Trail-ing Behind

Do you remember when I said I have a hard time saying no?  I hope so, it was only a day or so ago. 

Well the one time I never regret saying "yes" is when it comes to a race.  A couple months ago L&O asked if I wanted to do a 5k with her, in honor of one of our fallen officers.  (As a side note, last year was a really rough year for the San Diego Police Department).  I had no problem saying yes.

As the date grew closer, L&O confirmed her suspicion that this was going to be a trail race.  Our very first one!  I do most of my running on a trail, but I've never actually done a trail race.  I'd heard that they're typically a little more challenging than a road race, because of the terrain and because they're narrower than a road.

L&O and I were prepared at the start of the race.  Look how ready we look!

L&O had contemplated running with Little LO, since she's an awesome runner who can run while pushing a stroller.  But once we actually got running, we were both glad Little LO had stayed home.  The trail was narrow, and parts of it were pretty rocky and ledgy.  There were times when I had to pick my way around corners so I didn't fall.

While we ran the trail around a lake, Thatboy took Thatbaby up and over the hills so they could watch us run the last mile.  He started taking shots when we were pretty far off.  Luckily my bright blue shirt stood out against our winter foliage.

Right around here is where L&O started saying "Look, there's Thatboy!"  And I turned to see if he was behind us, because I couldn't figure out where she was pointing to.

Obviously I eventually figured it out.  And we ran right past them and on to the finish line!  The last part of the race was definitely the easiest.  We could run side by side again, and there was no picking around the lake, or walking up a ginormous hill.

We had started out with the 10 min. milers, thinking that would be a pretty accurate pace for us, and we almost made it!  We came in at 32 minutes, not bad for our first trail race!

You can tell Thatbaby still isn't feeling 100% by his face in this picture.  Normally you would never see a banana in his hand, because he shoves those things in his mouth faster than a camera flash.  But he ended up holding on to it for a while before eating it.  He was feeling well enough that we were able to get some of the shopping done we'd missed the day before.

After a good run, I have mixed food feelings.  On the one hand, I want something super carb-y and filling.  On the other hand, I'm usually feeling so healthy that I want to keep it up.  This is where Ellie Krieger recipes come in perfectly.  They suit both needs.  I can have something that sounds super unhealthy, like meatball heroes - but Krieger has the same philosophy as me, lightening up favorites and allowing just about anything - in moderation.  A truly satisfying sandwich.

 Meatball Heroes with Tri-Colored Peppers (From Ellie Krieger)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
1/2 green pepper, sliced
1/2 red pepper, sliced
1/2 yellow pepper, sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 loaf Italian bread

12 meatballs

1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup grated part-skim mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat the broiler. Heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium heat. Add the onions, peppers, and salt and saute for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Cut the bread into quarters crosswise and cut each quarter in half, being careful not to cut all the way through, so the 2 haves stay connected. Scoop the soft center out of the bread.
3. Put the bread, open-faced, on a baking sheet. Place 3 meatballs and some sauce on 1 side of each piece of bread. 
4. Top with some of the pepper mixture. Moisten the other side of each sandwich with a little sauce and sprinkle with the cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted, about 4 minutes.