Spiralizer - Vegetable noodles

If you know me outside of this blog, you are probably sick of me talking about my spiralizer.  If you are friends with me on instagram (you should be- You can here), then you are probably overwhelmed by all the food pictures and zoodle hashtags.   
Well, it's about to get worse. 

I have had this little kitchen gadget for months now and still haven't shared its brilliance with everyone on RAR.  Do not fear bloggy friends, today is the day.  

Disclaimer:  despite me over excitement for this thing, no one compensated me for this post (still waiting for that day to come...) and all opinions are my own. 

This my friends, is a $39.95 piece of plastic, that is worth.every.penny.
 Let me back up by saying that I love pasta. 
 If I had to choose between dessert or a hot bowl of pasta, pasta wins every time. 

The only problem is, my waistline doesn't love pasta as much as me, nor does my stomach.  Every time I visit an Italian restaurant, I had to loosen that button on my jeans, and try to fight through the food coma.  I drive home with what feels like a rock in my stomach and I swear I can already see the pasta magically transforming into fat on my inner thighs.  

When I heard about this "inspiralizer" my world changed.  Okay, okay, that is a little dramatic, but my eating habbits changed for the better.   This magical piece of plastic turns virtually any vegetable into long strands of "noodles".  Sure, you can use your mandolin, or cut thin strips by hand, but nothing will give you that spaghetti effect (veghetti-vegetable spaghetti) like the spiralizer.  And I am all about the visual, if it looks like pasta, and has a similar mouth feel as pasta-  then I am sold.  

Oh and did I mention they take about 2 minutes to cook in a pan?  
No more waiting for boiling water and pasta to cook.  

Zuchinni is probably the easiest thing to spiralize and goes with virtually anything. 
Marinara, butter, veggies, anything.

The best part about this little kitchen gadget, is a girl named Ali over at Inspiralized.com who has an entire blog dedicated to the Spiralizer, spiralized recipes, and tutorials.  If you head on over to her website, she has instructions on how to spiralizer a bunch of different fruits and vegetables, with amazing recipes.  Basically any recipe that calls for pasta, you can substitue a spiralized vegetable.  (Pad thai, chicken picatta, stir fry-  all amazing creations).   

And these recipes are SO good, you won't even miss the pasta.  And lets not forget you are getting all your servings of veggies AND can go back for seconds (and even thirds) without the guilt.

I will share some recipes from Alli's blog in the future, 

but for now I'm just going to share some pictures of meals I made inspired by her recipes.   
You know, some pictures as a teaser, and to get you on board with this gadget. 
 If you are one of those crazy paleo people, then this tool is a must have.  

Sweet potato noodles, beet noodles, zucchini noodles, squash noodles....
Noodles for days. 

Butternut Squash Noodles  with lobster, feta, onions, garlic, tomato and parsley in a lemon butter sauce.  

Zuchinni Noodle (ZOODLE!) 

Pad Thai with Chicken 

         

Zoodles with Hoemade Marinara and Meatballs.

Zoodles with Tomatoes, Onion, Spinach, Red Peppers, White Beans and Garlic, with Squid, Fish, and Scallops

Head on over to Inspiralized for everything spiralized!

My Marathon Recap - Part 2

Welcome to Marathon Recap Part II

More of a running recap than a race recap.  

Let me start by saying something shocking.

This wasn't as hard or as glamorous as I thought.

Yeah yeah, it was a small race, It wasn't Boston or NY, it didn't have the huge crowds, nostalgia or hype.  But it just didn't feel like I thought it would.  I mean, don't get me wrong, it was 26 miles and I was tired by the end, but at no point did I feel like I couldn't go on, or something hurt really bad, or that I never wanted to run again.  Your normal aches and pains, normal wanting to be done running, but I think I kicked this marathon's butt. 

I drove to Providence on my own for the 7:15 lineup of the race.  At the start line I turned on my GoPro and I was off.   We left downtown Providence and headed out towards Barrington, Rhode Island.  Instead of going into exhausting detail mile by mile, I will just share some funny excerpts, aka conversations I had with myself throughout the run.  I also had my go pro on my head the entire race and I took some clips/pictures of my race-  SO easy to take picture when your camera is on your head.  Will put together a little video at a later date. 

Lace up your sneaks.. here we go!

Mile 1:  Yay look at all these people running a marathon.  Oh my god I just passed two visually impaired people running this marathon with guides.  The only thing worst than running a marathon has to be running a marathon with your eyes closed.  I officially have no right to complain.

Miles 2-3:  Wow this is depressing.  23 miles left! That is a sad thought.  Shut up, Katie, you just saw the visually impaired runners and said you would stop complaining... that didn't last long.

Miles 3-5:  Hey legs are starting to warm up... this isn't so bad..... I just want to get past 6 and out of the 20 miles left category because that is just so depressing.

Miles 5-8:  I AM SO HUNGRY- I don't want GU or Shot Blocks, I want real food.  This marathon is really interrupting my normal breakfast time.  No Me Gusta-  Hey, pretty water. 

Miles 8-10:  IT'S A DUNKIN DONUTS!!!!! RIGHT THERE ON THE COURSE.  I could go in and just get half a bagel, you know, some running fuel I am really hungry.  Oh wait I didn't bring any money with me- stupid stupid.  Wait, maybe if I go in and tell them I am running a marathon and I am hungry they will feel bad for me and give me a bagel.

Miles 10-12:  Bagel was a no go- realized not the best idea. I heard there are bananas on course,  I need to find some real food.  Fine I will settle for a Shot Blok.   Oh more water views. 

Miles 13-15:  YES! Half way there.  this is usually when I cross the half marathon finish line and say "wow I could never do that again- I will never run a marathon".  But here I am.  Oh my friends should be here any minute.  I hope to see them soon.  Oh this bike path is so pretty la de dah.  Wish I had a bike....

Miles 15-17:  I can't find my friends.   Where are they?   Note to self: call them.  I am running slow enough.... This is a nice neighborhood.  I am really jealous of everyone sitting in chairs.

Mile 18:  Oh hey look it's my parents aunt and uncle!  And cousins!  With a cow bell!   Nice little boost of energy at mile 18 just when I need it

Mile 19:  While the water is gorgeous, I am running down a path with water on both sides, with (what feels like) tornado winds.  I think I am running in a vacuum.  Am I moving forward?  Call friends, Liz says they are at mile 20.  Yay one more mile till I find them!

Mile 20.5:  Where are they... they said 20....

Mile 21:  LIZ WHERE ARE YOU GUYS -  Oh at mile 23... oh okay... that's really off but that's fine.  Oh hey... it's marathon Larry!  This guy has run over 1300 marathons.  Wow that's like... a lot a year.  I get dumb when I run. No math for me.  See ya Larry. 

Mile 22:  This hill really sucks.  I mean look... everyone is walking... in fact I have barely seen anyone running after mile 20.  I am walking up this hill too.  Lazy runners unite.

Mile 23.5  WHERE ARE MY FRIENDS-  They hate me.   They must be at the wrong marathon.  Why are they doing this to me.  I HAVE NO FRIENDS  they lied to me.  This is the meanest trick ever.

Mile 24:  Yeah they aren't coming.  They hate me.  I just want to finish this stupid race and go home.   Oh look at that boxer in the car... Hey its Courtney's dog Leni...  but who is that guy.  OH MY GOD SOMEONE STOLE LENI.  

Mile 25:  No one stole Leni- you have just lost your shit.  One more mile and change and then you can get some grub.  Maybe a cheeseburger... or a Turkey club.. options are endless.  GIVE ME ALL THE FOOD.

Photo Cred:  Gameface Photography.  

Mile 25.5:  THERE THEY ARE!! ITS MY FRIENDS!!! THEY LOVE ME!! THEY CAME!! THEY MADE SIGNS!!! They were off my five miles but I DON'T CARE LIFE IS WONDERFUL.  OH here take my sweaty arm bands and my sweaty camel bak.  See ya at the finish. 

Mile 26:  Okay.. I am at 26... and the finish line is no where in sight.  That was a long half mile and  wow I didn't know .2 was so far.

26.3:    I SEE IT! The finish line!  Hey dude-  PASSED YA BITCH -  cruising cruising... OH MY FRIENDS!!! Cheesy wave and smile... Courtney Kristen and the boxers, oh there is Ashley and Jon and Lilly, oh and my parents.  Aunt uncle and cousin- wow I am loved.  If you want to see how many amazing friends and family you have, run a marathon.  Wait I minute...26.3? I have been cheated....Now I can eat.

I had visions of me tearing up as I crossed the finish line,  an item off the bucket list, overwhelming pride an joy.  Yes I was happy, and excited, and all my friends and family were at the end, and the crowd was fantastic, but I just felt... normal.  My father is impressed by my post marathon status... and tells me how big of an accomplishment it was.  I sort of over think it and think its kind of silly... I ran 26 miles and ended up in the same place.  I remind myself its not the race but all the miles leading to this race that counted.  That made me a marathoner.  Those miles were the real struggle. 

I grabbed my foil cape, a water, 1/4 of a wrap, and hung out while I found my family.  I saw people hobbling and stretching, crawling and stumbling.... but I felt okay. 

I think my "success" was in my run walk program.  I ran 2 miles, walked 1 minute throughout the entire race.  This gave me legs a quick break, not pounding on the same muscles for 4.5 hours, and allowed me to break the race into 2 mile intervals.  Below are my splits (this time includes the walking). 

It doesn't feel like it really happened.  I mean my watch said 26.3... I had a medal... I ran all of the miles.. But I don't feel any different.  Hah oh well.  Now I never have to run again if I don't want to.  Best. Feeling. Ever

If I ever run again I think its going to be 5k 10k stuff.  I mean the marathon didn't feel so bad but the 4+ months of training and long run weekends is something I rather never do again. 

Well, thanks for following me on my marathon journey.  And thanks for all your support along the way.  Now that the race is over, I am going to focus on shorter distances, some speed work, and get back into Body Pump and weight training.  

Onto bigger and better different things!

Cox Providence Rhode Races- Marathon Recap (Part 1)

I ran a marathon and then disappeared from the blog world for a week. 

 Surprise! I am still alive.  Although my phone did die at mile 26.1 and someone tracking me from home thought I died .1 miles from the finish.

It was just a hectic week with moving out of my apartment and an overnight horse show up in New York for a few days.  BUT Sunday I found some time to recap my race.  Being my first marathon, I have SO much to say-- so I decided to break it into two parts, the first part more of a review of the race and how it was held, an the second more of a running recap.

  It is long, so sit back grab a coffee and enjoy.  

Saturday night I laid out my clothes and gadgets to make sure I had everything I needed for race day.   The forecast was warm and sunny so I planned accordingly:  Sports bra, blue tank top, Lululemon shorts, compression socks, a nike running hat, ipod arm band, camelbak with 2 nuun tabs, Shok Blocks, energy beans, headphones, sunglasses, advil, gopro, gopro head strap.   Everything charged, packed, ready to go for an early morning start.  

I woke up Sunday morning at 4:30 to be out of my house for 5:00.  I had to drop Olive off at my parents house, and make the hour and a half drive to Providence, Rhode Island.  The race started at 7:30 but I wanted to be there for 6:30 to have time to park, pickup my bib and goody bag, get my locker, stretch, and head to the start for 7:15.   I had a bagel with peanut butter and banana (ate half) and a coffee for breakfast.  

I pre-purchased a locker online and was glad I did. (Company is called Blue Trailer- what an awesome idea).   For $7 I had a key to a locker, where I could stash some goodies I did not want to run with.  This meant I could avoid gear check all together and know my belongings were safely locked away, and I could access them whenever I wanted without a line.  

Before the race, I  read some reviews of the race and how it was organized, to know a little better what I was getting in to.  Some people complained of mile markers, port o potty issues, non descriptive shirts, running out of supplies, and boring medals.  But I will say they seemed to have fixed every complaint.   Packet pick up was smooth-  I had no issues getting my number in a timely fashion.  There were bathrooms with short lines in the convention center (at pickup)  and a ton of port o potties lined up near the start of the race.  

The shirts are cute, navy blue tech shirt with white and aqua lettering, with the marathon and 26.2 screaming across the top.  They were out of smalls and mediums when I got to packet pick up but I was planning to put it in a frame with my medal anyway (so many race shirts I don't wear and this one is special). 

As I lined up at the start, I was truly in awe at how beautiful the weather was.  It was 70s, sunny, and a gorgeous day.  It was almost a little too warm for running, but much better than rain.  The sun was bearable thanks to the 15-20 mph winds that were whipping off the water.   The race started about 10 minutes late, which isn't bad compared to many races.   The announcer was upbeat and fun and a little toy helicopter filmed the start of the race.  The national anthem played, everyone got organized, and it was race time!

The gun started and we were off.  We left from the convention center in downtown Providence and headed out.  The course was absolutely BEAUTIFUL.  Right along the water, through quaint little neighborhoods, and on this adorable bike trail. 

The parts that were on the main roads were coned off and there were policemen and volunteers at all intersections and turns.  The volunteers were so helpful and so encouraging, and all of the aid stations had plenty of GUs, gatorade, water, and bananas.  I was really impresed by the organization of this marathon, before and during the race. 

There were photographers all over the course, and oh, did I mention the pictures were available online for free?    This was awesome.  There were spectators throughout the entire course.  Being a "smaller" marathon, some parts were sparse in the cheering department but for the most part, they were all over the course and very encouraging.  

The last few miles of the course were hilly, but at that point, I was just happy to be nearing the end.  As I came around the corner to the coral, I basically had the finish line to myself.  I heard and saw all my friends and family and the energy of the crowd was amazing.  I crossed that finish line with a huge smile on my face and lots of pictures to prove it.   

After crossing the finish line I got my medal, foil sheet, water and gatorade.  There were also wraps and snacks for the runners in the corral.  Attached to my bib was a ticket for a free Narraganset which I declined until my stomach was a little more settled post race.  I was easily reunited with my family and we soaked in the rest of the sunshine and glory of running 26.2.

The medals were nice, they had the name of the race and "Marathon" right on the ribbon, and the medallion itself had the Cox Logo and Providence (capitol?) on it.  

Again, I was really impressed with this race, especially after reading the reviews on previous years.  They had addressed/fixed every issue I had read in the reviews, and put together a well organized race on a beautiful course.   The timing of the marathon was also perfect, there are not many spring marathon options in New England besides Boston (which you have to qualify or fund-raise).  This race was only $100, two weeks after Boston, and perfect for my training schedule.   I highly recommend this marathon to anyone looking for a spring marathon.  If you are one of the "50 staters", then make this your Rhode Island race.  

Stay tuned for my running recap of the race!

I did it! Marathoner!

Hey guys!!!! Monday morning post marathon: I have all my toe nails, nothing is broken or swollen, some sore legs, a bigger ego, and I have a pretty medal!!

I will be doing a full race recap soon, but for now, I just wanted to check in and say yes I finished, and it was awesome !!!

I did all 26.2 miles in about 4:27 with a 10:10 pace on a gorgeous sunny day and it felt great!!! Can't wait to share all the details with you!

Things I am loving Friday

Hello friends- (one of) my last posts as a normal person, 

because next time you see me.. I will be a marathoner!
( I may post tomorrow about my outfit and what I am bringing if I get some time)

Joining the <1% of the population soon!  

Well, because I am in such good spirits and so excited, I wanted to play along with the "things i'm lovin Friday" theme.  Because I am basically loving everything this week in the marathon excitement and  soaking up the sunny skies today.   A lot of the things I am loving, well it is music, so sorry about that.  But download them all and thank me later. 

1.  Ray Lemontagne:  It was a rainy week (until now), and his dreamy voice just made me swoon.  I could listen to him all day.  Especially "Let It Be Me".   Oh wait I already do (this song always gets the repeat button- guilty).  It is my favorite.....   listen to it here.

2.  Sarah Bareille's new song- "I Choose You" -  I love the lyrics, love her voice, and just love the song.  Puts you in that sappy happy mood.  listen to it here.

3.  Ingrid Michaelson's new song- "Girls Chase Boys"-  I was so lucky to see her perform at Toad's Place in New Haven, CT.  Super small intimate place, no seating just a stage and standing room inside (teeny tiny).  Did I mention her husband opened for her AND sang a song with her?  Swoon again.   Listen to it here.

4.  Shakira's new song- "The One Thing" - while watching The Voice I heard her sing this one live.  I love the catchy tune and the lyrics.  And then I found out she wrote the song for her son.  Man I am having a sappy week...(also- she is so smoking hot and adorable on The Voice...) Listen to it here.

5.  Printed tights.  Especially from White Plum, and especially for working out.  Fitnessista and Simply Taralynn both had White Plum giveaways this week and I really need that gift card so I can buy allll of the tights.  Check out their printed leggings here.

6.  The Skinny Confidential Blog.  Yeah yeah I am so late to the party, I get it.  But I usually stick to just running blogs.  I usually hate blogs that aren't strictly fitness related, but I have to admit, she is awesome and I love the way she writes and her "i don't care" attitude.  And her blog is beautiful and awesome.  And her clothes and MAN I wish I could wear lipstick like that... Girl crush...  Check out her blog here

7.  Rhode Island-  So random.  Things I am loving... a state. But I am in love with Rhode Island this week.  It is where I am running my first marathon.  We are doing work up there this and next week.  And it is where I spend my weekends diving in the summer - Jamestown is so much cuter than Newport-  check it out!  It is also where I ran a gorgeous half marathon through Newport and cheered on my friends.  RI is just an adorable little coastal state.  With expensive bridges, lots of ice cream and sailboats, and overall- a state that I just adore.   

Well that's it for today friends.

If you want to follow me on my race Sunday, click here!  

Cox Providence Marathon, May 4th

Katie Arruda Bib Number 1057 :) 

Happy Weekending!