Early Morning Track Session and a Sweet Potato Salad

For the last few weeks my husband has decided to start an exercise program with some friends, so every weekday morning he gets up bright and early to meet them at the track.  Up until this point he’s been walking, but just this week he started running the straights and walking the turns.  I am so proud of him for his efforts.  It’s not easy to get out of bed every morning at 5:30 am to exercise! 

So as we sat watching TV on Tuesday night, he mentioned that I should come along to do a workout of my own.  I thought about it for a brief moment and couldn’t agree more that it was a great idea!  The track is between 2 – 2.5 miles from our home depending on the route taken, so I decided to meet them so I could get in a warm-up and cool-down. Here’s how it went:

Workout: 200, 300, 400, 400, 300, 200 {on a minute rest}

Warm-up: 2.5 miles and easy drills

200 – 38

300 – 59

400 – 79

400 – 78

300 – 59

200 – 38

Cool-down: 2 miles {due to time}

My workouts have been sporadic, so I wasn’t looking to set the world on fire.  I just wanted to throw some intervals into my training and yesterday was the perfect opportunity.  Plus, I was happy to have some company in my general running vicinity. In addition, the day was slated to be a wash out, complete with rain and thunderstorms, so I was extremely happy to get the workout in before the impending weather.

On another note, the other night I made a delicious vegan meal created by Mark Bittman.  I found it on Pinterest and immediately thought it was a winner.  Bittman recently released a new book titled "VB6: Eating Vegan Before Six" and I am looking forward to reading it. 

Recipe: Sweet Potato Salad

I did add two ingredients to the recipe: about a cup of thawed corn and a splash of agave nectar to the dressing.  Plus, I cut the potatoes and onions up and prepared foil packets in advance so my husband was able to cook them on the grill…which made for easy clean-up.  

This meal received top scores from my husband.  Even better…I had all of the ingredients in my fridge.  Both are bonuses in my book!  Enjoy the day!

Inspired by Fresh Ingredients

7 miles. Done.  I love running in the morning and getting it out of the way because it's a great way to start my day.  On my run this morning, I decided to incorporate some more hills, grass and trails.  It was a nice change of pace from my flatter, more road-type courses, and I also wanted to explore a bit.  I covered areas that I haven't been in a while, like the Monocacy Park course where we used to do intervals in college.  With the alumni meet coming up in a few weeks, I wanted to get a little grass running in before I ran a cross-country course.  The grass kind of slowed me down a bit, as well as the rolling hills, but in the end...I had a solid seven under my belt.   

As for today's post, it was inspired by the lovely fruits and veggies that are available in the summer.  Some of them are from the produce stand just around the corner from my home, and some are from Wegman's...my favorite grocery store in the whole wide world.  Come summer, my menus always tend to lean heavy on the colorful side...bright tomatoes, green and yellow squash, salads tossed with vibrant and crispy vegetables, and much more.  The girls know, lunch isn't complete without a fruit and a veggie, so they don't even argue anymore.  

Here's what I am thinking for the week:

Bunless burgers with an Heirloom tomato, fresh mozzarella cheese and basil salad using these...

Heirloom tomatoes are rich in color and flavor.  I love all of the hues in this bowl...reds, yellows, and oranges.  Can you just imagine them in a salad tossed with a light vinaigrette?  
 
My basil is looking might fine too...

Also on the menu for this week, Marinated chicken breasts topped with a Mango, Cilantro and Jalapeno Salsa using these...

I'm thinking that a light, lime dressing will be the perfect touch for this combination.  Another find at the stand were these fresh flowers.  I couldn't resist!

And last night, I marinated pork tenderloin in a homemade concoction of olive oil, rice wine vinegar, OJ, garlic, soy sauce and lime juice.  On the side, I tried Giada's Quinoa Pilaf.    

It was simple and delicious.  I can't wait to dig in to all of the freshness to create healthy and satisfying meals for me and my family.   

What's for dinner this week at your house? 

Have a great day!

Sweet Potatoes vs. Yams

Hello!  I hope everyone is having a great Sunday.  Mine is nice, starting with a ten mile run at 6:45 am with Lauretta.  Yep, we were up and at 'em very early this morning.  We started the run out slower than usual {at my request} until my Achilles warmed up, but we definitely picked it up throughout the run and finished in just over 1:19.  

There were a few miles after the turnaround point that just flew by...to the point where we had to look at our watches to make sure.  I guess that's what happens when running with good conversation! 

On to the post...It’s funny…the other day on Twitter, Sara Hall {American middle distance runner and wife of legendary marathoner Ryan Hall} tweeted that her quest continues to determine the difference between sweet potatoes and yams.  She also included this photo.  

I had to laugh because the exact same thing happened to me earlier in the week at the farmer’s market.  As I was browsing the isles looking for sweet potatoes, I couldn’t find them.  When I asked the nice, young man who was stocking the produce, he sent me over to the red yams.  Now...I have heard in the past that there is a definite difference between the two {this is me admitting that I watch too many hours of Food Network}.  I did question him but he was certain they were the same thing…so I didn’t argue, bought them, and off I went. 

That night, I started to peel the yams and to my surprise, the inside was white and not the orange color I expected to see.  So, here’s my question…what IS the difference between sweet potatoes and yams??

Based on some research…here’s the deal~

Sweet potatoes and yams are very different.  In fact, they aren’t even related because they come from two different species of root vegetables with varied backgrounds and uses. 

Sweet potatoes, which are natives of South America, have two main varieties that are available in the United States.  One has a yellow skin with white flesh (similar to a regular potato) and the other, more common variety, has a brownish outer skin with an orange-colored flesh.  All sweet potatoes have basically the same shape, which is rounded with tapered ends.  

Yams are native to more tropical regions such as Africa and Asia and they come in many varieties.  The most common yams are tubular in shape with rough outer skins.  Their flesh can range from white, to purple to red.  “Yam” is an African word that means “to eat” because it stores well for long periods of time, especially during the winter/wet season when food sources could be limited. 

Here is a nifty little chart that compares the two vegetables:

How do they compare nutritionally?

Use this link to find out more how sweet potatoes and yams stack up in terms of calories, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.  

Comparing Sweet Potatoes and Yams 

 

Bottom line: sweet potatoes and yams are very different vegetables, however both are packed with vitamins and minerals that the body needs.  

Have a great Sunday!

Tracy