46er Sandwiches - Mt. Marcy and Algonquin

Chalkboard with all the 46er Sandwiches

(in order from highest peak to lowest peak)

Last weekend I hiked in Lake Placid and completed my 20th out of 46 high peaks. My husband and I decided on hiking the close by Whiteface, which is the second highest of the 46ers. The following day rather than hike again we decided to head into Lake Placid and check out Big Mountain Deli. This is a Deli that our friends had introduced us to the previous day. The gourmet deli offers up a menu of 46 sandwiches named after the 46ers. They also offer many more sweet and savory items ranging from egg dishes, crepes, soups, chicken curries and so much more it is difficult to decide.

As a group we decided that it would be fun to enjoy a 46er sandwich after summiting a 46er. We were are are definitely excited about that idea. Having summated Whiteface the previous day, we thought perhaps we’d enjoy a Whiteface sandwich. However we have also summated 19 other peaks before Whiteface and therefore decided to pick one of those. I had the Mount Marcy (Roast turkey, cranberry horseradish sauce, cheddar, apple on Whole wheat bread) and Marc enjoyed the Algonquin (Roast turkey, apple wood smoked bacon, avocado, sprouts and Russian dressing on seeded Rye Bread). We cannot wait to go back and try more sandwiches and all their different breads they have - they even make there own breads - asiago/peppercorn, caramelized onion, rosemary garlic, basil pesto are the homemade choices and then the list continues with whole wheat, rye, flour intolerant, wraps.

Check out Uberfit for posts on hiking the Adirondack 46ers.
Check out Simply Gourmet Lake Placid

Here are photos of our gourmet sandwiches:

Mt. Marcy Sandwich

(Roast turkey, cranberry horseradish sauce, cheddar, apple on Whole wheat)

Enjoying my sandwich on the main strip in Lake Placid

Algonquin Sandwich (Roast turkey, apple wood smoked bacon, avocado, sprouts and Russian dressing on seeded Rye Bread).

Marc enjoying his Sandwich

Big Mountain Deli

Views on the drive home from Lake Placid

Half Marathon and Uberfit

I have not been blogging much about food as I have been consumed with so many other things. One such thing has been my training for the half marathon. I have started and will continue to blog about my training and running related topics including nutrition and training methods over at Uberfit.

Any runners or anyone considering a half marathon who are interested can head over to uberfit where I have posted my 16 Week Half Marathon Training Plan.

In addition I have posted my actual log book (Half Marathon Log 2010) of runs which is updated daily or weekly.

Intro to the Mont Blanc Tour

Please see Uberfit website for an Introduction to the Mont Blanc Tour I recently did. Over the next few weeks I plan to post each stage of the trek. It will have great photos, so do not miss out.

European Vacation

Finally after much waiting and planning I am off to Europe to visit France, Italy and Switzerland. My husband and I will be starting the first week of our vacation hiking the Mont Blanc Tour (MBT). The hike starts in Chamonix, France and will take us through the French, Swiss and Italian Alps. Afterwards we will make our way to some of Europes classic cities including Paris, Rome and Venice.

I will have lots to post about upon my return from scenic hikes in the Alps, culinary delights and cultural experiences in some classic Eurpean cities. So find your way back to Vanilla Bean Cafe and Uber-Fit near the end of September for some photos and posts.

Weclome to Uber-Fit

I have not been blogging about food much lately, not because I have lost my passion for it, I love food and photography more than ever. It is just that the summer has been crazy busy, I am sure most of you can relate to that. In addition to being busy with summer activities my husband and I have slowly but surely been working on a new blog.

We are both outdoor and health enthusiasts. Between the two of us we have a wealth of knowledge when it comes to training for activities like running, hiking, strength training and nutrition. We therefore decided to start a blog in which we discuss these topics both generally as well as provide more specific training tips and programs for running (i.e. half marathon), hiking and strength training. The blog will include a section on injury prevention and nutritional information for optimal performance (as well as general health). We will post about our own personal races & accomplishments, hikes, travels and discuss the goals we are striving for in an attempt to keep us and perhaps others motivated.

A major focus of the blog will be on our goal of completing the 46ers in the Adirondacks (ADK) in New York State. The posts will provide detailed trail information for others to use as a guide. Overall we are hoping the blog will be both informational and enjoyable to peruse especially with the endless scenic photos we will be posting.

So without further ado I present the first post for

http://uber-fit.blogspot.com/

Race Weekend

This past weekend was the 2009 Ottawa Race Weekend. Both my husband and I are runners and hence we have been participating in this event for a number of years either as a runner or a spectator.

This year my husband trained for his first half marathon. He usually completes the 10km, trying to improve his time each year. Last year, being happy with his 10km time (45min), he decided to try the half marathon (21.2km).

From January to May 2009 he trained hard with hill training, speed training, weight training and many long distance runs. His hard work paid off as he was able to complete his first half marathon in 1:46:47, a pretty impressive time.

Congratulations Marc on your great run!


Also see last years Half Marathon blog.

Banana Pecan Coffee Cake & The Half Marathon

Yesterday was race day. In the morning I relaxed with a cup of coffee and warm bowl of oatmeal. At 6:22am the weather was already sunny & warm and I knew it was going to be a hot run. The previous night I watched my husband finish his 10km in a great time (Congratulations!). Seeing him cross the finish line at his goal time and being around all the other athletes pumped me up for Sunday.

After coming back from 2 years of injuries, my goal time was to break 2hrs. As my training progressed, I felt that I was a stronger runner and figured if I had the best race I could have I could complete the half marathon in 1:50 hrs or even break that time by seconds.

The first 14km of the race went amazing....so much energy and spring in my step (had to stop for 30 secs to tie my shoe though). By km 15 the heat from the hot sun was starting to taking a toll on me... with no hat... I could feel the sun beaming down on me. The sun can be your worst enemy out there if you are not well covered up and do not get plenty of water. Unfortunately there were a few runners who literally dropped to the side lines with heat exhaustion/stroke.

Kilometers 15 to 20 were good and I was still pumped, looking at my watch I knew I could not slow down now, in fact I would have to speed up slightly to reach my best goal. However, the legs were begining to get stiff by 18km and it was difficult to push any harder... but I dug deep and pushed on. The last kilometer was as expected - the most hard... I kept my pace and struggled for each breath. I tried to sprint to the finish line, but my legs felt like cement blocks and it was too hard to pick up any faster of a pace. I did hold onto an already good pace of 5:23 per km.

When I crossed the finish line I was more than elated with my performance and time of 1:50:38.

~

The anticipation of having to race can be overwhelming - you get this nervous, anxious, excited feeling...it takes a lot to calm the nerves. For me the best way to relax and keep my mind off the race is to cook or bake.

So on Saturday to keep distracted and busy I made a coffee cake. If you are like me you always have tons of bananas in the freezer and sometimes get to the point where they begin to take over. So I decided to make a banana coffee cake. I found this recipe at the Bob's Red Mill website. I have used some of this company's product's such as their flax seed and find them of good quality. They also offer a lot of gluten free and organic products. Unfortunately in my anxious state I missed a step of the recipe and rather than pour 1/2 the cinnamon mixture in the center I put it all on top. Regardless it turned out moist and tasty.

1/2 cup chopped Pecan Halves
1/4 cup Sugar
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 cup Butter
1 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 cup Banana, mashed
1 Tb Vanilla
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1 cup White Flour, Unbleached
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a tunnel or bundt form pan and set aside.

Combine the chopped pecans, ¼ cup sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, bananas and vanilla. Add the sour cream and mix until blended.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add this to the batter and beat until just blended.

Sprinkle half the sugar/nut mixture into the greased pan. Top with half of the cake batter. Follow with the second half of the sugar/nut mixture and end with the rest of the cake batter. Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove springform rim to finish cooling. Makes 18 Servings.

Me after 21km (1:50:38) enjoying water, bagel, yogurt and flip flops.

National Captial Race with PB & Banana

Well 4 months of training has come to an end and I am now at the end of my tapering week with only a 3km light run to keep limber before the big race - half marathon (21km). In fact there are only 2 days to go. I previous ran the National Capital 1/2 marathon in 2005, but contending with injuries and neglecting speed and hill training my time was not impressive for my personal goals.

This time with fewer injuries, my dedication to long runs, hill and speed training I feel pumped and ready for the race. If all goes well I might be able to achieve even lower than my initial goal.

Last night I picked up my race kit - a nice loot bag full of advertisements, chocolates, gum, toothpaste, mints... yes all those things that help with the race...apparently runners have bad breath. I also received my T-shirt, running chip and bib # 9887.

It is always fun to be at these events watching all the athletes, from those professional marathoners from Kenya that astonishingly run barefoot and more than not clench first place each year, allowing them to bring the $5000 prize money home to their families; to the family of 3 that are walking the 2km; or the family running or walking to raise money for a cure or for a loved one. There are runners from all ages and genders from all over the world. Overall the atmosphere is one that is energetic, motivational and inspirational.

Well considering this is a food blog... I suppose I should discuss food. It is no surprise that food and training for running go hand in hand. Some people run to eat while others eat to run. I would have to say I am a little bit of both. However this week I will be eating to run. It is going to be pertinent for me to get rest, water, zero to less alcohol and good long lasting high energy foods. I will likely post a few of the dishes I deem to be pertinent to a good RACE DAY.

Today's breakfast was a large cup of strong coffee and a whole wheat english muffin with light peanut butter and sliced banana. I would never eat peanut butter before a race, as it is hard to digest and heavy on the stomach....but on my off days or as a post run meal, PB and banana sandwiches are a great energy replenisher. Try grilling these!

I realized that my photos are blurry because the setting was not on close-up. I always have it on close up so did not bother to check it... and was wondering hey! why are these blurry. Oh well next time I will pay better attention.

For my pre-run meals I must eat at least 2+ hours before my run. The snack or meal must be light and easily digestable:

- A half of a bagel with 1 tablespoon of sugar-free jam
- small bowl of instant oatmeal
- 1 cup of cereal with 1/2 cup of skim milk
- 1/2 cup light yogurt with 1/2 cup of fresh fruit and 2T granola
- A banana and 20 mini-pretzels or wheat thin crackers
- An energy bar with less than 200 calories

Spaghetti & Hike for a Cure

This weekend marked the 1st annual Hike for a Cure, an event created by my husband to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society. At 7am in front of the Parliament myself and three others (husband, brother in law and friend) started our 100km hike through the Trans-Canada trails to Wakefield and back - over the course of 2 days. Thanks to my husband's idea and dedication in putting the event together and everyone's support (family, friends, co-workers) we reached far beyond our goal in raising money for Canadian Cancer Research, and are "a step closer in the fight against cancer."

Before we began our trek it was essential that I load up on energy, so I induluged in my mother-in-law's spaghetti sauce, served with freshly grated parmesan, warm baked whole wheat bread and a glass of wine (recommend a hearty shiraz cabernet or a merlot).

1 3/4 pounds extra lean ground beef

1 cup chopped chopped onions

3/4 cup chopped celery

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 (14 1/2 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (14 1/2oz) can beef broth

1 (6oz) can tomato paste

1 tsp hot sauce

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/8 tsp salt

1 large bay leaf

1/4 cup chopped fresh pasley

1 can or chopped fresh mushrooms

1. Cook meat, onions, celery and garlic in a large saucepan over med-high until browned. Drain mixture. Return meat to saucepan stir in tomatoes and next 7 ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 35min. Stir in parsley cook 5 min. Dischard bay leaf.

Makes 8 (3/4 cup) servings

220 cal, 11.4g carbs, 3g fiber, 22.8g protein, 9g fat