Run Run Run

The past couple weeks, a lot has been going on so running had to be put on hold temporarily. Two weeks ago, I passed my certification exam. This allows me to fit running into my schedule and I could not be any more excited. I'm beginning to run three to four times a week again.

August 12th was 6.3 miles along the Hudson River in Downtown Albany. The time was a little over fifty minutes with a pace or just under eight minutes. Despite the humidity and toughness, I managed to get through it. Not pleased with the times but it was wonderful getting outside for a run before the storm came through the area (7:49, 7:33, 7:45, 7:59, 8:14, 8:25, 2:22). I added two miles on the way back to my vehicle for the cool down segment (8:35 and 8:30).

A few days later, I went out for six miles and the times were much better and not as erratic (7:51, 7:29, 7:34, 7:34, 7:35, 7:41). The time was 45:49 with an average pace of 7:38.

A couple days ago, I was unsure if I should do a run because of the weather. Luckily, the weather held up for the most part and decided to squeeze a run in. 7.5 miles total including getting soaked the last mile. My time was a little over fifty-nine minutes with a pace of 7:53. The times were erratic but I can definitely feel the momentum and strength returning to form (7:51, 7:39, 7:46, 7:59, 8:15, 7:58, 7:45, 3:53).

At the time of this writing, no races coming up for me soon but I plan on doing another marathon next year. It is good to start training and gain some momentum for the upcoming months. Yes, it is a short update but happy running.

-Matt

Vegan Five One Eats #5

Another installment features a local business here in Saratoga Springs. Vital Eats LLC was apart of  Markets at Round Lake this past weekend. I was very excited that this eatery offered vegan options. Even though they only offered a limited menu, I was in the mood for a quick meal for dinner Saturday evening. At their food stand, they offered curly fries, falafels, veggie burgers, and salads. Trying to recall if I had a falafel before, I chose that with some curly fries.

The falafel contained organic greens, sesame slaw, ginger pickle carrot, and tzatziki. I put So Cheezy sauce on the falafel. For the fries, I used King Ghost Ketchup-Inferno and King Kick-Sriracha Ketchup for dipping.

Let me tell you, Vital Eats knocked the sandwich out of the park and the fries were absolutely delicious. Not sure if they compare to my favorite, sweet potato fries, but I was satisfied. The ketchups were very spicy but that has never stopped me. Since I already mentioned a few condiments, Vital Eats have a wide variety of sauces that you can put on your vegan dishes. I sampled all of them at the Round Lake event and they spice me up. Want to get saucy? You can purchase their condiments online. If you live in the capital region, you can find their products at these locations.

For more information, check out their spicy content (it's not dirty, I promise!) and make sure to visit their booth at the Troy River Front Farmers Market every Saturday. They are also at the Saratoga Springs Farmers Market every Saturday and Sunday (Spa City/ State Park).

Thank you very much Vital Eats for providing amazing food during the festival. Also, thank you to everyone that helped put on Markets at Round Lake. I had an amazing time walking around a quaint village exploring all the local food, arts, and craft businesses.

Get social with Vital Eats: Instagram and Facebook #vitaleatsllc
Markets at Round Lake: Instagram and Facebook #marketsatroundlake

Happy Living

+ Matt