Pre-Thanksgiving Meal Prep, a New Running Milestone & a Warm Lap {Whew!}

Happy Monday friends! I'm still catching up with all the awesome #fruitsandveggiesmonday posts for @lenasveganliving's weekly contest, but figured I'd pop in with my own little peek into my kitchen. Here in the US we have Thanksgiving coming up in just a few days. Which means the dash has begun to get everything done in preparation as far as food goes, along with another festive tradition--a Thanksgiving road race! Oh, and we have a house guest this week of the four-legged sort throwing me off my usual routine, as well. He's warming up my lap as I try to crank this post out.

So hopefully needless to say, this week is quite manic! All good stuff, though, so no complaints from me. Well, the little guy didn't let us sleep very soundly last night, but other than that the vibes are good in my small part of the world. I'll start out with my running milestone since I haven't really posted much about my training lately. After my disappointing half marathon in the spring I never really got my mojo back. The incredibly long, hot and humid summer didn't do much to help my performance either. I had a decent 10k in the beginning of this season, but really wanted redemption at a good time so I was ready to go this past Saturday for an Early Bird race that I've joined in on a few times previously. Though I enjoy running for the sake of the beautiful movement and stress relief, I can't say I don't enjoy a bit of competition to keep me sharp, as well. It's not even so much competing against others (though that is a motivator for me), more making sure I am working hard enough to hit the goals I would like to hit.

Free Race Photos Courtesy of Five Star NTP

As you might be able to tell from the photo, the weather was a bit dreary. Forget a bit, it rained the entire race. I was on the fence if I was going to go or not, but the temperatures really weren't that bad and I didn't want to bail on a race I already paid for. I had also had a few training runs in the past few weeks that felt good, and fast for a change! There was a pretty solid turnout despite the nasty weather, which is great for the race organizers who come out and work their tails off to put on a good run regardless of the weather.

The entire run felt really smooth. I was able to keep my pace right at an 8-minute/mile for the whole 6 mile duration, even during a rough headwind with rain pelting my face on the second loop. Perhaps a little adversity lit a fire underneath my feet to keep me on target. Because there were three other distances racing on the same course, it was tough to tell where I was in the pack. I was right behind another female when I saw the finish line, so I found the last gear and sprinted to the finish to come in just ahead of her. They decided not to hold the awards ceremony after the race with the nasty weather, but later on in the evening I was so excited to look up the final results to see I was top female finishes! I've placed first in the women's division in a 5k before, but this was a first for a 10k. Not to mention this was the first time I was under 48 minutes in a long time. I'm really pleased with the result and re-energized for more training ahead!

Drenched from head to toe after the race, at least I knew hitting the farmers market wouldn't make me any wetter. We went and stocked up on goodies for the week ahead, along with some extras for my Thanksgiving table contributions. The good thing about hitting the market a little later than usual was that I actually caught the plant-based foods vendor who has some amazing goodies! We're usually in and out before she gets there, so I was excited to see her setting up so I could grab some more vegan, gluten-free pizza and these killer donuts! The chocolate was especially delicious for a post-run treat.

Speaking of healthier treats, last week I tried out @freedomtowrite's pumpkin pie recipe that she shared in anticipation of the holiday. Her version looked too good not to give it a go. The crust alone sounded divine, and I had plenty of fresh roasted pumpkin that I had at the ready.

I don't bake a whole lot, so I always appreciate recipes that come together easily, especially with ingredients I generally keep on hand. This did not disappoint! We thoroughly enjoyed my "test" bake, and I even got the approval of one of my co-workers who is a true pie aficionado. Can't wait to bake up another one to bring to the family on Thursday! So thankful for my awesome Steem peeps sharing delicious recipes.

As it's not quite Thanksgiving yet, I did do a whirlwind round of my usual meal prep yesterday. Gotta keep the good stuff in my belly to recover from that run and stay on top of the healthy meals during the busy holiday season. I had grabbed plenty of delicious creamer potatoes from the farmers market to finally get around to making the shepherd's pie that I had a hankering for the last few weeks. Apparently I was so excited to make it I way overestimated how much I needed for one pan!

The solution? Stick a pan in the freezer for a pre-made meal when I don't have time to put one together! Same amount of work, but double the meals. I saw my pal @lolzwithlisa posted a similar recipe to what I followed if you need some inspiration for a vegan version packed with lentils and veggies!

This is definitely hitting the spot this week for a comforting yet healthy meal. We also had a handful of the final green cherry tomatoes from the plant before it went into the compost, so I put them together with some of the sweet yellow tomatoes from our farmers who have a nice, toasty hoop house to extend their growing season.

The green ones aren't really pleasant raw, but I channeled my inner @fionasfavorites and cooked them down for a tasty relish! Just some red onion, apple cider vinegar, coconut sugar, a pinch of sea salt and black pepper in the pan to let the mixture get happy.

It was quite delicious mixed in with quinoa, radishes, greens and topped with a veggie burger for dinner last night. I was too hungry and the light had already faded to get a picture of that meal, so you'll just have to take my word that it was delicious. 😉

I've got a few other things in the works as a start to the Thanksgiving contributions, but I'll save those to share another day. I wasn't sure if I wanted to make a traditional cranberry sauce with the fresh little gems that I got at the farmers market on Saturday, but my decision was swayed when I saw an idea to use it to make a marinade for broiled tofu. I was on the fence what I wanted to bring for my holiday "main dish" on Thursday, so I'm happy to have that figured out. It will go nicely with another batch of my kale, kohlrabi and apple salad I'm also bringing. My sis is on roasted potatoes and I'm sure we'll have a few other veggies to ensure I have a plant-powered plate for my holiday meal!

With all of the good energy from a successful run and wonderful food, not to mention some doggy-loving, I feel great going into a season when many people get overwhelmed and over-stressed. I may not have as much time for some things, but my health never takes a backseat. That always means I have a whole lot more to give back when others need a little boost!

Sending you all cheery vibes and happy holidays coming up ahead!