Thursday, August 14, 2008

I'm Going For a Run...

One morning a few months ago, I woke up with a strong desire to go running. I'd never been much of a runner before and so this yearning struck me as odd. Not knowing when such a desire would hit again, I immediately strapped on my sneakers and headed to the gym, making a beeline for the treadmills. I couldn't believe how good my body felt when I finished, and so over the past few months, I've been slowly building up to about 4 comfortable miles on the treadmill. Recently though, I took my running outside.

Most evenings now, I circle Dolores Park a few times and then head deep into the Mission. There's something really incredible that happens when I go running outside. I don't know if it's the the endorphins that start flowing as my heart starts pumping or the half-set sun's lighting or a song on my ipod that I particularly like, but as I pound down Mission Street, I become filled with the the most powerful sense of calm, and beyond that, empowerment. Any doubts about myself that I may have been dwelling on before the run melt away and suddenly I know with absolute certainty that my life will be filled with endless success, true love, and perpetual happiness. It is, of course, a nice side affect what running has been doing to the shape of my body, but I feel equally confident about how much stronger I am as how my once-tight jeans now slouch around my hips.

As this is mostly a food blog, I feel I should address how food plays a part. An hour of running requires that one's body be properly fueled, and so I am finding that whole grains, beans and vegetables are particularly important. I'm craving more protein than usual and so have been making a new kind of frittata every few days. Frittatas are such a great way to feed a lot of people (or, in my case, one person for several meals) easily and on a budget. Here's my favorite these days:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Beat together 6 eggs, 1/2 cup half-and-half, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a greased pie dish and drop in chopped roasted red peppers (available in jars), chopped spinach, a handful of chopped scallions, and a few dollops of goat cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes until firm and lightly brown on top. Allow to cool for a bit and then cut into wedges. It's delicious chilled or while still warm, and I like to serve it with a green salad. The frittata will last tightly covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, but it's so good that you might find it disappears faster than that.


Love,
Gabi

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