Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Sourdough Baking - Coffee Cake edition.

I'm completely handling the current situation in the world with distractions.  I'm not going to talk about the marathon I am registered to run, that didn't happen yesterday, but I will run in September.

Lets talk sourdough.  I created a starter because well I needed the square on my stay at home bingo card. I love bread, it's one of my favorite foods, but I can't eat it anymore. I'm allergic to yeast and have gluten sensitivity. Just because I can't eat it, doesn't mean other members of my household can't enjoy it.

The Township of Joe(my son's starter), I don't
have a good picture of the RYD.
Now I have an active starter, well two of them, my oldest son wanted one too. My starter is named The Republic of Yeast Dunstable. I've been researching recipes and while I've made a few loaves of bread, they are still very dense. I've also tried to figure out what to do with the discard sourdough(the stuff you throw away when you feed the starter). Many of the recipes require cooking with milk and butter, as my allergy to dairy requires an epi-pen, and stirring a pot of hot milk, is a bit too "get to ride in an ambulance" risky for me, I've been struggling. I'm not quite ready to try almond milk instead, that might be in a few weeks.

Then I discovered this recipe for Sourdough Coffee Cake. It looked awesome. I read it and then promptly ignored it. The results were fantastic, at least according to my husband. Warning, you want to use the result to make french bread, but only do so if you can nap in a recliner after.

Here are the changes I made to the recipe.

I completely ignored the whole feed the starter first and such instructions.  I had fed the starter the night before, I think and left it in the fridge, so I scooped out a good cup or so with a 1 cup measuring cup. I then re-fed the starter and let it sit for over an hour before returning it to the fridge.

Into the bowl with the starter I added a 1 cup scoop of flour(I guess, there was little precision in this measuring), grabbed a 1/4 cup measuring cup and added 1 scoop of organic cane sugar and then 2 scoops of dark brown sugar(mostly packed), totaled around 3/4 cup, maybe more. The change in sugar was a decision based on what type of sugar we have lots of in the house and what I like in my morning coffee. Added in an egg(another food I can't eat), actually measured the baking soda and salt, completely guessed on the cinnamon, then used the 1 cp measuring cup to approximate the oil. I'm well aware of how many baking rules I have violated. At one point in my life the only measuring cup I could find was a 1/3 cup. I could have bought more, but this was at a time when online shopping wasn't a thing and I never remembered I only had the 1/3 cup at home when I was out shopping. I baked many items from scratch with that single measuring cup, no one ever complained. Then again they were eating baked goods made by a sugar addict.

Before rise, after rise it filled the pan.
I stirred everything together by hand, as I sold my stand mixer several years ago. It took up way too much space on my counter and I had other things I wanted to spend the money on(like bills). I don't regret that decision, but it means all my bread adventures are by hand. I think I just stirred it with a spoon, but I may have gotten my hands involved. I poured it into the loaf pan, and then made the crumble with oil, because I can't touch butter(see comment about epi-pen) and now is not the time to waste gloves.

The loaf then sat on the stove to rise, while I made myself GF vegan chocolate cake from a box, and yes I use their measurements as suggestions and do my own thing.

I baked the chocolate cake first and thne the coffee cake after 1.5 hours of rise time. My youngest thought it was ok, but not sweet enough, the husband thought it was perfect and my oldest ate half the chocolate cake, or would have if I let him.

Next discard recipe will likely be pizza crust.


Monday, March 23, 2020

Cancellations and Crazy Plans

With races canceled or postponed, I've been failing to run or train.  But I need to run, it's my outlet, my sanity.

I decided to be a little crazy and registered for the BURCs Virtual Marathon. I was trained up for around 15 or so miles before I stopped, so I guess you could I've tapered.

With the way the city has semi-closed down, I've been trying to sort out the logistics. I don't want to go for a long run around town and need a bathroom, since no places will be open and I doubt the city is putting out portojohns at the parks.

Then I thought, would it be ridiculous, fun and possibly entertaining to others if I run the entire marathon in the ~0.2 mile loop in my parking lot. Around 131 loops.  I could tweet and fb Live updates. I expect to walk the last 6-10 miles. Plus this gives me easy access to a safe bathroom and my food.  I have 36 hours to finish the race, so I could even take a nap.

Maybe this is the thing I need to re-energize. Mt Washington is still a go and I need to start training for that.

Boston training starts again May 21st.

I have until April 20th.  I'm looking at the weather and hoping for a nicer day.

Friday, February 14, 2020

Week 9 of Training Already!!!

Boston training continues and I've been fairly consistent. Taji 100 helps with that, as I really need all the miles I can get.
Training Chart.  Green = miles completed; Blue =  more miles than planned; Red = Did not do; Yellow = Less miles than planned; Pink = Cross Training

This week I crossed the 50 mile mark before the 14th, which puts me in a great place to finish early.

Screen capture of my Taji 100 total miles of 57.97. 
Plus I've earned a few achievements.

Screen capture of my Taji 100 achievement badges. 
Today I'll walk a mile or two, but otherwise rest. Tomorrow I'll run 10 miles between treadmill and indoor track.

Taji 100 - 2020 - Week 1

Taji 100 has begun.  The mission to walk, run, elliptical 100 miles in the month of February.

I have a few personal goals this year as well.
1) To walk at least 1 mile every day of the challenge
2) To complete the challenge by Feb 24th.

Week 1

Saturday: Ran 10 mile long run for my marathon training. Had planned on 12 but left the house late and had to make bathroom stop at the 3 mile mark. Hit a wall around 6 miles and was getting super annoyed at all the crosswalks with lights. On a happy note, that completes Amherst St/101A in Nashua for my Run All the Roads in Nashua. I need to do some more focus in fueling while running. My basal metabolism has increased and I spent most of this run hungry expect for the mile and a half trying to find a bathroom and the 15 mins after I ate a gu. The Clif bloks didn't do anything to take the edge off the hunger.


Sunday: Ran Freeze Your Buns 5k, which my watch says is just short of a 5k, so I missed out on the badge. Good race, didn't push myself but my legs were tired and my son hasn't been running, so his legs were not up for pushing it. He alternated between he doesn't want to be last and he doesn't mind being last when I pointed out that if he kept walking he'd be last.

Monday: This is a rest day according to my training plan. That didn't stop me from getting miles. I walked 0.75 miles with my husband during our afternoon shift. After work I went to Fleet Feet to participate in Winter Warriors and walked another 3.1 with one of my favorite running friends.

Tuesday: An actual training day. Plan was for 3 on the schedule. Snuck out for an hour at work for a 3.5 mile loop of hills.

Wednesday: Mid week long run day for marathon training.  Plan was for 6 and I ran 6.11 miles. I forgot to stop my garmin when I got to the chiropractor for my weekly adjustment, which messed up the avg mile pace.  First mile was 12:36 and last mile was 10:24, so I'm thinking I may be taking it too easy on myself when I run.

Thursday: Snow, and slush and muck on the roads convinced me a lunchtime run on the track at the Y was a much better plan than waiting for it to freeze into a sheet of ice to run on during Winter Warriors. Bumped into another Strider, running on the treadmill. She reminded me that this weather is one of the challenges of training for Boston and a few indoor runs are not a bad idea to be comfortable running in the heat because who knows what the weather will be the day of the marathon.

This blog post is incomplete, but I'm posting it anyway. Next post will have some updates in pictures. I'm pretty sure Friday was two half mile walks due to mismanagement of free time and desire to hibernate.





Monday, February 3, 2020

January Wrap Up

Marathon training continues.

Over the month I have run a few 5ks, Freeze Your Buns, Snowflake Shuffle and Fudgesicle.

Here is the training update. I've had some struggles with the Wednesday run getting longer, but I'm working to find solutions to that. I realized this week as I was running that in a month it will be warmer than it is colder. There is something about the 30 degree temperature line. Above that temp is far easier to run, than below. In four weeks we'll be over 30 more than we'll be under it.

Green = complete, yellow = less than desired miles, blue = more than planned miles
red= skipped, pink = cross training
Cross training has started to take a hit, and I need to get back to that. Find some routine of body weight strength I can do. My pace is slowly improving, I am able to run further without walk breaks, and when I'm having a heavy legs struggle run, I'm running at my fast pace for last fall. The consistency is helping, along with the strength work I started in November.

The biggest challenge has honestly been finding time, which was the challenge last time as well. Saturday I ran from home to the Westwood branch of the Nashua YMCA and meet up with my family there. Sunday morning I ran Freeze Your Buns to complete the needed miles.

I'm starting to plan out my 2020 race schedule. The two big anchor races at the moment are Boston Marathon and Mt Washington. Eastern States is a secondary now that Boston is confirmed. Other races will be all the mountains leading up to Mt Washington, and I might just do one more after to get Goat status again. I'm hoping to complete the New Hampshire Grand Prix and possibly the USATF All Terrain Runner series. My fall running schedule will need some fluidity to accommodate my youngest running cross country.

Now onto February and striving towards completing Taji 100!


Tuesday, January 21, 2020

How far is a marathon?

We all know a marathon is 26.2 miles, but how far is that really? I've joked I run further than most people will drive for dinner.

Boston Marathon Course Map
Gate City Marathon 2018 - This was my first marathon, the route changed last year but is still 26.2 miles.

I live in South Nashua. Using my place near Shaws off Spit Brook Road as a starting point.

Here is a list of places less than a 26.2 mile walk from my place using googlemaps to create the route.  Walking avoids all highways that don't allow pedestrians and adds in any rail trails or walking paths.

The Burlington Mall in Massachusetts

Nelson's Candy and Music in Wilton, NH

Canobie Lake Park(less than 20 miles)

Manchester Airport

deCorvoda Museum


Other places less than 26.2 miles apart on foot

Fenway Park and Salem Mass

Providence RI to Gillette Stadium


Friday, January 17, 2020

January Updates

“Stop gambling with British Bookies” my Dad’s response to I’ve lost 10 pounds since November.
Plan spreadsheet. Green = run completed; Yellow = less than planned miles
Red = Skipped; Pink = cross training; Blue = More than planned miles

Week 5 of Boston Marathon/Eastern States training and I’ve been struggling. I walked on Monday when I should have rested and it really messed up my training week. My head has been in a funk and I’ve felt physically sluggish. Yesterday I finally checked my cycle and put it all together. PMS can be cruel.

The 10lbs is a problem, I can’t really lose anymore, that was the issue I had last time so I’m trying to incorporate more 200 calorie healthy snacks and not skip breakfast. 
Garmin screen shot of the 5
activites this week.

I’ve been beating myself up about not making my miles, until I realized I needed 11 mid-week miles and I got them. Some I walked, some I ran slow, but I got them all. Tomorrow is a rest day to prep for 10 miles on Saturday in 10 degree weather before the snow. 

A few other wins this week, I've been able to run after eating, or more accurately not in a complete fasting state. Yesterday I ate a huge lunch at around 2pm. Realizing I had some free time in the afternoon and a desire to not running 23 mph winds, I went to the Y and ran 3 miles on a treadmill around 4 pm. In the past for a meal of that size, I would wait 3+ hours before running. It slowed me down a bit but I didn't feel sick which is good. Eating and being able to move after is one of the things I need to train if I want to run an ultra. 

Last weekend I managed to complete another road, on my Run Nashua challenge. I haven't been focused much on this the last year or two and I don't want creative routes to get in the way of proper training. If it doesn't become a scheduling nightmare, I may try to run one or two of my 3 mile runs a month in a new area.
Most recent map of roads run. New roads are in the upper left corner.

Week 6 starts in on the challenge of mid-week longer runs. This was my challenge last time. I'll dedicate some time with my husband to help brain storm so answers that hopefully don't include wake up at 4:30am.