Fabulous Vegan Recipes

My running career began in 2013 when I ran my first Broad Street run. It was 10 miles and my very first run beyond a 5K. This weekend I'm attempting to PR at the Bronx 10 Mile. Do I feel super prepared? Nope. But I did run 9.8 miles last week and I survived. I've also worked on my speed the past few months and this week I'm staying hydrated and healthy. Even if you don't feel super prepared, you can still be prepared enough for your race. Get it?

  New York City is an amazing city to live in when you are a runner. The number of places you can run and the amazing views you see when you run are innumerable. This city is amazing. When I moved here two years ago I quickly tried to find my running tribe. I typically like to run by myself but at times I love running with a group. I first met Marnie when my yoga studio hosted one of her art runs. I ran with her group, met people, had a great workout and most of all, HAD SO MUCH FUN! Marnie took us through the streets of the city, showed us street art, we took fun pics and we ran back to my studio.

I hear so much noise in the vegan community about what to eat, how much to eat, how often one should eat, what exercises to do, how much macronutrients should be in your food etc etc. It's so overwhelming and confusing and it makes me tired. Instagram is a huge source of food information and recipes but usually from people like you and me who are posting what is working or not working for them. I see so many skinny, fit vegans eating tremendous amounts of food and not gaining weight. I see raw vegans, raw til 4 vegans, junk food vegans, it's just so much to take in. And I'm left with questions like: is all that fruit really good for weight loss? Is coconut just as bad as meat due to the saturated fat? Should I be eating so much rice? Do portions really not matter? Is it really WHAT you eat versus HOW MUCH you eat? And if you're one of those vegans who needs or wants to lose weight, where do we fit in with all of this? I went to a dietitian before I moved here two ye

I go in and out of making sushi, obsessing over it then taking a break from it. After hitting the bulk section at Whole Foods, buying some rice and beans, I thought how easy it must be to make sushi rice from short grain brown rice; short grain brown rice is in itself a little bit sticky already and would be perfect for this recipe. If you remember, the last time I made sushi, I used quinoa . It turned out well but the sushi stays together best when you prepare the quinoa right before you make the sushi. With the brown rice, it was easy to make sushi with leftover, refrigerated rice.

I'm writing this post now at 1pm on Saturday partly because I'm procrastinating when it comes to doing my long run today (6 miles) and partly because it's the weekend, I have no pressing engagements this afternoon and I can actually take the time to write this! I woke up later today because I went to bed super late but I was productive as soon as I opened my eyes. I donated three big bags of clothes and one big bag of shoes to the farmers market reusable clothing collection. I donated clothes, towels and shoes. It feels great to unload everything and to clean up my apartment. I live in a tiny apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan but damn, I have a lot of shit! Also at the farmers market, I dropped off my compost and bought organic spinach and come organic carrots. Do you collect your food scraps for compost? You should!

This was my recovery meal today. Killer. It hit the spot. I was tired, sore and very hungry. But before I get there, let me give you a little training update. I'm a very nervous runner and need major work on my self confidence. When I train for a run, I worry about it alot and constantly scrutinize my training runs, how they are going, how I'm feeling, what time I wake up, what time I go to bed, how much water I'm drinking or not drinking etc. I wish training could be a little more relaxed but, believe it or not, I am having fun!