Check out my progress on Inspirational…or Crazy?
Aside from attending cookouts and gazing at the fireworks, I spent much of this past weekend reading Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner. This book was recommended to me by my marathon junkie brother-in-law, Ryan. He had warned me that the author, Dean Karnazes, was pretty intense in terms of his running routine, but I had no idea that by “intense” he meant “crazy.” The book begins with a brief history of the author’s high school experiences with track and cross-country and then launches into tales of Karnazes’s fanatical running habits. After a fifteen year hiatus from running, Karnazes decides to take an impromptu 30-mile run–in the middle of the night. From there, he begins training for a 50-mile foot race, often by running marathons (26.2 miles) on consecutive days. Later, he decides to run a 200 mile relay race–by himself. While Karnazes’s writing style failed to impress me, his story was compelling, nonetheless; I read the book in less than 48 hours. The food log at the end was especially intriguing–he fueled his 200-mile journey with a whopping 27, 934 kcalories, mostly comprised of burritos from 7-11 and entire pizzas, all of which were eaten while in motion. Yikes!
What do you think? Is this kind of commitment to sport inspirational or just crazy? If you’re interested in learning about this extremely fascinating and dedicated (obsessive?) man, check out his website.
While I didn’t fit in 28,000 kcalories, I did manage to fuel myself well today:
Monday
My HempShake supply has been blissfully replenished. Glorious shakes may now return.
choco-berry shake with strawberries, blackberries, soymilk, chocolate HempShake, & Choco-Cherry Treat granola
Tuesday
I took a hint from Emily, and decided to give her Pbu a try…almost. True to form, I had to put my own spin on the recipe, so I used my beloved Sunbutter, thus creating Sbu. I used it as a topping for my banana-apricot Cream of Wheat. The result? I foresee a new addiction.
whole grain Cream of Wheat cooked in banana & almond milk, topped with apricots & Sbu
It was a rainy day here in Birmingham, so I was craving comfort food. Grilled cheese and lentil-carrot soup seemed to fit the bill. If you’re interested, the soup is by Health Valley.
grilled cheese on whole wheat; salad; lentil carrot soup; apple with PB
A few weeks ago, I read a recipe in Fitness Magazine for pretzel-crusted chicken breast, using egg whites and crushed pretzels as breading. I decided to veganize the recipe by using tofu instead of chicken and mustard instead of egg whites–after all, pretzels and mustard are supposed to go together, right? After 40 minutes in a 375* oven, the tofu turned into a crusty, salty delight. For the sweet potato, I improvised a simple sauce of 1 T. cashew butter + 2 T. orange juice. Delish.
pretzel-crusted tofu; salad; white sweet potato with cashew-orange sauce; zucchini; orange segments
Alright, I am now off to rock out to “Man in the Mirror” and wait for The Little Couple to start. Good night!
Filed under: Meals
Caroline Yoder, dietitian-to-be and all-around foodie.
CRAZY! Did you know there’s even a famous vegan ultramarathoner, Scott Jurek? It’s fascinating to read ’bout him, but I think I’ll stick to my 8-10 mile runs, thank you very much!
oh my god that guy is CRAZY! def more crazy then inspirational haha
Hahaha. I think Dean is crazy. Jason thinks Dean is amazing. I also think Jason is crazy. heh ;p
haha love that song soooo much! that man sounds insane/crazy :p
Ooooh, tasty new addiction!!
Stop it… I watch THAT show too!!
I read Dean’s book! I thought it was really cool. It’s so surreal that he’s able to do that, and I find it fascinating.
Oooh, Sbu sounds delicious. And pretzel-crusted tofu is a great idea! I need to try that
I personally would not be inspired to run like that ever–my body can’t even handle a little bit of running. But, if that’s what he wants to do then good for him. Wow, talk about will power!
Caroline, that is such a creative twist on the pretzel coated chicken. Mustard + pretzels is a classic combo, and on top of delicious tofu sounds absolutely divine! Hehe, love the sweet potato–looks like it’s flooding in cashew orange sauce, yummmy!
Isn’t Pbu ridiculously addicting!?! I’ve got to try it with Sunbutter.
Crazy, but… interesting
Love the cashew + orange idea. Yum!
Thanks for the well wishes on my post yesterday
the pretzel crusted tofu looks wonderful! by the way, i got a spam comment on this post of mine:
http://cardiovegsular.wordpress.com/2009/07/06/good-morning-munchkins/
it used your name, so i thought i would show it to you before i delete it. it copied the exact comment you left me on that post, but added something else at the end. weird. let me know once you’ve taken a look at it, and i’ll get rid of it. stupid spam.
-JB
http://cardiovegsular.wordpress.com
Holy crap, that DUDE IS INTENSE! Running 200 miles?! Ridiculous. I think it could be inspirational but it’s also important to remember that it’s not for everyone.
I’ve read the book…and man, that guy is CRAZY! How do you run while eating like that? oh my god…he’s not gonna be able to live for long if he continues that!
pretzel-crusted tofu! Oh my…reminds me of my PB pretzel-crusted chicken!
Caroline,
HOLY TOLITO! That’s crazy. I’m checking that book out at work tomorrow night for sure!
Sbu! I’m love, love, lovin it. I’ve never tried Sunbutter before… How does it compare tastewise to other nut butters?
WIth Love,
Emily
holy cow! That is some serious committment and some serious eating! haha
haha pretzel crusted tofu with mustard! Sounds like a new staple to your eats haha
And how in the heck do you make this PBu, ABu, and SBu that everyone keeps talking about!? oh and how is sunbutter? I have heard good things but never tried it
I must be the only one here who doesn’t think the guy is crazy at all! I think he’s a total inspiration, although it is a miracle that he didn’t get horribly injured running all those miles back-to-back….I’d LOVE to run like he does, although I think I’d pass on the whole pizzas eaten in motion!
Another delicious shake creation ~ I’m still waiting for the company that stocks Nutiva in the UK to have it available to order again as they’re still sold out! *tear*
xoxox
~Jessica~
Yea I’ve heard of him, and while I do think he is batshit crazy, it’s pretty cool. Most people’s bodies are just not made to handle that sort of thing, but if yours can hack it, I say go for it! Do what makes you happy!
I’ve heard about that guy. Thin line between intense and crazy!
Sunbutter is now on my grocery list too. The cream of wheat looks great!
I would have to say that man is nuts. Not sure why anybody would ever feel compelled to do what he’s done, but to each their own, I suppose!
mmmm grilled cheese twins! haha. And I am loving the idea for pretzel topped tofu. Look De-Lish!
Mmm I love sunbutter!
I read an article in runner’s world about this guy who ran like 100 marathons in his life and I thought that was insane. I can’t imagine someone running a 200 mile race! I would say it’s both a little inspirational and a little crazy.
Holy cow! That’s a lot of calories to fit in – I’d love to have that kind of appetite
I love the pretzel crusted ‘fu! That’s such a great idea!
I love pretzels and mustard, what a great idea! I am putting it on my “to make” list. That sweet potato looks delicious too!
That is some pretty cream of wheat!
That marathon dude sounds a bit over the top to me but at least he’s not hurting anyone else with his crazy ways. I thought about making Abu recently (almond butter). Also, I gave you a shout out today on my blog. I tried the lemon hummus you had on here recently. I LOVED it! Thanks for the inspiration!
-A
i remember reading an article in men’s health about guys who had drug addictions and now are clean but are running. They wrote about a specific guy who did heroin for years and gave it up and started running and he runs 20-30miles a day everyday! He also talks about getting this “high” around mile 10 and he is now addicted to running and runs that Sahara Desert marathon. crazy. That’s what that ultramarathon guy reminded me haha but he’s more crazy!!
cute signature by the way!
That definitely sounds crazy!
Love your cream of wheat it looks yummy!
YUM to your cream of wheat – I may have to try that!
that guy? ABSOLUTELY crazy! i didn’t think a body could even do that!
omg i LOVE your pretzel encrusted tofu idea — combining two of my favs! brilliant! i’m not surprised by now though
[...] for creaminess, along with garlic, salt, and pepper for flavor. I topped the cauliflower with Tuesday’s leftover lentil soup; I just cooked off all the excess liquid. Delicious veggie-tastic [...]
Eating WHILE running?!? That sounds like a recipe for throwing up to me.
I love your pretzel crusted tofu. I’d definitely eat it.
Pretzel & mustard coated anything sounds like a great combination, whether it’s chicken, tofu, or something else. I must keep that in mind next time I find pretzels in the house.