Live from La Quinta: Tales of a Vegan Athlete

What’s Beautiful: 4 Weeks to My Goal. Plus a Friday Workout!

June 13, 2013 · by Debbie Woodruff · 25 Comments

If you will recall, I joined the Under Armour What’s Beautiful campaign as a FitFluential Ambassador a little over five weeks ago. Well, I am a little past the halfway point in my training program to achieve my goal of completing my first sub-2 hour half marathon since turning 50, and I thought this would be a good time to check in and review my progress. Have you joined yet? It’s still not too late to get started conquering your fears, completing challenges, and achieving your goals (and possibly winning some cool stuff along the way!).

The Goal and the Training

Obviously, in order to run my sub-2 hour half marathon, I needed to create (and stick to) a training plan. I’ve been pretty good about following the program, with just a few setbacks caused recently by the increasing heat in the desert. That being said, I feel good about my training and think that my goal is within reach.

I am training for the Costume Party Run, which is on July 7 (you can see my most recent training report here). As the name suggests, I will be running in costume, so in order to have fun dressing up and still achieve my time goal, I needed to figure out a costume that would be both fun and functional. With my readers’ help, I decided to create a Dalmatian costume, basically in homage to my running partner Penny. I also thought it would be fun to take it a little farther and dress up as the Shoe Dog, the Dalmatian mascot of race sponsor Road Runner Sports.

I am gathering supplies for my costume. I ordered ears and a tail (though my brain can’t quite wrap around how the tail attaches yet), I bought some multi-colored felt, and I finally bought a white running skirt. Now I just need to find a white top and I’ll be ready to add my spots! Of course, I had to take the skirt out for a trial run and I’m happy to report that it fit well and the under-shorts stayed perfectly in place.

While the running has been going well, my strength training has been limited to the classes that I teach and the workouts I create (see below for a Friday Fast, Furious, and Functional workout!). My goal is still to get back into the gym, and I will. Soon, very soon.

What’s Beautiful Challenges

One of the fun things about joining the What’s Beautiful program is conquering the challenges. These involve things like making a video to state your goal, trying a sport you don’t usually do, write an inspirational quote, all the while taking photos of your progress and uploading them to your page.

I have done many of the challenges. Really, I have. But if you check my What’s Beautiful profile page, you will see that I have been a bit lax about photographing, videoing, and uploading them. In fact, I have only recorded one of the challenges. One of my goals for this post is to get going and and complete those challenges.

What’s Beautiful: Getting Stronger

While I haven’t been to the gym for my strength training (yet), I have been teaching a variety of classes, including my Fast and Furious class, which is a high intensity workout done in a circuit format. Many of the workouts use little or no equipment (the one below requires only a medicine ball), and can be completed in less that half an hour. Remember to do an appropriate warm up of five to 10 minutes before starting the workout, and as with any form of exercise you should check with your doctor before starting a new program.

If you have any questions about the exercises, watch my video for demonstrations and form tips.

So, what do you think of my costume? I’m going to pin the spots on as someone suggested, because I’d like to use the skirt again. Is there something else I should add? If you are participating in the What’s Beautiful program, how are your goals and challenges going? Feel free to share a link in the comments.

Disclaimer: Although I am a certified Coach and Personal Trainer, I am not YOUR Coach or Personal Trainer. Always adapt workouts to suit your body and fitness level. Always consult your doctor before beginning a new exercise program.

Filed Under: La Quinta, running, Workout · Tagged: challenges, Costume Party Run, Exercise, FitFluential, Fitness, goal, half marathon, running, What's Beautiful

Peachy Quinoa Salad with Beyond Meat. Review & Vegan Recipe

June 12, 2013 · by Debbie Woodruff · 10 Comments

As I mentioned yesterday, after reading that Beyond Meat was finally available at Whole Foods from Vegan Miam, I was even more excited that I was heading to Orange County last weekend.

Beyond Meat was founded several years ago by Ethan Brown. The company’s goal was to make a completely plant based product that would look and taste like the real thing. There are currently three “chicken” products available, lightly seasoned, grilled, and southwest. They are made from soy and pea protein and are gluten free. They have 18-19 grams of protein per serving and are free of antibiotics, hormones, GMOs, cholesterol, and trans fats. As you can see, they look very “chickeny:”

I used the “Lightly Seasoned” Chicken-Free Strips for this recipe. I used it straight out of the package, no cooking or heating required. I only used half the package, so the next night I heated up the strips with some beans, potatoes and onions.

So, bottom line. How did it taste? Well, I liked it. I dared to eat it straight out of the package and I thought tasted very good. It has a slightly smoky flavor, a meaty texture, and yes, it did taste like chicken. Or like my memory of chicken. Would it fool a meat eater? I’m not sure, possibly prepared inside of a recipe it could pass. Will I try it again? Probably. It isn’t cheap, at $5.29 for a 24 ounce package (though I’m not sure about the price of chicken these days, so maybe that’s a bargain), but I did get two meals for two out of it. I do prefer it to other meat substitutes that I have tried.

While I have reduced my use of faux meat, I think that Beyond Meat is a great alternative to new vegetarians and vegans who are just making the change. It is also perfect for meat eaters who are trying to eat less animal protein, but still like the taste and texture of meat in their meals. And to be honest, I occasionally use meat substitutes both because I like the flavor and the ease of preparation, especially after a long work day.

Peachy Quinoa Salad with Beyond Meat Chicken-Free Strips. Vegan

The other day I was walking through the grocery store produce section. I was drawn to the peaches by the wonderful scent from the fresh fruit. They were kind of small, but they were ripe and they looked and smelled delicious. I’d never made a peach salad dressing, but it sounded good. Of course, I had to throw some of those fresh peaches in the salad itself, too. The result is this Peachy Keen Quinoa Salad.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Peachy Quinoa Salad with Beyond Meat. Vegan Recipe

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

30 mins

Inspired by the fresh produce available now, this peachy keen salad not only has fresh peaches, but is served with a delicious peachy lime vinaigrette.

Author: Debbie

Recipe type: Main Dish Salad

Cuisine: American

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

2 small peaches
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
½ teaspoon salt
Pepper
Mixed lettuce greens
1 cup prepared quinoa
2 small peaches, sliced
½ cup edamame
½ cup yellow tomatoes
¼ cup green onions, sliced
1 avocado, sliced
½ package Beyond Meat. Cut the strips into bite-sized pieces.

Instructions

Combine the peaches, lime juice, vinegar, olive oil, taragon, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Prepare the quinoa. Allow to cool.
In a large salad bowl, toss the lettuce and remaining ingredients together lightly. Add the quinoa and ½ cup of the salad dressing, and toss again.

Have you ever used peaches in a salad or dressing? Have you ever tried (or heard of) Beyond Meat?

Filed Under: La Quinta, Product Review, Vegan Recipe · Tagged: beyond meat, product review, salad, Vegan, vegan recipe

Away for the Weekend: The Vegan Food

June 11, 2013 · by Debbie Woodruff · 36 Comments

You’d think after following a plant based diet for several years I wouldn’t panic when traveling to a town I’ve never been before. A small(ish) town, famous only, as far as I know, for being the home of Raging Waters, one of the oldest and largest water parks in Southern California. A town that Happy Cow, that favorite website of vegans everywhere, draws a blank on (a little artistic license here, there are a few choices in the surrounding area). After all, it’s not that hard to find vegan food.

Yet I still do. Not panic exactly, but worry, studying my options before we go, checking addresses and maps. Eating vegan in a non-vegan restaurant means I have to ask a million questions, quiz the servers, who in turn quiz the chefs. All this for one little overnighter in San Dimas. So you can imagine how happy I was to find a restaurant with a vegetarian menu, that was not only within walking distance of our hotel, it also served Mexican food, a win/win as far as I was concerned.

Casa del Rey assures customers on their menu that no lard is used in their food prep. They also assured me in person that their rice was made with water not chicken broth. So I was able to easily take the vegetarian menu and, simply by removing the cheese, make it vegan. I had the vegetarian tacos, which were pretty good. We took our food back to the room (after our Dog Rescuer experience). I also ordered a burrito, but it was so huge I saved it for the next day. It was good too, but I forgot to take a picture.

On Saturday, we left San Dimas to visit our family in Orange County. Vegan eating in Huntington Beach is much easier. We picked a standby, The Bohdi Tree, which is completely vegan, even though you can’t tell by the menu. All items on the menu are called after their real meat names, like chicken, pork, fish, or even lobster. Kind of a weird feeling but the food is good.

Of course, that made it easier to convince our grandsons, who came with us to dinner, that they were eating “real” food. Before you call us out for lying to them, it worked, so there. They had the Sloppy Joe Sliders.

Alan and I started with the Thai Coconut Soup, and I had a coconut water to drink. That is, coconut water out of a real coconut (it tastes so much better that way!).

I had the Jackfruit Salad (my new obsession..I need to find it and try cooking with it myself!), and Alan had the Lemon Chicken with Rice.

They were both good. The salad was served on some crispy air puffed things (I have no idea what they were) that tasted too much like pork rinds for me to enjoy.

The next day, after my 10 mile run, I thought I’d earned a treat. There are several Native Foods in Orange County, so we decided that was where we’d have lunch. I also wanted to go to Whole Foods (our desert location won’t be finished for a year or so), because it would be my opportunity to pick up some Beyond Meat.

If you’re not vegan you may not know this, but Beyond Meat has been praised as the first meat substitute that has actually fooled meat eaters into thinking they were eating the real thing. I had heard about Beyond Meat, but didn’t realize that it was on the market until I read a review over at Vegan Miam. That sent me on a hunt for the product, which is basically only available at Whole Foods and a few other places, none of which are anywhere near my home.

Thus the desire to stop at Whole Foods on the way home. I felt very fortunate to find out that Native Foods in Tustin is right across the street from Whole Foods! So that’s where we went to lunch.

The Chicken Run Ranch Burger was on special, so that is what I ordered. Alan had his favorite, the Scorpion Burger. What can I say? Lunch at our favorite restaurant. Everything was delicious.

We sat out on the patio, which is much appreciated coming from the desert where we won’t be sitting outside for a few months. It was a bit of a dangerous experience, though. About 100 feet away a swarm of bees were, well, swarming above a restaurant across the way. Neither of us have allergies, so we didn’t panic, but there were a few people hiding inside the restaurant.

If you click on the picture you get a little better view of the swarm.

After lunch we made our stop at Whole Foods, where I picked up two packages of Beyond Meat. How did it taste? Well, you’re going to have to wait until tomorrow for that review along with a recipe for Peachy Quinoa Salad with Beyond Meat.