Race #1 - CDPHP Workforce Team Challenge

Last night at the CDPHP Workforce Team Challenge (3.5 Miler) I kicked off the first of three races in three weeks.  And as much as I would like to say that I kicked butt and did awesome - the race didn't exactly go as well as I had planned.  My time was definitely a lot slower than I wanted it to be but it wasn't all bad! 

 

Some background on this race - every year the major health insurance company - CDPHP - puts on the Workforce Team Challenge; you must register as a company and run in teams of 4.  Teams also typically make team shirts and overall it is a really fun event.  This year over 9,000 people participated!  That is a HUGE number and A LOT of people to fit in under the Rockefeller Plaza for the start of the race.  I was right in the thick of it and being crammed up against 9,000 other runners did not allow for much picture taking - however I was able to lift a few from 'Google Image' to give you some idea of the race.

Getting ready to start the race!  Under the 'bridge' between the NYS museum and Rockefeller Plaza.

Tons of runners heading up Madison Avenue toward the course.

So now on to the not so great news - as I mentioned my time was a lot slower than I had hoped, but then again you can only go SO fast when for the first 1/2 - 3/4 of a mile you are elbow to elbow with tons of people and trying not to fall flat on your face.  Anyway - according to my chip my overall time was 41:52 (11:58 mile) and according to the 'MapMyRun' app my time was 41:20.  The goal I set for myself was to finish between 38 and 40 minutes, so when I crossed the finish line and saw over 41 minutes I was pretty disappointed.  However, some good did come of this race - I pretty much ran the entire race, the only time I walked was at the water stations (2) because let's be honest drinking water, running and trying to breath all at the same time simply does not work well for me.  I also now have a good goal - I know I can run the distance no problem so now I need to work on my speed!

 

My next race is in a week - Survive the Farm 5K and Obstacle Course - that race I won't necessarily be going for time since there will be obstacles involved so between now and Friehofers (June 1st) I hope to up my fitness and be able to run a decent 5K time.

 

My t-shirt and race bib!

'Why YOU wished you worked at PRA'

Creamy Chicken & Bacon Pasta (No Boil)

My baby loves bacon; there are no two ways about it, he truely does.  I on the other hand could take or leave it, I'm not a big bacon fan.  So when I came across this recipe a couple of weeks ago I knew he would love it.  The orginial recipe called for ONLY bacon but I decided to halve the bacon and throw in some chicken instead.

 

Creamy Chicken & Bacon Pasta (No Boil)

 

Ingredients

12 oz campanelle pasta

32 oz low-sodium chicken broth

12 oz evaporated milk (2%)

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

4 oz light cream cheese

4 slices cooked and chopped bacon

1 cup frozen peas (or more)

Directions

Cook the chicken, cube and set aside ~ cook the bacon, chop and set aside ~ in a large dutch oven combine pasta, evaporated milk, chicken stock, onion powder, garlic powder and red pepper flakes ~ cover and simmer for 15-18 minutes or until pasta is cooked and the liquid has reduced ~ once the pasta has cooked stir in the parmesan cheese, cream cheese, frozen peas, bacon and chicken ~ allow to simmer for approximately 5 minutes ~ remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for more 5 minutes allowing the sauce to thicken.

 

Enjoy!

 

This pasta was really quick - a great weeknight meal.  It was also quite creamy and delicious!  Not the most healthy dish but if you are having a craving for some comfort food with bacon and/or pasta give it a try! 

Weeknight Penne with Spinach Sauce

Holy moly this was delicious!  Everyday I get a recipe sent to me via e-mail from the 'Food Network', 90% of the time I'll look at the headline but not click on the actual recipes - this recipe though was the exception!  It was easy (took me about 25 minutes start to finish), fresh and delicious and was sort of like making a pesto sauce except with spinach and goat cheese.  The recipe also made a TON of food, we definitely had leftovers for the next day.

I have a friend coming up from the city within the next couple of weeks and I will probably end up making this dish for her - it was THAT good!  If you love goat cheese (which I do) this is for you - it was also incredibly fresh (thanks to the spinach) and since it is a Giada De Laurentiis recipe I felt somewhat fancy while making it!

Weeknight Penne with Spinach Sauce

Ingredients

1 pound penne pasta (preferably whole wheat)

2 large or 3 smaller garlic gloves

3 oz goat cheese

1 - 1.5 oz light cream cheese

1/2 TSP salt

1/4 TSP ground black pepper

6 oz fresh spinach leaves

2 TBS fresh parmesan cheese (optional)

1 cup (reserved) pasta water

Directions

Cook the pasta until al dente ~ when finished, drain but reserve 1 cup of the pasta water ~ in a food processor process the garlic ~ add 4 oz of the fresh spinach, the goat and cream cheese, salt and pepper - process until smooth ~ chop the remaining spinach (about 2 oz) and place in the bottom of a large serving bowl ~ spoon the cooked (and hot) pasta on to the chopped pasta ~ using a spatula scoop the spinach/cheese sauce on to the pasta ~ mix, combining the hot pastas, chopped spinach and spinach/cheese sauce ~ depending on the thickness of sauce add as much reserved pasta water as needed.

 

Serve with whatever you like and enjoy!

Does this not look absolutely delicious!

Served with grilled chicken - awesome meal!

Adventures in Eastern Iowa/Running the Mississippi

A couple of weeks ago I was headed back to Iowa for the second time this year (I was in Des Moines and Davenport at the end of February).  This time I went to observe two newly minted SOAR trainers.  Observations are great because while you are working it is not nearly as stressful as having to train or hold forums; because of this it also leaves a lot more time to explore the local area.  I was stoked when I booked my trip back to Eastern Iowa/Davenport because I remembered that the city and the hotel where I would be staying is located right next to the Mississippi River and there was a great running/biking path.  Back in February it was definitely too cold to do much of anything outside but I figured by early May the weather would be perfect - and it turned out to be just that, the entire time I was there the temperatures were in the high 70s/80s, the sun was shining and it was absolutely gorgeous! 

 

Prior to my arrival in Iowa the area had had some serious rain which had resulted in a decent amount of flooding.  The parking lot of my hotel, which is located about 1/2 mile from the banks of the Mississippi River, was flooded and on my way to the hotel I saw numerous houses along the river that were still flooded!  Due to this the river was really high!

 

Check out how high the river is - not much room between the bridge and the water!

Signs along the Mississippi River run/bike path.

Rock Island/Moline, IL, American Discovery Trail and the Mississippi River Trail

Plaque along the river commemorating the Great Flood of 1993.

The water along the MS River was so high that it flooded stairs and a landing leading down to the river.  There were actually a TON of people fishing around this area.

 

Along the Mississippi there is a bridge that connects Iowa and Illnois.  The bridge was built by the army corps of engineers in the 1800s and is made completely of metal grates.  On this bridge there was also a bike/walking path and on one of my runs I decided it needed to be crossed!  The bridge was a little over 1/2 a mile long and it wasn't until about half way across that I looked down and realized that you could see straight down to the river (which was very high and raging)!  It was scary and awesome at the same time!

 

Bridge over the Mississippi River from Iowa to Illinois!

 

Running across the metal grated bridge - looking straight down to the Mississippi River!

Covered two states on my run!  Welcome to Illinois!

Just across the bridge on the Illinois side is Rock Island - which is also home to Fort Armstrong.

'Gaurding' the Mississippi River from the Illnois side.

Cannon balls!

 

Standing in Illinois - looking toward Iowa.

Getting ready to re-cross the bridge back to Iowa!

 

The mighty Mississippi!

Spinach & Tortilini Stew

I wasn't really sure what to even call this crock pot creation.  I sort of found it online somewhere, I think, modified it and basically eneded up just throwing a bunch of stuff in the crock pot and hoped that it would turn out well - which it did!  The dish wasn't quite a soup, more like a stew and included chicken broth, italian tomatoes, frozen tortellini and spinach!  Even though it is almost summer and was pretty warm the day I made it I was craving something hearty, that would require minimal effort and would be ready when I got home from a long day of work and errands.

Spinach & Tortellini Stew

  

Ingredigents

1 box low sodium chicken broth

2 cans Italian style petite diced tomatoes

1 bag frozen tortelini

1/2 - 3/4 bag fresh spinach

6 - 8 oz cream cheese (I used neufchatel)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

 

Instructions

Place chicken broth, 2 cans of tomatoes, frozen tortellini, fresh spinach and seasonings in crock pot ~ cube the cream cheese (make them small cubes) and place them in crockpot as well ~ stir well ~ cook on low for 5 - 6 hours.

 

(Two caviots of this dish - 1) do not overcook, my crock pot flipped to the 'warm' setting after the 6 hours and sat there for a while, because of this the tortellini was overcooked and 2) if you can, I would recommend stirring every hour or so, if you don't the cream cheese cubes won't 'melt' all the way).

 

Other than those two caviots the dish was pretty awesome.  I think if I had made it on a day when I was at home it would have been even better!  This would be a great fall or winter weeknight meal!



Hiking Lye Brook Falls - Manchester, VT

This past weekend was gorgeous - about 75 and sunny all weekend!  From the second we heard it was supposed to be nice we decided that we needed to go for a hike!  We had planned on doing a longer hike just outside of Bennington, VT which would have taken most of the day but due to a field hockey tournament we decided to hike a shorter trail in  Manchester, VT.  I'm sure you've heard me mention it before but I absolutely LOVE Vermont!  (Seriously, if I won the lottery, after I paid off all my bills, student loans and took a trip or two my next purchase would more than likely be a cabin in Vermont.)  It is beautiful and it seems like every time I cross the boarder into VT I instantly become happier!  Manchester is no exception - it is pretty picturesque. 

 

We decided to hike the Lye Brook Trail which is located just a couple of miles outside of Manchester.  The trail was only 4.6 miles round trip and didn't have a ton of elevation but it did end at a pretty awesome waterfall!  The Lye Brook Trail is located in the Green Mountains and this was also our first hike into the Greens! 

 

Start of the hike - there were two trails, we chose the shorter of the two, but still a pretty decent hike!

There were many signs warning us that we were entering the 'Lye Brook Wilderness'!

 

This is looking straight up and the next picture straight down, I had to be careful not to change my view too quickly or I would get dizzy.  The steepness was insane, it looked like someone had clear cut the area or that a mudslide had taken place; turned out it was damage done by Hurricane Irene - which happened almost two years ago!

Looking down the mountain at damage done by Hurricane Irene.

Waterfall!  It is difficult to tell from the picture but this was a HUGE waterfall and very rocky.  The water was not rushing like it was at the Rainbow Falls - but there was a good steady stream, and the actual falls snaked up and around the mountain.  This picture is pretty much looking straight up at the falls.

Portion of the falls that ended in a little brook.

 

Adam in front of the (Green) mountain opposite the fall.

My hiking posse in front of the waterfall!

'Selfy' (that's what the kids call them these days - right?) in front of Lye Brook Falls!

 

I'm excited to hike the Green Mountains more this summer and fall ... and potentially one day own a cabin in the woods of Vermont (a girl can dream can't she?).

Lately

Last week I wrapped up approximately three months of work travel!  It seemed that a week didn't go by without some sort of trip, but now I am back in town for nearly the entire month of May (with the exception of a trip to Virginia to see my BFF Dana graduate - but that is non-work related)!  It may feel strange being back in he office so much but I am ready for some consistent time at home!  It'll be great to cook a bunch of dinners and catch up with friends who have been neglected over the past three months.

 

A couple of things have happened as of late - first off, my best friend Dana got engaged!  The engagement was not necessary a 'surprise' since she and Charlie have been dating since college, but I am still super excited for her and her impending (or not so impending - it probably won't be until 2015) nuptials!

Here is her ring!  Super pretty and very 'Dana

Speaking of weddings - two weekends ago Adam and I headed to Williamsport, Pennsylvania to attend my cousin Rebecca's wedding.  She is the first of the thirteen grandchildren to get married and everyone in the family (with the exception of my two sisters) were in attendance.  This event was also somewhat of a big deal (for me at least) because it was the first time that Adam was meeting my father and the entire side of my mother's family.  I am sure the weekend was somewhat stressful for him, but he did great! 
 

Wedding program!

 

Saying the 'I Do's'

 

Very rarely are they all together - my mother (dark blue dress), her four siblings and my grandparents!

 

 At the church, after the ceremony.

 

Cutting the cake!

 

Pre-icing in face.

The hotel we stayed in while in Williamsport was located right next to the Susquehanna River and had a great walking/bike path that ran right alongside!  The weekend we were there was one of the first nice weekends so we took advantage of the weather and the path and went for a nice long walk.

Susquehanna River

Looking down the Susquehanna! 

Two weeks ago (a little late I know) was also my 6 month 'anniversary' at PRA.  I cannot believe that it has been six months already - that went by really fast!  I had my sixth month review and it went really well (no more reviews until the one year mark - thank goodness, those things are stressful)!

Last Thursday Adam and I also attended Taste of Albany which is a great event that benefits Albany's Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless.  Imagine if you will all your favorite restaurants in one place, all serving their top dishes - now on top of that imagine being able to consume as much beer/wine/liquor as you like and at the end of the night get to hit up a dessert bar filled with desserts from some of the best places in Albany - THAT was Taste of Albany.  The event was awesome and absolutely delicious.  And because my company does a lot of volunteer work at Interfaith we were able to get free tickets, woo-hoo!

Lots of planning is also taking place - both work and otherwise!  I am planning to do a lot of SOAR work in New York state this summer as well as planning for some forums in South Dakota and Arkansas.  Non-work wise we are hoping to plan a couple of weekend/mid-week trips this summer - Boston, New Hampshire, possibly Cape Code and of course Washington D.C.  We are also planning on taking lots of hikes this summer and attending a lot of concerts - so bring on the nice weather!