How to Get Free Schtuff

If you follow my blog, or my instagram, or my tweeter, then you know that I’ve been getting some sweet birthday meals this week.

Taco Taco (Bought by a friend)

And here’s the best part – they’ve been FREE!  Here’s how you do it:

1.) Have a friend or family member take you out for your birthday.  Repeat with others (don’t take advantage though – and never ask them to buy you food, duh, rude much)  Easy enough.

2.) Go to your fave places’ websites and register for their e-newsletter or whatever.  Come birthday month, they e-mail you all kinds of coupons and vouchers.  Print them and claim rewards!

Free Free Mahi Mahi (voucher voucher)

You can also tweet the company and see what they say.  I was in the middle of a titter-conversation with Torchy’s Tacos and when it came out that it was my birthday, they sent me this:

I don’t know what they’re sending me, but I know I didn’t buy it.

I can’t wait to see what I get in the mail this week!  (more on that later)

Anyways, so far I’ve gotten some tacos and some wings.  Upcoming is some ‘za and more tacos and BBQ.  It’s on.

This goes for non-food too, but I didn’t write about that because hey, I’m hungry.

Anyone else use this ploy?  Any good free meals lately?  Any other ideas to get some?

-Scott

Birthday Runs & Tacos Addiction

The day after St. Patrick’s Day is my berfday.  Always has been.  Which is kind of bitter sweet.  Sweet in the fact that it’s so close to one of the biggest parties of the year.  Bitter because the day after St. Pat’s, not too many people want to party (many are hungover).  But I can’t do nuthin about it, so I try to make the best of it!

I celebrated with a Guinness in my personalized glass, along with the 4 leaf clover plant my wife got me!

Bring me luck!  #please #luckyclover #andluckyguinness

I seem to always go for a run on my bday and that didn’t change this year.  And to keep the birthday week going, I did another run today.

And look out competitors in my age group – I did hill repeats for the first time this season.  Hill repeats are basically the beginning of speed work, and soon I’ll be moving back to the track.  #Yeehaw!

Other than that, I’ve been taking full advantage of birthday meals this week.  So far I’ve had three taco meals.  I took a photo of two of em.  (I scarfed down the third before I could snap a pic.)

That’s an Independent and a Dirty Sanchez from Torchy’s Tacos. #Honestly #that’stheirnames #veggietoo

Mahi Mahi was so Goodi Goodi. #Iknowit’samahisteak #youputthepartsinsoftcorntortillas #tomakeataco

I still have a few days left in my birthday week, and I have some more stuff planned.  #willkeepyouposted

How bout you?  Anyone doing hill and/or track work?  What’s your birthday meal?  Am I using hashtags correctly?  Anyone want to celebrate with me the day After St. Patty’s Day next year? #i’llbeyourfriend

Run Fuel: Kicked-Up Healthy Lunch

Most of the time, I sacrifice my lunch break to work out instead.  But I still need to eat, so what I do is munch my lunch while I work.  This usually means I get to go to take my “lunch” break later, which is good cause I miss the big crowds of other lunch worker outers at the gym.  Mid afternoon gym time is pretty empty, so I get my pick of equipment.  Noice!

I try to always eat healthy, and packing lunch helps with that.  But a while back I started picking up some dried vegetarian soups that just need some hot water to bring them back to life.  These have been my lunches for quite some time now.  But after a while they got kind of old.  Then I had a revelation – I can kick em up a few notches.  For example, check out the pic below:

Black bean soup – Scotterized!

What I had did was bring a bunch of optional options that I can add to the soups.  For this simple Chipotle Black Bean Soup, I added Salsa, Jalapenos, and Avocados (obviously).  This not only adds layers of flavor, but more veggies means more nutrients and health benefits!  It has changed my workday lunch world.

Of course, I also keep fruits and nuts and such to snack on through the day too.

I’ve got quite a pear, don’t I?

What do you do for lunch?  Do you eat at your desk too?

Run Fuel = Veggie Curry

One time in Scotland visiting a friend, we were going to get something for dinner and she said, “Fancy an Indian?”  I thought that was a strange way to ask someone if they want to go to an Indian restaurant.  They may have invented English on that European island known as Great Britain, but that doesn’t mean they don’t screw it up sometimes!  Anyways, we did fancy an Indian, and it was delish.

I love Indian food, and I love how they have so many vegetarian options.  So that’s what I made last night.  I was pretty lazy about this dish, but here it is.  In a pan I threw in a bag of organic mixed veggies and sliced baby bella shrooms.  Then a can of coconut milk.  A little stock.  And a bunch of spices – curry, tumeric, garam masala, etc.  Brought it to a boil and then lowered the temp and simmered until I felt like it was done.  Steamed up some brown rice and spooned the curry over top.  Simple, easy, quick, and lazy.

I took a picture, but won’t share it here as Indian food doesn’t always look beautiful, but it sure does taste good!  And so healthy – they say it has cancer fighting capabilities.  And the brown rice will give me the carbs needed to get through today’s gym sesh and evening social run.  And I need the help because it’s still 100 degrees outside!

Speaking of hot, no, the curry was not spicy.  People think that all curry is spicy, they ain’t.  I left it mild out of respect for the others in our house that I knew would be eating it.  In my bowl however, I added a good amount of dried spicy spices.  Yup, papa likes it HOT!  Food that is, not running temps.

All for now, buh bye.

This Week’s Run Fuel

Just a quick note here as to what I made to eat to keep me moving.  I’ve got my 12 mile run in the morning and so tonight I’m eating oven roasted sweet potatoes and some cooked up wild Alaskan salmon.  Pretty simple.

The other day tho, here’s what I made to last a few days.  I sauteed some onion and garlic in extra virgin organic coconut oil.  Then threw in some tomato paste.  Then some sun dried tomatoes.  I deglazed with white wine.  Then added some goat cheese.  On the other burner I boiled some gluten free quinoa fusilli pasta.  The little swirls of the pasta help keep in the sauce.  When it was done, I added it to the wine goat cheese tomato sauce, along with some of the water the pasta boiled in.  Boom.  Done.  Healthy.  Everyone enjoyed it.  Looking back though, I wish I had added some sliced mushrooms.  But it’s all good.  Sorry I don’t have measurements, but I don’t measure when I cook.  I just kind of go on feel.  If you really want to know, holla and I’ll figure it out best I can.  Otherwise, if it sounds good to you, just wing it!

It lasted me for several days and I had some really good workouts.  This morning I ran 3.5 with 7:40 something miles.  I wanted to go faster and further, but I’m trying to stick to the Dopey training plan.  It’s a plan for a reason.

Anyhoodle, that’s it.  Ready for the morning run.  Then finally a cheat meal or two!

Happy Labour Day Holiday (I’m pretending I’m British that last sentence.)

Fueling for Workouts

Just like how I Like running, I also like to cook.  Nutrition is KEY for weight management and keeping me on my feet for all those miles!  I’ve never had a class, but I think I’m decent in the kitchen.  In fact, I was once told by a guy who said he could communicate with my “spirit guides” and that one of them is a lady originally from France who helps me cook.  So take from that what you will!  Anyway, when I cook, I like to be healthy.  It’s always a challenge since pretty much everything in the grocery is the devil in disguise.  But here’s what’s been fueling my workouts this week.

I don’t know measurements as I don’t like to measure.  But basically I made one cup (pre-cooked) organic quinoa.  Instead of water, I used low sodium chicken broth.  I also defrosted some frozen organic veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini) on the stove and threw them in the now cooked quinoa.

The veggie quinoa was supposed to be the side dish to my wild-caught salmon.  I had a pound of the fish.  On each side I put Himalayan sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.  I seared it on the stove in organic virgin Coconut Oil.  Things were going well, until I accidentally flaked the salmon apart.  No worries though – decided to just throw it in with the veggies and quinoa and mix it all up.

Lots of omega-3’s, nutrients, and other health benefits to this meal and it made enough that it provided plenty of meals for me and others.  This was good hot, and cold as leftovers (Personally, I like to add Tabasco sauce to it too!).  It’s been fueling my runs and weight sessions for a few days now.  Today I did a quick three miles on the road and then an hour of weights.  Felt pretty good.

Looking back, I think I should’ve thrown in some pomegranate seeds, that would’ve added another layer to not only the flavor and texture, but also the healthiness!

So there you go, an insight into what’s been keeping me moving this week.  Sounds good or yucky?