Archive for Albuquerque

Spring Training – What are you doing this Spring?

March 31, 2011 at 9:53 pm · Filed under Albuquerque, Biking, Exercise, Running ·Tagged , , , ,


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What are you doing this spring?

The first thing we delete from our busy schedules is what can help us handle it best: healthy diet/eating, exercise and proper sleep.

Because I am acutely aware of this, I make a point to put these priorities, and family time, first and sometimes the extras are set aside (like posting regularly to my blog). I’ve missed it.

Spring is a crazy time of year for so many of us (as are summer, fall and winter, it doesn’t stop). Some weekends may have nothing happening (if you are a lucky one), but then other weekends it seems that everything is happening: family events, children’s soccer games AND little league games, many social activities, city-wide events/festivals to enjoy, and a holiday/birthday/anniversary thrown into the mix.

Another sign of spring, at least for me, is that nearly every weekend has a running or biking event in which I am participating or I would like to take part.

In just a couple of weeks, for our household, it starts: between my husband and I we have something every weekend.

  • April 16: Albuquerque Half Marathon - I’m losing track of how many 13.1 milers now, but Athlinks.com says this will be my 8th.
  • April 24: Easter Sunday and my niece’s first birthday…it this throwing you off this year?
  • May 1: Run for the Zoo 10K, which is a tradition for me now AND the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5 mile walk (thrown off by Easter this year).
  • May 8: Mother’s Day and my first SPRINT Triathlon: Jay Benson. Swimming is in the pool in case you were wondering.
  • May 15: Santa Fe Century, which for me is a half century…because this is a hard century.
  • May 21: a special weekend with my husband, which will likely include a bike ride
  • May 28: Iron Horse Bicycle Classic from Durango to Silverton (Colorado) – This is not my event, but my husband’s, but I get to still drive to Colorado
  • June 4: Albuquerque Century Tour de Cure, in which this year I will once again attempt a 100 mile bike ride in one day. Last year, I was not successful with the 100 miles, but a “mere” 65 due to >100 degree temps.
  • June 11: Valles Caldera 10K – my first time here too. They also have a marathon and half marathon, but I plan on taking a break this weekend.
  • Jun 17-18: Relay for Life in Albuquerque – a walk, but a very important one.

Is this crazy? Nah, this is our regular spring in my household. The summer becomes more erratic with events, but once September comes around, things pick up again for a couple of months. It’s all good.

Let me know if you are doing any of these events, or anything throughout the U.S.; I would love to hear about it.

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Operation Gratitude 2010 HUGE Success

November 17, 2010 at 6:04 pm · Filed under Albuquerque, Healthy Behaviors, Holiday Eating, Nutrition Tips ·Tagged , , , , ,

Hard to see the candy, but it is in there!

For the 2009 holidays, as part of our annual Maintain, Don’t Gain program at work, I facilitated the collection of unwanted Halloween candy. The day after Halloween, and over the course of the week, people brought me their Halloween candy and shipped it to an organization that puts it in the care packages for our troops serving overseas. We collected about 65 pounds of candy in 2009.

Fast forward to 2010, and think a bit bigger. With a team, I got the entire UNM campus involved. Using the Staff Council, we promoted the program and started our collection November 1 and wrapped it up on Veteran’s Day, November 11. We promoted the program not as weight management, but as a way to give back and share with the troops serving overseas. Having no idea what the response would be, I hoped to double last year’s collection and reach 150 pounds.

SHOCK AND AWE: nearly 550 pounds of candy collected throughout the UNM campus. I heard a rumor that the Children’s Campus (the childcare center) trick-or-treated for the troops and donated all of their candy (sniff-tissue, please). I think we got the most from them!

I am grateful. The campus, the teamwork and everyone who collected, donated and supported this event: THANK YOU. The team at Operation Gratitude has also extended their thanks when I tweeted our sweet success. This is what Operation Gratitude does with the candy:

Operation Gratitude annually sends 100,000 care packages containing approximately 50 assorted snacks, toiletries, entertainment items and personal letters. The Halloween candy is added in by the handfuls to fill in every space in the box.

“Halloween candy reminds the troops of the great traditions we celebrate at home– which they are protecting by serving in harm’s way” said Operation Gratitude Founder Carolyn Blashek. ”In addition, the troops give the candy to the children in Afghanistan and Iraq as part of the ‘winning hearts and minds’ strategy.  Often the children will provide critical information in return, prompting one Marine to write: ‘You are not just putting smiles on our faces, you are saving our lives.’”

As a dietitian, I can’t help but add that I am very happy that the UNM community donated all of that candy since it is not going into our mouths and not going to “waists.” Every little bit helps.

And for fun…550 pounds of candy, I estimated the following:  

  • 300 pounds of chocolate candy (average Reese’s, M&M’s, snickers and all the others)
  • 100 pounds of Twizzlers, Starburst, and other chewy candies
  • 100 pound of hard candies including lollipops
  • 50 pounds of bubble gum

Is about: 1,086,700 calories (yes, that is over 1 million calories)

Which is about 310.5 pounds we aren’t gaining this year!

Happy, happy holiday’s everyone!

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What is Your Winter Motivation?

October 26, 2010 at 9:40 pm · Filed under Albuquerque, Biking, Exercise, Healthy Behaviors, Running ·Tagged , ,

Putting something here, helps motivate through the winter.

My 2010 “race” season is over. I am being generous calling that. “Event season” is probably the better description, since I ”participate” more than race.

After my last event each year, I struggle with motivation. I find that I don’t continue with running or cycling much unless there is something I’m running or biking for. Some people don’t get this, but over the years, I have found that if I don’t have a race in mind or a bike event I want to do, I don’t run or bike so much. What is ironic: I will do step aerobics even though I have never participated in a step aerobics “event.”

Oh, and my biggest excuse: no turkey trots or “fun runs.” Why do that when I can run 3-6 miles around my neighborhood for free? And I don’t have to drive anywhere to start.

I’m planning my 2011 calendar in the next month, but how to keep up the running and biking in November, December and January?

Side note for you non-New Mexicans: Albuquerque averages below freezing at night November-January and the highs average 48-58 degrees. I talked to people who think they can come here in the winter for a warm get-away.

So, what do you do to keep yourself motivated through the winter?

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Runners in all shapes and sizes – and they show up!

October 18, 2010 at 8:36 pm · Filed under Albuquerque, Exercise, Healthy Behaviors, Running ·Tagged , , , , ,

They may not be fast, but they show up to the race!

There are two major running events in Albuquerque each year: Run for the Zoo and Duke City Marathon.  Every spring, the first Sunday in May is the Run for the Zoo, what is known as the largest running event in Albuquerque, has 5K and 10K events and every fall, in mid-October, the Duke City Marathon includes the marathon, half marathon and 5K events. There are many other runs in Albuquerque, but these are the two “big ones” that most people know about, even the “non-runners.”

Since my first 5K in October 2004, if I am in town and not injured (or recovering from an injury), I have registered and participated in these events.

Yesterday I ran my seventh half marathon (second with Duke City Marathon). Originally I signed up for the marathon, but time constraints on my training and having already checked off two marathons from my “life list,” I was okay with changing races on Saturday at the packet pick-up.

But this is a different race report: this is about my observations and thrill about the people who are there with numbers pinned to their shirts.

It thrills me to see people of all ages participating in these events. In my first 5K in 2004 an 84 year-old woman beat me. She is not racing anymore, but was still listed in the results a couple of years ago with pretty much the same time as when she beat me. She is my inspiration for when I am 80-years-old. This year, a 13-year-old won the women’s 5K followed 17  seconds later by a 60-year-old.

But it isn’t the people who come in first place that impress me. Really, it isn’t. I am a middle of the pack person, and I am content there. I aim to finish, and sometimes like to finish better than I did last time, but whatever… What impress me are the people who have the guts to register, pick up their packet and t-shirt, and still wake up early in the morning on race day and actually show up at the starting line.

There are butterflies in the stomach and mind-games that something will happen, but they are there at the starting line, while so many other people are still in bed. Some of these people are overweight, some are obese. Some a former obese people excited with their “new” bodies. They are slow runners, or they aren’t sure how they will do and they start in the back. But they will never “win” or be in the top 3 in their category. Heck, many won’t even make it back in-time for the awards ceremony. But they are there and they are participating. They signed up and they showed up. They are runners, and they are finishers.

The winners don’t impress me as much as these people impress me! I want to stop and hug them and congratulate them and tell them that I am so proud of them! But, I’m afraid of being arrested. I stink too.

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Sign of Insanity

June 4, 2010 at 9:39 pm · Filed under Albuquerque, Exercise ·Tagged , , ,

Tomorrow I embark on a bike ride. Not just any bike ride. The Albuquerque Century which is also the local American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure. Theoretically I am doing my second century bike ride tomorrow, 100 miles.

Theoretically? One year ago I completed my first century bike ride (thanks to my husband). But, tomorrow Albuquerque will likely break 100 degrees. I will cover head to foot with sunscreen, start early, and hydrate often.

Albuquerque is a good size, at 180 square miles. But not that big that the 100 miles is all in town. We ride through the city as well as Isleta Pueblo, Corrales, Rio Rancho, Bernalillo, and Sandia Pueblo. Beautiful ride with plenty of support.

This is a ride for both fitness and for the American Diabetes Association. I expect surviving through to announce a full recovery, without major blood sugar spikes or lows (lesson learned from last year). Any guesses on how many calories I will burn?

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Time to Train

June 2, 2010 at 10:11 pm · Filed under Albuquerque, Exercise, Running ·Tagged , , , , , ,

I am a runner!

On August 1, in just over 8 weeks, the 45th Annual La Luz Trail Run will be held. On October 17, in just over 19 weeks, the 27th Annual Duke City Marathon will be held. Both of these events are significant to me.   

The La Luz Trail Run is a 9 mile trail run from the base of the Sandia Mountains at Tramway, up the mountain to Sandia Crest. Most of the run, 7.2 miles, is trail and the overall grade  is 12%. This is a lottery event with only 400 participants. Every year since 2007 I have entered the lottery and each time  my name is drawn in the first round. This year I enter a new age group, so I allegedly have an advantage over the other women in my category. 

The Duke City Marathon (DCM) is the other significant event for me. In 2004 I ran my very first event: a 5K. I finished and didn’t die (just sore) and decided: “I can do this running thing.” I decided then to set a goal to run my first marathon before I was 40 – five years in the future. Two years after my first race, in 2006, I ran my first Half Marathon, and two years after that, in 2008, I ran my first Marathon both of which were DCM events. After a 4:28:02 marathon I swore I would never run a marathon again…it was checked off the list. Since my first race in 2004 I have run 10K events, half marathons, and a second marathon (Rock ‘N’ Roll San Antonio November 2009). I didn’t do very well in my second marathon and have decided that I am not going out with a “bad” finish. So, I have registered for the DCM once again, and vow that I will do well. 

Unfortunately, I cannot do well if I don’t train. I have lost my motivation and have not been doing well with my training. I know I will finish, but how well? Not well, if I don’t get going! I need to get up and train, cross train and continue to train. I have the shoes; I have the music; I have the gear; like most people, I have plenty of excuses. But they are not real excuses! 

Motivation comes from within and I need find it and dig it out from deep inside. Starting next week? Starting Monday? NO! Starting in the morning I train. I have two months to get going on the trail and four and a half months to go the distance.  

I post this for two reasons: to show, despite outward appearances, and what we teach: “we” in the profession still lose our motivation and need to work at “it” too. And I will make sure that I train.

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Chef’s Bistro IS a Restuarant too!

March 6, 2010 at 5:23 pm · Filed under Albuquerque, New Mexico, Restaurants ·Tagged , , , , ,

Chef's Elegant Catering

Chef's Elegant Catering

UPDATE: On September 19, 2010 We went to Chef’s for a brunch and it was CLOSED. A sign for a new restaurant already in place. We were disappointed to lose a descent place close to our home.

Today, I finally got to go to Chef’s Bistro near our home; a small restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch Tuesday – Sunday from 7:00 am – 2:00 pm.

My husband and I enjoy an occasional breakfast out, and have wanted to find somewhere near our home that isn’t one of those 24-hour-serve-breakfast-when-you-want chains. We live off of I-40 and what was once the edge of town, so there are a lot of those chains with poor service nearby. We want something we can ride our bikes to or even walk to if we want.

Chef’s Elegant Catering is a catering company that has been in business in Sequoia Square at Coors and Sequoia for three years. Just over a year ago, they open up the restaurant (Chef’s Bistro) part of the business. Serving breakfast and lunch only, it covers a nice variety, though not overwhelming, of breakfast and lunch dishes.  They don’t serve alcohol, which makes sense, since they don’t serve dinner; but someone did ask about beer.

We went a little after noon and I was still in the mood for breakfast. Having read a review on Yelp.com, I wanted the “New Orleans Famous Bananas Foster” French toast. I almost always get French toast when eating breakfast out, and love bananas foster, so this was something I had to try. French bread, bananas, and bananas foster syrup – which wasn’t too sweet. Chef’s also serves breakfast burritos, skillets, and classic breakfast plates including omelets and Huevos Rancheros.

My husband wanted a hearty lunch, since he had a long bike ride this morning. He initially chose “The Zia,” a grilled chicken breast simmered in green chile with a black bean salad. However, at the last-minute he changed his mind and ordered a Po’ boy: an original hot roast beef with gravy. Po’ boys come in 6” or 12”, and the 6” was fine with him. I ate half of his sweet potato fries. Several other lunch favorites are available too: burgers, sandwiches, salads, Po’ boys and some hot plates with fish, chicken and New Mexico favorites including enchiladas and burritos.

Chef Michael, a friendly fellow, was our server as well as the owner. I told him that I had wanted to come by for several months, but would remember at 1:30, and they close at 2:00. He says that if people come by at 1:59, they will serve them since his kitchen is the catering kitchen as well. This is a nice neighborhood restaurant with about a dozen tables. We will be regulars. To date, there isn’t a website for the Bistro, just the catering portion of the business.

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Famous Fiery-Foods Show

March 4, 2010 at 11:54 pm · Filed under Albuquerque, New Mexico ·Tagged , , , ,

This weekend, March 5-7, is the famous Fiery Foods & BBQ Show in Albuquerque. This is exactly how it sounds: a food expo that features primarily barbecue sauces and spicy foods and condiments including salsas, candies, chocolate, and our famous New Mexico chile.

According to Fiery-foods.com:

Fiery-Foods Show Banner

Fiery Foods Show

“The National Fiery Foods & BBQ Show, now in its 22nd year, is the largest and most visited show in the world relating to spicy foods and barbecue. Held each March in Albuquerque, New Mexico, it features 200+ exhibitor booths filled with more than 1,000 different products. The show attracts more than 14,000 trade and general public attendees from all over the world.”

The show started in Albuquerque with less than 40 exhibitors in 1988; it is hands down THE most popular fiery foods expo and there is A LOT more than 40 exhibitors in 2010! In 2000 I visited a small tourist shop in Key West that sold salsa and they had not only heard of the Fiery Foods Show, but had been an exhibitor at some point.

I encourage you to check out this event. If you can stand the heat, it is a fun event . It also gives you an excuse the come to visit New Mexico. The event happens every March in Albuquerque. Admission is $10 for adults.

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New Mexico Restaurant Week is Here

February 28, 2010 at 10:04 pm · Filed under Albuquerque, New Mexico, Restaurants ·Tagged , ,

Finally Restaurant Week has come to New Mexico and in its inaugural year it is running two weeks: February 28 – March 6 in Santa Fe and March 7 – 13 in Albuquerque!

For those who aren’t familiar with restaurant week, many large cities across the country do this to way to highlight their great restaurants with dinner specials at extraordinary prices. Generally you can have a three course dinner at a set price. Depending on the restaurant here it will run you from $25 for two up to $40 per person. A great deal.

Restaurant week will give you a chance to try those restaurants you have wanted to try, but considered out of your price range or just never got around to going.

I have put off getting together with friends until this week, thinking we will get more for our dollar and a great experience at the same time.

Wondering which restaurant to choose when you go? Here are my top three picks for Santa Fe and Albuquerque for New Mexico Restaurant Week.

 

Santa Fe:  

Compound: One of the higher end restaurants at $40 per person, which is a steal! This James Beard Award winning restaurant is worth the walk up Canyon Road to see the art along the way is worth it. My husband and I went there for my 40th birthday and walked back to the Rail Runner following dinner.

The Ore House: On the balcony overlooking the Plaza is the perfect setting for early evening people watching and the only place I have ever sat in this restaurant.

Pranzo Italian Grill: Italian in Santa Fe? Why not? It is fabulous food, walking distance from the Rail Runner, and I took a cooking class from there and still cook some of their food at home to this day.

 

Albuquerque: So many of these restaurants are fabulous, it is difficult to pick three, but here they are!

Seasons Rotisserie & Grill: The first time we went here, we liked it so much that we made New Years reservations on the spot. They buy local food as much as possible, and have a great wine choice to go with it. Savoy Bar & Grill and Zinc Wine Bar & Bistro are related restaurants that are also wonderful. (I cheated, but all three of these restaurants are worthy).

Corn Maiden at Hyatt Regency Tamaya: North of Albuquerque at the Santa Ana Pueblo, but worth the drive. We went here for my husband’s birthday in early February and once again went all out for the birthday dinner. Ambiance is as fabulous as the food.

Brasserie La Provence: A French restaurant in Nob Hill has a nice variety of French food. My co-worker’s French  father approves. If a Frenchman approves, then it must be good.

There are many other participating restaurants and events. I hope you get a chance to enjoy our fine restaurants, and even some of the events. I certainly enjoy our fine restaurants on occasion.

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Golden Crown Panaderia on Mountain

October 29, 2009 at 11:43 pm · Filed under Albuquerque, Restaurants ·Tagged , , , ,

 
Balance Scale at Golden Crown
Balance Scale at Golden Crown

One of the great things about being a registered dietitian is the unique appreciation of the process of making food and the tools it takes to make it. Of course, I’m not saying that you have to be a dietitian to appreciate the process, but we appreciate it and are often more than happy to step into the kitchen when invited to see what goes on behind the scenes.

As with so many people who are appreciative of truly good food, we are often supportive of local restaurants and venues, eschewing the national chains in exchange for a good local place. This was the case on Sunday afternoon after my husband and I completed a 54 mile bike ride for the Day of the Tread.  In the morning on the way “out” we, along with about 900 other riders, rode west on Mountain Road (in Albuquerque). On the north side of the road, a lone piano player sat on the patio of a local restaurant, playing and waving as we rode by. Four hours later, after our, we skipped the buffet and headed out to lunch and cruised back down Mountain Road in our truck back to the restaurant with the piano player.

The piano player was long gone, but signs in the parking lot indicated that the restaurant was a bakery that also served pizza. Not sure what I was in the mood for, I knew pretty much anything would do: we had just completed a 50-some mile bike ride!

 Inside was very warm – it was a bakery in full swing. We were handed a biscochito, probably because we were still quite obviously in our biking gear. Cookies empanandas, pizza, sandwiches, coffee and tea were among our choices and all of this made on-site. Making the choice of a roast-beef and provolone sandwich meant the baguette I ordered my sandwich on was made that day. The honey wheat bread my husband ordered for his sandwich was made that morning. The cookies and empanadas were made in that building in the last day or two.

While we waited for our order, we checked out the pictures of the owner Pratt in newspaper and magazine clippings and Food Network highlights. Old ovens were in the indoor dining area. And did I mention that the place was very warm?

I noticed that the guy behind the counter, at the butcher block counter was weighing shortening on a balance scale. A very old balance scale. It was fascinating! Not a modern digital scale, but a cMiddlebury Marshall Ovenast iron balance scale. He invited me back to check it out. He was measuring out the ingredients for tomorrow’s breads using 5-gallon buckets. The dry ingredients were in the buckets and now he was measuring out the shortening. While I was back there, I mentioned that we had noticed the large industrial oven that was behind him. I had originally wondered it if was still in use, however standing next to it, it was quite obvious that it was: it was not just warm back there, it was hot! Chris Morales opened up the oven showing me the bread baking the oven at that very moment. So old was this oven that Chris said he has become the oven engineer. No one is available to repair it anymore so he was the repairman. They are no longer made, and they used to be used in correctional facilities.

Albuquerque is a mile-high and very dry. Water generally boils at 198 degrees (give-or-take depending on the day) and our atmospheric pressure makes baking a bit different than at sea level.  Baking is part artwork, part chemistry. It was very cool to visit the back of the bakery.

 Golden Crown Panaderia (bakery in Spanish) is a gem of a place and I will absolutely be back. I only had a sandwich with great tortilla chips, and an awesome chocolate biscochito (the second one came with lunch), but I really want an empananda and I have heard the pizza is great too, and they make my favorite, Hawaiian with Canadian bacon and pineapple. When you go, say hello to Chris. He’s the baker in the back. But everyone there is very friendly.

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