Trail run / food porn

20 trail miles, 2 unplanned

In further preparation for my first 50K (five days left!), I went for a long run this weekend with some friends, on the course where my second 50K — this one in January — will be run.  We planned on 18 miles, but got lost for a little bit and figured that added an extra two miles.  What's two more when you're doing 18?

Even with the where-the-hell-are-we excursion, the run was a good time.  And I tried out two new things:

• Recovery Sock armwarmers.  It was pretty cold out when we started the run, so I was excited to try out the new armwarmers that Recovery Sock sent me to review.  And let me tell you, they did their job.  So well, in fact, that I had to take them off after a few miles because my arms were on fire.  It probably wasn't quite cold enough for armwarmers, but I did learn a great thing about armwarmers — you can take them off easily.  Can't do that with skin-tight UnderArmour shirt.  I have a feeling these things will get a lot of use this winter, so look for a full review once the temperatures drop more.
• Limiting sugar and carbohydrate intake. Yes I know, you simply HAVE to fuel yourself with sugar when you're running or you will die.  But Stu Mittleman doesn't think so, and I'm open to any ideas someone who runs hundreds of miles in a few days might have.  I did drink about eight ounces of Vega Sport early in the run, but after that I stuck to almonds, and there was no bonk to speak of.
  

So the run was a success, made more so by some bean and rice soup I made from 1,000 Vegan Recipes, some Old Chub ale, and a nap.

Salad quartet

Speaking of 1,000 Vegan Recipes, I owe it to the author, Robin Robertson, to correct something I wrote last week.  Remember when the chili scorched my Dutch oven? (If I were more mature, that sentence wouldn't be funny to me, but alas, it is.)  Well, I blamed the recipe, since after all, I never do anything wrong.  But Robin got wind of it and emailed me to help figure out what went wrong, and it turns out I was supposed to stir it while it was simmering.  So really, it was my fault.  Sorry, Robin!

To make up for my error, I present you all with some food porn.  Four beautiful and delicious salads I made from 1,000 Vegan Recipeslast week.

Fennel, black olives, orange, and pine nuts:

Spinach, almonds, apple, and figs:

Carrots, cranberries, and walnuts:

Sweet potatoes, pear, celery, almonds:

All better than pig parts.

Recovery Sock Winner

132 entries in the Recovery Sock giveaway, but only one winner.  And that winner is…

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Alicia!  Alicia, whose enthusiastic comment "Consider me entered" surely would have made her a frontrunner even if this thing weren't random.  Congrats Alicia, enjoy your socks!

Finally, if you didn't win, cry for a little while. But not too long — there's another compression sock giveaway coming soon!

Related posts:

1. I'm back, baby
2. My big fat Greek trail run
3. From Indoorsman to Trail Runner
4. Recovery Sock giveaway!
5. The Indoorsman's Guide to Trail Running