I've recently been mulling over the idea of going back to school to become a Registered Dietitian. I kind of love talking about food, making food, eating it, and telling people what to do in regards to it in order to reach certain goals. Alas, it doesn't seem like any of my credits as an English major/Communications minor would transfer to such a science-minded field. And I'm not just aching to spend the rest of my 30s starting from scratch as a college student, so never mind that.
So, what do I love as much as--or more than--food? No, not bossing people around.
Running, of course. If you've been around here long enough to read even a single post you've probably gathered that much.
Enter City Running Tours. Cool, right? I think I'd have a blast trucking around town, showing people what there is to see, where to eat (see, I knew food would have a role), and staying active while the little guy is in school. Plus, maybe I'd get to do a *little* bossing around along the way. Too bad there isn't a chapter in my current city... yet. :D
Have you ever participated in a guided running tour? Would you?
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
Summer Streak - Update
Four weeks down, only ten days to go!
We were in Alexandria, VA for almost all of Week 3. Lucky enough to borrow a great jogging stroller, the little guy and I logged more than a half marathon together! He was a great running buddy. We even accomplished my streak-goal of getting out before The H left for work some mornings, and the two of us spent some quality time in the pool. Cross training, right? :)
I also ran another 13ish miles on my own, resulting in a total of 28 miles that week. I did manage to do yoga in our hotel room at least once; yay me! Sadly I didn't get to participate in Virginia Yoga Week or whatever it was called, though I did find a studio to try next time we're in town.
Week 4 brought more humidity and shorter runs, for a total of 23 miles. A nice stepback week toward the end of this streak challenge! I did get to a yoga class with a friend, and I think I did a DVD earlier in the week.
This is the last week of daycare for the little guy; he'll be going to some form of preschool/Pre-K in the fall. He turned FOUR today. I can't believe it! He's fully convinced that once he's done with daycare, he'll be going to school--robot school, to be specific. Not looking forward to crushing those hopes and dreams. :)
I plan to log a few longer runs on Tuesday and Friday if my slightly-achy feet will allow for it, to take advantage of the time he's at daycare, and then it's back to "Mommy and Caleb days." The H and I are supposed to do a 10K race on Saturday. Hopefully it's not too hot! I ran the course with a friend a few weeks ago--there are a few hills, and she's FAST. A cool morning would be great.
How are you other streakers doing?? Looking forward to the end of this, or planning to continue?
We were in Alexandria, VA for almost all of Week 3. Lucky enough to borrow a great jogging stroller, the little guy and I logged more than a half marathon together! He was a great running buddy. We even accomplished my streak-goal of getting out before The H left for work some mornings, and the two of us spent some quality time in the pool. Cross training, right? :)
I also ran another 13ish miles on my own, resulting in a total of 28 miles that week. I did manage to do yoga in our hotel room at least once; yay me! Sadly I didn't get to participate in Virginia Yoga Week or whatever it was called, though I did find a studio to try next time we're in town.
Week 4 brought more humidity and shorter runs, for a total of 23 miles. A nice stepback week toward the end of this streak challenge! I did get to a yoga class with a friend, and I think I did a DVD earlier in the week.
This is the last week of daycare for the little guy; he'll be going to some form of preschool/Pre-K in the fall. He turned FOUR today. I can't believe it! He's fully convinced that once he's done with daycare, he'll be going to school--robot school, to be specific. Not looking forward to crushing those hopes and dreams. :)
I plan to log a few longer runs on Tuesday and Friday if my slightly-achy feet will allow for it, to take advantage of the time he's at daycare, and then it's back to "Mommy and Caleb days." The H and I are supposed to do a 10K race on Saturday. Hopefully it's not too hot! I ran the course with a friend a few weeks ago--there are a few hills, and she's FAST. A cool morning would be great.
How are you other streakers doing?? Looking forward to the end of this, or planning to continue?
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Summer Streak - Week 2
Last week's numbers:
2 - days of yoga (actually three 20-minute DVDs)
7 - days of running (of course)
8 - separate runs (I did a double on Wednesday)
10 - longest run, in miles (I set out to do 6...oops)
30 - my approximate total mileage this week
92 - the temperature of my run this afternoon!
I've really been enjoying this challenge so far. Even though I ran five more miles this week, my legs feel better for it. Well, aside from that unexpected 10. After that they weren't very happy with me. I totally misjudged my turnaround point and thought running a loop route rather than my intended out-and-back would net the same result. So, so wrong. The H got a kick out of that. :) I like knowing, although I'm supposed to run every day, all I truly have to do is a mile for it to count. That usually turns into two miles, since I like to break a good sweat and feel like getting suited up was worth my time.
This week I'm happy to be tromping around some of our favorite spots in Alexandria, VA. A local acquaintance was kind enough to lend us a jogging stroller; I've already scoped out a playground for me and the little guy. Conveniently, it's about a mile away from our hotel. Bring it on, week three!
2 - days of yoga (actually three 20-minute DVDs)
7 - days of running (of course)
8 - separate runs (I did a double on Wednesday)
10 - longest run, in miles (I set out to do 6...oops)
30 - my approximate total mileage this week
92 - the temperature of my run this afternoon!
I've really been enjoying this challenge so far. Even though I ran five more miles this week, my legs feel better for it. Well, aside from that unexpected 10. After that they weren't very happy with me. I totally misjudged my turnaround point and thought running a loop route rather than my intended out-and-back would net the same result. So, so wrong. The H got a kick out of that. :) I like knowing, although I'm supposed to run every day, all I truly have to do is a mile for it to count. That usually turns into two miles, since I like to break a good sweat and feel like getting suited up was worth my time.
This week I'm happy to be tromping around some of our favorite spots in Alexandria, VA. A local acquaintance was kind enough to lend us a jogging stroller; I've already scoped out a playground for me and the little guy. Conveniently, it's about a mile away from our hotel. Bring it on, week three!
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Summer Streak - Week 1
25.65 - total miles covered
7 - consecutive days of running
2 - runs with the dog
2 - bowls of ice cream consumed
1 - really fun trail run
0 - days of yoga :(
Two of my runs were before breakfast, while The H was still home. They were Memorial Day and Sunday, so he didn't have to get to work, but it's good to know that I was able to get myself up and out as planned in that regard. This week I'm looking forward to a Friday morning yoga class, at the studio closest to me or the hot studio, following the morning run group they offer. So far everything feels great (though my hamstrings definitely noticed the difference in terrain after yesterday's trail run!) and I'm very happy with the overall mileage. Thirty one days to go! Is anyone else streaking 'til the 4th?
7 - consecutive days of running
2 - runs with the dog
2 - bowls of ice cream consumed
1 - really fun trail run
0 - days of yoga :(
Two of my runs were before breakfast, while The H was still home. They were Memorial Day and Sunday, so he didn't have to get to work, but it's good to know that I was able to get myself up and out as planned in that regard. This week I'm looking forward to a Friday morning yoga class, at the studio closest to me or the hot studio, following the morning run group they offer. So far everything feels great (though my hamstrings definitely noticed the difference in terrain after yesterday's trail run!) and I'm very happy with the overall mileage. Thirty one days to go! Is anyone else streaking 'til the 4th?
Thursday, May 31, 2012
I'm going to streak!
In running clothes, of course (what else do I wear?). For the first time since hearing about running "streakers"--those who run day after day after day without a break--I'm jumping on board. The streak challenge I'm doing runs from Memorial Day through Independence Day, and this marks Day 4 of 38! You can read more about it in the Runner's World article here.
Streaks have never sounded like a good idea to me for a number of reasons, the most important being that I believe my body needs a good solid day of rest every week to perform at its best. But that's the thing... with this challenge, I don't *plan* on performing. I'm not registered for ANYthing right now! I might do a 10K at the end of June, but that still fits within my self-imposed limitations listed below. The bare minimum required for the streak is one mile per day. ONE MILE. I can (and should) do that with my dog! Rather than making any great strides (ha ha) in my physical fitness during the next few weeks, here's what I hope to get out of this:
1. Rise and shine: Get up at least one morning per week to run before The H leaves for work.
2. Bond with the pooch: Take the dog with me, weather permitting, at least once a week.
3. Take it easy: Cut back weekend long runs to 6-8 miles (thanks to my running buddy for that idea) to even out overall mileage in spite of adding two days of running.
4. Stay loose: Do at least one yoga class or DVD weekly to stretch out the muscles I'm overworking.
Anyone out there a streaker? Want to join me in this challenge?
Streaks have never sounded like a good idea to me for a number of reasons, the most important being that I believe my body needs a good solid day of rest every week to perform at its best. But that's the thing... with this challenge, I don't *plan* on performing. I'm not registered for ANYthing right now! I might do a 10K at the end of June, but that still fits within my self-imposed limitations listed below. The bare minimum required for the streak is one mile per day. ONE MILE. I can (and should) do that with my dog! Rather than making any great strides (ha ha) in my physical fitness during the next few weeks, here's what I hope to get out of this:
1. Rise and shine: Get up at least one morning per week to run before The H leaves for work.
2. Bond with the pooch: Take the dog with me, weather permitting, at least once a week.
3. Take it easy: Cut back weekend long runs to 6-8 miles (thanks to my running buddy for that idea) to even out overall mileage in spite of adding two days of running.
4. Stay loose: Do at least one yoga class or DVD weekly to stretch out the muscles I'm overworking.
Anyone out there a streaker? Want to join me in this challenge?
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Kale with quinoa and chickpeas
Oh, kale, you dark dusky-leafed green, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee blended into a cool, verdant smoothie as a refreshing post-run pick-me-up. I love thee sprinkled with kosher salt and toasted to a light crispiness. I love thee wilted into a rich red wine-saturated spaghetti sauce, or stirred into a hearty potato-sausage soup when the winter winds wail at my windows.
(source)
But most of all, oh dear kale, I adore thee to the utmost heights when prepared the following way (super giant pink puffy-heart thanks to my friends, H&N, for this inspiration, and for continuing to acknowledge me in public):
1. Precook some quinoa and chickpeas (or use a can of garbanzos, rinsed well).
2. Sauté a bunch of washed, torn kale in a giant skillet. Set aside in a large bowl.
3. In the skillet, sauté two minced cloves of garlic in a swirl of olive oil, along with some paprika and cumin.
4. Stir chickpeas into garlic & spice mixture and mix well. (This gets 'em really nutty tasting...yum.)
5. Add 1-2 cups of the quinoa to skillet and toss it all together. Add the juice from two lemons.
6. Stir in kale until well combined; add more quinoa if you want.
7. Sprinkle with a decent amount of salt to taste and serve in the large bowl the kale was in.
It's actually far simpler than I've made it sound: stir together kale, quinoa, and chickpeas with seasonings; add salt and lemon juice, enjoy.
The second time I made this within a week, I also bought a 2lb bag of dried garbanzos so I can do it again. You'd better believe I stopped halfway through writing this to reheat a little--and take a typical subpar picture. :)
You can serve this hot, warm, or cold... or while you stand over the stove before dinner... as you're boxing it up for lunches the next day... if you are scavenging for a midnight snack... at a picnic with your friends (genius, it doesn't require intense refrigeration)... pretty much anytime you want a hearty, flavorful, delicious, tangy, filling, vegetarian (vegan? I think so) meal. I'm already wondering how many times I can incorporate it into family picnics and parties this summer.
Check out this link to read a little more about the goodness of kale.
I love thee blended into a cool, verdant smoothie as a refreshing post-run pick-me-up. I love thee sprinkled with kosher salt and toasted to a light crispiness. I love thee wilted into a rich red wine-saturated spaghetti sauce, or stirred into a hearty potato-sausage soup when the winter winds wail at my windows.
But most of all, oh dear kale, I adore thee to the utmost heights when prepared the following way (super giant pink puffy-heart thanks to my friends, H&N, for this inspiration, and for continuing to acknowledge me in public):
1. Precook some quinoa and chickpeas (or use a can of garbanzos, rinsed well).
2. Sauté a bunch of washed, torn kale in a giant skillet. Set aside in a large bowl.
3. In the skillet, sauté two minced cloves of garlic in a swirl of olive oil, along with some paprika and cumin.
4. Stir chickpeas into garlic & spice mixture and mix well. (This gets 'em really nutty tasting...yum.)
5. Add 1-2 cups of the quinoa to skillet and toss it all together. Add the juice from two lemons.
6. Stir in kale until well combined; add more quinoa if you want.
7. Sprinkle with a decent amount of salt to taste and serve in the large bowl the kale was in.
It's actually far simpler than I've made it sound: stir together kale, quinoa, and chickpeas with seasonings; add salt and lemon juice, enjoy.
The second time I made this within a week, I also bought a 2lb bag of dried garbanzos so I can do it again. You'd better believe I stopped halfway through writing this to reheat a little--and take a typical subpar picture. :)
You can serve this hot, warm, or cold... or while you stand over the stove before dinner... as you're boxing it up for lunches the next day... if you are scavenging for a midnight snack... at a picnic with your friends (genius, it doesn't require intense refrigeration)... pretty much anytime you want a hearty, flavorful, delicious, tangy, filling, vegetarian (vegan? I think so) meal. I'm already wondering how many times I can incorporate it into family picnics and parties this summer.
Check out this link to read a little more about the goodness of kale.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Two weeks later
Two weeks ago today, I ran my third marathon. It was a gorgeous course, with a super-fun and scenic 18 miles... then a hill... then a relatively flat bike path. But since my quads were toast from the downhill, then from trudging up the hill I refused to walk, it was like they had forgotten how to propel me forward on the flat parts. My legs had no "go." Mentally I was fine, other than annoyed at my lower half. I had hydrated and fueled *just right* the whole time. I just couldn't make my legs move. And for the last four miles, walking won out more than I would've cared for. I decided that slowing down to catch my breath was the way to go. There may or may not have been a text to The H around Mile 23 that said I was dying, or something close to it...
Still, I crossed the finish line running and smiling (after a moment of mild hyperventilation when I found The H waiting for me at the final straightaway), and got the same medal I would've received if I'd clocked a wicked fast PR. After that, I just wanted to SIT DOWN. And he snapped a picture of what I *really* look like post-26.2, just for future reference.
I am not disappointed in the least with the overall experience. You train for weeks to do the best you can, but you can't always predict what will happen on race day. I didn't realize what 18 miles of downhill would do to my legs, but now I know. The medal that's hanging next to my others is identical to the ones those who qualified for Boston had around their necks. It's the same one I would've gotten if I'd run faster, or walked the whole thing. I'll always find a way to pick apart a race performance, but I hope it doesn't come across that I regret any of it.
The rest of our trip to Colorado was gorgeous. We got to see Pike's Peak, the Royal Gorge Bridge, the Downtown Aquarium in Denver, and Garden of the Gods, not to mention our friends who moved out west last spring. It was a really nice week--one that felt so much longer, but not really in a bad way.
Since then, I've logged a 10K PR (53:44), and a 1st-place age group finish in a small 5K (24:01, not a PR). I guess there's no lasting damage from that downhill stretch. :)
Today's race, the 5K, was sunny, humid, and hot, with no breeze until the end. And thus begins the summer racing season! In the past month, I've run a 5K, 10K, half marathon (PR), and a full. Rest is probably in order now. While I know I'm not done with marathons--I almost registered for another in June--I'm excited to sign up for some shorter distances, probably until the weather cools down again. The idea of a marathon relay with my mom and some other female relatives has been tossed around. Anybody running Detroit this year? :)
Still, I crossed the finish line running and smiling (after a moment of mild hyperventilation when I found The H waiting for me at the final straightaway), and got the same medal I would've received if I'd clocked a wicked fast PR. After that, I just wanted to SIT DOWN. And he snapped a picture of what I *really* look like post-26.2, just for future reference.
The rest of our trip to Colorado was gorgeous. We got to see Pike's Peak, the Royal Gorge Bridge, the Downtown Aquarium in Denver, and Garden of the Gods, not to mention our friends who moved out west last spring. It was a really nice week--one that felt so much longer, but not really in a bad way.
Since then, I've logged a 10K PR (53:44), and a 1st-place age group finish in a small 5K (24:01, not a PR). I guess there's no lasting damage from that downhill stretch. :)
Today's race, the 5K, was sunny, humid, and hot, with no breeze until the end. And thus begins the summer racing season! In the past month, I've run a 5K, 10K, half marathon (PR), and a full. Rest is probably in order now. While I know I'm not done with marathons--I almost registered for another in June--I'm excited to sign up for some shorter distances, probably until the weather cools down again. The idea of a marathon relay with my mom and some other female relatives has been tossed around. Anybody running Detroit this year? :)
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