walkers walk… but runners fly

Reading and Eating

Today I’m talking about two of my three favorite things (the third being running, of course.) I’ve read some good books lately and made a delicious dinner on Sunday!  Let’s start with the books…

Okay.  I know David Goggins is controversial.  I used to have mixed feelings about him, but I LOVED this book.  My previous negative feelings came from my impression that Goggins did crazy stunts and bullied others into doing the same.  Just look at him on the cover of his book- am I supposed to believe I can do everything he can?

However!  In this book he focuses on the fact that he doesn’t consider himself a natural, gifted runner, and that he was actually born with a heart defect, sickle cell trait, and additionally has hypothyroidism and Raynaud’s Syndrome.  He also had an absolutely horrible childhood, rife with abuse and neglect.

His answer to overcoming all of that is discipline.  “This is where you make up the difference in potential.  By learning to maximize what you do have, you will not only level the playing field but also surpass those born with more natural ability and advantage than you…With discipline as your medium, your life becomes a work of art.”

Later in the book he talks about a potentially devastating knee injury, and a botched surgery that made it even worse.  Facing the prospect of never running again, Goggins got right on his bike and started pedaling.  He talks about the difficulty of accepting new limitations, but says “No matter your age, abilities, disabilities, or responsibilities, we must all stay committed to finding our new benchmarks.  Because not only does that keep your mind engaged and the demons at bay, you might actually achieve things the old you never could have conceived.”

This really resonated with me, since I’m going through a bit of a “mid-life running crisis.”  I found the book very inspirational, but just a heads up- there is a LOT of swearing.  If that’s not your thing you probably won’t like it.

Next up, some lighter reading…

I love old-school ‘whodunit” mysteries the same way some people love romance novels.  They’re not great literature, they’re wildly unrealistic and the characters are usually not well-developed.  But… I grew up loving Agatha Christie, so I’m still a sucker for an “impossible” mystery, where there’s no way the murder could have been committed, and yet there is a dead body and someone killed them.  In the end, the brilliant detective gathers all the suspects together and reveals the stunning solution.

Sophie Hannah does a good job with this and has written four books specifically in the style of Agatha Christie, with Hercule Poirot as the detective.  No one can hold a candle to Agatha, but Hannah’s books are really enjoyable to read- if you like that style of mystery.  ThCouple at the Table isn’t one of her “Agatha Christie” books, but it’s a mystery in a similar vein.

Next up- I made a delicious dinner on Sunday!  This picture definitely doesn’t do it justice.

It’s homemade naan and Thai Yellow Coconut Curry with Mango..  Okay.  I KNOW.  Naan is not Thai, it’s Indian.  Let me explain…

I was thinking of making Indian food for dinner, and since I usually do something a little “fancy” on Sundays, I figured I would make naan to go with it.  I googled “vegan naan recipes” and one came up from Minimalist Baker.  When I went to the website, the mango curry came right up as the “pick of the week.”  It looked so delicious I decided to make it, but since I already had my heart set on naan I went ahead and made that too.

I made a few modifications to the curry recipe.  I added tofu and broccoli, and only used one mango instead of two.  The recipe also calls for three tablespoons of sugar, and instead I used one tablespoon of agave.  I think if you used all three tablespoons of sugar and two mangos, the recipe would be sickeningly sweet.  Or, maybe it would be even more delicious!  I made the naan exactly according to the recipe.  Both the naan and the curry were amazing.

Now I’m trying to decide what to make for the Super Bowl.  My sister is rooting for the Eagles and smugly told me that she’s making vegan Philly Cheesesteaks.  Oh yeah?  Well, I’m making…. um…. a quick google search told me that Kansas City is famous for a lot of weird things, but mostly barbecue.  Hmmm.

It’s not that I can’t make something barbecued and vegan.  It’s that barbecue sauce has a LOT of sugar, and if you try to reduce or replace it, it really doesn’t taste right.  So I’m in a quandary.  If anyone knows of any other great Kansas City foods, let me know!  If not, I may have to go with generic Super Bowl foods like cauliflower wings and guacamole.

Muffin was apparently sad that I didn’t include her in my list of favorites, and is being extra cute right now.

Okay, Muffin, you can be in my “favorite things” post!

Are you making anything special for the Super Bowl?  Read anything great lately?

 

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24 Responses

  1. Finding new benchmarks! I like that approach!
    I know runners (especially male runners) who struggle with becoming slower as they age.
    But that’s why we have age groups! They’re a great way to keep us on our toes and find a new way to compete.
    Goggins very much appeals to me. Thanks for highlighting it!

    1. Yes, it’s true- that’s why we have age groups. And that’s also why I’m embracing trail running- I don’t have to compare my times to my old road racing times.

  2. i didn’t know you had a cat called muffin, she would be ours cousin as ours is called Cookie 🙂
    mid life running crisis? because of injury? i used to freak out if I can’t run but once I couldn’t run for 100 days due to ankle injury and focused on doing pilates/yoga, i survived. I think we are just resilient to changes and our mind is designed to find new ways of making us feel good.
    your food looks so yummy!!! I haven’t had naan for ages and I think it’s a perfect combo, indian has a lot of curries too.

    1. Yeah, my midlife running crisis is partially due to injuries, and also I’m trying to figure out why I got SO much slower. Is it the injuries? Menopause? I don’t know.
      Yes, the naan went well with the Thai curry! I still want to make Indian food soon though.

  3. Muffin! What a perfect name for a cat and she looks very cute.

    I had to chuckle over the note about the swearing in Goggins book 🙂

    Your mango curry and Naan look amazing. Chicken Mango Curry is my go-to recipe when we have company visiting; it’s just so, so yummy and seems like the perfect meal to relax around a table with good conversation. I have never attempted homemade Naan but my family LOVES Naan, so you’re inspiring me to at least consider it?!

    1. Yes, try making naan! It really isn’t hard. And I remember your chicken mango curry. I wonder if mine is similar, just minus the chicken and plus tofu.
      I was thinking about you when I wrote that part about the swearing. There really is a LOT of it- I could do with a little less, but it didn’t ruin the book for me.

  4. Your sister is the first non-Philly person I’ve heard of that is cheering for the Eagles. We are definitely team KC. I love Patrick Mahomes, though, so unless they were playing the Vikings, I’d likely be cheering for them. I did want Cincinnati to beat them but I like Cincinnati’s quarter back and they are kind of an underdog.

    I have never heard of this Goggin guy but I am not very in the know when it comes to popular athletes outside of people my husband talks about which tend to be golfers or football players! The book sounds interesting, though. I always love reading about people who have overcome really difficult life situations!

    My reading has felt a little meh lately but I just started a book I am really enjoying called “The Girl in His Shadow” which was is set in the 1800s and is about a girl who is an understudy to surgeon. My doctor/surgeon running partner read it and recommended it to me and I really like it so far!

    1. Wow, you really read some interesting books.
      I don’t know why my sister is rooting for Philly! I agree, I love Mahomes. I actually would have been happy with either Cincinnati or KC, but no matter what I’d be rooting against the Eagles.

  5. Two of my favorite topics! I’d be down for Thai Indian curry anytime – the fancy term for this is “fusion”.

    I feel like I’ll read a David Goggins book at some point, or at least the one about living with the Navy Seal which I believe is about him. It’s on my list, I just need to get to it. Right now I’m really digging Loving Frank (a fictional telling about the real life affair between Frank Lloyd Wright and the wife of one of his clients).

    1. Yes, I read Living With a Seal and enjoyed that one as well. And I totally should have sold that dinner as a “fusion” meal. I will next time!

  6. That looks very yummy! Maybe I’ll give that recipe a try. Sorry, I have no idea about Kansas City and their foods. I would honestly just eat the hell out of a lot of guacamole instead!
    I like the thought of finding new benchmarks and living with a new/ different body with new and different abilities. It really speaks to me, as I age!

  7. Hm. I don’t know about Kansas City foods, but I think it’s sort of an ice cream mecca. Or did I just make that up? I guess it doesn’t help you with the avoiding sugar issue, though.

    I had a really good streak of books and now I’m reading two really weird books and I don’t know if I’ll finish either one. Ha!

  8. I’ve seen David Goggins’ book, but haven’t had the opportunity to read it. It does sound intriguing. The quotes you highlighted are powerful! We’re having a Super Bowl snack day at work on Friday. I think I’m bringing some kind of roll-ups/wraps, but haven’t finalized my plan yet.

    1. The book is so good. I think you would like it!
      Now that it’s Friday night, I’m wondering what snacks you brought to work today.

  9. I adore Sophie Hannah, so am glad to see her represented here!

    And your kitty is so cute!

    We haven’t planned anything at all for the Super Bowl. Ugh. I am at a complete loss for what to make. Maybe we will just default to tacos, since they are easy and festive.

  10. aww Muffin!
    I had a really good veggie BBQ at a friend’s place. Need to look into her sauce to see if it was vegan. I think probably not, but you could also twak it because what I liked was it was less sweet than BBQ frequently tastes to me. I’m also the odd one to doesn’t like ketchup
    Thanks for reminder on Goggins. KNow we spoke about it but I didn’t write it down. Doing so now on goodreads

    1. I don’t know, that barbecue sauce could very well be vegan- it’s usually just a bunch of ingredients like vinegar, sugar, ketchup, molasses, etc.
      I’ll be interested to hear what you think of the Goggins book!

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