pizza Dough
Marinara
Onions
Garlic
Fruits & Vegetables for snacking
(I had quinoa, black beans, cilantro and frozen corn on hand, plus necessary spices)

Back in the Game: Menu for 4/19 - 4/25

With sunny weather happening and seasonal allergies subsiding, we were reading to get back into menu planning. The menu for the past week was as follows, with linkies to the recipes if available:

Monday
L- Noodle Cups (These were super easy and made two days of lunches- winner!)
D- Cauliflower steaks & greens (Josh makes these with no recipe)

Tuesday
L- Noodle Cup
D- Spicy Taco Quinoa Bowl

Wednesday
L- Spicy Taco Quinoa Bowl Leftovers
D- Soba Noodles with Peanut Sauce and Greens (My peanut sauce is just peanut butter, chili pepper flakes, soy sauce water and a smidge of agave, whizzed together in the blender)

Thursday
L- Soba Noodle Leftovers
D- One Pot Thai Pasta (we wound up not eating this because it called for tamarind paste, which I couldn't find at the store- we did some roasted veggies and a boxed vegan mac and cheese we had in the pantry instead)

Friday

You down with OPP (one pot pasta)?

L- Leftovers
D- One Pot Pasta

Grocery List
Cereal
Almond Milk
Baguette
Cauliflower
Greens
Wasabi Powder
Ground Ginger
Ramen Noodles
Spinach
Carrots
Tofu
Soy Sauce
Scallions
Linguine
Brown Sugar
Garlic
Tamarind Paste
Ginger
Cilantro
Cashews
Black Beans
Cherry Tomatoes
Avocado
Two Red Peppers
Eggplant
Bread
Onion
Basil
Fruits & Veggies for Snacking

Ain't nobody dope as me, I get that pantry clean (pantry so clean, clean)

This week has been an experiment in getting the fridge and pantry cleaned out, born out of seasonal allergies and fatigue. However, it's been a good lesson for those days when I think 'I have nothing to eat' because thankfully that's never actually been true for me- more along the lines of 'I have nothing immediately available to eat'. To facilitate this, I made a list of the ingredients available to me in our fridge and pantry (not including spices and such) to give me a tangible way to see what all ingredients I had available. From there, it has been vastly easier to look at the list and put together a meal, rather than just staring blankly at the pantry and the fridge until I give up and get delivery. Oh, I have soba noodles, cucumbers, radishes, carrots and stuff for peanut sauce? Bam, dinner is made.

In the future, I'd like to do this with a bit more organization, looking at what I have in advance and putting the menu plan together from there but I'm enjoying this technique that lets me skip the grocery store for a week, though things got a little hairy towards the end of the week (plain bread for breakfast, y'all) but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.

Our regularly scheduled meal planning will return next week.

Menu for April 5th - 11th: Exploring One Pot Pasta

Last week's menu included one pot pasta, something I'd never made before, which is appalling because it was delicious, easy and fast, which are my favorite qualities of a recipe. Here's the plan for the upcoming week:

April 5th - 11th

Sunday
Dinner: One Pot Pasta
Note: I will also make a big pot of quinoa tonight to throw into tomorrow's salad and Tuesday's lunch, as well as making the lemon tahini dressing from Salad Samurai.

Monday
Lunch: Salad (using remaining veggies in fridge) with quinoa, Lemon Tahini Dressing & Baked Tofu
Dinner: Same, but with a sweet potato (Josh won't be home for dinner, and I will be home late, necessitating a quick and easy dinner)

Tuesday
Lunch: Quinoa Green Goddess Bowl, using the remaining quinoa, but with the leftover Salad Samurai Lemon Tahini Dressing
Dinner: Sugar Snap Pea & Carrot Soba Noodles

Wednesday
Lunch: Leftovers from the Soba Noodle Dish
Dinner: Easy Peanut Noodles

Thursday
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Spinach Artichoke Wonderpot

Friday
Lunch: Leftover Wonderpot
Dinner: Cheesy Vegan Alfredo with Peas & Kale

Saturday
Breakfast: Pancakes (I use a mix that has been discontinued and that I haven't found a replacement for yet.)

Snacks
Fruits and Veggies
Almonds
Cookie Dough Dip with Apples

Grocery List
(This list assumes that you have items such as salt, pepper and olive oil on hand. It's much more comprehensive than last week's list, I'm getting better!)
Bread
Non-Dairy Milk
Cereal
Soba Noodles (Three packages)
Frozen edamame
Carrots
Cilantro
Sesame Seeds
Tamari/Soy Sauce
Limes
Sesame Oil
Miso
Ginger
Sriracha
Agave Nectar
Baked Tofu (I buy it pre-made for convenience)
Chickpeas (Two cans)
Quinoa
Paprika
Cayenne
Oregano
Cucumber
Sugar Snap Peas
Tomatoes (Two pints)
Kale
Avocado (Two)
Baking Soda
Garlic
Mushrooms
Artichoke Hearts
Yellow Onion
Linguine
Lemons
Frozen spinach
Frozen peas
Nutritional Yeast
Apples
Chocolate Chips
Oatmeal
Nut butter
Sweet Potato
Any fruits or veggies on sale for snacks

Happy eating!

Picture unrelated: The view from our room at the Stanford Inn Eco Resort

I'm back, baby! AKA I need to track my Menu Planning

So, it's been two years-ish since I've written anything on here. The quick version of this is that I got a fabulous job, married a wonderful man and adopted another cat and, as a result, kind of lost my desire to spend time writing aimlessly. However, I've been doing a lot of menu planning in an effort to reduce how much we go out to eat and I want to track what I've been doing instead of planning from scratch every week, so I figured I might as well do it here so that it can be helpful for anyone else who may be interested. Use it or don't, I'm not your mom.

Some basic meal planning info: I am planning for two and base my menu around plans for the week, as well as the weather (because nobody wants a comforting stew on a hot day). Also, I will link recipes as available. I don't really plan for breakfast because I can't handle anything more complicated than cereal or toast first thing in the morning. 

Week of March 29th - April 4th

Sunday:

Dinner: Cauliflower Steak with Mashed Cauliflower and Sauteed Kale

Monday

Lunch: Sushi Bowl (Rice with edamame, avocado, tomato, nori and a sauce of tamari, mirin and sesame oil)

Dinner: Dragon Noodle Salad from Isa Does It with a bit of fried tofu on the side

Tuesday 

Lunch: Leftover Dragon Noodle Bowl (Note: wound up being a sushi bowl, we ate most of the Dragon Noodle Salad)

Dinner: Spicy Quinoa Taco Bowl from One Ingredient Chef - Great for leftovers 

Wednesday

Lunch: Out (planned for)

Dinner: Leftover Spicy Quinoa Taco Bowl

Thursday

Lunch: Grains, Green and Beans (random mix of whatever grains, beans and veggies I have laying around) with Lemon Tahini Sauce from Salad Samurai

Dinner: One Pot Pasta (I've never made this before. We'll see how it goes.)

Friday

Lunch: Overnight Oats & Fruit

Dinner: Sunflower Mac from Isa Does It

Saturday

Lunch: Picnic! Leftover Sunflower Mac and Massaged Kale Salad

Dinner: Out (planned for)

Grocery List 

(This is not a complete list, just what I didn't have, as I already have a bunch of staples- I'm planning on doing full lists in the future.)

Cereal

Tomatoes

Avocados, 2

Asparagus (I only bought this because it was on super sale)

Bell Peppers (I could have gotten away with one but they were three for a dollar so I bought six)

Bread

Linguine

White Onion

Basil

Rice Noodles

Radishes

Cucumber

Cilantro

Salad Greens

Limes

Black Beans

Frozen Corn

Macaroni

Cornstarch

Kale 

Lemons

Rice Vinegar

Snack fruits & veggies

This is me and Wishbone V. Debs. I hate posting without a picture.

Theoretically, check back next week for another menu!

Chang Thai: Thai food worth the trip

Most vegans know that Thai restaurants can be a risky venture- fretting about fish sauce is a rough way to spend a meal. Located in Broomfield, Colorado, Chang Thai is the perfect solution to your worries. Vegan owned, you can order anything off the menu with the simple addition of "vegan please". This also makes Chang Thai incredibly omni friendly, creating the perfect pit stop between Denver and Boulder. I have yet to try anything off the menu that isn't stunningly delicious, but I recommend starting out with the Pad Thai. Chang Thai is located at 155 Nickel Street in Broomfield, CO.

Portobello: This is how it's done.

Most vegans will cringe at the option of a portobello. Generally either unseasoned or soaked in balasamic vingear and cooked beyond recognition, it can be an affront to all the senses. Doing everything they can to change this stereotype is Portobello Vegan Trattoria, located in Portland, Oregon. This is fine dining at its best- delicious food, cozy yet elegant atmosphere and down to earth service. With a rapidly changing menu, that varies with the season, Portobello offers some of the best vegan food I've ever had- not only delicious, but also creative and stunningly original. My dinner consisted of English pea ravioli with morel mushrooms, along with mint, while my dining companion's dinner was gnocchi with spring vegetables. A meal at Portobello is the kind of meal that you eat as slowly as possible, using a knife and fork to make everything last as long as possible.

An added bonus to dining at Portobello is the fact that they have fancy drink options for those of us that don't imbibe. I got the Sea Shepherd, the purchase of which also facilitated a dollar donation to Sea Shepherd. These mocktails are definitely not afterthoughts to the drink menu, all lovingly created to enhance the meal, without alcohol. In short? Don't skip this Portobello meal option, it's definitely one of the good ones.

Vertical Diner: Salt Lake City has vegan game

This week is all about vegan indulgence- my boyfriend and I are
in Portland for Vida Vegan Con- extra vegan, all the time. We opted to drive and were psyched to try out one of Salt Lake City's multitude of vegan options. We wound up at Vertical Diner, a vegan greasy spoon, a welcome change from the typical sad bowl of oatmeal as the vegan option at diners. This is full on comfort food- think biscuits and gravy, pancakes, tofu scramble and potatoes. They do offer lunch and dinner options, but I was focused on breakfast, and my focus rewarded me. Savory tofu scramble and fluffy biscuits with creamy gravy on top were the perfect fuel to carry me through to Portland. An added bonus is that Vertical Diner is cheap- my tofu scramble and biscuits and gravy were $6. Unbelievable. If you're passing through the area, Vertical Diner is a quick trip off the interstate and absolutely worth the stop for the weary road warrior.

Finding Your Cool Impossible

Did you hear the one about the runner at the airport, en route to a marathon, reading a book about running, while wearing spandex? Just kidding, that's not a joke, that's my life and the book I was reading was The Cool Impossible by Eric Orton, the coach from Born to Run. This book outlines Eric's coaching style and method, along with providing strength exercises and training plans, written as if Eric was narrating your visit to Jackson Hole to be coached by him. What I really loved about this book was that it was flexible. It breaks running down to the nittiest, grittiest detail, such as strengthening your foot, but at the same time allows you to customize the training plan based on your current level of ability. While this is no substitute for face to face coaching, it is nice to have a training plan at your disposal that is customized for you.

The book is split into sections about running, diet and the mental side of running. Running is very detail oriented, as you would expect, while the diet section doesn't encourage any particular way of eating, other than to keep it healthy (not eating processed foods, for example). Finally, the mental section, which was my favorite, deals with not letting worries such as 'can I complete a marathon?' deter you from your larger goals, instead focusing on just the next fifty feet, and reaching your goal that way. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in running, novice to marathoner. There's great strength moves, a training plan and some incredibly inspiring words to get you out the door and running towards your own cool impossible.

She's Going the Distance: 2013 Boulder Distance Classic Recap

The week before my first marathon, I was supposed to do an easy eight mile run, so I decided that it would be a great idea to do a 15K race instead. And you know what? It was a great idea. The Boulder Distance Classic is a small race, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in awesome.

Course: This course loops around the Boulder Reservoir, meaning that there are rolling pastures to one side

and stunning mountains to the other, making this course unbelievably easy on the eyes. An added benefit of this course is that it is almost entirely run on hard packed dirt roads, making it nice and easy on the joints. There's some loose rock here and there, but nothing you'll wreck yourself on if you're paying attention. Towards the end of the course, there's a really steep hill towards the end, but then it's easy sailing to the finish line.
Crowd: Another sparse race, but the support throughout the race was amazing and it felt like there was an aid station every fifty feet, all of which were loaded with water and gatorade. Great, great support. Also, the song they played at the start line was Chariots of Fire. Just try to not be inspired by that.
Chow: Yay for fruit! It's always a good thing when there are multipe types of fruit cut and ready to go post race, along with a giant tub of water bottles on ice. There was also a huge spread of barbecue, but the idea of eating barbecue, vegan or not, post run grosses me out.
Bling: Brooks tech shirt that appears to be a traditional cotton shirt, but does, in fact, wick your sweat away. Since this race was inexpensive at $30, I feel like I got a super sweet deal with an awesome race, good food and a nice shirt.
Expo: This was the expo that I finally indulged in one of those free massages and it was awesome. Why have I never waited around for a free post-race massage? There were also a decent amount of free goodies, and a beer garden featuring Avery beer.

For those not wanting to race the full 15K, there's also a 5K option, but I always figure that if I'm going to sign up for a race, I want to get the most bang for my buck. Frugal runner here.

Call of the Wild: Aftershokz Headphones

Aftershokz headphones recently contacted me asking if I'd like to give their open ear headphones a try and after a quick gander at their website, I quickly said yes- they looked amazing! Aftershokz use bone-conducting technology so that instead of the music being in your ears, preventing you from hearing anything, it is next to your ears, so you can hear what's going on around you. This has obvious advantages for safety, such as hearing cars and strangers coming, but you can also hear people cheer you on (clearly a major concern of mine). But would they work?

More photogenic than I am post-run

In a word: yes. I love these things and they will be my go to for outdoor runs from now on- I'm extremely pleased with these buddies. I was definitely concerned about sound quality prior to trying them, but those concerns turned out to be unfounded as the sound quality on these is surprisingly good. You can turn them up loud enough to drown out sounds surrounding you if you want to, but I was also able to carry on a conversation with a co-worker with them on a low volume, all from a clip-on device for easy access. Aftershokz headphones also stay put during my runs, which is definitely a bonus. For transportation, they come with a snazzy carrying case, so you can avoid that whole unpleasant scenario where the cord becomes hopelessly tangled in your bag. As far as being able to hear people cheering you on? I wore them during a recent race and am pleased to report that I was able to hear people cheering quite clearly. Overall, Aftershokz headphones are a winner in my book, and I'm so happy to have a way to stay safe and listen to music while running in the wild.

Aftershokz Facebook Page

Jonesy's Eat Bar: Cozy, Creative Vegan Eats

"I could bring my dad here" is praise I can lavish on a very select few restaurants. These restaurants must feature a variety of exceptionally delicious food, a cozy, unpretentious atmosphere and attentive service. The newest restaurant that meets this is Jonesy's Eat Bar, located near downtown Denver. The standard menu that you receive upon sitting down doesn't look super vegan friendly- it's full of classic American dishes, most with a twist, but the magic happens when you ask for the veg-friendly menu. You receive a page of delicious dishes, all clearly marked with their level of being vegan-friendly. We're talking quinoa loaf (tastes way less boring than it sounds), curry fries, Thai fries and a variety of things that will make it surprisingly difficult to order, thanks to an abundance of options. The dish pictured here is the Vietnamese salad with crispy tofu and seaweed salad and it was the perfect mix of refreshing, filling and delightful to the mouth. Complete with a daily happy hour, Jonesy's is also pretty easy on the wallet. Dad, I hope you're looking forward to eating there now.

Photogenic Soup: Curried Carrot in the Wild

Soup is often hard to photograph and I generally don't even bother. It kind of
tends to look like weird, but boring, puke in a bowl. This is why photogenic soup is a marvel, and why I was extra excited to see this specimen, Curried Carrot, in the wild. Served at Denver's City O' City, this creamy little friend is topped with vegan yogurt and tamari cashews, which mix perfectly with its sweetly spicy self. The biggest bonus is that a cup of this liquid gold is only $3, and goes down to $2 for happy hour. They might as well just give it away! Paired with a vegan caeser salad, it creates a meal that balances out perfectly between hot and cold, spicy and soothing, liquid and solid. Plus, you'll have enough room left for one of City O's amazing desserts- HoHo Cupcake anyone?

Vegan Pizza Night with Phoney Baloney's Coconut Bacon

Oh, pizza, when will my love affair with you end? Probably never if my friends and I keep having build your own pizza nights. We each get a personal pan size crust and load it up with the toppings of our choice. Our most recent pizza night featured Phoney Baloney's Coconut Bacon. If you haven't had it yet, you must. Smoky, salty, savory and a little bit sweet, these are the perfect addition to a salad, sandwich or, in this case, pizza. We rounded out our topping selection with Victoria Vegan Alfredo Sauce, homemade marinara, sauerkraut, spinach, black olives, a variety of veggies and Teese cheese. By the way, Teese has reformulated and is extra amazing now- super melty and super tasty. Your move, Daiya.

What did my pizza feature, you ask? A gluten-free crust, with red sauce on one half, white on the other. The red side featured tomatoes, black olives, sauerkraut, Phoney Baloney's Coconut Bacon, red onion and mushrooms, while the white side kept it simple with more bacon, tomatoes and spinach, with both sides slathered in Teese. I love pizza nights because, with the use of pre-made crust, they are super simple for everyone involved- everyone just brings a few ingredients and is guaranteed to have a meal that they'll love. Long live pizza night!

Give 'Em a Squeeze: Chia Squeezes from Mamma Chia

My love affair with chia seeds started with chia seed pudding at last year's Vida Vegan Con. Reminiscent of tapioca and full of nutrients, I throw these little guys into everything, so I jumped at the chance to try Mamma Chia's Chia Squeezes. Mamma Chia was gracious enough to send me four flavors: Green Magic, Apple Cinnamon, Strawberry Banana and Blackberry Bliss. Verdict? They are awesome! My favorite was the Blackberry Bliss, followed by the Green Magic, but all four flavors made my mouth happy with their perfect representation of the flavor noted on the packaging. These squeeze packets would be the perfect introduction to chia seeds for someone who was a bit nervous about the texture, as the 'squeeze it into your mouth' factor helps to gloss over the chia seed texture. These are perfect for a quick breakfast, a road trip snack, to throw in your bag for a long day of hiking and or just to keep around for when you need a quick bite. The only thing I wasn't super jazzed about was that it definitely took me both hands to open these, so they'd be hard to open when I'm out for a run, which was my original intent with them. However, I can definitely see these little packets easily working their way into my daily life. Fruity, chia seeds and easy to transport? Yes please to the chia squeeze!

Update: Watercourse Foods still delicious

I've loved Watercourse Foods for years, as evidenced here, and I'm pleased to report that it is still awesome. Living here means that I can try lots of things on the menu, and every trip here is a joy. My new obsession are their nachos, made super vegan with both daiya and vegan chipotle aioli, with a side of green chili. The key with these nachos is that the toppings are layered throughout, resulting in a well rounded nacho experience. You don't have to worry about that heart-wrenching moment when you realize that you just have sad tortilla chips on a plate. I don't feel like I need to acknowledge that these nachos are amazing, based on the fact that I've already mentioned they have daiya, chipotle aioli and green chili, among other toppings.

Another delicious discovery I've made is the Po Boy. It usually comes on a kaiser roll, but I get it on their magical gluten-free bread. Laden with polenta-encrusted artichoke hearts, lemon-caper aioli and coleslaw, this sandwich manages to both refreshing on a hot day, and comforting on a cold one. Also, you get two sides, so there's no way you're leaving hungry. The sides pictured here are the steamed kale and tomato coconut curry soup. While I highly encourage anyone travelling through Denver to eat the buffalo seitan wings, I also encourage you to save a bit of room for the other culinary wonders that Watercourse offers.

Luscious Nectar: Tasty Food, Boozy Slushies, Fresh juice

Trips to Fort Collins are always punctuated with a trip to Tasty Harmony, but it's nice to branch out. My VegOut app recently pointed me toward Luscious Nectar, a bar with a surprising array of options. Upon walking in, you can tell this place parties hard at night. It's clean but there is the lingering scent of alcohol and poor choices. However, the food here more than makes up for it, and they have a patio for outdoor dining. We skipped the smoothies and juice (although they looked fantastic) and went straight for the food, ordering a 'Tuna' Mocky Roll, Queso Tango Nachos and Cantina Tacos. For me, the stand out was the Queso Tango Nachos, made with housemade vegan cheese, which was slightly chunky, making it easy to apply to every chip.Combine this with pico de gallo and jalapenos, and it's a definite winner- would eat again. The tacos were made with jackfruit, but also offered the options of buffalo seitan or BBQ tempeh for a protein. The 'Tuna' Mocky Roll, a raw creation, was refreshing and a nice palate cleanser between bites of vegan cheese and jalapenos.

The best part? Our total came to $19. We ordered two entrees and an appetizer, making this meal a fantastic deal. There's even a happy hour with $1 off tapas from 3:00-7:00pm every day! You can also get a slushie made with alcohol, which would have made this my favorite bar in college. Cheap food and fun drinks? Luscious Nectar, you have a new fan.

Harbinger Coffee: A Sign of Coffee to Come

My boyfriend loves coffee. A lot. We have three brewing methods at home, any shopping trips will immediately be derailed upon the sight of a grinder and he never leaves a coffee shop without befriending the barista. Due to this, I have been introduced to the world of fancy coffee. Coffee described as having notes of flavors and finishing with a certain taste. I still have a long way to go, but am happy that I can now smell strawberries or milk chocolate in the scent of coffee beans. This also means that we go out of way for coffee, and one such place that's worth going out of the way for is Harbinger Coffee, located in Fort Collins, CO.

Harbinger is a humble stand located in the basement of what appears to be an office building. Harbinger does one thing: black coffee, and they do it well. The owner features different roasters and is able to describe the coffee with fantastic detail. The coffee pictured was a Sumatra, that tasted slightly fermented in the best way, with notes of blueberry. With coffee this good, there's no need to add anything to it. Harbinger Coffee is located at 151 S. College, right in downtown Fort Collins, making it a perfect stop while meandering downtown.

Race Recap: That Dam Run Half Marathon

The course is really pretty too!

When did I become the type of person who celebrates their birthday by running a half marathon? Apparently in 2013, as I ran That Dam Run for the second time, specifically as a birthday present to myself. It was my second time running the course, and knocked about 20 minutes off my overall time, so it wound up being a pretty great gift to myself. Here's the details:

Course: Out and back, my friends. I love out and back courses because you park in one spot and don't have to worry about a shuttle either way and you can cheer yourself on when you recognize things on your way back. This course is special in that it is mostly downhill on the way out, so coming back is pretty challenging. One part of the course is described as "Boston's Heartbreak Hill on steroids". Ouchie.

Crowd: This is a race for runners. There's a crowd at the start/finish line and that's about it, save for some folks who wander out from their homes to watch the runners. They have a few volunteers to cheer you on, but, mostly, you're on your own.

Chow: Aid stations featured water, Gaterade and Sport Beans, which are unfortunately not vegan. Also, they are jelly beans and seem awkward to eat while running. I brought my own Clif Shot though, which powered me through. Post race, there were bagels (which I skipped because of gluten) and Food Should Taste Good chips, which were delicious. The race is pretty close to a Chipotle, which is where I got my post-race nosh.

Bling: Medal upgrade from last year! This one's shiny and nice and heavy. Also, I loved the shirt, which was a lovely shade of green.

Expo: Pretty sparse. Five Hour Energy was there giving out bottles, but that stuff kind of scares me, so I skipped it. I did win a month of Camp Gladiator training, which I'm excited to do after I run the Lincoln Marathon.

Overall, I enjoy doing this race once on the way out and post finish line, but the part in the middle gets a bit rough. Translation: looking forward to doing it next year!

Eat & Run by Scott Jurek: Guaranteed to make you think that you too can run 100 milers

Did you hear the story about the guy who won a 100 mile race through the mountains? On a sprained and swollen ankle? It's not a joke, it's a crazy, amazing story and it's just a small part of Scott Jurek's life as a superhuman runner, and he does all of these incredible things as a vegan. His book, Eat and Run, is a testament to Jurek's athletic prowess, and his his strength in overcoming the obstacles life set before him, as well as proof that eating a vegan diet doesn't doom a person to a life as a weakling. Though I know I'll most likely never run, let alone win, a 100 mile race, Eat and Run left me feeling inspired to push my boundaries, both in running and in life, every time I read it. An added bonus are the recipes sprinkled throughout the book, which definitely lean toward the healthy side, but all look delicious. If you're looking for a book that will provide you with a healthy dose of motivation every time you pick it up, or trying to show someone that eating a vegan diet will not detract from your athletic ability, this is a great, quick read to pick up. Not sure if you'll be into it? Check out an excerpt, thanks to Runner's World, here.

Full disclosure: I received a review copy of the book, but am receiving no other compensation and am under no obligation to review it one way or another. I really liked it!