It's taper time, folks, and today was the last sort-of longish run before the marathon next Sunday. Two hours per our team training calendar. Being the last quality day, you'd think I'd want everything just perfect, but nooooooo....... let me be the poster girl for doing everything ass-backward. I survived and am in fine health, but let me break down what not to do (unless you want to carry a bucket when you run).
Rule 1: Carb-load the day before long runs; your body needs the stored energy to break down after about an hour's exercise. What Mona did: Yogurt and fruit for breakfast the day before, followed by Mexican for lunch (we'll get to that in a minute) and a grilled chicken salad at the airport for dinner. In my defense, it was a travel day, but still I could have tried to find a couple of slices of bread or some pasta somewhere.
Rule 2: Don't try any new foods the day before or the day of the long run. What Mona did: Tried a delectable new Mexican specialty called Machaca, along with a bunch of spicy salsa. I knew before I finished lunch I was going to regret that, but damn it was good!! If you ever get to Phoenix, go to Carolina's and order the Machaca mix burrito. Holy yum, Batman!
Rule 3: Eat something easily digestible before your run, including simple carbohydrates. What Mona did: Had my usual breakfast shake (good) only without the banana (bad - there were none in the house). The shake wasn't bad in itself, but the lack of the banana left me without a good part of my fuel.
Rule 4: Get out early, before the heat. What Mona did: Gave herself some extra sleep in time since she didn't get home until almost midnight the night before. It was almost 80 degrees and about 1000% humidity when I started and closer to 90 and 1,000,000% humidity by the time I finished. Blech.
As you can imagine, my run this morning was not the most comfortable experience of my life, but I felt like a ferocious beast for gutting it out and finishing the whole thing. The second mile was the second hardest part of the run, getting my body woken up and adjusted to the 2 hour time difference. I really felt the stress of travel in my neck and shoulders as well. Somewhere after about 1.3 miles breakfast was arguing with me and I was wishing for that bucked Tony Horton used to talk about in P90X. I fought it off and started feeling pretty good going into mile 3. Cruising along for the next 3 miles or so, a breeze picked up and the sun went behind the clouds. I gave thanks and carried on, sucking down Cytomax and water as needed.
During mile 7, a started to feel a rumble way down deep in my tummy. I'm sure Mexican food lovers know the feeling I'm talking about. I heard Coach telling us in practice, "Don't poop your pants!" So I dashed home as fast as I could. With that out of the way, I headed back out to finish up. This is where I ran into a quandary. In the marathon, that time would count. So should I could it toward my 2 hours? A quick clock check and the overheated sauna that greeted me as I walked back out the door both said yes, and I didn't argue.
I picked it back up right at mile 7 and made it to 8 right as the sun came out full force. Talk about brutal. I brought the pace down and seriously got into the Cytomax. Now I was feeling the effects of the dry desert air, the airplane air, and the lack of proper fueling. I sucked down a Gu. Why didn't I think of that before? That helped. The sun hid behind another cloud and on I went.
Mile 9. The Wall. Thanks to the Cytomax, it wasn't all psychedelic like Pink Floyd's wall, but it hurt all the same. Both sides suddenly cramped. I was looking around for that bucket again. Side stitches suck. I walked about a half mile trying to work it out. Coach's voice came into my head again. "Listen to your body!" "Don't be a hero." I looked at the time again, getting later. The sun came back out and started baking the sidewalk. Another little voice reminded me that I had nice cold cottage cheese and blackberries at the house. Then Coach popped into my head to say, "That last part of your workout when it gets really hard, think about that as the last 6 miles of your marathon. Push through it!" I turned the corner and jogged about another half mile to the house.
Almost exactly 2 hours. Pretty much a perfect storm of bad conditions. But I made it. Full on Beast Mode.
Until next time, start slow, finish without a bucket. :)
Friday, May 27, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
The Osyter Urban Adventure Race: Get You Some
Race Report!!! I love being able to share race reports, because it means I finished a race! Yesterday, some old high school friends (four guys and me as the solo female on the team) and I who reconnected on Facebook last year met up in Austin to do this crazy adventure race. Basically, it's a hub and spoke thing, where you get a clue, have to travel on foot or bike to a location, participate in a challenge, and go back to the hub for the next challenge. Three of us did this race the last time it was held in Austin, so we knew what to expect; the other two, not so much. I don't think they were expecting for three of us to be tied together while mashing an avocado into guacamole, but we did and they took it in stride. It was a blast!
Leg 1: We biked to a park, where one team member had to pull themselves up a hill on a wet tarp, and then slide back down the hill. Our team did it with style! Then we had to solve a puzzle to figure out where to go next, which was to a restaurant where we mashed up the guacamole. This was gut check time. Three out of the five of us are flatlanders. The hills in this leg were kind of nasty, but we had a local on the team who took us into account and said he kept us away from the really bad ones. We made it to the restaurant, made the guac, and took it back to the hub to prove we'd completed the challenge.
Leg 2: I had to sit this one out. My long run from Friday came back to haunt me just after we started. That swimmy feeling came over me and I thought I was going to pass out. The guys went on without me, and came back cussing me. They had to do a bootcamp and one of the exercises was carrying someone. Guess it's good to have one little chick on the team! Then they did a slackline course and came back.
Leg 3: I fueled up the half hour the guys were gone and was back in it. This was the LONG leg. We cycled about 6 miles one way to an indoor rock climbing facility. There were a couple of climbing challenges, one where a team member was blindfolded and the other where a team member had to swing from rings to get from one side of the room to the other. Then it was back to the bikes and ride 6 miles back to the hub. The flatlanders fell behind the leaders on the way back and they had to wait for us at the gate before we could all go in together. The hills got us again, but we made it back.
Leg 4: Back to the bikes, we rode over to a park where we thought we were going to do something pretty silly. Two team members were to carry a bucket of water to the top of the tower, where a third team member would stand at the base, blindfolded. The first two team members were to fill a cup held by the third team member. Local safety officials didn't show up for this leg, so we ran an obstacle course instead. Then we were directed to go to another part of the park, where one team member ran to the other side of the lake while another did a stand up paddle across. They switched positions and did the reverse coming back. Meanwhile the rest of us had to flip a 1/4 full water bottle over a table until it landed on it's bottom, upright. And back to base camp!
Leg 5: For the final leg of the race, we ran to a nearby park..... well, some of the team was starting to cramp up and limp by now, so it wasn't all running, but we made it..... where we did Parkour. This one was hard. We had to go up a staircase, backward and upsidedown, to a deck. Think feet first, like a crab. Tougher than it sounds! Then one team member had to run around the deck railing, assisted by another team member. Then, we all had to go over the railing and traverse the cross braces that supported the deck. Again, hard, and I was seriously worrying about splinters getting into delicate places. Once that was done, we went up a terraced seating area, using only the terrace walls. Finding your balance on this one so late in the race was hard. The we ran (walked/limped/shuffled) back to home base and we were done!
Team Brazoswood 88 ate the Oyster in less than 5 hours, covering over 30 miles and completing 7 challenges. I can still feel the burn in my quads and glutes, but put my 5 miles in this morning to start a proper taper for the marathon. Just three weeks to go!
Leg 1: We biked to a park, where one team member had to pull themselves up a hill on a wet tarp, and then slide back down the hill. Our team did it with style! Then we had to solve a puzzle to figure out where to go next, which was to a restaurant where we mashed up the guacamole. This was gut check time. Three out of the five of us are flatlanders. The hills in this leg were kind of nasty, but we had a local on the team who took us into account and said he kept us away from the really bad ones. We made it to the restaurant, made the guac, and took it back to the hub to prove we'd completed the challenge.
Leg 2: I had to sit this one out. My long run from Friday came back to haunt me just after we started. That swimmy feeling came over me and I thought I was going to pass out. The guys went on without me, and came back cussing me. They had to do a bootcamp and one of the exercises was carrying someone. Guess it's good to have one little chick on the team! Then they did a slackline course and came back.
Leg 3: I fueled up the half hour the guys were gone and was back in it. This was the LONG leg. We cycled about 6 miles one way to an indoor rock climbing facility. There were a couple of climbing challenges, one where a team member was blindfolded and the other where a team member had to swing from rings to get from one side of the room to the other. Then it was back to the bikes and ride 6 miles back to the hub. The flatlanders fell behind the leaders on the way back and they had to wait for us at the gate before we could all go in together. The hills got us again, but we made it back.
Leg 4: Back to the bikes, we rode over to a park where we thought we were going to do something pretty silly. Two team members were to carry a bucket of water to the top of the tower, where a third team member would stand at the base, blindfolded. The first two team members were to fill a cup held by the third team member. Local safety officials didn't show up for this leg, so we ran an obstacle course instead. Then we were directed to go to another part of the park, where one team member ran to the other side of the lake while another did a stand up paddle across. They switched positions and did the reverse coming back. Meanwhile the rest of us had to flip a 1/4 full water bottle over a table until it landed on it's bottom, upright. And back to base camp!
Leg 5: For the final leg of the race, we ran to a nearby park..... well, some of the team was starting to cramp up and limp by now, so it wasn't all running, but we made it..... where we did Parkour. This one was hard. We had to go up a staircase, backward and upsidedown, to a deck. Think feet first, like a crab. Tougher than it sounds! Then one team member had to run around the deck railing, assisted by another team member. Then, we all had to go over the railing and traverse the cross braces that supported the deck. Again, hard, and I was seriously worrying about splinters getting into delicate places. Once that was done, we went up a terraced seating area, using only the terrace walls. Finding your balance on this one so late in the race was hard. The we ran (walked/limped/shuffled) back to home base and we were done!
Team Brazoswood 88 ate the Oyster in less than 5 hours, covering over 30 miles and completing 7 challenges. I can still feel the burn in my quads and glutes, but put my 5 miles in this morning to start a proper taper for the marathon. Just three weeks to go!
Friday, May 13, 2011
I think I killed my iPod
The title is true. My iPod bravely entertained me through 18 miles this morning, whereupon it decided to curl up and die. It will not respond to anything at the moment. Bummer. It is too young to die. It didn't even reach it's fourth birthday, poor baby. Oh wait, as I type this a message just popped up that Apple is "Preparing iPod for recovery." iTunes to the rescue!!
In all seriousness, I ran 18.04 miles this morning. That's a full 2 miles longer than I've ever run before. My strategy was to run it in thirds, with hydration every 3 miles and fuel at the 6 and 12 mile marks. I knew I had the first two thirds in me and was comfortable figuring out the last 6 miles based on how I felt. The way the first third worked out, I ran 6.2 to get me back to the house for a quick bathroom break. Swallowed my Gu, topped off the water, and was back at it. As soon as I was back outside, I took off again and made it to 12 miles. Swallowed my Gu Rocktane, stretched, and walked a bit.
Now, when I say I walked, I wasn't dilly-dallying around. I was still passing people, just not other runners. As I walked, I decided on my final 1/3 strategy. Walk a half mile and run a mile 3 times, then see what I had left in me for the final mile. Well, guess what? I did that 4 times and just about had a victory party in the driveway.
Why the celebration? It's hot in Houston already. Heat kills a good long run every time. It's uncomfortable. You start worrying about dehydration. The streets start to stink. Just not fun. So around mile 14, I started thinking I might bow out early, between 16 and 17 miles. I tried to tell myself to get out of my head and focus on breathing, form, the music from my (still dead at the moment) iPod. Focus about ANYTHING, but not on stopping. This is why long distance runners will tell you it is as much mental as it is physical.
To backtrack for a minute, my run started this morning by being interrupted before I'd made it a quarter mile. A neighbor down the street stopped me to ask how far I was going. I patiently stopped the timer, popped out the headphones and replied, 18 miles and that I was training for a marathon. Turns out, he runs a marathon every year or two. So we chatted for a few minutes about training techniques, long run distances, hills vs. flat courses, and then he told me to take off before it started getting hot.
Flash forward to mile 16. I'd distracted myself as long as I could. Even though I've run 2 miles I don't know how many times in training, it just seemed like a little too long for how warm it was getting. It was over 80 degrees, the sun was bright, and there was very little wind or shade to be found. I was mentally prepared to run up to the park, walk the quarter mile loop around it once, and head home for 17 miles and change in total. Guess who just happened to drive by right then, honk, and wave? The neighbor. I smiled, waved back, and finished all 18 miles. Sometimes life hands you just the right pick-me-up exactly when you need it.
Now I begin the taper process, where I start gradually reducing the miles each week until the race. So guess what I'm going on Sunday? The Oyster Race in Austin. http://austinoyster.com/ That's about 20-30 miles of biking and running, while solving riddles and completing challenges like kayaking, rock climbing, and throwing fish at each other. It's going to be a blast.... and my next blog update!
Happy Friday!! Start slow, finish strong.
In all seriousness, I ran 18.04 miles this morning. That's a full 2 miles longer than I've ever run before. My strategy was to run it in thirds, with hydration every 3 miles and fuel at the 6 and 12 mile marks. I knew I had the first two thirds in me and was comfortable figuring out the last 6 miles based on how I felt. The way the first third worked out, I ran 6.2 to get me back to the house for a quick bathroom break. Swallowed my Gu, topped off the water, and was back at it. As soon as I was back outside, I took off again and made it to 12 miles. Swallowed my Gu Rocktane, stretched, and walked a bit.
Now, when I say I walked, I wasn't dilly-dallying around. I was still passing people, just not other runners. As I walked, I decided on my final 1/3 strategy. Walk a half mile and run a mile 3 times, then see what I had left in me for the final mile. Well, guess what? I did that 4 times and just about had a victory party in the driveway.
Why the celebration? It's hot in Houston already. Heat kills a good long run every time. It's uncomfortable. You start worrying about dehydration. The streets start to stink. Just not fun. So around mile 14, I started thinking I might bow out early, between 16 and 17 miles. I tried to tell myself to get out of my head and focus on breathing, form, the music from my (still dead at the moment) iPod. Focus about ANYTHING, but not on stopping. This is why long distance runners will tell you it is as much mental as it is physical.
To backtrack for a minute, my run started this morning by being interrupted before I'd made it a quarter mile. A neighbor down the street stopped me to ask how far I was going. I patiently stopped the timer, popped out the headphones and replied, 18 miles and that I was training for a marathon. Turns out, he runs a marathon every year or two. So we chatted for a few minutes about training techniques, long run distances, hills vs. flat courses, and then he told me to take off before it started getting hot.
Flash forward to mile 16. I'd distracted myself as long as I could. Even though I've run 2 miles I don't know how many times in training, it just seemed like a little too long for how warm it was getting. It was over 80 degrees, the sun was bright, and there was very little wind or shade to be found. I was mentally prepared to run up to the park, walk the quarter mile loop around it once, and head home for 17 miles and change in total. Guess who just happened to drive by right then, honk, and wave? The neighbor. I smiled, waved back, and finished all 18 miles. Sometimes life hands you just the right pick-me-up exactly when you need it.
Now I begin the taper process, where I start gradually reducing the miles each week until the race. So guess what I'm going on Sunday? The Oyster Race in Austin. http://austinoyster.com/ That's about 20-30 miles of biking and running, while solving riddles and completing challenges like kayaking, rock climbing, and throwing fish at each other. It's going to be a blast.... and my next blog update!
Happy Friday!! Start slow, finish strong.
Friday, May 6, 2011
LSD is Good for Runners
I'll bet you did a little double take when you saw that post title. It's been fun learning the runner's jargon these last few months, so I wanted you all to share in the fun. LSD for runners, well I was going to say it's not mind altering but it is (we'll get to that in a minute). When a runner says it was their LSD day, that's their day to run long, slow distance. So, please don't report me to the authorities or anything drastic when I say today was my day for LSD. And it felt SO good!
If you recall from last Fridays LSD report, I had a hard time of it, and I've been taking a lot of time to listen to my coaches as well as doing some research of my own. I discovered my problem and have a fablous running report today - I feel great after 16 miles on my feet! My problem was simple pride - I was going too fast. What I'd been trying to maintain on my long runs was my typical easy run pace, and that's just way too fast for really long distances. So I took the advice of someone who told me that to be on pace for a long run, I should start out uncomfortably slow.
Being a natural jackrabbit (my previous serious running experience was as a sprinter), it took me a long time to figure out how to pace myself just finish a normal distance run. To run even slower than that took every ounce of my willpower, but I was determined to have a great Friday this week. I went out the door an hour earlier than usual to allow for the extra time, and got to watch the sun come up. Nice way to start the day.
Starting my run, I decided to target splitting the run into five 5Ks with a short walk/water break in between each one. That worked well for the first three, and was going quite well in the fourth one when I was suddenly overcome with hunger. I'd had a Gu at 6.4 miles and hadn't expected to need more fuel just yet. Actually, to tell the truth, I did not think it was possible for the human body to even feel hungry after running 12 miles. I always thought fueling was just something you did because you knew you needed to do it whether you wanted to or not. Hearing my coach in my head ("Listen to your body!") I stopped and pulled out a second Gel. It was the one I hadn't wanted to try last week because I've never tried them before. Well, I ate it. It was nasty. I officially do not like the Powerade gels. It didn't do anything bad to me; I just didn't care for the flavor or the texture.
From that point on it was run a mile, walk a quarter until 14.75 miles, when it was run a half, walk a quarter, run a half. Yes, I was a little wobbly, but I was not totally wiped out. The muscles I'd been having trouble with in my hips and glutes felt better than they had since before last Friday's long run. Not only did I not crash, I went straight into the house, got my post run snack and a cup of coffee, and went upstairs in my wet running gear to log into my computer and get to work. Wow! I figured it out!
Okay, that go a little long, but I am so excited to have accomplished this milestone, I just had to share the experience. I was really dreading this run all week after last week's pain and misery, but I did the homework I needed to do and made it what I really wanted this time around. Go me!
Now, back to this thing about LSD and it being mind altering. Distance running is as much a mental sport as it is anything else. It's about commitment, thinking about how far you've come and how far you have left to go. It's about focus, thinking about your cadence, stride, and pace, while listening to the feedback your poor, tired body is giving you. It's about choosing to keep moving forward and doing more. As crazy as it seems, your mental self-talk is critical after you get to a certain point, and you have to have your own personal pep rally in your head. Because ultimately it's about encouraging and allowing yourself to achieve your goals.
Until next time: Start slow, Finish strong!
If you recall from last Fridays LSD report, I had a hard time of it, and I've been taking a lot of time to listen to my coaches as well as doing some research of my own. I discovered my problem and have a fablous running report today - I feel great after 16 miles on my feet! My problem was simple pride - I was going too fast. What I'd been trying to maintain on my long runs was my typical easy run pace, and that's just way too fast for really long distances. So I took the advice of someone who told me that to be on pace for a long run, I should start out uncomfortably slow.
Being a natural jackrabbit (my previous serious running experience was as a sprinter), it took me a long time to figure out how to pace myself just finish a normal distance run. To run even slower than that took every ounce of my willpower, but I was determined to have a great Friday this week. I went out the door an hour earlier than usual to allow for the extra time, and got to watch the sun come up. Nice way to start the day.
Starting my run, I decided to target splitting the run into five 5Ks with a short walk/water break in between each one. That worked well for the first three, and was going quite well in the fourth one when I was suddenly overcome with hunger. I'd had a Gu at 6.4 miles and hadn't expected to need more fuel just yet. Actually, to tell the truth, I did not think it was possible for the human body to even feel hungry after running 12 miles. I always thought fueling was just something you did because you knew you needed to do it whether you wanted to or not. Hearing my coach in my head ("Listen to your body!") I stopped and pulled out a second Gel. It was the one I hadn't wanted to try last week because I've never tried them before. Well, I ate it. It was nasty. I officially do not like the Powerade gels. It didn't do anything bad to me; I just didn't care for the flavor or the texture.
From that point on it was run a mile, walk a quarter until 14.75 miles, when it was run a half, walk a quarter, run a half. Yes, I was a little wobbly, but I was not totally wiped out. The muscles I'd been having trouble with in my hips and glutes felt better than they had since before last Friday's long run. Not only did I not crash, I went straight into the house, got my post run snack and a cup of coffee, and went upstairs in my wet running gear to log into my computer and get to work. Wow! I figured it out!
Okay, that go a little long, but I am so excited to have accomplished this milestone, I just had to share the experience. I was really dreading this run all week after last week's pain and misery, but I did the homework I needed to do and made it what I really wanted this time around. Go me!
Now, back to this thing about LSD and it being mind altering. Distance running is as much a mental sport as it is anything else. It's about commitment, thinking about how far you've come and how far you have left to go. It's about focus, thinking about your cadence, stride, and pace, while listening to the feedback your poor, tired body is giving you. It's about choosing to keep moving forward and doing more. As crazy as it seems, your mental self-talk is critical after you get to a certain point, and you have to have your own personal pep rally in your head. Because ultimately it's about encouraging and allowing yourself to achieve your goals.
Until next time: Start slow, Finish strong!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Pizza, Pasta, and Pinot
Fueling is a very important part of the marathon training process. While every runner has to find their own balance, which takes a lot of trial and error and listening to your body, one thing that is essential is carbohydrates. This has been a huge mental hurdle for me since I spent the last year or so learning to eat lower carb to maintain a major weight loss. But, after a couple of crushingly painful long runs, I've learned my lesson and embraced my favorite carb-y foods.
Some of you may know that one of my hobbies is cooking. I love to cook, whether it's a quick weeknight dinner or a marathon holiday meal. Just being in the kitchen makes me happy, especially when it is full of warmth and yummy aromas. So today, instead of talking up the wonderful 9 mile run I did this morning in the blessedly cool weather, I'm going to share a couple of recipes.
First up, pizza. This is no ordinary pizza, as it's influence comes from a Runner's World cookbook, and it is delicious! You can use refrigerated pizza dough, or you can make the best whole wheat pizza dough I've ever come across:
So great, now you have a crust worth writing home about. What goes on top? Well, I top mine with a little olive oil and pressed garlic. None of the red sauce on this version. You can have it if you must, but try one without it. You can thank me later. Then I like a little spinach or arugula, just about 1-1/2 cups, followed by a little Italian turkey sausage. Follow that with a cheese trio - I like smoked Provolone, reduced fat Feta, and part-skim Mozzarella. Finally, very thinly sliced red onion; it turns sweet as it cooks and adds a nice texture. Bake as described above and enjoy.
Next up: Pasta. I could share so many pasta recipes, but I'm going to pick my favorite simple weeknight recipe for one. Just double, triple, quadruple, etc. for however many mouths you have to feed.
Some of you may know that one of my hobbies is cooking. I love to cook, whether it's a quick weeknight dinner or a marathon holiday meal. Just being in the kitchen makes me happy, especially when it is full of warmth and yummy aromas. So today, instead of talking up the wonderful 9 mile run I did this morning in the blessedly cool weather, I'm going to share a couple of recipes.
First up, pizza. This is no ordinary pizza, as it's influence comes from a Runner's World cookbook, and it is delicious! You can use refrigerated pizza dough, or you can make the best whole wheat pizza dough I've ever come across:
Ingredients
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups water - (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Directions
1. In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top, and let stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy.
2. Stir the olive oil and salt into the yeast mixture, then mix in the whole wheat flour and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour until dough starts to come together. Tip dough out onto a surface floured with the remaining all-purpose flour, and knead until all of the flour has been absorbed, and the ball of dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface.
Cover loosely with a towel, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3. When the dough is doubled, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 2 pieces for 2 thin crust, or leave whole to make one thick crust. Form into a tight ball. Let rise for about 45 minutes, until doubled.
4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Roll a ball of dough with a rolling pin until it will not stretch any further. Then, drape it over both of your fists, and gently pull the edges outward, while rotating the crust. When the circle has reached the desired size, place on a well oiled pizza pan. Top pizza with your favorite toppings, such as sauce, cheese, meats, or vegetables.
5. Bake for 16 to 20 minutes (depending on thickness) in the preheated oven, until the crust is crisp and golden at the edges, and cheese is melted on the top.
Next up: Pasta. I could share so many pasta recipes, but I'm going to pick my favorite simple weeknight recipe for one. Just double, triple, quadruple, etc. for however many mouths you have to feed.
5 oz chicken breast
1 egg white - whisked
1/4 cup bread crumbs - whole wheat
1/2 cup canned tomato sauce - no salt added
2 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
1/3 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
2 oz whole wheat linguine
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Dip chicken breast in egg white and dredge in bread crumbs. Place in baking dish and bake the chicken for about 15 minutes, until almost cooked through. Pull chicken out of the oven and top with tomato sauce and cheeses. Bake again for 15 minutes, until cheese melts and chicken is cooked through. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Serve chicken and sauce over hot pasta.
Okay now, so what about that last part of the post title? Well, that's the ideal partner to go with either of these dishes - Pinot Noir. I have a few favorites, and recently I found a new one at the Wine Fest held at Brenners a few weeks ago. Benzinger Family Vineyards Pinot Noir is absolutely delicious, with just the right amount of body and structure to hold up to Italian style foods. If you can't find that one, no worries, just ask for recommendations in the wine department wherever you happen to shop. Tutto bene!
Until next time..... Start slow, finish strong.
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