Fartlek! (You Know You Want To)

Here's the text I sent my friend and running partner last night:

Fartlek means speed play in Swedish and aside from being probably the funniest word in the running lexicon, it's also pretty fun. Unlike regimented interval training which is usually done on a track, Fartlek is traditionally done on the trail. And instead of running through a specific, regimented set of drills (5x200m sprints etc), you set your own pace, frequency, and distance based on how you feel. 

So, you run a beautiful trail, deciding all willy-nilly when to jog and when to fly. How utterly free spirit and bohemian! I love the concept.

However, upon attempting it, once with my friend and once by myself, it turns out that I do better with a regimented plan: do THIS for x number of seconds then do THIS for x number of seconds. The self discipline just doesn't seem to be there to spontaneously say, "THAT was fun gasping for air- now I'll spontaneously volunteer to do it again!"

So, for now, I am sticking with my speed drills of 7:30 min/mile for 60 seconds then 10 min/mile for 90 seconds, for 30 minutes, 3 x a week. When the timer says too, I HAVE to do it.

Yet, the free spirited dream of Fartlek, frolicking and playing as I run along the trail, lingers in the back of my mind, and I will surely attempt it again!

Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Peppermint Crunch!

The Run: Tuesday, October 8th. 13.1 miles in 137 minutes with jogging stroller 

average pace: 10:27/mi. Calories burned: 1238

The Ice Cream: Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Peppermint Crunch

1,160 calories per pint - Four 1/2 cup servings at 290 calories per serving

I love Peppermint Patties and Junior Mints, so I was intrigued by this flavor which promises "peppermint and fudge swirls" as we'll as mint chocolate cookie balls, all in a chocolate ice cream base.

When I first opened the container, I could see the white silkiness of the mint swirl amidst the rich brown of chocolate ice cream. The dark wetness of the fudge swirl was also in evidence. The tops of two sweet mint chocolate cookie balls peeked out at me- just a hint of the generous portion added to this pint.

I was most excited about the mint swirl, which looked just like the inside of a peppermint patty, so I tried it first. It did not disappoint! It flooded my taste buds with delicious, creamy, pepperminty goodness, as if someone had taken a box of junior mints, drained them of their filling, and swirled it throughout this pint of ice cream. Another bite revealed, however, that this thick swirl that you can see in the picture, quickly thinned out and flattened to a narrow ribbon of flavor. Slightly disappointing. I wished there was more. Further consumption of the pint revealed that while there were a couple areas bearing rich veins of peppermint, most of the swirls were very thin and subtle. If you bought this pint for the chocolate, you will be in heaven. If you bought it for the peppermint patty filling, you will be teased, then left wanting.

The same went for the fudge swirl. Thick at first, then quickly dissipating to a flat, narrow ribbon. This didn't disappoint me as much because the chocolate ice cream itself was so rich and creamy that an over abundance of fudge would have been chocolate overkill ( if there can be such a thing).

Lets talk more about the chocolate ice cream base. Ben & Jerry's, like Haagen Dazs, uses a very rich, dense ice cream which is revealed in the calorie count (280 calories vs 140 calories for say, 1/2 cup of Turkey Hill). But happily, this is also revealed in the flavor. A little goes a long way (and a lot goes even farther!!! :) This chocolate ice cream screams CHOCOLATE and for the chocolate lover, leaves you wanting for nothing. If the average bargain brand chocolate reminds me of chocolate milk, put in the freezer, then slightly thawed and stirred, this ice cream reminds me of chocolate truffles, frozen, then delicately softened to the perfect consistency.

Finally, the mint chocolate cookie balls! Ben & Jerry is known for never skimping or disappointing when it comes to additives and this pint was no exception. Each ball was almost as large as a marble and they were packed throughout the pint. If I wanted a spoonful without one or two cookie balls on it, I had to work around them! The balls, in my opinion, are where the real peppermint flavor comes from in this ice cream. Each is coated with a thick thick layer of chocolate with a flavor intense peppermint chocolate cookie core.

I was surprised and pleased at how strong the cookie's mint flavor was. I had come in, looking for mint, been slightly disappointed by the dearth of white mint filling, and expected the chocolate balls to be another chocolate additive overkill that I would eat some of, then work around, but I found the strong mint flavor to be cooling and refreshing. The balls themselves were crunchy, kept from getting soggy by their thick chocolate coating, but were not too hard. They were fun both to chew and to let dissolve in the mouth.

I am not a huge fan of chocolate (gasp) but I am a huge mint fan and I really enjoyed this flavor. The quality of the chocolate was good and there was enough intense mint flavor in the cookie balls to satisfy me, though I definitely wanted more white peppermint swirl!

As a recovery food, the richness and sweetness really appealed to my body as it tried to recover from strenuous exercise and I had energy to continue my day and got to enjoy one of my favorite foods, guilt free! 

What is your favorite Ben & Jerry's flavor? 

What is your favorite recovery food and why?

The Case for Ice Cream

    After a long run (12 or more miles) I have found that the perfect recovery food for me is ICE CREAM! I have read about chocolate milk as "the perfect recovery food." It is perfectly balanced: carbs, protein, water, sodium, etc." So I gave it a try and it made me feel pretty good, but then I tried ice cream.
 
   Ice cream left me with almost zero fatigue and I was able to function normally in the afternoon instead of lying on the couch feeling like a spaced out zombie. I also noticed that the next day I weighed exactly the same, whereas after other long runs I had gained about 2 pounds. I have found, through online research, that this is common after a long run, which doesn't bother me because I know it is water weight that will disappear quickly, but this effect did not happen when I ate ice cream as my recovery food.
 
   My theory is that ice cream gave me the protein, fat, and carbs that my body, and especially my muscles, needed to recover properly, therefor not stressing out my body and causing me to retain water. As such, I have decided that for me, ice cream is the perfect recovery food, not to mention, the most delicious food in the world. So I decided: since I am burning through the calories with my love of running (especially long runs), why not try a different ice cream with every extra long run and review it?

    So, a few times a month, when I go on my extra long runs, I plan to pick an ice cream and share my enjoyment with my readers as I recover with the rich creamy goodness of Ben & Jerry's, Haagen Dazs, Talenti, and many more!

   In between these glorious ice cream fests, I will talk about my love of running in general. How it has healed me and made me stronger, what I have learned, enjoyed, and disliked. My experiences, products I have tried, races I have run, and what its like to run with a toddler. I may even delve into my past struggles with disordered eating, my coping strategies, and how running has saved me- we will see.

  So join me as I talk about my current obsession - running, and my love of the sweet creamy goodness that is ice cream.