16 miles and Refueling with All the Fixins’

With temps promising to be in the 60′s with low humidity, I was super excited for my long run on Saturday morning. It certainly did not disappoint – I ran ~16 miles and have to say, it was probably one of the best runs I’ve ever had.

I felt great, and even the hills I usually dread (hello, Cat Hill…) and on the way back to CP from Riverside Park didn’t bother me in the least. It was amazing! I really felt so lucky to be able to run like that, and enjoy the beautiful NYC scenery some people only see on TV. I heart NYC.

This morning was an easy ~4.5 miler followed by some icing – I think I may need to start taping one of my arches (and get some new shoes!) because it’s been a bit cranky lately.

Yesterday afternoon was a beautiful day here, and I couldn’t stay away from Central Park.

However, I made a very stupid mistake and didn’t hydrate enough while enjoying the glorious sunshine. I’m not sure what I was thinking, but once I got home I spent the rest of the day rehydrating, feeling dizzy and lethargic.

Note to self: don’t do this again – respect the distances you run and recover correctly, yo.

I did manage to refuel with a delicious dinner, even though I wasn’t feeling too hot I knew I needed to eat. Enter, the Whole Foods pizza.

Once in a while, I like to buy these pre-made pizzas at Whole Foods and dress ‘em up a bit with veggies. They especially hit the spot after longer runs.  This time, I choose some zucchini, grape tomatoes, broccoli, diced onions and bell peppers.

These pizzas are usually loaded with cheese, so I take about half of it off in order to actually taste the pizza (sorry, I realize this may be painful for cheese lovers to read), season it with a little Mrs. Dash Italian seasoning and pile on the veg.

I had a salad with greens and chopped bell peppers while I waited ravenously patiently for the pizza to cook in the oven (~20 minutes at 425 degrees).

And voila! I was practically salivating at the aroma this created in the kitch.

You know, people often associate pizza with being unhealthy, but it can actually be a pretty well-balanced meal. Loading on veggies, maybe some protein like grilled chicken, and keeping the cheese to a manageable level (everything in moderation!) are good tricks to keep in mind. A lot of pizza places also offer whole wheat crust as an option these days, which is always a better choice than regular white crust (more fiber and vitamins, mmm!).

If you live in NYC, there’s a delicious, healthy pizza place called Slice that has locations on the UES and West Village. I refueled at Slice after the NYC Half Marathon in March with my mom and sis, and it was amazing!

Question: Favorite pizza toppings?