Running Update & A Twist on Broccoli Slaw

Good Morning!

I hope your morning has started off fabulously! Yesterday was super warm and super windy, but the temperatures have dropped overnight and we are supposed to have a much cooler day today. I fit in a 30 minute run yesterday after work, but my right knee has been bothering me since a power spin class last Thursday, so I'm thinking this cool day would be a great day to take as a rest day.

I haven't updated you on my running progress for the past few weeks because I've hit a few snags in the road and things are going a little slower than I originally planned. First I came down with a brutal flu that turned into a chest cold overnight. That set me back for a couple of weeks and just as I was feeling better, I went to a spin class which was really, really challenging and my right knee hasn't been 100% since. It's been aching alot especially when I go from a squat position to a stand. I've run a bit through all of this, but I'm trying to be patient and take things easy because I don't want to set myself back even further by injuring myself seriously. It's a bummer when you get sidelined unexpectedly isn't it?!

We had originally planned to run our first 5K on May 13, 2012, but we've decided to push back our first race until mid-June. My friend, Natasha, who is planning to run with us broke her wrist about a month ago. Unfortunately, she had to have surgery right before Easter Weekend, so her training has also been delayed. None of us want to push our training too hard and commit to a race before we're ready. We'd rather give ourselves time to properly prepare so we can have positive results at that first race!

The good news is that each run is easier than the last and I am still really excited and really motivated. I'm keeping my eye on the prize and on imagining that feeling I'm going to have when I run that first 5K and cross the finish line.

Source: Pinterest

Okay, so now that we're all motivated and ready to keep on truckin', we need to talk a little about  food. Derek;s birthday was last week and our friend, Jeff, and I decided to throw him a little surprise dinner to celebrate his special day and to give him a little break from all of his work, work, work.

Planning and sneaking around to get dinner ready for 16 people without Derek noticing was no easy feat. We have a few friends who aren't too terribly adventurous with their tastebuds and I am the only vegetarian in our crowd, so planning a menu to please everyone was definitely a challenge.

We ended up going with pulled pork sandwiches, several salads, dips, munchies and lots of sweets. One of the salads I made was something I often make for Derek and I, but I've never made it for a big group. It's easily customizable for meat eaters, vegetarians or vegans and it tastes delish!  

To  me, coleslaw goes with pulled pork sandwiches. However, I couldn't just go with plain ol' coleslaw. I wanted to put my spin on it by using a broccoli slaw. We can get pre-made slaw in our grocery store that's a mix of broccoli, red cabbage and carrots. I used 500g of broccoli slaw and mixed it with 1 cup of shredded cheddar, 2 diced apples (I like using apples with a red skin to give that extra pop of colour), 2 thinly sliced green onions and some Three Cheese Ranch salad dressing. This combo is DELICIOUS!!!  It was a huge hit! If you're making this salad for a crowd of meat eaters, you can add some shredded chicken. For the vegans in your crowd, cheddar Daiya cheese works wonderfully and this recipe for a vegan Ranch dressing would be a perfect subsitution for the store bought variety that I used.

The nice thing about this salad is that you can whip it together in about 15 minutes flat. I made mine about 3 hours in advance and the dressing helps to prevent the apples from browning. It's absolutely perfect for a potluck dinner or casual dinner with friends wouldn't you agree? 

How do you handle your frustration when your workouts/training are sidelined by an injury/illness?

Do you like to host big birthday shindigs or do you prefer a quiet night in?

Have a wonderful day,

Andrea

xoxo