Skip to main content

2 on Thursday & Italian Tofu and Spaghetti Squash

Two on Thursday
Running 
This morning it was a little tougher peeling ourselves out of bed for a morning run. I think as the week progresses and workouts have added up, my body starts to talk to me a little more, protests a little more. But I really wanted to get in a run this morning since there is a chance of rain tomorrow morning.

It was about 10 degrees cooler this morning over Tuesday, but the humidity was still nice and high and almost no breeze. So somehow, by the end, it may as well have been 85 degrees. I couldn't stop sweating - nice visual right ;-)

Jason and I did the first mile together, then he made a stop while I continued on and later caught back up with him. This worked out just fine because while I'd love to run the whole time with him, I wanted to put in more miles and he's trying to build his miles back up. I don't want him to hurt himself going too far too soon (thought he's been doing 4-5 miles not trivial).

Normally when I'm solo I have my music going. When I run with someone else, I don't even bring my iPod. So when we split apart, I've got no conversation and no music. But you know what, that's not such a terrible thing. I think it's really good to practice running sans music. I think you can be more in tune with your body, your surroundings, yourself in general (for better or worse).

So, today I made it right at 6 miles. For the most part, it was a great run, but I did start feeling sluggish by the very end. My hips were feeling super tight. So I really need to work on rolling and stretching them more.

Lifting
At lunch I went ahead and hit the weights at home to do back, chest, and abs. I had really hoped to get to the gym for back so I could do pullups, but it was more convenient to do the workout at home today. I did a giant set for back then superset for chest.

GS - 2x8, 1x10
Double-arm row
Pullovers
Horizontal rows

SS - 1x8, 2x6
Chest flye into press
Alternating press

I finished up with abs on the stability ball. Overall, it was a pretty good workout. I did struggle with chest, hence the drop in reps on the 2nd & 3rd sets. Sometimes my left elbow starts to feel like it's going to just flat out give out. Tendon issue perhaps? It's not that it even hurts, just zero strength.

Squash for Summer
I've been really wanting spaghetti squash lately. Maybe because it just feels sort of light and summery. I had originally thought about pairing it with roasted cherry tomatoes and garlic, but Jason and I both decided a cold dish sounded better. So I made something very similar to my Italian Spiced Spaghetti Squash, which was more of a side dish and this is a one-pot-wonder (well, not so much pot, but you get the drift).

Italian Tofu and Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients:
Squash:
Spaghetti squash (halved and seeds removed)
1 container cherry (or grape) tomatoes, rinsed and halved
Fresh basil - rough chop and to desired taste
Fresh spinach - however much you prefer
Minced garlic - to your taste preference (approximately 1 tbsp)
To taste: salt, pepper, red chili pepper flakes
2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
Drizzle balsamic vinegar (to desired taste)

Tofu:
1 package extra firm tofu, drained and pressed, cubed
To taste: salt, pepper, dried basil, dried parsley, dried oregano
Panko bread crumbs - approximately 1/4 cup or less (optional)
Drizzle of balsamic vinegar - just enough to help seasonings and panko to stick

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix together the spices for the tofu coat with spices. Bake on a prepared baking sheet until firm and crisp, flipping once halfway through the cooking (usually takes about 45-50 minutes).

At the same time, place the spaghetti squash flesh side down on a baking sheet and bake until softens and you are able to easily shred the inside into "spaghetti."

In a large bowl, add the tomatoes, garlic, and spinach. When the squash is done, add approximately half of the shreds to the bowl (depending on the size of your squash). This will help wilt the spinach. Add the spices for the spaghetti squash, nutritional yeast, balsamic vinegar and toss well, then add in the tofu.

Either serve right away or set in fridge and allow flavors to meld.
 

You could easily use white beans or chickpeas in lieu of the tofu. I think you could spice up the chickpeas and toast them for a great texture addition.

Daily To-Enjoy List
Today's to-enjoy list is rather short, but it was something that made me really happy so that's what is most important. The weekend's to-enjoy list is expanding though.
  • Morning run with hubby
  • Dinner at the table

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Love in Photos

In honor of Valentine's Day - Love in Photos Husband Family and Furbabies Friends Even if you're not a fan of Valentine's Day - I hope you have a wonderful day and remember the loves in your life.

Mid-Week Mix-Up - Disconnecting to Reconnect

Another Double Workout This morning I got up when Jason got up to go to swim. The plan was to do Cathe's MMA Kickboxing DVD then do back and triceps at lunch or after work. I really needed a day off from running - I had run 5 days straight. And wouldn't you know it that my cross-training day also happens to be the first morning in months that it was in the low 60's. Really? Talk about bad timing. I almost feel like I let the universe down by not taking advantage of the crazy cool temps. And of course they go right back up the rest of the week. Humph.... But, I listened to my body, my feet, my piriformis...all telling me to not run. So, I didn't. I did my kickboxing workout (sulking just a bit I won't lie). But it was a good way to "kick" off the morning. During lunch, I ran home to get in my back and triceps weights done. I went with my same back and triceps workout as last week. No gym means no assisted pullups or barbell rows. So, I do worry a bit

Workout Wednesday - Body Blaster Tabata

Happy Hump Day! I wanted to thank everyone for their comments on yesterday's post: Be Kinder to Your Body. Calories are Not the Enemy . It sounds like it resonated with many of you. Today I wanted to share a new workout with you. I've been working on interval workouts for some of my clients. I try to give them the most bang for their buck (time). I know that in an ideal world, we would all have time to do longer workouts. There would never be scheduling conflicts, sick husbands or kids, or sick us. In reality, workouts need to be effective and efficient. And they don't have to be lengthy to be effective and efficient either. There's no need to spend hours in a gym to get in a good workout. Interval workouts like HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) or tabata, or even interval running are great ways to get in a fantastic workout in a short amount of time and have many benefits. You can read more about Tabata workouts  here . The benefits of this type of work