Cauliflower Mashed Potatos

This is what my dinner looked like tonight:

And let me tell you...it was AMAZING!

What you see is a 6oz steak seasoned with Montreal Steak seasoning. Then there is about 1-2 cups of broccoli topped with "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray". And last, those "mashed potatoes" aren't even potatoes at all. Did you know that cauliflower is an amazing substitute for things like rice and potatoes?

I didn't until recently, but I'm so excited that I found out.

Now, they didn't taste exactly like mashed potatoes. They weren't nearly as creamy, but for the health benefit, they were pretty dang good. Plus, most directions said to put them into food processor, which I don't have. Or do mix them with sour cream. I did neither, which may be why they weren't very creamy.

Even so, they were delicious and something I plan on having lots of in the future.

Here's how I cooked mine:

Cut desired amount of cauliflower into florets put in pot. Instead of boiling mine in water, I boiled them in chicken broth. Then I added some minced garlic. Let it boil until it is super soft (12-18 minutes). From here, most instructions say to put in food processor. I don't have one, so I just put the cooked cauliflower in a bowl, added the tiniest amount of skim milk, then mashed them with a wisk.

And that's it! Simple and very tasty.
And this entire meal (which was a ton of food) was less than 450 calories!

Utah Valley 10k

As I mentioned previously, today I ran in the Utah Valley 10k. For those who may not know the conversion, a 10k is 6.2 miles.

Lance, Will and I headed down to Lehi yesterday and spend some time with siblings. Then by 6am this morning, Lance and I were on the road to head to the race. We got there a bit early, but it gave me time to stretch and mentally prepare a little bit.

 Mostly ready to start the race.

 Can you tell I was excited?

I had two goals going into this race.
1-To run the entire time. No walking. No bathroom breaks. No stopping for water.
2-To finish in less than 70 minutes.

I was pretty sure I could accomplish the first goal, but I was a little nervous about the second. When I started running, I averaged about a 12 min mile pace, and that was fast for me. I've been working on my speed and trying to get faster. When I did my long run last week, my pace was about 11 minute miles. So I figured if I could somehow maintain an 11 minute mile the whole time, I should be able to finish in less than 70 minutes.

When the race finally started, I was feeling pretty good. I had a decent pace and was determined to keep it. The first mile alternated between slight decline and slight incline. When we got to the first mile marker, I was surprised how fast I got there and was feeling good. I was running to the Wicked Soundtrack, as well as some really upbeat songs. (Weird, I know. But Wicked makes me happy.)

And then around 2.5 miles, I started feeling sore. It was my first time running with my water belt and in order to keep it from sliding up to my chest, it had to be super tight. My stomach was in knots and I almost doubted myself for half a minute.

Then the 3 mile marker showed up. I was both relieved to see it, and reminded that I still had more than half way to go. I know that running is such a mental game, so I told myself that this was easy and I would finish no problem.

Around 3.5 miles, we started going up a decent hill. Not super steep, but enough of an incline to feel it and wear me out. I'd estimate we climbed for at least 1/2 mile or so. But once that climb was over, the rest of the way was downhill.

It was so motivating to have people all along the road, always cheering and giving you high fives. It was so fun and really kept me going. It didn't matter if they were there to support someone else, their presence helped.

I had some apple slices in my pack and started nibbling on those around mile 4. Because I had my own water, I never needed to grab a cup from an aid station. Even though my pack was slightly annoying because of how tight it was and I had to constantly adjust it, I was super glad I had it. I like to take small sips of water often, and the water stations weren't close enough for my liking.

Once I got past mile 4, I was feeling good again. And when I saw mile 5, I knew the end was getting close. My thought process was, the faster you go, the sooner you'll be finished. It helped that I could see the finish line and the end was in sight. The last quarter mile was packed with people cheering you on. I sped up and finished strong.

Throughout the race, I passed very few people, but I was being passed constantly. I had to remind myself that I couldn't compare myself to others and that I was only racing myself.

After I crossed the finish line, I was given a medal, had some pictures taken, and ate a few snacks. Then I check my results....and my time for 6.2 miles was...

1:02:53

I beat my goal by over 7 minutes, making my average time just over 10 minutes. I am completely shocked. I did NOT feel like I was running near that speed at all, but I was super happy to find that out. I know that my speed was faster because it was mostly downhill, but I don't care. I'm still happy about it. I tried using Endomondo to track it, but I forgot to turn it off right at the finish line so it might be a little skewed. But according to Endomondo, here is a breakdown on my miles.
1 - 9:34

2 - 9:34
3 - 10:01

4 - 10:23

5 -10:36

6 - 10:13

The pictures are a big deceiving as they say Marathon Finisher, but I only did the 10k.

While I felt like I could have gone a bit further, 7 miles more than this seems a bit daunting. It really made me nervous for my half marathon in August. But I'm still determined to do it, and I am lucky I have several weeks to train.

Special thanks to Lance for going to support me. It really meant a lot to me

It's weird to think that I went from this...

Just a few months ago to running a 10k now.

Hey, Fat Girl

I found this post a few days ago and I had to share it. Every time I read it, I get a little emotional because that is exactly how I used to feel and still feel sometimes. And in case you didn't click on the link and read it, I'm going to post it here:

Hey, Fat Girl

Yes, you. The one feigning to not see me when we cross paths on the running track. The one not even wearing sports gear, breathing heavy. You’re slow, you breathe hard and your efforts at moving forward make you cringe.

You cling shyly to the furthest corridor, sometimes making larger loops on the gravel ring by the track just so you’re not on it. You sweat so much that your hair is all wet. You rarely stay for more than 20 minutes at a time, and you look exhausted when you leave to go back home.  You never talk to anyone. I’ve got something I’d like to say to you.

You are awesome.

If you’d look me in the eye only for an instant, you would notice the reverence and respect I have for you. The adventure you have started is tremendous; it leads to a better health, to renewed confidence and to a brand new kind of freedom. The gifts you will receive from running will far exceed the gigantic effort it takes you to show up here, to face your fears and to bravely set yourself in motion, in front of others.

You have already begun your transformation. You no longer accept this physical state of numbness and passivity. You have taken a difficult decision, but one that holds so much promise. Every hard breath you take is actually a tad easier than the one before, and every step is ever so slightly lighter. Each push forward leaves the former person you were in your wake, creating room for an improved version, one that is stronger, healthier and forward-looking, one who knows that anything is possible.

You’re a hero to me. And, if you’d take off the blaring headphones and put your head up for more than a second or two, you would notice that the other runners you cross, the ones that probably make you feel so inadequate, stare in awe at your determination. They, of all people, know best where you are coming from. They heard the resolutions of so many others, who vowed to pick up running and improve their health, “starting next week”. Yet, it is YOU who runs alongside, who digs from deep inside to find the strength to come here, and to come back again.

You are a runner, and no one can take that away from you. You are relentlessly moving forward. You are stronger than even you think, and you are about to be amazed by what you can do. One day, very soon, maybe tomorrow, you’ll step outside and marvel at your capabilities. You will not believe your own body, you will realize that you can do this. And a new horizon will open up for you. You are a true inspiration.

I bow to you.

(Copied from FlintLand.blogspot.com)

Being overweight is difficult. And unless you've been there yourself, you can never truly understand what it is like. And while the process of losing weight and becoming fit is extremely challenging, I think the most difficult part is starting.

I hear so often how someone wants to go to the gym, but they are too embarrassed because everyone there looks great and can run forever or lift hundreds of pounds. It makes me sad that the gym is such an intimidating place for so many people. Maybe if those "fit" people were a bit nicer and more encouraging, there would be less overweight people because they wouldn't avoid the gym anymore.

It's so hard not to compare yourself to other people. As I walk on the treadmill, thinking I did awesome for doing it for 60 minutes, I can't help but feel inadequate as the person next to me was running when I got there and is still running when I leave. But it also helps me push myself. I want to be that person someday!

In January, I could barely run a quarter of a mile without needing a break. I was embarrassed and intimidated by others at the gym. But I knew that the only way to get anywhere close to where they were was to keep going back. So I did. It's been 5 months and I've lost about 50 pounds. And in 4 days I will be running a 10K and I KNOW that I will run the entire thing and enjoy it.

I've come a long ways, but most days I still feel like that "Fat Girl". I've been running and training for about 4 months, yet I am still a super slow runner. It's frustrating when you hear of friends that haven't run in years that decided to run and the first time ran 3 miles in 30 minutes. Or when people complain and say they are terrible at running because they run at 6.0 mph pace. I hear that and it brings back feelings of inadequacy as I can only run at that pace for a short period before I have to go back to my dreadful 5.0 mph pace.

But, like the post said...I am a runner...and NO ONE can take that away from me. I may not be the fastest runner, but I am a runner nonetheless. And I will continue running.