Run with friends. Cheaper than therapy!

Training in Tilden Park

Sometimes we want to go home and veg out after a long day instead of going for a long run in the rain. Sometimes we want to push snooze and forget that 6:30am track workout. That’s why we say if you have the opportunity to train with friends, do it! Group training can motivate and empower and just get your butt out the door.

Training for the June 5 See Jane Run “I Run for Chocolate and Champagne” Race in Alameda, CA starts now. Some women who’ve done the program never thought they could run 13 miles. Many told us they wouldn’t have had the courage or confidence to sign up for the half marathon on their own. “I cannot believe I went that far,” one told us. “I think it’s so smart that your program has the group doing this run now, so we know what not to do and what to expect,” she said.

Oakland Coach Anna Gunn says that every woman finds herself a partner or a small group who’s at her level, whether she’s a walker, jogger or all out runner. They support and push each other during the longer Saturday runs and sometimes meet up during the week for their two recommended shorter workouts. “Like See Jane Run, we want to see women get fit, succeed and have a good time. No one has to worry about being last,” Anna says. She and Coach Jennie Votel bike the course during the group runs, keeping tabs on everyone and offering water stations along the way. “We’re there to support you and get you through it,” Anna says. We love that she and Jennie are waiting at the end of the course with Gatorade, Luna bars, bananas and chocolate milk.

While training with See Jane Run you’ll also meet with a nutritionist to learn what to eat to fuel your workouts, get a customized shoe fitting to find the best model for your foot and have the option to get in a couple of track workouts before the long runs. “Some of the ladies are into it — The ones who want to build speed,” Anna says. Midway through training See Jane Run stores host a Gear Up clinic with storewide discounts to get you outfitted and pumped for the big race.

You can ask lots of questions and meet the coaches during the kickoff meeting. (That’s tonight at 6pm for Oakland!) You’ll get a training calendar at the first group run. (That’s this Saturday March 19, at 8am for you Oakland ladies.) Anna’s team will start with a three-mile run, but more experienced runners can always run longer. Over the next 12 weeks your team will slowly build mileage until you’re up to 13 miles for the half marathon!

The larger the group, the more supportive partners you’ll find who run at your pace on the longer runs — So invite your friends, we say! See Jane Run will give you all a push, whether at the back of the pack or the front.

Get the details on training in your area:

Danville/Walnut Creek

Oakland

San Francisco

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Last Night’s Dinner: Dijon Salmon Cakes with Couscous

I’m starting a new thing with some of these recipe posts.  I’m going to actually share with you what I made for dinner last night–assuming it was a success, that is!  And I’ll try to include pictures of what I made, as well.  Enjoy!

(Original recipe adapted from Real Simple magazine, August 2010.  Find it here.)

My dish. I rounded it out with some leafy greens, red onion and grape tomatoes with olive oil and red wine vinegar.

Dijon Salmon Cakes with Couscous

Serves 4    •    Total time: 15 min.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. skinless salmon fillet
• 2 scallions
• Salt & pepper
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• Olive oil
• 1 cup dry couscous
• 1 Tbsp. fresh mint leaves, chopped

Preparation:

In a food processor, chop the salmon fillet with the scallions, salt and pepper.  I had to cut up the salmon into chunks, since I have a small food processor.

Mix in the panko bread crumbs and Dijon mustard; form into 8 patties.

Cook the patties in the olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until opaque, 2 minutes per side.

Serve over couscous with mint.  (The original recipe also adds olives, but my husband hates olives, so I decided to be nice.)

-Bethy

Summer Staple: Grilled Corn-and-Red Potato Salad

I made this salad for a Fourth of July cookout with friends and it was a smashing success!  I used produce from my local farmer’s market, which I think made it extra special.  This is perfect for a summer picnic in the park with friends; just make sure not to leave it out in the sun too long.

(Original recipe from Everyday with Rachael Ray, June/July 2009.  Find it here.)

Grilled Corn-and-Red Potato Salad

Servings: 8    •    Prep: 15 min.    •    Cook: 20 min.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper
• 3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and finely chopped
• 10 red potatoes (about 3 pounds)
• 4 ears corn, unhusked

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, mustard and 3/4 tsp. each salt and pepper. Whisk in the onion and chiles.

In a pot of salted water, bring the potatoes to a boil and cook until just tender, about 20 minutes.  Drain, let cool, peel, then cut into bite-sized pieces.  Add to the vinaigrette.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler.  Broil the corn in the husks, turning, until charred on all sides.  Let cool, then discard the husks and silk.  Slice the kernels off the cobs.  Add the kernels to the potatoes and vinaigrette; toss to combine.

-Bethy

[Image via www.rachaelraymag.com]

“I run for podcasts.”

Here at See Jane Run we run for many things.  Our official motto is “We run for chocolate,” but we’ve also been known to run for champagne, sales racks, coffee and more.

Me?  I run for podcasts.  Ok, maybe not FOR podcasts, but they certainly make my longer runs more tolerable.  Don’t worry, I do plenty of runs sans the iPod, but sometimes I just need that extra something to get me going and keep me entertained.

I thought I’d share a quick collection of podcasts–music and otherwise–to run to, depending on your style.  Enjoy!

Music:

Photo credit: indiesouprunner.com

Indie Soup Runner. This is my newest addiction.  Indie Soup Runner offers some great indie music mixes with great beats.  It’s true, you probably haven’t heard of lots of the bands, but that’s what makes it interesting.  On my latest run, listening to the “Schvitzer Mix,” I found myself constantly saying, “I’ve GOT to go home and download these albums!”

Photo credit: podrunner.com

PODRUNNER. Another See Jane Run staffer showed me this site.  What’s cool is the mixes are by BPMs (beats per minute).  So, if you know your pace and can calculate your BPMs, you can find a mix that will keep you on pace.  They’re all an hour long, so line up a couple on your iPod for longer runs.

Photo credit: jogtunes.com

JogTunes. I just found this one.  It looks like this site offers playlists that are better suited to the runner who likes to run to a particular genre of music.  You can see the estimated mileage of each playlist and the BPM sequence.  They even have metal and Christmas playlists!

Spoken Word:

Image credit: National Public Radio

Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me. For the runner who wants to laugh while running.  This is a hilarious pop culture quiz show with comedians such as Paula Poundstone and Mo Rocca as panelists.  Peter Sagal–who is also a runner!–is the host.

Image credit: librivox.org

LibriVox. For the runner who wants to read the classics.  I discovered this little gem years ago when I was working a summer temp job that involved a lot of sitting at a desk and entering data monotonously.  I needed something to stimulate the brain.  This site is cool because volunteers read several chapters of literature in the public domain and then post their chapters for the rest of us to listen to.  A word of caution, though: sometimes you’ll get an unfortunately bad recording.  Once I tried to listen to Ulysses, but the readers kept giggling and I couldn’t even make  it through a chapter.

Photo Credit: http://weblogs.variety.com/hal/page/2/

This American Life. For the runner who wants to laugh, cry and learn something new.  I am a huge sucker for the stories on TAL.  Each week the podcast has a particular theme, and then correspondents share stories on that theme, usually interviewing people around the country.  This podcast also works great for long plane rides.

Well, now you know my secret.  Sometimes just running isn’t enough to get me up and going.  Having something else to look forward to–some new music, a book, or a great story–is motivation as well.  Happy running!

-Bethy

Quick and Easy: Salmon + Ravioli

The July 2010 issue of Better Homes and Gardens has a great section in it of 20 fast summer meals.  I think I’ll be trying several of these, and I thought I’d share one I tried recently.  Enjoy!

(Original recipe from Better Homes and Gardens, July 2010, page 162)

Ingredients:

• 9-oz. package refrigerated cheese ravioli (I used a whole wheat version)
• 2 6-oz. skinless salmon fillets
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• 6-oz. package fresh baby spinach
• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 lemon
• 3 tbsp Parmesan cheese, shaved

Preparation:

Cook the cheese ravioli according to package instructions and drain.  Meanwhile, rinse the salmon fillets and pat dry.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add salmon and cook 6 to 8 minutes or until salmon flakes easily, turning once.  Remove salmon and cover to keep warm.

Add spinach to skillet.  Cook until just wilted; remove from skillet.  Melt butter in the skillet with the garlic cloves.  Halve the lemon and squeeze juice from one half into the warm butter and garlic; heat through.  Cut remaining lemon half into wedges.

Slice salmon and divide among 4 plates with the ravioli and spinach.  Drizzle with warm lemon butter.  Pass lemon wedges and Parmesan cheese.

-Bethy

Shaved Asparagus Pizza

I admit, I had my doubts.  But since everything on Smitten Kitchen’s site looks so tasty due to great photography, I just had to try this one.  And I’m glad I did!  My husband and I agreed that it could’ve used a little something more, like some Italian sausage, but it’s still delicious as is!  (After making this pizza, I tried shaved asparagus in an olive oil and lemon-based pasta salad.  It was great!)

(Original recipe from Smitten Kitchen.  Find it here.)

Photo credit: Smitten Kitchen

Shaved Asparagus Pizza

Ingredients:

Makes one thin crust 12-inch pizza

• 1 recipe Really Simple Pizza Dough or your favorite pizza dough (to make it really simple, I used Pillsbury pizza dough)
• 1/2 pound asparagus
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 pound mozzarella, shredded or cut into small cubes
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt
• several grinds black pepper
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced

Preparation:

Preheat oven to the hottest temperature it goes, or about 500°F in most cases.  If you use a pizza stone, have it in there.

Prepare asparagus: No need to snap off ends; they can be your “handles” as you peel the asparagus.  Holding a single asparagus spear by its tough end, lay it flat on a cutting board and using a vegetable peeler, create long shavings of asparagus by drawing the peeler from the base to the top of the stalk.  Repeat with remaining stalks and don’t fret if some pieces are unevenly thick (such as the end of the stalk, which might be too thin to peel); the mixed textures give a great character to the pizza.  Discard tough ends.  Toss peelings with olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl.

Assemble and bake pizza: Roll or stretch out your pizza dough to a 12-inch round.  Either transfer to a floured or cornmeal-dusted pizza peel (if using a pizza stone in the oven) or to a floured or cornmeal-dusted tray to bake it on.  Sprinkle pizza dough with Parmesan, then mozzarella.  Pile asparagus on top.  Bake pizza for 10 to 15 minutes, or until edges are browned, the cheese is bubbly and the asparagus might be lightly charred.  Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with scallions, then slice and eat.

Real-Life Jane: Kathy

As most of you know, our training group seasons (both run and triathlon) came to an end and many of those women ran races the weekend of June 5.  Lots of them came back with inspiring stories, and I was moved to share one with you all.

Kathy is a first-time Olympic triathlete.  Here’s her story.  (It’s long, but well worth the read.)

Kathy in the cycling portion of the triathlon.

Well, if you want the short version – here it is:  IT WAS HARD…probably harder than I thought it would be, mostly thanks to that bloody 90 degree heat.

OK, here’s the long version:

Getting to the Tri for Real race day was quite a roller coaster for me.  After starting the season convinced that an Olympic tri should be my goal event, I had several days of fear after completing a sprint tri in early May that was harder than expected.  Convinced by Noel and a colleague that an Olympic triathlon was the right goal event (and the one I wanted), I finally committed to the Tri for Real a couple of weeks ago.  I was feeling pretty good about it until mid-race week when one of the Janes sent out the weather report and I faced the reality that I’d be running in 90 degree heat.

My rock and supporter at all my tris to date, my husband, told me on Thursday he wasn’t going to be able to join me at the race on Sunday due to an ongoing illness that was sapping his energy.  So, I headed into the weekend with a heavy heart!  This was offset in large part by my 12-year-old daughter’s insistence that she come with me because “you have to have someone from your family there to celebrate with you when you cross the finish line!”  She is amazing.  And thanks to my sis for driving up there Sunday morning to cheer me on and be with my daughter.

Finally convinced myself I could definitely finish, even though it might be ugly.  Well, ugly it was…

Hugs all around for Kathy's first Olympic triathlon finish!

Woke to a beautiful clear Sunday morning. Still terrified about the heat.  Check in – wow, I’m a USAT member for a day!  Kept missing the SJR transition area until I finally counted and spotted the big flower marker two rows away.  Noel—head trainer for the See Jane Run triathlon team—patiently helped us get set up until we finally realized we were over-thinking it and headed for the water.  Those buoys looked VERY far away.

Finally time to start – the water felt wonderful!  A cardinal rule of racing is not to use any new equipment or nutrition on race day.  Well, I tried out new goggles once two days before, and decided to use them on race day.  Bad idea.  Couldn’t get a good seal on the goggles and kept having to stop swimming to adjust – argh.  Felt pretty strong on the swim, although very conscious of the volunteer in the kayak who was waiting for me to hurry up and finish so he could get out of the water.  Yes, I was the last off the swim.  Saw my sis and daughter waiting for me, cheering me on.

Swim – bike transition was quick.  Thanks to Noel for telling me not to bother with pulling on bike shorts and get a pair of tri shorts!  Headed out on the beautiful course, made good time.  The EMT at the turnaround asked if I was OK, and commented that they kept watching me on the swim, hoping I was OK.  I assured her I was fine…just slow!

This is really a great course for a triathlon.  Gentle slopes, nothing too hard, not much traffic, and beautiful countryside – although those power plant towers are a little surreal.  I made up some time on the bike, finished in my goal time.  As I came across the dam, I saw Noel standing at the run 2-1/2 mile mark, snapping photos and cheering on all the Janes.  That was great!  As I crossed the bike finish, I could hear the Jane mentors and supporters - thanks Rachel and Kathy – cheering.  My daughter Sarah was standing outside the transition area, urging me on.

So, headed out for the run, past Rachel, Kathy and some other Janes for the next dreaded portion of the course.  It was as bad if not worse than I expected.  Running in 90 degree heat is not my cup of tea.  Dumped cold water on my head at every water station – that helped for about 15 minutes!  All the incoming runners were so encouraging – even the super-fit guy who did the run twice…just for fun!  He told me I was doing great and said DON’T QUIT!!!  Well, that’s all it took – as I walked nearly half the course, told myself, I am going to finish this baby if it’s the last thing I do…..and I did!  It was a bit disheartening on the last mile to see the pickup truck with all the equipment from the last water station tailing me.

Sarah ran all the way out to the road to meet me, looking very concerned – I’m sure she wondered where I was for the last hour and a half!  There was Rachel, Kathy, Lori, Noel, my sister Judi and Judy (who won her age group!!!) patiently waiting to see me cross that finish line.  Thanks for your confidence in me and willingness to be there for me at the end.

The announcer was so sweet – mad a big deal of announcing my finish and recognizing me. It was a very emotional finish; in fact I am tearing up as I write this.  Still really bummed out about being last, but hey, someone’s got to do it.  What is important is that I (and all you other amazing triathletes) did it.  We set a goal and we trained hard, supported each other, made beautiful friendships and FINISHED.

Kathy and her daughter, Sarah, after the race.

This is the hardest physical challenge I have ever met, and hopefully in a couple days will be glad I did it!  Not sure if my first Olympic Tri won’t be my last.  (My first comment to Noel as she gave me a big hug after finishing was that I wasn’t going to do this again – she said wait a couple days to make that decision!)

Happy trails to all and my congrats to all you Janes who are relentlessly striving for that next goal – YOU ROCK and inspire me to continue to stretch.

-Kathy

Two Pre-Race Pasta Dishes

We’re hosting our annual See Jane Run Women’s Half Marathon and 5k this Saturday, June 5 in Alameda.  What better way to get ready to race than to whip up one of these quick pasta dishes the night before?  Enjoy, and good luck!

(Original recipe from Better Homes and Gardens.  Find it here.)

Photo credit: Better Homes and Gardens

Recipe #1: Good and Healthy Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

• 7 oz. dried multigrain or whole grain rotini pasta (about 1 1/2 cups)
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets, finely chopped carrots, or green beans, cut into 1/2-in. pieces
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 4 tsp. olive oil
• 1 6.5 oz. package light semisoft cheese with garlic and herb
• 1 2/3 cups fat-free milk
• 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese (2 oz.)
• 1/2 cup Asiago, Gruyere, or Manchego cheese, shredded (2 oz.)
• 1/2 cup crumbled whole wheat baguette or panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
• Flat-leaf parsley or oregano

Preparation:

Heat oven to 425° F.  In a medium saucepan cook the pasta according to package directions.  Add broccoli, carrots or beans during last 3 minutes of cooking.  Drain pasta mixture.  Return to pan; keep warm.

Meanwhile, in large saucepan cook onion in 2 tsp. of the oil over medium heat for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.  Remove pan from heat.  Add semisoft cheese, stir until cheese is melted and combined.

In a medium bowl whisk together milk and flour until smooth.  Add all at once to onion mixture.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.  Reduce heat to low.  Stir in cheddar and Asiago cheeses until cheeses are melted.  Add cooked pasta mixture; stir to coat.

Transfer pasta mixture to 2-quart casserole dish.  In a small bowl combine baguette crumbles and remaining 2 tsp. oil; sprinkle on pasta mixture.  Bake, uncovered, 10 to 15 minutes or until top is browned.  Sprinkle with parsley.  Makes 6 servings.

(Original recipe from Better Homes and Gardens.  Find it here.)

Photo credit: Better Homes and Gardens

Recipe #2: Sesame Chicken and Noodles

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 1 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. greated fresh ginger
• 2 tsp. Asian garlic-chili sauce
• 2 6-oz. packages refrigerated grilled chicken breast strips
• 12 oz. dried udon noodles or whole-wheat spaghetti
• 3 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
• 2 medium yellow, red and/or orange sweet peppers, cut into bite-sized strips
• Fresh cilantro

Preparation:

In medium bowl stir together vinegar, green onions, honey, soy sauce, ginger and garlic-chili sauce.  Add chicken; stir to coat.  Set aside to allow flavors to meld.

Meanwhile, in large saucepan cook noodles in boiling water about 8 minutes until just tender.  Drain noodles well and return to saucepan.  Drizzle with oil and toss to coat.  Add chicken mixture and toss to combine.

Transfer to bowls.  Top each with pepper strips and cilantro.  Makes 6 servings.

-Bethy

Jane Follow-Up: Anna Engelbrektson

So this season’s training is coming to an end.  It was definitely an interesting season for me.  Training started off really well and I was running stronger and faster than ever (at least it felt like I was).

Then I went to Chile for two weeks for work fully expecting to run while I was there.  Turns out I ended up getting really ill from food poisoning and didn’t manage a single run for well over two weeks.

Anna in the Atacama Desert in Chile

I returned in time for the See Jane Run practice race and ended up running all 13.1 miles.  Surprisingly I ever survived after my long break and ended up only 15 minutes under my goal time for the actual race, which is encouraging.

It was really a great season.  I love running with the team.  Running with a group helps me run faster as I tend to go slow when I’m all by myself, and I enjoyed chatting with new people.  My goal race is at the end of June in Seattle and with a few more weeks of training I fully expect to PR that sucker!

I wish everyone luck in the race next weekend!