Awesomesauce Pizza and Race Prep II

Friday workout:
Bike – 20 minutes
Run – 15 minutes
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I found this video on Facebook yesterday and have watched it about 100 times since then. And I will probably watch it 20 more times before my race tomorrow. I also emailed it to myself so I can watch it on my phone Saturday morning if I want. Yes, I am a nerd who gets motivated by things like upbeat/angry songs and video montages put to intense music.

When I ran track and cross country in high school I would listen to a few songs to get me pumped up before my races (on my super cool CD player;). I don’t remember what all of them were, but the one I listened to the most was Tom Petty’s “Dont Back Down.”:)

(Random high school cross country picture I had on my computer:).

In addition to watching that video 100 times, I also have been packing all of my gear, printing out directions, and doing a few other last-minute race preparations (it’s amazing how much more stuff you need for a triathlon than you do for a running event! When I run, I say that as long as I have my number and my shoes I’m fine…not so with triathlon!).

Breakfast was more baked oatmeal.

And lunch was leftover pizza (more about that below!:) and the biggest most amazing ‘parfait’ ever:).

That parfait looks huge, but at least half of it is strawberries (I was trying to finish off the 2 lb container that I just bought on Monday and ate almost all by myself, since I just bought another 5 lb container today, oops! I couldn’t help it, it was on sale for $5, and I am addicted to strawberries!:). There is also Greek yogurt, vanilla yogurt, half a banana (leftover from breakfast), chai seeds, peanut butter, and a few banana chips in there. Delicious!

For dinner last night I made THE best pizza ever. I am not one to brag, here, but this pizza was unbelievable. So of course, I have to share it with you:).

It all started when I realized I had forgotten to take anything out of the freezer for dinner. The first thing that popped into my head was this amazing pear and goat cheese pizza recipe I had seen earlier that day on Emily’s blog (Speed Races, Amazing Laces).

I wasn’t sure if the husband would go for this ‘gourmet’ pizza, so I made two different kinds. One the pear, goat cheese, and balsamic vinegar pizza with white sauce (which was my favorite!).

And one with spinach, onion, feta cheese, and white sauce.  Also delicious!

This is the recipe for the pear and goat cheese pizza (but you can change out the toppings to make other kinds). It is based on Emily’s recipe, but slightly different because I used a different crust recipe and added a white pizza sauce.

Pear and Goat Cheese Pizza
Makes two small pizzas
Ingredients for crust:
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons white sugar

Directions: Mix the yeast in the cup of warm water, and let sit until creamy (about 8 to 10 minutes). Then, combine all dry ingredients, and add in the remaining wet ingredients. Mix until a stiff dough forms, then cover the mixing bowl with a dish towel moistened in warm water and let the dough sit until it doubles in size (approximately 30 minutes).

When the dough has risen, take half of the dough and roll it into a crust shape on a well-floured surface. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place the crusts (with no toppings) on a cookie sheet or pizza stone (I sprinkle a little corn meal to keep pizza from sticking to the sheet) in the oven for about 5 minutes, then remove and add toppings.

Ingredients for white pizza sauce:
Makes enough for two small to medium pizzas
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder, or 1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced, or 1 tablespoon dry basil
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions: On medium heat, melt the butter in the bottom of a sauce pot. Add in flour and stir until blended, then slowly whisk in milk. Then add the remaining ingredients, stir, and turn off heat. The sauce will thicken as it stands.

Ingredients for pizza toppings (covers two small pizzas):
1 cup mozzarella (1/2 cup per pizza)
1 pear, thinly sliced
Goat cheese to taste (about 1/8-1/4 cup per pizza)
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

Directions: After spreading a thin layer of white pizza sauce on the crust, sprinkle with half of the mozzarella, half of the pear slices, and a sprinkle of goat cheese. Bake the pizza in at 350 degrees for another 15 minutes.

While the pizza is baking, put the 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar into a sauce pan over low to medium-low heat, and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly. Liquid should reduce to about 2 tablespoons (although mine was slightly more, but it still tasted good:). Be careful to keep the heat low and keep stirring the liquid, so it does not burn. When the pizza is finished, remove from the oven and drizzle with the balsamic reduction. Then enjoy!:)

And of course, I paired my pizza with another awesome salad:)

Now it’s time to go make some spaghetti and turkey meatballs for dinner!:) Good luck to everyone who is racing this weekend!
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What do you do to get motivated/psyched up for a race? Do you have any favorite songs to listen to before or while you work out?