My Glass Slippers

Even though I don't mind getting sweaty during a run (its a sign I worked hard!), I am very much a girly girl and like to have stylish running gear. My shorts are always coordinated with my shirts and I've been known to even match my sports bra or socks if possible (can you say slight OCD?). And while I definitely pick my running shoes based on fit and what is right for my foot, I do secretly hope that the newest model of my shoe will be in pretty colors. Or at least not totally ugly!

A few weeks ago Bryan and I went to Marathon Sports because we both needed new shoes. I needed new light weight trainers as I've been doing speed work and racing in the Asics Speedstars for about a year now. Of course they had a new model of my shoe and the moment I saw it only one word came to my mind: UG-LY! But I didn't let that affect me and I tried on the shoe. As soon as I put my foot in the shoe I could tell something was different. It did not fit my foot at all! I talked to the sales associate and she told me about improvements that Asics made to the shoe. These so called improvements were not good for me. And of course they no longer had my older model of the shoe.

So what's a girl to do? Try on other light weight trainers! Now, I don't switch shoes lightly. I've been running in the Asics Cumulus for years now and have gone through many models without any issues. I've been wanting to try the Nike's Lunar line so I tried on the LunarElite and it felt ok but not great. I tried another shoe (not sure of the maker) but it didn't feel right either.

Then the sales girl brought out my glass slipper. The Nike LunarRacer. We all know I have a healthy obsession with Kara Goucher (Kara, I swear I'm not a stalker!) and this is the shoe she races in. I slipped my foot in that light-as-a-feather shoe and it was love at first step! I ran up the street with them and knew this was the new shoe for me.

And who can argue with the color.....they're so pretty! Now if only they could make me speedier :)

New Recipe of the Week: Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

Ignoring the fact that I haven't posted a recipe in a while, I thought I would make my come-back with this amazingly easy, extremely tasty, and perfect for summer dish!

I asked a vegetarian friend of mine for some of her favorite recipes and this one immediately caught my eye. I love all the veggies which make it so colorful and using an assortment of peppers (I used red, yellow, and orange) made the plate look so pretty! An added bonus is that the left overs are great for lunch the next day. If you don't want it to be veggie, you could also add a little cooked sausage that I think would be extra yummy!

Serve it with a salad and you have a delicious and easy vegetarian dinner! This is definitely going in my recipe rotation :)

Couscous and Feta Stuffed Peppers

Vegetable-oil cooking spray

1 1/4 cups fat-free chicken or vegetable broth

2/3 cup couscous

4 extra-large or 5-6 large bell peppers, mixed colors

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

6 oz zucchini, quartered lengthwise then sliced across thinly

6 oz yellow squash, quartered lengthwise then sliced across thinly

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

15 oz canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

4 oz crumbled feta cheese (about 1 cup)

3 tablespoons tomato paste

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a small baking dish with cooking spray. Bring the broth to a boil in a saucepan, add the couscous, cover the pan and remove it from the heat. Cut the stems and top half inch off the bell peppers and scoop out the seeds and membranes. Place peppers upright in a baking dish and roast them for 15 minutes or so, until they soften, then remove them from the oven until the filling is ready. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet. Add onion, zucchini, yellow squash, fennel seeds, oregano, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Remove from heat and stir in the tomatoes, chickpeas and tomato paste. Using a fork, scrape the couscous into the skillet and toss with the vegetables. Stir in the crumbled feta. Fill peppers with the couscous mixture. Bake 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Triathlons - Sarah Style

Last week we sold my car to a former coworker who was buying it for her daughter (whose name is also Sara without the "h"...I think it was fate). This has left us as a one car family and since Bryan is still working, its left me without a car during the day. Not to fear, I have two legs, a bike, and a T pass if I really need it!

On Friday I participated it my version of a triathlon. Instead of Swim - Bike -Run, my triathlon went more like this: Bike - Yoga - Run. First was the bike portion as I had a short ride to my yoga studio followed by a yoga class, short ride back home, and then Bryan and I headed out for a quick run. So I know its not the standard triathlon, but I'm not a strong swimmer (even after 2 semesters of swim classes) so I like my version a lot better! Add to that all the packing I've been doing and I had quite the active day!

And what race report would be complete without the breakdown?

Bike - 5 miles total (I said it was a short ride to the studio)

Transition 1 - ~15 minutes

Yoga - 60 minutes

Transition 2 - ~45 minutes

Run - 4.2 miles

Guess I have to work on my transitions, huh??

National Running Day

I should have posted this yesterday, but June 2nd was National Running Day! Its a day to promote running by encouraging people to take that first step and start running. If you missed it, its not too late to get out there and give running a try. Its definitely changed my life for the better, introduced me to many great friends, and allowed me to eat many cheeseburgers and ice cream cones in the process :) So I encourage everyone to take that first step and get out there!

If you have questions about how to start a running program, there are many good resources on the internet but Coach Sarah would also be glad to help :)

Bryan and I both ran yesterday.....did you??

Operation Move Day 1 - Multitasking

Yesterday was Day 1 of Operation Move. This included scheduling my car for cleaning, picking up packing supplies, organizing my bookshelf (yikes) and closet (double yikes!), and starting to pack.

And of course I wanted to get a run in! So, you ask, how was I to fit all this in? I would run some of my tasks. At 10:00am I drove my car to the car wash to be detailed, ran the 1.5 miles back home and got to packing while my car got all prettied up. At about 2:30pm I heard loud cracks of thunder...great as I needed to pick up my car at 3:00pm! So I quickly checked the radar and decided to try to outrun the storm. I threw my running shoes on and raced out the door...keys and credit card in hand! There was some rain drops and very ominous looking clouds following me, but I made it back to the car wash just as the heavens opened...whew!

So I would day that Day 1 was a success...car cleaned, check. Packing supplies, check. Organizing my bookshelf closet, check (picture shows all the stuff to be donated!). Run, CHECK!!

Let's hope Operation Move Days 2-16 go just as well!

Unemployment!

For the next 36 days I am officially unemployed! (Believe me, I am very grateful its not a long term thing!) But for now, I'm going to enjoy it :) Yesterday, Bryan and I spent the day relaxing here since its the one thing I'll be missing in SLC. Bryan was finally able to read a non-radiology book!

And who says you can't enjoy a glass (or 2...or 3!) of champagne on a Tuesday night?

The End Of An Era!

On Sunday night, I settled onto my couch to watch the series finale of what I would consider one of the best TV shows ever. EVER! I, like millions of other people, have watched every episode, repeatedly asked "what??" about 1,000,000 times during the last 6 seasons, and anxiously awaited any answers Damon and Carlton would give.

The end of LOST was also symbolic of the end of something else. On Monday, I walked out of my office at work for the last time. No, it wasn't as dramatic as all the characters gathering in a church and walking into the light, but it was pretty significant for me. This was my first job after grad school. My group is pretty tight and when I say that no one leaves, I seriously mean that NO ONE leaves this group! People retire or have babies, but in my 5 years there no one has left for another company. Several of my coworkers, including my boss, have been there for 15+ years!

They threw me a wonderful party and gave me a very generous skiing gift for Utah!

Doesn't everyone want their picture on a cake after running 26 miles?

I am so blessed to have worked with such a great group of people. I'm ready to move on from the work, but I'll definitely miss the people. I'd like to say I cried more watching LOST but its just not true...I've never been very good at saying goodbye. Luckily I have two great coworkers that took me out for some drinks!

So yes, its the end of an era on two fronts. I'm glad to have a plan for the next era but still not sure what I'll be watching on TV next season?