whole30 challenge + a running injury

I have a confession to make: I haven't run in 3 weeks.

After my first race - the Capitol Hill Classic 10k, I was so sore I limped for two days. In the weeks preceding the race, I'd started to experience pain on the inside of my lower right leg. By the time I finished the race, I knew I couldn't ignore it anymore. But... I did. I gave myself a week to rest and let the pain subside, and then I took to the road again. I only got in a few more sporadic runs before I admitted defeat and made an ortho appointment.

The appointment was awful. I waited an hour to see the Dr. and finally picked up my bags to leave - I had to get back to work. As I walked out of the door, annoyed and upset that I was leaving without an answer or remedy for the pain, he walked in. He spent a grand total of 5 seconds looking and feeling my leg. I'm not exaggerating. And the first question he asked me was, "Do you have to run?"

He didn't order an X-Ray or an MRI. Instead, he told me in a monotone, rote way that I have a stress reaction, should take time off running, and that if I don't want to stop running, I need to take anti-inflammatory medication, ice it after every run, and see a physical therapist. I left nearly in tears - feeling as though he gave me a generalized diagnosis, not one specifically for me.

That said, I researched stress reactions, talked to other runners, and I feel confident that the diagnosis was correct. I learned that stress reactions are most often caused by taking on too much mileage before your body is ready and running hills before your body is ready. Guilty on both charges, I'll admit. (And if the pain returns, I'll definitely be seeing another ortho!)

While my leg heals, I've taken on swimming, and I love it. I've also gotten back into yoga. I plan to pick back up running this week or next week, and this time around, I want to be more disciplined about incorporating swimming and yoga in my cross-training routine.

I had planned to run two races this summer - the Biggest Loser 10k this upcoming weekend and the Annapolis 10-miler in late August. I won't even attempt the BL10k as Is haven't trained at all, but I still want to run in Annapolis. Honestly, I'm terrified. Building up to 10 miles wasn't as scary when I was running 6, but after nearly a month off running, with only 6-7 weeks to train, is it possible for me to be prepared? Annapolis is hilly, and I plan to primarily train this time around on tracks and trails. I'd love any advice from runners out there!

In preparation for Annapolis, and in the mindset of wanting to feel healthy all over - mind, body, and spirit - I've decided to take on the Whole30 challenge. Essentially, it's 30 days without sugar, processed foods, alcohol, grains, and dairy in your diet. Zander and I are doing it together, and I'm excited for it. We tend to eat only meat and vegetables during the week so that won't be too difficult. But the weekends! That'll be my trouble spot. Help keep me accountable?

I plan to blog about my Whole30 journey at least once a week and share a few recipes. Today, I'm going to share my favorite breakfast on-the-go recipe: a crustless quiche. It's easily made Paleo/Whole30 friendly. Enjoy!

Whole30 week 1: Crustless Quiche

ingredients

6 eggs 

1/4 cup milk (whole30: substitute almond milk or water) 

half pound bacon

large handful fresh spinach 

one small diced tomato (or 1/2 large)

1/2 diced medium onion 

pinch salt

teaspoon pepper

optional: cayenne & shredded cheese of your choice (omit for Whole30)  

steps
1. lightly grease a 9" pie pan
2. preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C)
3. heat a skillet over medium-high heat
4. cook bacon until golden brown and crispy - drain excess fat on a plate lined with paper towels
5. drain all but 1-2 tablespoons of bacon grease & lower heat to medium
6. saute onions and spinach until the spinach is wilted and the onions are translucent and aromatic
7. beat your eggs in a medium mixing bowl. add milk and spices
8. once cool enough, chop the bacon into small pieces
9. stir the bacon, onions, spinach, and diced tomatoes into the egg mixture
10. pour into the pie pan and bake approximately 30 minutes - until the eggs have set. If you plan to reheat pieces for work, feel free to remove from the oven 2 minutes early (slices will be reheated in the microwave)

spinach salad with bacon vinaigrette

I love salad.

Sometimes.

Sometimes I love salad.

I always love french fries. Always. And I always love pizza. Those are my two favorite foods. Sure, I jazz them up, and I pretend to be *quite* the connoisseur (a fancyschmancy way of saying, I eat them in all quantities and styles, all of the time).

MINE ALL MINE GIMME GIMME!

If I loved salad like I love french fries and pizza (sometimes together, as one meal. I'm gross. Let's deal with that.), I would weigh negative weight. Because right now I weigh some weight, an amount of weight. And it's all pizza and french fries.

But it might just have happened, last night, in the heat of my kitchen, that I found a salad that I love almost as much as I love pizza and french fries.

I stepped on a scale this morning. I definitely expected to have lost all of my pizza and french fries weight overnight. I mean, I ate a large freaking salad. Alas. Apparently you have to stop eating pizza and french fries and continuously eat salad for some time for the scale to change. In fact, I had gained .3 pounds. Probably from the bacon fat I used to make the salad dressing.

And to that I say, WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME, LIFE?

So, anyway, before I drool over my keyboard thinking about this salad and pizza and french fries and how now I want to eat all 3 right now, let me give you the recipe.

This salad is freakishly good. You have been warned.

They're like big orange french fries... from the ground!

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen. It's that salad. It's her salad but even more on crack.

I used Smitten Kitchen's recipe nearly exactly, with some changes and editions. (1) I don't measure things. I season and chop and dice by what looks right. (2) I added several things.

My additions:

8-10 Brussels sprouts halves (again, I eyeballed it, for what I'd want to eat)
1 large chicken breast, halved (half on last night's salad, half on today's)
broccoli! I love broccoli! A handful, chopped to taste, or 1 small head with as much or little of the stem as you prefer
a generous handful of sliced carrots

Method

I used a small George Forman grill to cook my chicken breast. While the grill warmed up, I brought a small pot of water to boil. I put the Brussels sprouts in the boiling water for 4 minutes (blanching) until softened. I added the chicken to the grill (used various spices + olive oil) and placed the Brussels sprouts on the grill. I put a small coat of balsalmic vinegar + olive oil + salt, pepper & garlic on the brussels sprouts. I diced the chicken and half the Brussels sprouts and placed in the salad.

(Side note - this is an easy peasy way of making grilled, delicious brussels sprouts. I could eat this every single day. Move over pizza & french fries... to the other side of the plate!)

For the vinaigrette, I used less than 2tbl of the bacon fat, warmed it up over medium heat, threw in an amount of olive oil (again, I eyeball), balsalmic vinegar, honey, garlic, pepper, two splashes of dijon mustard and played with it until it was what I wanted.

TIP: The dressing is delicious, but you only need a very small amount to flavor your salad. Too much will be overpowering!