On Sunday I completed the 9/11 Heroes 5k (3.1 miles). It was hot outside but I powered through and managed to get a best time there! This is my 4th time running this course and the PR was only by 10 seconds but considering the heat I was very proud of myself! Before you start thinking I'm some running star let me set you straight.. I AM NOT... (yet)! Running is a serious struggle for me. I spent my whole life watching my Dad run marathons thinking to myself "WHY!?!?". "Why would anyone do that to themselves". "It must be so boring! And painful!". But one day I got the idea in my head that I was going to get out there and try it. And slowly but surely I built up to running 3 miles at a time.
The pride I felt from those runs was bursting over at times. When I would finish with a best time (AKA veryyyyy slow but not as slow as the day before), and my face would be all red and my brain was about to burst out of my head I would be so thrilled! It is the strangest phenomenon but it is all about pushing yourself farther than you thought you would go. People say that it gets easier the more you do it.. Well maybe it has gotten "easier" since I started running a year and a half ago, but it is no where near "easy" for me yet. I still get out there and get the mileage in. It never fails that during the first mile I think to myself "I am never going to finish today.. my body just isn't made for this".. And as I push on through that and get to the other side of one mile I am usually more in my zone and ready to go! I have done a few local 5ks and hope to soon complete my first 10k (YIKES!). I am thinking maybe on Thanksgiving morning when it is nice and cool I can do a turkey trot 10k? I will keep you posted on which I decide to do though!
Ok on to my recipe which isn't really a recipe! I have been seeing "zoodles" all over the internet recently and I just HAD to try them. Zoodles are zucchini noodles. I don't normally like zucchini so I really wasn't sure of how this would go.You have to use some sort of tool to create noodle strips out of the zucchini (PS you can use other veggies too like squash!). I took the recommendation from The Paleo Parents and bought this Vegetable Spiralizer to use. Yes I bought a tool I have never even heard of to make a meal I had never even tried from a vegetable that I don't even like. :) I have heard you can also go the cheaper route and by this julienne peeler. Once you figure out how to use the spiralizer it is super easy! Just cut the ends off of your zucchini, peel the skin off, and run them through the machine to get your noodles.
This is the part that is a recipe but isn't really. It is just so easy i don't think I can justify calling it a "real" recipe. I just went with the most basic way to cook these that I could come up with and I plan on coming up with new "real" recipes once I spend a little more time with these zoodles!
After making my zoodles I squeezed them with a paper towel to get out any extra moisture. Then I heated up a skillet, tossed in some onion, extra virgin olive oil & garlic and tossed the zoodles in that for a few minutes. I sprinkled with salt and pepper and THAT IS IT! It really took only about 5 minutes to saute. I didn't want them too mushy so I pulled them off the heat once they had softened a little but you can cook them to your liking! I was really impressed with myself on how awesome these guys came out! They even were good the next day for left overs. SCORE! :)
I almost wasn't going to post this photo because the quality is so awful but I wanted to show you how noodle-like they really are. You can go onto pinterest and find some prettier pictures I am sure.. And I promise to work on my photo skills!
I hope you try this recipe and love it like I do! Next time I plan to pour marinara sauce over them to have a full on spaghetti like Paleo moment! Oooooh or adding bacon! I.can.not.wait!
Have you tried zoodles before? Do you have any awesome variations to this? Do you struggle with running like I do?? Tips?? :)
xoxo
Katie
