February Recap

February seemed promising at first, but... you know... stuff happens. The 9hr slog-fest that was the Lakeshore Trail thru-run put a hurtin' on my left foot. I came into the run with a little ache in the foot and came out with a blue foot that went crunch-crunch every time I took a step. This is not the way it's intended to work. The recovery is going well though. I have had two short runs since, neither of which went too bad, but they didn't go well enough to encourage me to run more. So until I feel the foot is 100%, its biking and lifting for me and maybe a short hike or two when I feel like living dangerously.

When the weather has been too nice, I have snuck out to the woods some. Once to an off-trail route in Greenbrier that has eluded me for years and once to the Chimneys just to enjoy a 60 degree day in February.

88 miles of running this month. My lowest volume month in several years. I always associate the thought of battling injuries and not being able to run as the pinnacle of frustration. I never wait long enough for stuff to heal, or if I do, I jump right back into big mileage weeks and hurt something else, etc. The last couple weeks have been pretty great though. So I don't think I'll have any problem waiting until Spring is really here to start running in earnest again.

Morning Runs for Cold Oats

It is getting to be that time of year when it is finally light enough to run in the morning before work. I would like to stress that this is one of my FAVORITE things about "spring". Now I say that in parenthesis because lets be honest, although the Daffodils are blooming in and around Sevier County...IT IS NOT SPRING! and I am pretty sure that winter is still planning on laying the Smack Down on us at some point.

Regardless...I am still taking advantage of all of the warmer weather by trying to get out running instead of plodding along on the treadmill (which turns my brain to mush...probably because of the over abundance of Fox News that plays at the Tone Zone).

I got out to run today in the misty Gatlinburg  morning and it was excellent. No birds singing yet, but it is only a matter of time. One of the reasons I love morning run is because it means I get to eat cold oats. "Cold Oats!?!"..you say...Why Yes! Cold oats are a delicious and refreshing breakfast after a early morning jaunt...below I will share them with you.

Nom Nom...I gunna eat you!

Although unremarkable in terms of originality Cold Oats or (Overnight Oats) are awesome and versitile and one of the best things about them is that "Overnight Oats" is a misnomer...you really only need about 30 minutes for the oats to soften before they are ready to be noshed upon....no pre-planning necessary. They are not only for breakfast...Dave and I often take these for lunch in the summer, on hikes etc...Dave puts his in an old Gatorade Mix container and it is AWESOME!

Chocolate Chips...the crown jewel of any self respecting breakfast.

"Ode to the Morning Run" Cold Oats
Prep Time: 3 minutes
"Cook" Time: 30 minutes to 8 hours
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of oats
3/4 cup of milk(I used plain soy milk, but it is REALLY good with Chocolate Milk)
2 tbsp of flax seed
tsp of brown sugar (optional)

Let all of this goodness set up in the fridge while you are running...asleep ...looking at Facebook in a partial morning time coma...and come back later.

Upon your return add:
A liberal amount of almonds, blueberries, peanut butter....and don't forget the Chocolate Chips! Feel free to add anything else you might have kickin around...this is really hard to mess up!

I also added puffed millet which I got a giant bag of at Big Lots for a $1!

Oatmeal of any type is quite possibly the cheapest food on the beautiful Earth, so I feel ok about adding some more pricey toppings like fresh fruit and nuts to this...it probably still comes out to something like $.75 for breakfast...probably less.

Yeah for frugal fun! Enjoy the Back of Beyond and Munch ON!

Lakeshore Trail Fun Run

Get up at 4AM. Leave wife, dog, and warm bed. Drive two hours through the mountains on a snowy, bitter cold February morning. Reaching my destination its too dark to see any faces. The first words I say to anyone all day... "I see a lot of spandex, I hope I'm in the right place." For better or worse, I was.
The objective for our motley crew of 8 was a run from the Fontana Hilton to the end of  Lakeshore drive via the Lakeshore Trail. An approximately 35mi (longer for some of us) route, with about six thousand feet of elevation gain, and trail that in places has faded back into the natural slope of the mountain. Throw in temperatures in the low twenties and steady snow throughout the day,  you have all the ingredients for a memorable experience.

Words that echoed through my head throughout the day, "The Lakeshore Trail is an amalgamation of old roads, trails, and man-ways... care must be taken to stay on the correct route." Hiking Trails of the Smokies

It took a few miles to get the layers and pacing right, but eventually we hit a pattern that would stick the rest of the day. About every 4 to 5 miles we halted progress long enough to check-in on everyone's welfare and then would resume whatever speed we had been travelling at prior. 

About eleven miles in, at campsite 86, we had a quick meeting which resulted in Will and I deciding we were too cold to stand around any longer and Michael and Dale deciding to head back to the Dam. Immediately leaving 86, Will and I accidentally lengthened our run by taking a spur trail to the lake. Whether real or imagined, the trail from 86 to 81 seemed especially relentless, as was the weather. Heavy snow, windy snow, and snow that sticks to your eyelashes were an unwelcome companion through this section.

From campsite 81 until the final few miles I felt strong running, but the cold was becoming an increasing drain mentally and physically. After every stop it took longer to warm up again, providing plenty of incentive to keep moving. The sun thankfully popped out for a few moments at campsite 73, allowing me to sit and actually enjoy myself a few moments before knocking out the final three miles. Typically, long runs like these end with at least some attempt to run and look energetic. Not this day, we were just happy to be finished.  Brian, Will, and I walked it in through the tunnel, where our sighs of relief echoed, providing a great finish to a great day.

A few of the other gents' that completed this run will likely have write-ups of their own, feel free to check them out here and here. Brian also has a good write-up about the run on his NEW blog.

Finally Gettin Around to Food

So…Dave and I have been talking for quite awhile about how we would like to start including a couple food posts here and there on the blog. I have been hesitant…for what reason I’m not entirely sure. Those of you that know me probably know that I LOVE to cook. I love food…and I love eating big meals after a long day on the trail/road or a couple hours at the gym. Nothing tastes better to me than a hard earned meal…or a piece of cold pizza at my favorite backcountry vista.

As much as I love to cook…Dave loves to eat…so I think it is pretty safe to say that Food and Fun are inextricably linked in a lifestyle like ours. Our eating habits are not strange to us, or to this community I would bet. Both Dave and I are vegetarians…although we occasionally eat seafood. We typically shoot for food that is as close to “real” as possible…although we have been known to indulge in some Mountain Lodge Breakfast with the works every now and then.

We both believe that no one makes the rules but us, so why try to fit anything into a tiny box. Both of us have gone vegan…we’ve both been very strict vegetarian and we both come from backgrounds where eating meat every day was the norm. Now we try to stick with what makes us feel the best on the most consistent basis…with some appropriate wiggle room for holidays, potlucks, vacations to places with exotic food choices and the occasional steak craving…and that is typically a no meat diet with very little dairy and LOTS of raw fruits and veggies.

Now…that seems like sufficient background to say this….I am an intuitive cook. I love cooking and food, but I HATE!!! Recipes…this gets to the crux of why I have not started food blogging here. That being said…there are many things that I make over and over and those things, it is safe to say, I could write something down to include on the blog, but if I seem vague…it is because the details are hazy or unimportant.

Here goes:

Before the Lookout 50Miler Dave and I spent a few days in the Noog exploring and found many delectable veggie eats…one of our favorite places ended up being the spot we ate the night before the race… the below recipe is inspired by the dish that I got at Sluggo’s North Vegetarian Restaurant.

Sluggo's Bowl:

I always hate it when people say this in food blogs...but...this is not as complicated as it looks...you can use any veggies, beans and greens that you have kickin around...in fact this is a meal that I often make near the end of the week, because I just throw in all the random veggies left in the house and it ALWAYS turns out good.

Serves 3-4 normal people (Aka...just barely enough for Dave and I)

If you don't keep cooked beans around the house...start some split peas/ lentils/ black beans...whatever flavor of the month you prefer...you will need them later...or just open a can at the end.

Chop half a small head of cabbage into small bites. Set aside (You could also use spinach or kale).

For the roasted veggies

- 1/2 Head of Broccoli, chopped (don't forget to use the stems....thems is good)

- 2 Carrots, sliced into rounds

- 2 small potatoes, cubed

- 1 medium onion, cubed

- 3 large leaves of kale, roughly chopped

- 2 Tbsp olive oil

- Liberal salt and herbs (I used dill)

Set kale aside. Toss remaining veggies in olive oil and spread them in one layer on a large cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt and herbs. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or so. Add kale and bake for another 10 minutes until just slightly brown.

While the veggies are cookin away start your Vegan Mushroom Gravy

For the Mushroom Gravy:
Adapted from the Veganomicon


- 8- 10 oz of mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 a medium onion, thinly sliced
- 1 to 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- sage, thyme, salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup of veggie broth
- 2 tbsp of flour
- 4 tbsp of dry wine
- 2 tbsp olive oil

Mix flour into broth and set aside. Try to get all the lumps out. Saute your onions over medium heat for 5 minutes, add mushrooms and cook another 5 or so minutes until browned. Add garlic, salt, pepper and herbs. Cook another minute. Add wine and cook a minute. Then add the broth mixture and turn the heat down. This should thicken up very nicely....if you aren't quite ready to use it...turn off the heat and let it hang until about 2 minutes before you intend to use it and then turn the heat on again.

In your bowl, layer as follows:

Base - Chopped Cabbage
Layer 2- Beans
Layer 3- Roasted Veg
Top with your delicious Mushroom Gravy

Sit down and enjoy :)