Excuses and Baked Mushroom Pizza

No Nate The Great 5K race for us today.  Ted has a pain on top of his foot and I have pain behind my knee.   The weather is not conducive to putting us in the mood for a run.  It’s raining and 59 degrees.

Still thinking I’d race, Shane and I went for a 2 1/2 mile warm up run.  Then the pain came on. I know the cause.  During my leg workout on Wednesday, I did dead lifts for the first time in months consequently overstretching the muscles/tendons behind my knee.  Based on my trusty resource book, “Running Injuries:Treatment and Prevention”….

“Popliteal and Pes Anserinus Pain:  Achy and noted on the inner side of the knee.  It usually hurts at rest.  Medial hamstring tendinitis is noted by pain in the inside area of the back of the knee, along the tendon.  The pain can occur after hard or fast workout or when walking fast on hilly terrain.  The tendon will often hurt when pressed.  Causes:  The upper gastrocnemius muscle in the popliteal fossa is injured by excess stretching.  Overzealous calf muscle stretching is the most common cause.  Running on a surface that is too soft, or allowing the knee to straighten or become “locked” can aggravate it.  Fast uphill walking, over striding, and cycling can be causes.”

I’ve done all of the above.  The cure?   Icing is beneficial.  Slower, shorter workouts will allow continued training. 

Ted’s pain, on the other hand (foot?), is most likely due to a shoe lace issue.  It’s still up for investigation but we’re paying attention to it because ONE: it came on after a speed workout and TWO: it could be as simple as shoe laces or as serious as a stress fracture (doubtful).  Best to be careful.

So we skipped the Nate run which neither of us had signed up for in advance.  Next week we have the Summer Sizzle which is a 5 mile run up at SUNY.  We signed up as a husband/wife team and prefer to get rid of all aches and pains before that run. 

The adjusted schedule for the day:  Go to Greenlakes and watch Richard in his first Sprint Triathlon.  Back to New Hartford for the Porsche get together at the car show. Ted’s off with “the boys” for a meet and greet at the Boxing Hall of Fame and I get to go grocery shopping.  A full day with some fun stuff worked in.

MUSHROOM PIZZA

This recipe comes from the Mushroom Council.  Did you ever realized there was such a Council? I didn’t.  Guess there’s a council for everything.

Makes 4 servings

• 4 large portabella mushrooms, cleaned
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 a jar of marinara sauce (or your pasta sauce of choice)
• 4 fresh basil leaves, shredded
• red pepper flakes to taste
• 4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
• 4 oz Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chick peas – optional

Preheat the oven to broil.

Brush both sides of the cleaned mushrooms with olive oil then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place the ‘shrooms GILL SIDE DOWN in a baking dish (or foil lined aluminum pan for easy clean up) and broil for 4 minutes.

Remove and turn over, GILL SIDE UP, and broil another 4 minutes.  Remove.  Reduce heat to 400 F.

Spread about 2 TBS sauce on each mushroom. Top with each with shreds of basil leaf, some red pepper, some cheese (both mozz. and Parm), and

sprinkle on the chick peas (if using) and around the mushrooms.

Put back into the oven at 400 F and bake for 8 – 10 minutes or until cheese starts to brown.

We enjoyed the pizzas with a side of Crispy Kale chips (Preheat oven to 375 F. Wash and dry a bunch of kale. Remove tough stems. Put into an oven proof pan. Spread out in a single layer, drizzle with olive oil (2 TBS about), add salt and pepper, and cook for 10 minutes. STIR. Cook for another 8 to 10 or until crisp).

So easy. So filling. Love this kind of dinner.

Anything fun happening this weekend for you?