sweet run & sweet potato stack

"Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?'" - Peter Maher, Canadian marathon runner.

I answered today's "question mark" with a long 5.0 mile run. It felt wonderful to get in a longer run during the week! I'm making a concerted effort to increase my daily run distances from 3.0 miles to 4.0 - 5.0 miles in preparation for the Miracle Miles 15k and the Jacksonville Marine Corps 1/2 Marathon.

My run lasted about 55 minutes with a cool down walk and some strength training exercises at the end (I did tri-dips against the hood of Future Husband's car). Here are my statistics, according to my heart rate monitor:

• Average Heart Rate: 167
• Maximum Heart Rate: 187
• Calories Burned: 504

I also did today's 100 push up challenge. I'm only in week 2 and I already feel stronger!

Dinner

Sweet potato and black bean is one of my favorite combinations, and I love the way the two flavors compliment each other. Normally, I just mash everything together. But for blog world, I thought I'd try something prettier. :)

Sweet Potato Stacks

First, I skinned and chopped a small sweet potato into large chunks. I boiled the potatoes for about 10 minutes, and then I mashed them with a little skim milk. I sprayed non-stick cooking spray on two muffin tins and scooped 1/4 of the mixture into the bottom of each tin. Then, I layered 1/8 cup of canned black beans on top of each layer of sweet potato. I sealed the black beans with another layer of sweet potato and added some S&P and parsley on the top of each stack.

I baked the stacks for about 20 minutes at 375 degrees and then broiled for 5 minutes at 500 degrees. After they cooled, I carefully removed the stacks from the muffin tins and layered one on top of the other.

Layers and layers of goodness! In 1992, the Center for Science in the Public Interest compared the nutritional value of sweet potatoes to other vegetables. Considering fiber content, complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron, and calcium, the sweet potato ranked highest in nutritional value. According to these criteria, sweet potatoes earned 184 points, 100 points over the next on the list, the common potato. DANG!

Since I already overloaded on fruit (if that even possible!), I had a hearty vegetable salad with spinach, carrots, tomatos, and sprinkle of pine nuts. I also took my third glucosamine pill of the day.

I'm off to do some stretches, catch up with Future Husband about his exciting day, and go to bed early! Good night!