The Treadmill Chronicles: Favorite workouts

This is a guest-series by Mer. Happy Birthday Mer! I wish I were with you in Mammoth right now for a day of skiing and carrot cake!

 As I said in my first installment of the Chronicles, one of my favorite ways to pass the time while pounding away at the treadmill is the run intervals. I usually run speed intervals to increase my endurance since not even a faithful treadmill-er like myself can run more than about 5 or 6 miles on the thing before my feet catch on fire. [Editor's note - sorry about the picture...I just couldn't resist.] 
Most runners will use an outdoor track for their intervals, so this is a great way to get the most out of the time you spend indoors. Below I have noted what speeds I run at for exactly how long – obviously everyone is different, but you can use this as a guide to take the guess-work out of your workout.  

Since I have never been formally coached in running, I tend to be a bit more relaxed about my workouts. When I’m training for a half-marathon I do long runs and easy runs, then I try to get one of these workouts in at least once a week. I train better when I focus on the amount of minutes I need to run rather than the distance. Try it out, you might even feel like you can run further than you planned!  

Workout #1: Speed intervals

In parentheses are the treadmill speeds I usually run at. Adjust them according to your pace. The jog should be pretty moderate, the ”run” should be difficult to sustain or difficult to talk if you were running with someone, and the “sprint” should be about 80 or 90% of your max.

Minute 0 – 2: warm up, brisk walk (3.5 to 3.7)

Minutes 2-4: jog (5.7)

Minutes 4-5: run (6.3)

Minutes 5-6: sprint (6.7)

Minutes 6-8: run (6.3)

Minutes 8-10: (jog 5.7)

Repeat pattern two or three times to complete your workout.

Workout #2: Hill intervals

For treadmill hills, adjust the incline while maintaining a constant speed. It should feel pretty moderate until you reach incline level 6 or 7. Aim to be to about 80% of your max at level 8.  Remember: it’s supposed to be HARD!

Warm up: run 1 mile at an easy pace

Minute 0 - 2: brisk walk (3.5 to 3.7)

Minutes 2 - 3: moderate jog (5.5 - 6.0, maintain speed throughout) at incline level 2

Minute 3 - 4: Incline level 3

Minute 4 - 5: Incline level 4

Minute 5 - 6 : Incline level 5

Minute 6 - 7: Incline level 6

Minute 7 - 8: Incline level 7

Minute 8 - 9: Incline level 8

Minute 9 - 10: walk at Incline level 8

Stair step down in the same pattern (i.e. level 7, level 6, level 5, etc.).  If you feel too winded, move to half intervals and walk for 30 seconds on the halves (walk from 10:00 to 10:30 at incline level 7.5, run from 10:30 to 11:00 at incline level 7, etc.)

Repeat pattern twice, or if you are just starting hill intervals and this seems like a bit much, just run another mile or two on incline level 1 (or 0.5).  

NOTE: if you are using the treadmill to train for an outdoor race, you should always run with it set at at least incline level 0.5 or 1 to simulate the irregularities you find outdoors such as tree roots, slight changes in elevation, and general irregularities in terrain.  

Editor’s Note on Mer's Note: Coach George has different opinions on this – he's anti-inclining the treadmill and says: Please remember that treadmills were created by a madman who was not hugged enough as a child and whose parents never let him play outside (true story....I'd never make up something like that just to make a point). Do not become a slave to the contrivance of his warped mind.

I totally agree with the warped-mind theory...and I don’t really have an opinion on the incline-debate, since I avoid treadmills like I avoid mayonnaise, the Metro, and crowded sidewalks.  

Go here to read more from Mer - she's the Reno Day Trips Examiner!

The Treadmill Chronicles, according to Mer

Back when she lived in DC, Mer made regular Eat Run Read appearances. She now lives in Reno and will be doing a series of guest-blogs entitled "The Treadmill Chronicles." Everyone say Hi Mer! And check out her Reno Day Trips Examiner page for fun times in the Reno/Tahoe area.

I am not what you might call a “natural runner.”  Don’t get me wrong, I love to run, I just have a certain amount of criteria for my daily running routine.  It can’t be too hot or too cold, I have to have music, I always run alone, I never wear a hat, I can’t run too close to work, I don’t run at night, I hate running up hills (example A: run-o-death) etc, etc.  Phew!  That’s pretty high maintenance if I do say so myself.  I started running 2 years ago and like to do it how I like to do it, end of story. 

Ironically, my favorite distance is the half marathon.  It’s enough of a challenge that it makes me stick to a training schedule but doesn’t require that I give up hours of my days off to devote to running.  Once I am actually running, I love it.  It just takes a little more time and energy to get me motivated than some of my other running buddies. [Editor's note: Are you referring to me Mer? Haha, clearly you haven't heard the moans and groans as my alarm goes off in the morning!] 

Because of all of my “requirements”, I frequently run on the treadmill.  I’m not one of those crazy people who get up at 5 am rain or shine to get my 6-miler in before work.  I should also mention that I live where it snows and am kind of a klutz, so when there is snow on the ground the safest option for me is indoors. 

This perfect storm of ingredients (and the fact that I have been telling Mollie that I will contribute to her blog since she started it) is what inspired me to share my treadmill life with people out there who maybe are high maintenance runners like myself, or for whatever reason need to utilize the indoor training method that our blog host is so adamantly opposed to, because, let’s face it, it can be a real drag to run on a piece of equipment that keeps you in one place while you stare at the little red numbers on the clock thinking “OMG it’s only been SEVEN MINUTES!!” 

So, here goes nothing!

Treadmill Basics

1. Have a distraction.  I personally can almost never run without music.  I make playlists of music I love to run to and have a few based on what type of mood I am in or how fast I want to run.  I can’t listen to Kayne if I am running in the morning for example, although he does an excellent power-song.  Since I run on one of two treadmills in the fitness center of my apartment building, sometimes I am the only one in there and can run while watching what ever I want.  My favorite show to run to is Glee because of the music, but I also enjoy running to Seinfeld or a news show (helps evoke rage which makes me run harder).  Bonus: you can use the commercials as intervals for sprints or incline running.

2. Set a goal.  Whether it’s for time or mileage, I find it’s easier to not worry about anything except running when I know exactly how far I am going to go.  When I run outside I use mapmyrun.com before even heading out the door because I like to have mileage markers along the way.  I recently purchased an iPhone and frankly don’t know how I survived without it.  I now use Nike+ GPS app every time I run whether it’s indoors or out.  It syncs with my music, tracks my mileage, pace, and calories burned.  I can set my goal before I start running and a little voice comes on to tell me when I am half way and “almost there.”

3. Consider covering up the clock.  Place a towel or magazine over the treadmill controls so that you can focus on your form and the way you feel, much like you would while running outside.  This won’t work when running intervals, as listed below, because you will need to be able to use the incline or speed controls.

4. Run intervals.  Whether its sprints or on an incline, running 2 minutes one way and changing it for the next 2 minutes can help make the time fly. 

Stay tuned for my favorite workouts, music selections, and even some treadmill rage!  I am friends with Mollie, after all.  

Cake of the Week: Pumpkin Chocolate Layer Cake

Ah the joy. Cake of the Week Tuesday. I hope you appreciate all the blood, sweat, and tears I put into this blog for your enjoyment! (Ok, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration…) Though there is a chance that I am slightly loosing my mind (blame the blog? blame the fish? who knows???) For example, I often think in terms of blog posts. And I find myself making ridiculous lists and noting potential entries. For example, last Friday, I typed this up when “inspiration” hit:

I’ve started keeping running lists of things for “professional blogging purposes.” (Aka – I feel justified wasting time.) Which is ironic because professional = you get money for doing something. Which is not my relationship to this blog. Nope, I’m doing this all for you, no strings attached.

Things that make me happy:

Cupcakes at work

Weird things I’ve eaten today:

A cupcake with a shrunken head decoration on top. Yes that’s right. NatGeo is celebrating Expedition Week by giving staff free cupcakes. And the fondant shrunken head? To celebrate the new NatGeo special of course! Overall, the shrunken head part…kind of weird. But refer back to the “free cupcake” part. I’m not complaining.

Look forward to more “lists” in the future. Or dread them…your choice.

Anywhoozle – back to Cake of the Week!

On Sunday, I just had to make a cake (for professional blogging purposes). But after my weird morning, I was kind of uninspired. Just not in the mood for cake? That can’t be right…

Perhaps the fantabulous pumpkin ginger pancakes Mer made for me satisfied my cake cravings for the day? Well they were quite delicious, but I kind of live by the life-philosophy that there is no maxing out on goodness!

Inspiration struck later that afternoon. I had pumpkin. I had chocolate. I had cream cheese. And I didn’t want to make the trek to Safeway…so Pumpkin Chocolate Layer Cake it is!

This recipe has been in my mind for a while - I almost made it for the Dessert Party, before opting for a less complex (but no less delicious) option.

The cake is fantastic! Really moist and delicious. The ingredients for the pumpkin layer are exactly the same as the chocolate layer (except one involves chocolate - obviously).

I modified the original recipe from Baking Bites a bit by adding more spices.

And the frosting is quite good, if I do say so myself. I halved the cream cheese (because I only had 8 ounces), and thus added a bit more milk, but followed the rest of the recipe. I think that because my version had proportionately more maple syrup than the original, it turned out a lot stickier and a bit difficult to spread. So this isn’t the prettiest cake I’ve ever made – but it’s GOOD!

Sidenote: I just had major inspiration. Woah. Here it comes. Make this cake recipe, and then make butterscotch filling. And then frost the whole thing with maple buttercream!!! OhmygoshOhmygoshOhmygosh! Someone please do that NOW!

Phew. Sorry – sometimes I get excited. Here’s the cake:

 

Pumpkin and Chocolate Layer Cake


Pumpkin Cake Layer


1 1/2 cups all purpose flour


1/2 cup brown sugar


1/4 cup sugar


1 tsp baking soda


1/2 tsp baking powder


1 tsp ground cinnamon


½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon cloves

½ teaspoon ginger

1/4 tsp salt


2 large eggs


1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil


1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled


3/4 cup pumpkin puree


1/2 cup milk


1 tsp vanilla extract

 

Chocolate Cake Layer


1 1/2 cups all purpose flour


1/2 cup brown sugar


1/4 cup sugar


1 tsp baking soda


1/2 tsp baking powder


1/4 tsp salt


2 tbsp cocoa powder


½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon cloves

¼ teaspoon allspice

¼ teaspoon ginger

2 large eggs


1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil


1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled


3/4 cup pumpkin puree


1/2 cup milk


1 tsp vanilla extract


2-oz dark or bittersweet chocolate, melted (I did math for you! That’s about 4 Tablespoons of chocolate chips. You’re welcome.)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and lightly grease the bottom and sides of both.
Set up two large mixing bowls so that the batter for both cakes can be prepared at the same time.

For the pumpkin cake:


In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.
In a large measuring cup, or a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, vegetable oil, melted butter, pumpkin puree, milk and vanilla extract until all ingredients are well combined.
Pour pumpkin mixture into dry ingredients and stir until no streaks of flour remain visible. Pour into a prepared pan.

For the chocolate cake:

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Sift in cocoa powder and spices and whisk to combine.
In a large measuring cup, or a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, vegetable oil, melted butter, pumpkin puree, milk and vanilla extract until all ingredients are well combined. Whisk in melted chocolate.
Pour pumpkin mixture into dry ingredients and stir until no streaks of flour remain visible. Pour into a prepared pan.

Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when lightly pressed. The baking time is the same for one cake as it is for two cakes in the oven at the same time.
Turn cakes out of their pan and onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting. Freeze them for easier cutting/frosting.

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting


2 8-oz packages cream cheese, room temperature


1/2 cup butter, room temperature


1/4 cup maple syrup


1/3 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract


3-4 cups confectioners’ sugar

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and beat at high speed until smooth, gradually adding the confectioners’ sugar until a thick and spreadable consistency is reached. Additional confectioners sugar may need to be added to thicken frosting, especially if humidity is high in your area.

To assemble the cake, slice both the pumpkin cake and the chocolate cake in half horizontally. Place a chocolate round on a cake stand or serving platter, spread with a thin layer of cream cheese icing, and place a pumpkin layer on top. Make sure to spread the frosting all the way to the edges of the cake rounds. Spread the pumpkin layer with frosting and repeat with remaining chocolate and pumpkin layers.
Use remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake. 

The Weekend Report: New York City

I have lived on the East Coast for over four years now, and just this weekend had my first New York City adventure. I know, I know, take a moment. What??? You have lived within 4 hours of NYC and you haven't been???

The fact is, the whole concept of New York totally overwhelms me. I can't just go for a weekend, like all my friends urged. There's so much to see! I wouldn't even know where to start! I felt about NY the same way I feel about China - it's just too much, I don't even want to deal with it. But upon the urging of many, and thanks to a friend with a car (Mer) and a conveniently-located cousin, I finally did NYC.
It was the first time for both of us (NY virgins? Not anymore!). We both had our apprehensions, and almost backed out, but to quote myself in an email last Wednesday,

"No, we are ripping off this band-aid. We are going to NY and damn it, we're going to have fun!"

That became the theme of the weekend, and it definitely came true. I am no half-ass when it comes to tourism, so we did IT ALL (Mer's feet were begging for mercy):

- Dinner in East Village

- Coney Island (who runs 14 miles the morning before a huge day of toursim? I do!)

- Walk the Brooklyn Bridge

- Walk down Broadway

- Ground Zero

- Wall Street (saw where George Washington was inagurated)

- Staten Island Ferry (to see the Statue of Liberty)

- Mary Poppins on Broadway

- The Whitney Museum

- Central Park

- Let Me Down Easy (show off Broadway)

- The UN

- West Village

Phew! New York? Check!
I could probably write a small book of the weekend. But, since I doubt anyone really wants to read a book-o-Mollie, I will just share a few key points that amuse me. 

3 Ridiculous Things in 1 Hour:
1. An overweight man frolicking down the street (in front of the windows of our restaurant) wearing a neon pink full-body unitard.
2. A pole-dancer on a cart. Bear with me on this one: There was a man peddling a bicycle, pulling a cart to which was affixed a pole. An average-looking girl (as in, she was not a "professional"), pole-danced to the music of Usher blaring out of their stereo. Up and down the street. In public. WTF??
3. A man with a cat on his head. Again, I kid you not. He had a black cat on a leash perched on his head as he walked down the street. Yes sir, I am going to stare. Because you have a cat on your head. Subtlety is clearly not your goal.


Urban Hiking
When you tell people that you're going on a hike, it's expected that you will be doing something relatively hard-core.
So why doesn't walking 15+ miles through/around NYC in a weekend elicit the same response? I shall call it Urban Hiking, and it shall be my new sport of choice. (All it lacks is trail mix...note to self for next time.)

New York-Disney
We actually ended up spending a lot of our time in and around Time Square (not because it was on our list of things to see, but because Time Square is where you go for Broadway tickets). I do not usually like crowds, or flashing lights, or loud noises. However, in the right context - aka Disney Land, or NYC, I can appreciate the sheer shininess of it all. After our second show, we needed to kill some time before we met Mer's cousin. So we went to M&M World. It's a store of everything M&Ms. FULL of people. Usually that sort of thing would horrify me, but since I was in New York-Disney mode, it was just part of the experience.

CAKE
While walking around East Village with our hosts, the subject of cake came up in conversation (as it so often does with me). They took us to the famous Magnolia Bakery, which I expected to be overrated and over priced. It was neither. Frankly, it was one of the best pieces of chocolate cake I have ever had! (I know, bold statement.) And for only $3.75!

We went again the next night after our Broadway initiation (thank you Mary Poppins). My friend had made the silly mistake of ordering a cupcake rather than a piece of cake the night before (you all know how I feel about the cupcake/cake debate). So, yum! Cake again - this time chocolate for her, and pumpkin with dried cranberries and cream cheese frosting for myself.

And then (this is the best part) we were meandering around near Rockefeller Center on our last night, when I saw on the sidewalk ahead of us what looked like someone with trays of cupcakes on the street. WHAT?
Ohmygodohmygod, Ithinkthosearefreecupcakes! Freecupcakesfreecupcakes!!! Mer didn't quite understand me (haha, can you imagine why?)

Yeah, Moz, I know, we saw that Magnolia yesterday.

No Mer, run!!!
And then I started running (because the free cupcake man was heading back inside!). Luckily, I am a runner. Thus, said cupcakes (chocolate with chocolate frosting) were soon in my and Mer's hands. For free. YES! Thank you closing time!

And now I am back in DC. Alive. Nothing disasterous occurred, my fear of NYC is cured. The myth is demystified - I can now say that I have been to New York City, and damn it, we had fun!

Cake of the Week: Carrot Cake

First of all, a little trip down memory lane to my first experience with carrot cake. 

I very vaguely remember a little girl named "Candrianne" (spelling? who knows - this was way pre-literacy in my life). She had a birthday party, at which I remember eating a cake I really liked. For some reason it stuck in my head as something called "carrot cake." I think I was about 4 - definitely pre-kindergarden.

So when my mom asked me what kind of cake I wanted for my birthday that year, I said that I wanted carrot cake. 

My mom made what I'm sure (retrospectively) was a delicious cake. I took a big bite, and I HATED it!

Why? Well - it turns out that "carrot cake" was a mini-Mollie-mental-misnomer. The cake that I liked so much at the other girl's party was actually a lemon cake. But in a little kid's mind, carrot cake does not relate directly to carrots, nor does lemon cake necessarily lead to thoughts of lemon flavor. (Seems obvious, but when you're like 4, things just aren't.)

So my first carrot cake was a pretty bad experience. Luckily I recovered. 

Now I rank carrot cake in my top cake favorites. That's right, when I'm in the mood, it may rival chocolate cake (woah, bold statement, I know). 

On Saturday night, pre-long run, my friend Mer came over to bake carrot cake with me. 

When I say "we" made carrot cake, I mean mostly me. I'll be honest, I do not like baking with other people. I just don't understand how it works as a group activity! Mer did some prep-work, and she took care of the frosting. But it's just better for everyone involved if she talks to me while I measure/stir/mix/pour the cake batter (or vice-versa, I'm fine with being the one on the sidelines). I'm a control freak. I know it. That's just how it is.

 

We used Mer's recipe, which is originally for cupcakes. So you should double it to make a whole layer cake (because more layers = more cake = more frosting = yum!).

We didn't realize this at first, so I ended up making one layer, and then the other. This was actually a good thing, because I learned that the 1 egg + 1 egg white is an unnecessary waste of an egg - I made the first layer like that, but the second one I just cracked one egg and it turned out exactly the same. 

Also, I accidentally bought cubed pineapple instead of crushed. So we diced it, which was ok, and resulted in some yummy chunks in the cake. But overall, the cake ended up more pineapple-y than a normal carrot cake because a lot of the juice got in as well. 

Flavor-wise it was kind of a tropical carrot cake - it tasted more like prune-pineapple cake than traditonal carrot cake (which is not necessarily a bad thing). And the pureed prunes made it amazingly moist! 

The frosting was the easiest frosting I have ever made - marshmallow fluff + cream cheese. That's it. No worrying about how melty the butter is, or if I added too much powdered sugar. According to Mer, Trader Joe's cream cheese comes out lumpy, so it's better to stick with Philadelphia. Also, we doubled the recipe. In the future, I would probably triple it to make enough frosting to do a 3 or 4-layer cake!

And I can't stress enough how important it is to wait until the cake is completely cool before

 frosting it.  It can be hard to be that patient, I know - especially when it's 10pm and you have a 13-miler in the morning - but TRUST ME, it's worth it.  This is coming from a girl who has cried over too many cakes that end up looking like a Salvadore Dali Melting Clock.

Frosting-wise, I did enjoy the Fluff+Cream Cheese combo, but I'm not entirely sold (as in, it was good, but is it as good as carrot cake frosting could possibly be???? Again, that would be a pretty bold statement). Here are some links to other frosting possibilities:

Ginger Cream Cheese Icing

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

Molasses Cream Cheese Icing

Carrot Cupcakes

Recipe courtesy EatingWell.com

Pureed prunes stand in for some of the fat in these carrot cupcakes. Cupcakes

Prep Time:

30 min

Inactive Prep Time:

hr min

Cook Time:

30 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

12 cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pitted prunes
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1 8-ounce caj crushed pineapple
• 1 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 large large egg white
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup grated carrots
• Cream-cheese Frosting
• 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1/2 cup marshmallow creme such as Fluff
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped toasted pecans (optional)

Directions

To make cupcakes: Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners or coat with cooking spray.

Combine prunes with hot water in a food processor and process until smooth; set aside. Drain pineapple in a strainer set over a small bowl, pressing firmly to extract most of the juice. Set the pineapple aside and reserve the juice for another use.

Whisk flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Whisk egg, egg white, sugar, oil and the reserved prune puree in a mixing bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until blended. Stir in carrots and the reserved pineapple.

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups, filling them about two-thirds full. Bake the cupcakes until they spring back when lightly pressed in the center, 25 to 30 minutes. Let the cupcakes sit in the pan for about 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool before frosting.

To make cream-cheese frosting: Beat cream cheese, marshmallow creme and lemon juice in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Spread each cupcake with frosting and sprinkle with pecans (if using).