The speed workout this week was warm up miles with 8 to 10 Yasso 800’s and a few miles cool down. In short, it went well with the help of Zoey and the treadmill. Actually, I can’t call the workout a true Yasso 800 workout but more like 800 repeats/intervals. Why?  I ran with the Zoey-monster myster and it was her longest on-the-leash run yet. She ran crazy we had to stop for water at the local gas station and then take a 3 to 4 minute rest break.  She works so hard and loves running so much, I’d give up my workout any day to have her run with me.  Besides, it’s not a bad workout, just kind of a cheat since my legs are turning over fast even though there isn’t much resistance. I finished the last 3 800’s on the treadmill with a cool down 1 1/2 miles.

Back to Yasso’s.  If you don’t know what Yasso 800’s are, there is an excellent article on Runners World by Amby Burfoot, dated 2001 when he first heard, right from the source (Bart Yasso), what the work out was and so coined it “Yasso 800”.  In a nut shell: the theory behind the workout is that your time in minutes and seconds for a workout of 10 times 800 meters with 800 meter recovery will predict your marathon finish time. e.g. If you run 800 meters in 3:40 minutes x 10 (jog 800 meters in between), you could finish a marathon in 3 hours and 40 minutes.  Pretty cool right?! 

The Yasso workout has never worked for me.  I can run those 800’s faster than the marathon but it gets pretty close, maybe within 6 or so minutes. 

No Meat No Bake Lasagna

No need to bake lasagna any more. An easy recipe, fresh and light with two kinds of cheese and lots of color.  Based on a Martha Stewart “Meatless” collection.

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Serves 4

  • 1 TBS olive oil
  • 2 TBS minced garlic
  • 3 cups mixed red and yellow cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 8 – 10 stalks of asparagus cut into 3rds.
  • salt and pepper
  • 2/3 cup vegetable stock
  • 8 whole wheat lasagna noodles, cook according to package
  • 2/3 cup small fresh basil leaves
  • 1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese
  • 1 oz Parmesan cheese

Heat 1 TBS oil in a high sided skillet over medium.  Add garlic and cook 1 minutes.  Add 2 cups of the tomatoes and cook 7 minutes.  Add the stock, simmer 1 minute then add the rest of the tomatoes and asparagus and cook for another 2 minutes.

Cook pasta and drain.  Add to the skillet and toss to coat with sauce. Stir in the basil but leave some for garnish.

Divide pasta among 4 plates and top with sauce. Dot with ricotta cheese. Top with Parmesan cheese and remaining torn basil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper if needed.

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Now that was A LOT easier than baking a tray of lasagna.

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What’s your favorite workout?

Do you have a no bake pasta recipe to share?

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