Monday, April 18, 2016

Cookies, knishes, and Apr 11-17 weekly recap

The stress of the NHL playoffs is wearing on me. We're less than a week in and there have already been a lot of shocking developments. I joke about people telling me how wrong I am in my predictions. However, I can't imagine anyone would have foreseen the Kings and the Ducks going a combined 0-4 in each of their first two games at home.
It's going to be a crazy, crazy week of hockey ahead!

Speaking of my favorite hockey teams, back in February I wrote about the privilege of watching a Blackhawks game from a suite for the first (and probably only) time ever. I'd mentioned getting two Blackhawks logo cookies from the dessert cart that night:
As I said back then, the cookies were too cute to eat. I took them home and have kept them to this day as artistic masterpieces.

Wouldn't you know it? Over the weekend, Adam and I discovered the source for these cookies: a north suburban restaurant/deli/bakery called Max and Benny's.

Check out some of their cookie creations!
It wasn't just about stumbling onto those cookies, either. I always enjoy exploring any of the restaurants featured on Chicago's Best - and Max and Benny's was highlighted for their matzo ball soup. Adam and I love traditional Jewish delis so we went to check it out.
L: San Francisco Reuben and potato pancake
Top R: Lox platter
Bottom R: The legendary matzo ball soup!
The food was really good. We were both stuffed, but that didn't stop me from popping into the bakery/deli afterwards. I bought a spinach/feta knish and a Reuben eggroll to take home. After my long run yesterday, I devoured that knish so quickly that I could have gotten arrested in at least four, maybe five states. (Sorry, no picture since I ate it too fast.)

I think race organizers should start serving knishes at their post-run refreshment tents.
On the note of long runs, here is how the week's training went:

MONDAY - Rest
TUESDAY - Yoga class, 45 minutes lifting
WEDNESDAY - Zumba class, run 3.5 miles on treadmill
THURSDAY - 10 minute warm-up on stationary bike, 55 minutes lifting
FRIDAY - Yoga class
SATURDAY - 30 minutes of stationary biking on "hill" setting, lift 15 minutes
SUNDAY - Run 12 miles with intermittant inclines

For yesterday's long run, I thought I'd do 10 miles outside with some random hills, then come home and finish with 2 miles of focused treadmill hills. That didn't end up happening for two reasons: 1) the random route I was running outside didn't get me back into my own neighborhood until about the 11.2 mark, and 2) my legs simply weren't having it.

I did fare pretty well on the intermittant hills, including a series of hill repeats around Miles 7-8. However, I am still in so much trouble for the Pittsburgh Half Marathon. Despite all the effort I've put into hill training over the past few months, I think it's going to be too little, too late.
On a more positive note - I've been testing out doing long runs without wearing my Cho-Pat knee straps. So far I completed both a 10-miler and yesterday's 12-miler without issue. This is great news, as I've had to wear the straps for years!

Ideally I would like to run the Pittsburgh Half sans knee straps, but I'm also a little nervous about taking that risk on race day (May 1). This week is a stepback week, so I won't get much more opportunity to really test before then. Maybe I'll start the race with the knee straps, then take them off and give them to Adam at some point mid-race? TBD, TBD.

Who raced this weekend? Special congrats to all of you who PR'd and/or BQ'd (Xaarlin and Pete!) Who is running/watching Boston today? 

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Linking up with HoHo and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap.

21 comments:

  1. Maybe I missed something, but what are you wearing the knee straps for?

    HIll training, schmill training...I'm sure you'll be fine!

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    1. I have wonky knees and I've been fighting for years to contain ITBS and piriformis syndrome. My injuries have been under control for awhile now (knock on wood) so I haven't mentioned them recently. =) It actually makes me really happy that you are asking because it means I haven't had issue for a long time!!! =D

      Thanks for your confidence, Wendy - I really appreciate it! Likewise, you are going to ROCK out at Big Sur!!!

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  2. I'm happy my Wings won last night, but the last few minutes were very stressful. I'm not sure playoff time is healthy for me. I do know someone who's a Kings fan, but I haven't the nerve to ask how he's doing.

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    1. I'm happy your Wings won, too! Best of seven is indeed very stressful, and those last few minutes when they pull the goaltender make my heart jump into my throat! You too? Ah yes, I can imagine Kings fans are under some duress these days - but good for them for pulling out the overtime win last night!

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  3. Love the cookies, they are too pretty to eat! It looks like they have a ton of really cute designs. I raced this weekend, and need to get a knee injury under control. Hopefully your half goes well and you can take the knee straps off!

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    1. Completely agree - the cookies are works of art! I wouldn't want to eat them after so much effort was put into creating them. =) Congratulations on your race this weekend - way to push through! I wish you a speedy recovery with your knee injury, too. Aren't knee injuries the worst? =( Thank you for the well wishes, I really appreciate it!!!

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  4. Those are cool cookies! My husband is a Blackhawks fan. Hope they pull through! Sounds like you are doing great with hill training. You will probably surprise yourself come race day. I wasn't prepared for San Francisco and did better than I thought. You will do great!

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    1. Sharon! I remember you mentioning before that your husband is a Blackhawks fan - that is AWESOME. I hope they pull through, too! Thank you for your confidence on the hill training and I hope you are right about race-day surprises. I am THRILLED to hear that San Francisco went better for you than you thought, that is super encouraging! You rock!!!

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  5. Shhhhhh, your secret is safe with me. =) How was the coverage? I'm sure it was very dramatic, as it always is!

    Thank you for your confidence, Karen. You are right, good idea to start with the race mantras now. Congratulations on your race with the giant hill at the end and way to push through! I can't imagine sprinting afterwards so you are quite the powerhouse for being able to break through - woo hoo!!!

    The cookies are so cute that I would never want to eat them! You too? =)

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  6. Those cookies are incredible!! I'm so impressed by the detail. It must take a lot of time to put those together!

    Bethany @ Accidental Intentions

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    1. I am blown away by the detail on the cookies, too! I can only imagine how long it must take to create each one - and then to have a whole case full of them? You've got to have a cookie-creating army behind the scenes!!! =D

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  7. Those cookies look awesome!! I almost wouldn't want to eat them. Why do they have to start some of these hockey games so late?! I'm struggling to even stay awake for the start of the Wild game tonight haha. Hopefully your knees continue to behave these next few weeks.

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    1. Completely agree on not wanting to eat them! Considering the effort that went into creating them, it feels like a shame to just chomp off of it, right? OMG - don't even get me started on these stupid late puck drops. The NHL will stop at nothing in an attempt to draw ratings, even at the cost of inciting its existing CST or EST fans. Thanks for the well wishes on the knees!!! Fingers crossed!

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  8. You're letting those Pittsburg hills mess with your head! I bet they are not going to be as much trouble as you think. OK -- I'm a sucker for decorated cookies! That bakery would be huge trouble for me. I think it's a good idea to start with the knee straps and then hand them off if necessary. EEK, it's almost race day too. Good luck! Thanks for linking with us Emily.

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    1. ARGH - you are right, these hills are all mental, just like everything else in running. I hope you are right about them not being as bad as I visualize (which isn't saying much, considering the Mt. Everest visions I have in my head, LOL). That bakery is huge trouble for me, too! Thanks for the thoughts on the knee straps and yes, I can't believe the race is just over a week away! Thanks again to you and Tricia for hosting!!!

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  9. Those are cookies? Looks like mini works of art and so detailed too! Do you feel just a tab bit guilty for eating them in like 10 seconds? Nah, I wouldn't either! Thanks for linking up!

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    1. Isn't it crazy that they are cookies? They really are masterpiece works of art!!! I haven't touched the two I have at home, but I am sure they are delicious. =) If I do ever decide to eat them, I'd be sure to have two on hand - one to keep, and one to eat! Thanks to you and HoHo for hosting, as always!!!

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  10. I was really loving the food post... then when I started reading about the work outs, I was all confused, like "Where did the food go? make it come back!".

    Awesome week of training!

    lots of runners from Harrisburg are doing the Pittsburg Half and the Marathon! I hope you have an awesome time! and I hope you can figure out if you are running with the straps soon!

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    1. Ana, you and I are women from the same heart when it comes to food vs training! =) Thank you so much for all the well wishes - I really appreciate it! The stalking of the weather forecast for next weekend has officially begun... =D

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  11. Cookies, please! Those looked so good. Like you mentioned, almost too good to eat... ALMOST :) Great news on not needing your knee straps!

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    1. HEHEHEHEHE, yes, ALMOST too good to eat. Eventually the appeal of a cookie tends to win out, yes? Thanks Amy - here is hoping the knee straps can be packed away for good, soon!

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